Blood sprayed into the air, scattering into crimson droplets mid-flight.
The towering flame flared only for an instant before quickly extinguishing.
Embers peeled away from the broken blade, revealing cracks running along its battered surface.
Everyone on the training field stood frozen.
They stared at the figure still wreathed in lingering flame, their hearts filled with an emotion too complex to name—something that stung the eyes and threatened to spill tears.
"Hahahaha! That was amazing!!"
Tokikake bellowed, eyes blazing with excitement.
"So damn cool!!" Kuzan's eyes sparkled with admiration.
The others couldn't help but clench their fists, exhaling deeply with a sense of raw, cathartic joy.
"A hell of a strike."
Daren looked down at the blood-soaked Yamakaji in front of him, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips.
The red-hot broken blade was lodged tightly between the iron-hard muscles of his chest, blood gushing steadily from the wound.
That strike—was impressive.
The sheer force, the refusal to yield, the will to press forward—it was all poured into that slash. An unbreakable spirit forged into steel.
To put it bluntly, that one attack had already surpassed even Gion's post-training level.
If it had hit any other Marine officer here, they'd likely be gravely wounded—internal organs pierced clean through. Even with the best medics from Marine Headquarters, survival would've been uncertain.
And even with his own steel-forged body, immune to blades and bullets...
Daren frowned slightly. He could feel his breathing was uneven.
...it would still take at least half an hour for the wound to start scabbing.
That was only because his physique had improved yet again recently—especially after the fights with Byrnndi World and Roger.
If it had been earlier...
Yeah, it would've taken two hours, minimum.
No doubt about it—Yamakaji really was one of the future pillars of Marine Headquarters, a true champion of justice.
Sure, he had pulled his punches a bit. And yes, he'd wanted to help this likable hothead sharpen his swordsmanship.
But still, there was no denying it—these Vice Admirals who made their mark in the original story truly earned their place.
Yamakaji looked at the smile forming on Daren's face and froze for a moment—then suddenly grinned, blood staining his teeth.
"I made it to your front."
He smiled with quiet pride, chest out, eyes gleaming.
"You really are... strong..."
He murmured softly, eyelids heavy as they slowly closed.
Daren reached out and caught him.
Everyone rushed over, pulling out their Den Den Mushi to call the medical corps.
Soon, nearby military doctors arrived and carefully lifted Yamakaji onto a stretcher.
Zephyr looked at Yamakaji's pale, unconscious face, brows furrowed with worry, and turned to the medic.
After a quick examination, the doctor nodded and said calmly,
"It's not serious. He's just lost a lot of blood and has three hairline fractures in his arm. As long as we perform a transfusion soon, he'll be fine. No life-threatening danger or long-term complications."
Only then did the crowd breathe a collective sigh of relief.
And then, as if they all realized something at once, every head turned toward Daren.
This guy... he held back.
Daren ignored their looks and slowly turned around, narrowing his eyes at Tokikake, a smirk playing on his lips.
"You were shouting pretty enthusiastically just now, Commander Tokikake."
Tokikake flinched as Daren smiled at him, a cold sweat running down his back.
"Ahaha... well... just trying to hype up the moment, you know..."
Daren said nothing, only kept smiling.
Tokikake forced a grin and began inching backward step by step.
Zephyr gave him a withering glare, then stepped forward.
"Doctor, check Daren's injuries too."
"No need, Zephyr-sensei," Daren replied with a shake of his head.
"What do you mean, 'no need'!? You just got out of the hospital from a serious injury, you brat!"
Seeing Daren's careless, unconcerned expression, Zephyr's tone sharpened.
"If you end up with lasting damage, you'll regret it—"
He stopped mid-sentence. Official source is n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
His eyes, hidden beneath his sunglasses, widened in disbelief as he stared at Daren's chest.
The wound... it had already stopped bleeding?
Zephyr's mouth twitched.
Now he understood why Sengoku had looked like he'd seen a ghost when talking about Daren.
Was this guy even human!?
"Zephyr-sensei!! Hurry up and start the next match already! I'm getting impatient!!"
Kuzan suddenly leaned over, flexing his biceps excitedly, eyes shining with anticipation.
Zephyr let out a long breath and nodded.
"The winner of this duel..."
"The top four entering the final round of the training camp are: Kuzan, Tokikake, Gion, and Daren!"
"Before the semifinals, we need to decide the fifth seat!"
"The candidates for fifth are Onigumo and Yamakaji... but due to Yamakaji's severe injuries, he's unable to continue in the competition. Therefore, the winner of this match is—"
Zephyr paused slightly, about to declare Onigumo the victor.
"Zephyr-sensei, I forfeit this match."
Onigumo spoke up without warning.
Zephyr blinked, then looked at him seriously and asked,
Onigumo rested his hand calmly on the hilt of his sword.
"Yes. That slash from Yamakaji just now... I wouldn't have been able to take it."
"That fifth seat—belongs to him."
Zephyr studied him for a moment, then a trace of approval appeared in his eyes.
"In that case, I officially declare Yamakaji the fifth-ranked cadet of the training camp!"
No one raised any objections.
After all, Yamakaji's incredible strike had already proven he was more than worthy.
"Now, let's move on to the final draw."
Zephyr pulled out a set of folded paper slips and laid them out in front of the four finalists.
Kuzan stepped forward eagerly and snatched one up.
Daren and Gion followed in turn, each taking a slip.
Tokikake stared nervously at the last remaining one in Zephyr's hand, sweating bullets like he'd just swallowed a fly.
Yeah, that'd be instant death.
Yeah... not dead, but pretty close.
Yeah... worse than death.
"Uh... Zephyr-sensei? Can I just forfeit now?"
Tokikake shrank back, raising his hand with a sheepish grin.
Zephyr, Daren, Kuzan, and Gion all shot him a flat, unanimous reply.
Shivering, he picked up the last slip and slowly unfolded it.
A teasing voice came from behind, full of amusement.
Tokikake's face went pale. He stiffly turned around.
Standing there was the Marine Commodore, holding a crumpled slip of paper marked with the same number—2.
He looked at Tokikake with a half-smile.
"Weren't you just shouting real loud earlier? Something about 'taking down this bastard,' right?"
p@treon com / PinkSnake