(This man... He even copied Bell's Peach Blessing? I can't let him get close!)
Unlike everyone else who only saw destructive power, Ren understood precisely how terrifying «Canopus» was—even more so than Bell herself, its original owner.
Calling it an Instant Kill wouldn't be an exaggeration.
«Canopus» was a perfect example of an ability that was theoretically overwhelmingly powerful yet constrained by its user. Bell's timid, fearful, and self-doubting nature prevented her from realizing the full potential of this ability. That combination made her the psychologically weakest Chief—yet at the same time, she possessed the single most lethal "trump card" in the entire Anti-Demon Corps.
Through the brief sparring exchange, Ren had become convinced of one thing: «Canopus» was far more dangerous in Naoki's hands. This man did not carry Bell's hesitation.
So Ren made a swift decision. She shifted the focus of her Nullification from «Night Storm» to «Canopus».
*FZZT!*
In an instant, the orb of light at her chest vanished. It faded like morning dew touched by sunlight.
"A smart choice." Naoki lowered his hands, unbothered by «Canopus» being sealed.
"My, are you a little pleased to have had the upper hand over me, even if only for a moment?" Ren tossed her long hair back, fixing Naoki with her haughty gaze that had returned in full force. "Well, that's only natural. After all, the one standing before you is the Strongest."
Having long since grown accustomed to her narcissism, Naoki couldn't be bothered to respond. With Ren's Nullification having shifted targets, «Night Storm» was now accessible again—but he felt that alone wasn't sufficient to dominate his opponent outright. So he activated another Peach Blessing.
The Thaumiel slot on the Qliphoth Tree diagram in his mind lit up brilliantly.
Spatial Manipulation—«Ame-no-Mitori»!
*WHOOSH!*
Naoki charged forward without warning. Without «Crazy Sheep», his speed had dropped considerably, but he was still fast. His body shot in a straight line toward Ren.
"You don't seem particularly clever, Kamikawa Naoki. «Crazy Sheep» is still on cooldown. Without it, you'd rather face me bare-handed than use «Night Storm» from a safe distance? You're asking to lose faster."
Even as she mocked him aloud, Ren was privately pleased by her opponent's recklessness. This was a golden opportunity to end the match with a decisive victory. So she reactivated her Physical Enhancement, layering it alongside the Nullification already in effect.
*SWISH!*
Ren struck first. Her fist flew—not an ordinary punch, but a blow produced by a body amplified many times over. Its speed was extraordinary, its force crushing.
The punch should have landed on Naoki's face.
But it didn't.
Ren's fist stopped. Not blocked, not deflected—it simply stopped, approximately thirty centimeters from Naoki's face. As though there was an invisible wall between them.
Ren's brow furrowed. She felt no impact. No resistance, no force pushing back against her. Her fist seemed to... keep moving, yet never reach its target.
She tried again. A quick jab to the stomach. Stopped. A hook to the side. Stopped. A roundhouse kick to the head. Stopped.
Every attack, without exception, stopped at the same distance. Thirty centimeters.
Ren's beautiful face showed a bewilderment she couldn't conceal. Her violet eyes narrowed as she tried to make sense of what was happening.
There was no physical barrier.
No force holding her back.
Yet her attacks never landed.
Understanding Ren's confusion, Naoki took the initiative to explain before she could ask.
"This technique is called Infinity. It was developed from Tenka's «Ame-no-Mitori». Its mechanism is the Creation of Infinite Distance within an extremely small space."
Naoki stood calmly, allowing Ren to try attacking again, only to fail each time at penetrating the space in front of him.
"Objects that enter the Infinity zone don't stop in any miraculous sense. They continue moving forward at full speed—however, because the space they must traverse keeps expanding in breadth every second, they appear to stop."
Naoki paused briefly, then offered a simple analogy.
"Think of someone trying to run toward a door in a corridor that keeps stretching away ahead of them indefinitely. No matter how fast they run, the door is always receding. You will never be able to touch me."
"...!!!"
It wasn't only Ren who was shaken by Naoki's explanation. The Chiefs outside the barrier—Kyouka, Fubuki, Varvara, and Riu—immediately grasped the staggering potential of Infinity.
As for Mira, Yakumo, Konomi, and Bell, it was only after Naoki provided the simple analogy that they truly understood the terrifying concept behind the ability.
Ren stepped back, her sharp mind working quickly to analyze the situation.
"So only abilities that are spatial, causal, conceptual, rule-disrupting, non-physical, or perceptual in nature would be able to penetrate Infinity?"
With her intellect, Ren had already identified the theoretical methods for breaking through Naoki's defense. Unfortunately, of all the methods she had named, she only possessed Spatial Manipulation—and hers was used solely for teleportation.
In other words, with her current ability configuration, she couldn't defeat Naoki.
A vein throbbed at Ren's otherwise flawless forehead. This was the first time she had found herself in a situation like this. Facing an opponent she couldn't strike, yet couldn't force into defeat either.
Frustrating, infuriating, and humiliating.
"As expected of the Supreme Commander." Naoki smiled faintly. Both of them had stopped attacking, maintaining a cautious distance within the circle. "So then—do you still want to continue?"
Ren gritted her teeth. Her eyes blazed with a competitive fire that refused to be extinguished.
"You think you've won, Kamikawa Naoki? It's true I can't penetrate your turtle shell—but that doesn't mean I've lost."
She lifted her chin, striving to preserve her dignity. With the other Chiefs watching, she could not afford to appear weak.
"You're in the same position. There's no way you can defeat me either! Consider this sparring match a draw."
"Of course."
Naoki nodded in agreement. On the surface, he accepted that conclusion. But in his heart—and Tenka's—the truth was different. His odds of defeating Ren were, if he were serious, one hundred percent.
Without even needing the tenfold amplification of «Decimal Point», the standard five-second duration of «Golden Hour» would be more than enough. Five seconds of stopped time. Five seconds in which Ren could not move, could not think, could not do anything at all.
And in those five seconds, Naoki could use «Canopus» to extract her life.
After all, Ren was not immune to Time Stop. In truth, very few beings in this world possessed resistance to Time Manipulation—and Ren, for all her strength, was not among them.
But this was not a real fight. It was sparring. There was no need to show all his cards.
Ren exhaled slowly, composing herself. Then, in a voice that carried clearly across the entire field, she announced:
"Kamikawa Naoki. Effective immediately, you are assigned to the Sixth Unit." Her violet eyes swept toward the Chiefs standing outside the barrier. "Any objections?"
The result was clear. Not a single Chief raised one. Naoki had demonstrated perfectly that he more than deserved a place in the Anti-Demon Corps. If anything, his assigned rank was too low. With the power to match the Supreme Commander herself, he was worthy of holding a Unit Chief's position.
But no one said it aloud. Silence was consent.
"With that, the Chiefs' Assembly is concluded. Everyone is dismissed."
Having said that, Ren shot into the sky like a falling meteor in reverse. She wanted to vent her irritation at failing to defeat a man she had looked down upon—far from the sight of her subordinates.
"That was a magnificent fight, Naoki-kun."
The moment Naoki stepped out of the barrier, Tenka was at his side. She straightened his uniform, rumpled from the battle, her eyes filled with a deep love she made no effort to hide.
Riu approached, followed by Konomi, who was still looking at Naoki with sparkling eyes. The old woman looked him up and down, then gave a satisfied nod.
"Boy, when you have time, come to my dojo." Her voice was hoarse but firm. "Let me refine your martial arts. Your talent still has room to be sharpened."
Naoki looked at Riu, then bowed respectfully. "Thank you. I'll be sure to come."
Riu smiled faintly, then turned and left. Konomi gave a quick bow to Kyouka and Tenka before dashing after her teacher.
Before Naoki could even draw a breath, Mira was standing in front of him. Her expression was fierce, her eyes blazing, but there was no hostility behind it. Her fist pressed lightly against Naoki's chest.
"Yo! I really want to fight you. But I'm not the type to take advantage of someone. You've just been through a fight with the Commander—let's do it another time."
Naoki looked at Mira, then nodded. "Of course. I'm looking forward to it."
"Heh!" Mira smiled with satisfaction. "Don't take that back." She clapped Naoki once on the shoulder—firmly enough to send an ordinary man stumbling—then turned and walked away with long strides.
Varvara said her farewell to Kyouka with a brief nod and simply left, faithful to her cool indifference.
Yakumo acted with her characteristic carelessness, suddenly reaching out and examining Naoki's body up close. "Oh~ what nice muscles! Hey, Naoki, want to join Onee-san's harem? Just for you, Yakumo Onee-san is willing to make a special exception!"
"No, thank you." Naoki declined the tempting invitation calmly. "If I agreed, wouldn't that mean you'd also be getting Tenka for free? That's not fair."
"Tee-hee~ you caught me~" Yakumo put on a coy act, tapping her head, sticking out her tongue and winking. "If you change your mind, you know how to find Onee-san~"
"Hyaa—"
Bell let out a shriek. Yakumo's hand had slipped beneath her skirt, giving the girl's rear a swift caress.
"Still as soft and springy as ever." Yakumo laughed with satisfaction, then shot off using «Night Storm» before Bell could react.
Bell stood frozen in place, her face burning red all the way to her ears. Her eyes glistened, her mouth open but no sound coming out. The timid girl—who always felt inferior in the presence of the other Chiefs—could only bow her head deeply.
She gave a respectful bow to everyone remaining, then turned and hurried away. Her steps were half a run, as though desperate to escape from that mortifying place.
Ginna, who had been standing silently in the corner all this while, promptly followed after her.
Fubuki, who had been calmly observing everything from a distance, finally stepped forward. Her yellow eyes settled on Naoki with an expression that was difficult to read—a blend of assessment, curiosity, and something deeper.
"Naoki. Look after my daughter, Yachiho. She is a genius with an exceptional confidence that borders on arrogance—I hope you'll be patient with her."
Naoki nodded. "That's fine. She's my teammate now."
Fubuki's smile was faint. Barely visible. "Glad to hear it. With a man as strong as you, I can rest easy. Yachiho won't be in any danger."
She turned and left, her steps graceful as she departed the courtyard.
Now only four people remained—two men and two women: Naoki, Yuuki, Kyouka, and Tenka. A brief quiet settled over them after the earlier commotion.
Kyouka looked at Naoki with a complicated expression. At last, she let out a long breath and led Yuuki away from the area.
Left alone, Tenka and Naoki departed the Tenth Unit's headquarters together.
Tenka opened a swirling spatial portal that led directly to the Sixth Unit's headquarters. They stepped through, leaving behind the empty courtyard, still bearing the cracks and craters left by the fierce battle that had just taken place.
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