The roar of the crowd wasn’t human.

  It was a monster—

  a beast insatiable,

  thrumming with hunger for blood, glory, and chaos.

  Every soul in the coliseum held its breath.

  Because what was coming…

  was not a match.

  It was a clash of titans.

  ?? Announcer (voice burning like fire):

  —"Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come!

  The main event of the night!

  A showdown between two colossuses—

  Two predators, born to destroy!"

  —"On one side: raw force.

  Unfiltered fury.

  An explosion given flesh."

  —"On the other: tactical brilliance.

  A smiling executioner.

  Strategy masked as grace."

  —"But before we bring out our warriors... we have honored guests in the VIP box!"

  Cameras shift. Spotlights swing toward the royal seats.

  —"To my left, the patriarch of House Amagiri!

  The man whose shadow still lingers over the Clan of Lightning— the former Murakumo, Saburo Amagiri!"

  —"And on the other side!

  The Iron Titan himself, former patriarch of the Kurogane—

  Kazuma Kurogane!"

  —"And beside him…

  A man who needs no introduction.

  The deadliest swordsman of his generation.

  The one who turned the blade into art… and judgment:

  Kamizasagiri the Kurogane family patriarch Ryu Kurogane!"

  The arena erupts.

  Screams.

  Cheers.

  Emotional chaos.

  And then—

  ?? Announcer (voice trembling with awe):

  —"Now… the moment you’ve all been waiting for.

  The most anticipated fight of the night!"

  ??

  —"In this corner!

  The embodiment of raw power.

  The Phoenix’s daughter.

  Fury incarnate that melts everything in her path.

  Feared as much as admired…"

  "The Hellfire Teapot…

  HOMURAAAA KUROGANE!!"

  ?? Fire erupts with her entrance.

  Every step she takes melts the ground beneath her boots.

  Her gaze is no longer the calm Homura from before.

  This Homura is ablaze.

  And she wants blood.

  ?

  —"And across from her…

  The headhunter.

  The chaos dancer.

  As lethal as lightning.

  As fluid as water.

  A smile that lies, but a blade that never misses…"

  "Murakumo… SATSUKIIII AMAGIRIIII!!"

  Satsuki enters like the arena was built just for her.

  Her smile sparkles.

  It’s not arrogance.

  It’s pure excitement.

  As if her childhood dream was finally about to come true in a single strike.

  The crowd can barely handle the tension.

  ?? Announcer (voice about to break):

  —"They’re both in position—so let the batt—!"

  ?? TRUMPETS.

  The crowd falls silent.

  A figure enters the royal booth.

  Queen Akari has arrived.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Her mere presence compresses the air to the edge of combustion.

  Homura feels it.

  She turns her head.

  Looks up.

  Looks at her.

  And in that instant—

  that one second of distraction—

  CRACK.

  Satsuki’s fist slams directly into Homura’s face.

  The explosive impact sends her flying like a ragdoll against the arena wall.

  Satsuki doesn’t let up.

  She charges in.

  Fists. Elbows. Surgical precision.

  Blow after blow—like she’s carving her name into Homura’s skin.

  Homura collapses.

  The arena sizzles beneath her.

  Her mind is in flames.

  “How could I make such a stupid mistake… because of her…?”

  And then—

  BOOM.

  Not a sound.

  A pressure.

  An invisible wave of force.

  The heat spikes.

  The air vibrates.

  The fire returns.

  Her hair ignites.

  Her eyes glow molten red.

  Her mana erupts like lava.

  Homura Kurogane has awakened.

  Satsuki sees it.

  And smiles with hunger.

  —"Finally, little teapot…

  you’ve arrived."

  Homura rockets forward like a missile.

  Every punch she throws cracks the air.

  Satsuki evades with impossible grace.

  ? Satsuki *(teasing):

  —"What’s wrong, flame girl?

  Are your fists trembling too?"

  But inside—

  One of those hits…

  and I lose an arm.

  And then, she forgets.

  She forgets the one rule every Amagiri is taught.

  Never underestimate a Kurogane.

  Homura fakes a strike, predicts the dodge—

  And lands it.

  IMPACT.

  Satsuki is sent flying.

  She rolls, recovers quickly—

  but her right arm trembles.

  The crowd holds its breath.

  And Homura…

  Homura punches the ground.

  The magma splits.

  She reaches into the crack—

  And pulls out a massive greatsword, forged from steel-gray and glowing orange veins.

  Her voice shakes the arena:

  ?? Homura:

  —"LET’S BURN IT ALL, ARES!"

  The heat in the arena—vanishes.

  Everything is drawn in.

  Compressed.

  Contained.

  And then—

  ?? Homura:

  —"Shingan no Ketsuryū."

  "The Crimson Stream of the True Eye."

  A storm of mana erupts.

  A killer pressure.

  The crowd screams—some cry, others tremble.

  Satsuki takes a step back.

  But smiles.

  And prepares.

  —"It’s now or never."

  ? Satsuki:

  —"I release the power sealed by the Star Beast."

  She dons her Tengu mask.

  In the same breath—she dodges.

  Homura strikes.

  Explosion of dust.

  Silence.

  But… something drips.

  Blood.

  Satsuki stands still.

  Her mask—split in half.

  A thin cut crosses her forehead.

  Superficial.

  But real.

  Homura touched her.

  Satsuki laughs.

  A dark laugh.

  Honest.

  Joyful.

  Her eyes glow with blue and pink light.

  And as her inner chains shatter—

  The beast awakens too.

  Satsuki charges.

  And then—

  The air had turned thick—almost solid.

  Every particle felt charged with tension,

  as if the atmosphere itself refused to flow into the lungs of those watching.

  No one moved.

  No one breathed.

  A sepulchral silence covered the arena as both women advanced...

  And then—

  vanished.

  They moved so fast that to the untrained eye, it was as if they had disappeared entirely.

  This wasn’t a dance of strategy.

  It wasn’t a battle of minds.

  There was no room for calculation here.

  Here—power ruled.

  Instinct reigned.

  An invisible pressure spread across the coliseum, shattering the composure of all who could only watch.

  Satsuki held the edge in speed.

  Her style was feral, razor-sharp, nearly unreadable.

  But she wasn’t careless.

  Her right arm had already paid the price for underestimating her opponent.

  Even so, she faced every slash from Homura with a resolve that defied pain.

  She couldn’t dodge everything—

  And some blows struck with brutal force.

  But she stayed on her feet.

  Homura knew her raw strength exceeded Satsuki’s.

  But she allowed no complacency—

  Not against someone this unpredictable.

  Her rage burned beneath the surface, fueling every strike, every step...

  But never fully clouding her judgment.

  Even with her guard high, the blistering attacks from Satsuki and her Ogre-Lux found their mark again and again.

  Face.

  Torso.

  Arms.

  It was a frenzied dance of blood and flame.

  A battle stripped bare.

  Visceral.

  Raw.

  Two titans colliding with everything they were.