Aibar, however, swung his sword with just one hand as if it weighed nothing. At the same time, the power of his attacks increased significantly. As a result, Arsen was being struck by devastating blows.
The two of them were now fighting on equal footing.
However, Arsen still had a trump card—his Green Flame Form.
It granted him overwhelming attack power, incredible speed, and scorching attacks capable of burning everything they touched.
Arsen activated the Green Form.
In an instant, he landed a single punch on Aibar and sent him flying far into the distance.
The impact was unbearable.
Aibar was severely injured.
Arsen looked at him with a faint smile, almost as if he were mocking him.
"You wanted to fight in the sky, didn't you...?"
Then he relentlessly continued attacking him in midair.
Aibar quickly realized just how terrifying the Green Mode truly was.
Under its overwhelming power, he suffered devastating injuries. Burns spread across his body as Arsen's attacks continuously scorched him.
Against Green Mode, Wind Mode had absolutely no chance.
Not only in hand-to-hand combat—even with weapons, Aibar couldn't compete.
Aibar was fighting with a two-handed sword, yet Arsen had already put his own sword away and was defeating him with his bare hands.
Eventually, Aibar became exhausted.
Covered in blood from head to toe, he lost his balance and began falling toward the ground.
Before he could crash, Maria leaped into the air and caught him.
She carefully carried him down, and the two landed gently on the ground.
Arsen was frighteningly powerful.
Aibar's chances of winning were practically zero.
The flames of Green Mode easily bypassed Wind Mode's defenses, allowing Arsen to continuously strike Aibar with burning attacks.
Arsen was deliberately fighting in the sky.
He was intentionally humiliating Aibar.
The reason was simple.
He wanted revenge for Asanali.
Within the organization, Arsen and Asanali had always been considered the weakest members.
Because of that, the two of them gradually became close friends.
After Asanali's death, Arsen's anger toward Aibar had only grown stronger.
And now, he intended to make Aibar suffer.Aibar fell from Maria's grasp and rejoined the battle. Maria realized that she would only become a burden in their fight, so she returned inside the school.
The reason Aibar had not attended school that day was because he had surrounded the entire school with a holographic shield—a new technology he had invented himself. The day before, he had secretly placed several devices around the borders of the school grounds. Using those devices, he generated a holographic barrier that protected the entire campus.
Despite continuously attacking Arsen with his two-handed sword, Aibar was defeated once again. Arsen did not even see him as a worthy opponent.
As Aibar lay on the ground, weakened and exhausted, a voice echoed through the battlefield.
"Huh... If I were in your position, I would activate the other modes."
Everyone heard the voice.
Aibar looked around calmly.
"Who are you...?"
"What business is it of yours who I am?" the mysterious person replied. "You should activate Fire Mode. I saw how well your Wind Form held its ground against Fire Mode. If you activate Fire Mode now, I think you might even be able to stand against Green Mode. If you don't... you'll die."
The voice continued.
"I could stop Arsen myself. However, I want to join your team. That's why I'm testing you. I want to see whether you're worthy or not. After all, I have no intention of forming an alliance with the weak."
Not even Arsen could determine where the voice was coming from.
Aibar attacked again.
However, he was overwhelmed by Arsen's attacks and eventually lost consciousness.
He crashed into the school grounds. Azamat, who was controlling the holographic shield, opened a section of it the moment Aibar fell, allowing him to enter before sealing it again.
Aibar was still unconscious.
Arsen laughed mockingly.
"Hahaha... what a weakling..."
Before he could finish speaking, Aibar suddenly regained consciousness.
But something was different.
He was furious.
For the first time, he completely surrendered himself to his anger.
Aibar rose to his feet and let out a monstrous roar. A terrifying crimson aura erupted from his body.
Looking up at the sky, he roared again and activated Fire Mode.
However, Fire Mode was extremely hot and immediately began burning his body.
Whenever a Heat Mode was activated, a wind barrier would automatically surround the user. That barrier required training. For first-time users, the barrier was very weak, causing the intense heat to slowly burn the user's body.
Even as the flames scorched him, Aibar endured the pain and fought Arsen as an equal.
Only Arsen's powerful regeneration allowed him to survive.
Arsen barely managed to draw his sword once again.
The two clashed fiercely.
Consumed by rage, Aibar lost control of himself and accidentally activated Green Mode as well.
The pain became far worse.
His body burned even more intensely than before.
However, Aibar quickly adapted.
At this point, Arsen no longer felt like an opponent.
Aibar could fight evenly against opponents one stage above his own level. Against someone on the same level as him, he was overwhelmingly stronger.
Eventually, his anger subsided and he regained control over himself.
The pain remained unbearable, but Aibar showed no sign of it.
He noticed that Green Mode was active.
Arsen was completely defeated.
Unable to accept his loss, Arsen ripped out his own Crystal Core and detonated it, taking his own life.
Aibar tried to stop him, but he was too late.
Afterward, Aibar landed within the school grounds and deactivated Green Mode.
Severely injured, he could barely remain standing.
Maria rushed outside and placed his arm over her shoulder to support him.
Then she noticed the students watching from the school windows.
Aibar calmly explained everything that had happened at Maria's house. He revealed that she was a girl who simply wanted to prove that girls were capable as well.
Then he looked at Maria and spoke seriously.
"You've already proven it.
Think about it. Your own brother is weaker than you, not to mention countless other boys who can't do anything compared to you.
You stand far above them.
You couldn't defeat me, but you secured second place. You're the only person who can currently challenge me.
And as proof that girls are capable, Symbat earned third place.
Think about it. Among the top three, only one is a boy—me. After you and Symbat, there are even more girls occupying the highest positions in the top ten.
You don't need to prove anything to anyone anymore.
I don't know what kind of people your parents are... but it feels like they wanted to raise warriors.
I don't support that.
A girl being gentle and beautiful isn't wrong.
But it feels as if your parents wanted to turn you into a weapon.
I hate that.
Whether someone is a man or a woman, treating them as nothing more than a weapon disgusts me.
You never needed to prove yourself.
But you did.
What I'm trying to say is this:
You're not a weapon.
You're a person.
Just like me.
And a person should do what they believe is right and what makes them happy—not force themselves to live according to someone else's expectations."
He paused for a moment before speaking again.
"You're strong. I admit that.
But... this isn't arrogance.
I'm simply on a different level.
Your desire to become stronger is admirable.
But don't try to become the strongest.
Allow me to carry that burden instead.
Just give me your approval."
Maria blushed deeply.
The words she had always wanted to hear were coming from the very person she had begun to develop feelings for—the rival she once considered her greatest obstacle.
For the first time in her life, she felt free.
Free from the expectations of the parents who never truly loved her.
Free from the chains that had bound her for so long.
At that moment, Maria decided she would live for herself.
She no longer cared about competing with Aibar.
She had already proven that she was one of the strongest.
And now she understood it herself.
Aibar looked into her eyes.
"Will you go out with me?
I... I love you.
These feelings are new to me as well.
But I'll do my best."
Maria's face turned even redder.
After composing herself, she smiled teasingly.
"Ooooh... did my strongest rival just confess to me?
Though hearing a confession without any visible emotions is pretty strange.
You should see your own face.
Hahaha...
I never imagined that the Guardian of Order—the person everyone fears—could be this adorable."
After laughing, she smiled warmly.
"Aibar...
Thank you.
I've always felt alone.
I thought I had no one besides my brother.
I searched for friends among people my age.
I kept telling myself that nobody could understand me.
That nobody except my brother ever would.
And yet, I pushed away the very person who wanted to help me.
But you never gave up on me.
You stayed until the end.
After my brother, you're the person who supported me the most.
You and my brother are like angels to me.
Thank you.
As for your confession...
I honestly don't know how to respond.
I've caused you so many problems..."
Aibar interrupted her calmly.
"I already told you.
Stop worrying about what other people think.
Whether you do good, try to do good, or make mistakes, people will always talk.
Not everyone, of course.
But some will.
That's why you should live the way you want.
Make your own decisions.
Don't let others decide for you.
They cannot walk the path you walk.
People often criticize others for achieving things they themselves cannot.
That's human nature.
But what's important is that you decide for yourself.
Because to the people who truly value you...
You'll always seem perfect."
Maria suddenly burst into laughter.
"Pfft... hahaha..."
Then she looked at him warmly.
"You're truly an amazing guy.
But you're also hilarious.
I don't know why you're emotionless.
But judging by the things you say, I can tell you've suffered a lot too.
Maybe one day you'll tell me about it and finally ease that burden.
Until then, I owe you my respect.
Because you're my hero.
And regarding your confession...
Yes.
I accept."
The students and teachers watching from the windows erupted into applause.
Everyone smiled as they watched the two of them.
Only Symbat stood silently nearby, looking at Maria with a small hint of jealousy.