Everyone was shocked.
"Wait… where did Ashina go?"
Hirata narrowed his eyes.
"In a normal state, when someone activates their energy, it covers the outer body… but doesn't affect the inside."
He paused.
"…but this is different."
The examiner stayed on full guard.
BOOM.
He suddenly dashed forward, his sword coated in water energy.
With a single swing—
CRASH!
A wall shattered.
"…Huh? That fast?" the examiner muttered.
BOOM.
A figure appeared behind him.
Before he could react—
THUD.
A powerful kick landed on his back.
The impact shook the entire arena.
"Is that… an earthquake?!"
Smoke filled the battlefield.
Slowly… it began to clear.When the dust settled—
The examiner was on the ground, barely blocking Ashina's kick with his sword.
"Wait… is Ashina this strong?!"
Ashina's eyes burned with rage.
"I am above all of you!"
Hirata spoke calmly:
"This is what I meant… Normally, energy doesn't damage the user internally."
"But when the body is unstable… that same energy starts destroying it."
"…and in return, it boosts physical ability."
"Extreme power… at the cost of the body."
Shikai looked confused.
"Wait… does that mean he's moving at light speed?"
Hirata glanced at him, unimpressed.
"No."
"He hasn't mastered it yet. His control is incomplete."
"If he could fully fuse light energy with his body…"
"…then he'd be a monster."
Ashina, consumed by rage, pressed his foot down on the examiner.
"At this rate… he'll kill him," someone whispered.
The examiner reacted.
He channeled water into his katana—
—and swung.
WHOOSH.
The blade tore through the surroundings.
Walls were sliced apart—
—but Ashina had already vanished.
"…Where did he go?" the examiner muttered.
Then—
He looked up.
Ashina was clinging to the broken walls.
"…There you are."
The examiner rushed forward—
—but suddenly stopped.
"…Throwing debris now? What a monster."Ashina hurled massive slabs of rock at high speed.
So fast—
the normal eye couldn't follow.
"How is he going to survive that?!"
The examiner exhaled.
In one motion—
SLASH.
Every slab was cut apart.
For a split second—
He was open.
Ashina appeared in front of him.
Punch ready.
The examiner smirked.
"…That's what I was waiting for."
He twisted his body—
Water energy surged—
And—
SLASH.
A reverse strike.
BOOM.
The shockwave tore through the battlefield.
The ground shattered completely.
Hirata muttered:
"…How are they even going to fix this place?"
He paused.
"…Right. Someone with earth energy."
The dust cleared.
Ashina had blocked the attack—
But the examiner was breathing heavily.
Ashina smirked.
"That's it?"
"What a failure…"
"Prepare yourself… this next attack might kill you."
For the first time—
The examiner hesitated.
Ashina stepped forward.
拳 clenched.
Energy surging.
The examiner smiled slightly.
"I can use my unstable state too…"
Water gathered in his hand.
Ashina grinned.
"You walked into it."
"I've learned how to use my light energy… in my hands."
"You thought you'd break me…"
"…but now you're the one in danger."
The examiner's confidence cracked.
But it was too late.
Both attacked.
At the same time.
BOOOOOOOM.
The impact was massive.
A protection team rushed in—
Creating a barrier to shield the audience.
Dust filled the air.
Silence.
Then—
It cleared.
Both stood still—
Then collapsed.
Ashina's attack had completely destroyed the examiner's right arm.
But his own body…
Was burned out from overusing his energy.
The examiner was on the verge of death.
The medical team rushed in and carried both away.
Soon after—
A repair team restored the battlefield.
As if nothing had happened.
The test resumed.
Another examiner stepped forward.
And just like that—
The first test ended.
Time passed.
More students were called.
Then—
Hirata looked ahead.
"…Our turn."
Shikai swallowed.
"…Yeah."