The suffocating silence continued.
Kronos stood motionless in the center of the ruined academy, his silver eyes calmly watching every teacher and student before him.
"...One more step..."
"...and this battle will end."
Shougo slowly stood, his breathing ragged as Yaki and Yami swirled around his battered body.
"...Don't listen to him."
"We're still standing."
Griffin wiped the blood from his forehead and rested his weapon against his shoulder.
"He isn't invincible."
Judas stepped beside him.
"Then prove it."
The students answered without hesitation.
Kairo gripped the Black Spartan tighter.
Yura lowered her stance.
Kimimaru forced himself upright despite the blood soaking his uniform.
Reji spun his weapon once.
Tyouro ignited blazing spiritual flames around both fists.
Dracula disappeared into a streak of blue lightning.
Aoi cracked her knuckles.
Every remaining teacher released their spiritual pressure.
The shattered academy trembled beneath the combined aura of Reikosha.
Kronos quietly watched them.
Then...
He smiled.
"...Excellent."
"So this..."
"...is your answer."
The battlefield exploded.
Dracula struck first, lightning tearing across the ruined courtyard.
Tyouro's Wave Emission followed immediately behind him.
Kairo lunged forward with the Black Spartan.
Griffin attacked from the left.
Judas from the right.
Shougo descended from above, Yaki and Yami spiraling together into a devastating strike.
Hundreds of attacks converged on Kronos.
The air screamed beneath the pressure.
Kronos slowly raised two fingers.
"...Stillness Zone."
Silence.
Everything stopped.
Dracula's lightning froze only centimeters away.
Tyouro's Wave Emission remained suspended in the air like a river of blue light.
Kairo's spear halted before reaching its target.
Dust no longer drifted.
Flames no longer burned.
Even the wind...
Ceased to exist.
The battlefield resembled a painted world.
Only one person continued moving.
Kronos.
His footsteps echoed softly through the unnatural silence.
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
He calmly walked between frozen attacks, examining each warrior one by one.
"So much determination."
He passed Griffin.
"...Excellent instincts."
He gently tapped Griffin's shoulder.
A silver mark appeared.
He walked past Judas.
"...Precise."
Another mark.
He stopped before Tyouro.
"...Too reckless."
A single finger touched Tyouro's chest.
One more silver mark.
Kairo stood frozen, his eyes unable to move, his body refusing to obey him.
Only his thoughts raced.
What... is happening...?
I can't move...
Not even a finger...
Kronos looked directly into his eyes.
"...Fear."
"It finally reached you."
He continued walking.
Yura remained suspended in midair, her punch only inches from Kronos's face.
He studied her quietly.
"...Interesting."
"But not yet."
He gently pushed her fist aside.
The attack remained frozen in its new direction.
Finally...
He stood before Shougo.
Yaki and Yami remained locked around Shougo's fist.
Kronos observed them for several seconds.
"...A fascinating combination."
He raised one hand.
Just before touching Shougo—
A black flame trembled.
Kronos paused.
"...Hm?"
Tiny cracks spread through the invisible stillness surrounding Shougo.
Yaki and Yami violently collided with one another.
Shougo's fingers twitched.
Kronos's expression changed for the first time.
"...You're resisting."
Shougo growled through clenched teeth.
"...Move..."
"...MOVE!"
A violent surge of Yaki and Yami erupted around him.
CRACK!!
The frozen air shattered around Shougo for an instant.
His fist lunged forward.
Kronos calmly stepped back.
The punch narrowly missed his face before the surrounding stillness instantly swallowed Shougo once more.
"...Remarkable."
Kronos admitted quietly.
"...But insufficient."
He stepped away.
The silver symbols surrounding the battlefield slowly disappeared.
"...Release."
The world moved again.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Every frozen attack exploded at once.
Lightning continued.
Flames erupted.
Wave Emission finished its course.
The delayed impacts hurled warriors across the academy as the accumulated force detonated simultaneously.
Griffin crashed through another building.
Judas rolled across the broken courtyard.
Tyouro coughed blood.
Kairo barely remained standing.
Yura landed heavily beside Kimimaru.
The students stared at Kronos in disbelief.
Reji's voice trembled.
"...That..."
"...That was Time Stop..."
Kronos slowly shook his head.
"...No."
His calm voice echoed across the silent battlefield.
"...That..."
"...was merely Stillness."
Every face turned pale.
Merely...?
If that wasn't his greatest power...
Then what was?
Kronos slowly looked toward the darkening heavens.
Clouds began rotating above Reikosha Academy.
The sunlight faded.
The atmosphere itself seemed to hold its breath.
He slowly raised his right hand.
Silver symbols spread far beyond the academy...
Beyond the forests...
Beyond the mountains...
Beyond the horizon itself.
For the first time...
Kronos's spiritual pressure truly awakened.
He spoke only four words.
"...Absolute Time Dominion."
The world...
Answered.