It's a hot September afternoon.
Yet, a cold wind blows through the arena.
Chris stares at Shin with a serious look.
He takes off the upper part of his uniform, standing bare-chested.
Jasmine starts drooling at the sight of his toned and athletic body.
She mumbles something under her breath.
Alexia elbows her hard, clearly scolding her for the indecent comment only she heard.
And then, suddenly…
A pair of large blue wings burst from Chris's back.
Massive, ice-colored dragon wings, adorned at the edges with sapphire-like crystals, spread wide.
His skin is now covered in shimmering blue scales.
Around him, a storm of wind, water, and ice swirls violently.
«W-What the heck is that?!» Jasmine exclaims.
She can't look away, and her eyes sparkle with excitement.
«It's... so cool!»
«That's the true power of my little brother. The power of the Divine Dragon Thural, the Restless Storm!» Alexia says proudly.
«I-I know who Thural is! I was in class too when the teacher explained it!» Jasmine stammers.
«But how can our little brother have that power?! Don't tell me that he—?»
«Exactly,» Alexia says.
«Inside my little brother's body resides Thural's energy! That makes him a Crystalbearer—someone whose heart holds the crystallized essence of ancient creatures. With Thural's power, he has the potential to become not just stronger than Shin Tendo, but the strongest Monster Reaper ever. I guess that's why Professor Tendo is testing him.»
Jasmine squints at her.
«Oh, so that's why you rushed into the professor's office...» she murmurs sarcastically.
Alexia suddenly blushes.
«O-Of course! Isn't it obvious?!»
The storm of water and ice rages across the battlefield.
Shin smiles.
He throws away his cigarette and crushes it under his heel.
«Now this is going to be fun.»
With a powerful flap of his wings, Chris dives at full speed toward Shin.
Professor Tendo leaps upward—he dodges.
But Chris shifts mid-air and charges again.
This time, a thick, sharp spike of ice forms around his arm—like a lance.
Shin blocks the thrust with his flaming sword, but not as easily as before.
He puts in a bit more effort.
The white flames around his body flare brighter.
With a stronger flap of his wings, Chris unleashes a gust of wind.
It slams into Shin, hurling him upward toward the dome's ceiling.
Then, as Professor Tendo starts falling, Chris dashes at him again.
Chris attempts another thrust with the ice lance.
Shin blocks it again, but this time the impact is so strong that Chris's lance shatters into pieces.
Then, while falling, Shin stomps on the back of Chris's neck.
The blow slams him into the ground with force—the floor cracks.
Shin lands on his feet effortlessly, despite the ten meters of height.
«It's incredible that you can unleash this kind of power at just thirteen years old,» Shin says with satisfaction.
«I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say you're already stronger than most students here—maybe even some from the final year.»
«T-Thank you, Professor Tendo... It's all thanks to my big sister. She's the one who taught me how to fight,» Chris replies, still rubbing his head.
«Your sister must be quite the girl,» Shin adds, glancing briefly at Alexia.
She freezes and blushes instantly.
The white flames around Shin vanish, along with his weapon.
«I'd say I've seen what I needed to see. You've earned yourself a nice batch of extra credits,» Shin says, complimenting him.
But Chris isn't satisfied.
«I want to keep fighting, Professor Tendo!»
Shin shakes his head.
«I already told you. What you've shown me is more than enough.»
In response, Chris stretches his arms toward Shin.
A large sphere of water begins forming around his hands.
It's a clear sign—he has no intention of accepting this interruption.
Shin lets out a deep sigh.
«Kids these days really are stubborn...»
A high-pressure jet of water bursts from the sphere, rushing toward Shin.
But...
He vanishes before everyone's eyes, and...
—BAM!
He reappears behind Chris and slaps the back of his neck with an open palm.
It's not teleportation—Shin simply moved so fast that none of them could follow.
Chris, Jasmine, and Alexia all fail to track his movement.
After the blow, Chris collapses in Shin's arms, unconscious.