The air on the rooftop suddenly grew heavy. Raindrops seemed to hang suspended in the void. The aura radiating from Suzuki’s body had shifted so sharply, becoming so violent, that Takeda felt as if he were choking. This was not just power; it was the crushing pressure of pure will.

5th Captain Takeda Riku felt a wave of shock and tension wash over him as he witnessed the transformation of the man standing before him.

"BASTARD!!" Takeda screamed with hatred. "What is this trickery? What is that outfit? Where did that sword come from?"

Trembling with rage, Takeda began to gather his power. As he clenched his fist, the ground beneath them shuddered. The concrete surface of the roof cracked like a spiderweb. Fissures in the surrounding buildings deepened, threatening to split the walls apart. Water pipes on the street below burst, unable to withstand the pressure, sending metal debris flying dangerously through the air. Takeda’s true power—Gravity Control—was finally revealing itself.

"Whatever," Takeda sneered, a twisted smile forming on his face. "I don’t have time to analyze your cheap trickery or your shitty aura. Be a smart boy, listen to your father’s words, and die quickly!"

The moment he finished his sentence, he channeled gravity into his heels and launched himself forward like a cannonball. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front of Suzuki. He attempted to bring his leg down in a lethal axe kick from above, but Suzuki dodged with superhuman agility.

In an instant, Suzuki reappeared behind Takeda. Spinning in the air, he landed a punch so powerful that Takeda was sent flying to the far side of the roof. Though dazed, the Elite 7 member was experienced; he quickly regained his balance and soared back into the air. The two clashed in the sky. Blows were exchanged in a blur, each collision echoing like thunder.

Using his gravity, Takeda ripped a massive water tank from the top of the building and hurled it at Suzuki.

Suzuki calmly drew his sword from its sheath. White sparks began to dance along the blade. He swung the sword toward the massive oncoming metal mass. A blinding yellow wave of energy erupted from the blade. The tank and the tons of water inside didn’t explode; they simply vaporized, vanishing as if they had never existed.

"I am Suzuki Orahata, and I swear I will kill you today!" Suzuki’s voice boomed like thunder. "Even if I have to sacrifice myself, I will end you right here."

"Hah? You’re going to kill me?" Takeda laughed mockingly. "I wonder who’s feeding you these shitty false hopes?"

Below, on the street, people had gathered in front of the buildings, drawn by the noise. It looked as if the apocalypse was breaking out in the sky. Soon, the sirens of police cars pierced the air. "Clear the area!" the Police Chief shouted through a megaphone. "This is a restricted zone! There is a terrorist up there, and Captain Takeda Riku of the 5th Division is neutralizing him! Stay back!"

Up above, Takeda realized the truth: no matter what physical object he threw, Suzuki would destroy it. The game was over. He had to make his final move.

"Decree!" Takeda threw his arms wide. "Collapse, World."

Takeda’s aura changed instantly, surging drastically. Every wound on his body healed in seconds; his fatigue vanished. It was as if he had just started the fight.

"What’s wrong? You look like you’re drowning in questions," Takeda said, noticing Suzuki’s surprised expression. "Let me explain. We, who have mastered the use of Vayen, can drastically increase our power four or five-fold in two stages. The first form is the 'Decree'. We issue a 'Decree' to contact our Vayen and draw out a portion of our true power."

His eyes burned with a savage light. "The second form is the 'Verdict'. This signifies that you have passed the death sentence on your opponent. You openly utilize the entirety of the Vayen power within you. It is a devastating force. That is why I am absolutely sick in love with it."

Suzuki grimaced. "Ehh... what a chatty piece of trash you are. No one asked you to teach a class. Just show me this power you’re praising so much."

"You asked for it, you bastard," Takeda replied with fury. "When I said I would send you to the seventh circle of hell, I was serious."

With those words, Takeda began to float higher. He raised his arm, pointed it toward Suzuki, and slowly clenched his palm. At that moment, an invisible, gigantic hand seemed to squeeze Suzuki from all sides. The pressure was so immense that the sound of his bones snapping one after another could be heard. Suzuki was lifted into the air, writhing in agony. Then, Takeda swung his arm down violently.

SLAM!

Suzuki crashed into the ground like a meteor. As if the broken bones weren't enough, his leg was bent at a sickening angle. He couldn't move fast enough. Takeda aimed his hand again and clenched his fist. He began to smash Suzuki into the neighboring buildings like a ragdoll. And he did it with immense pleasure, laughing maniacally.

"WHAT’S WRONG, SUZUKI?! HUH?! DO YOU LIKE IT?" Takeda screamed like a madman. "TO BE HONEST, I LOVE IT! BLOOD! BLOOD! BLOOD! THE MOST ELEGANT THING IN THIS LIFE IS BLOOD—HUMAN BLOOD! AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S THE MOST INTERESTING PART? IT’S OBTAINING IT THROUGH TORTURE!"

As his maniacal laughter mingled with the sound of the rain, the fluctuating aura around the battered Suzuki suddenly began to stabilize. Though smashed against buildings and covered in blood, he was wrapped in a strange calm. Suzuki struggled to balance himself, and his lips moved.

"STAR VOID."

Following those two words, Takeda’s power shattered like glass. The gravity pressure vanished. Before Takeda could understand what had happened, Suzuki drew his sword and appeared instantly in front of him. The blade flashed, carving a deep, diagonal slash across Takeda’s body. The "Elite 7" member, now gravely wounded, collapsed to the floor.

"How? How did you do this? My Decree... how did you nullify it?" Takeda asked, wheezing.

Suzuki flicked the blood off his sword. "Hah? Do I have to teach a class now? Briefly, my STAR VOID power absorbs the Vayen around me, essentially eating it to make it disappear. That's all!"

"Then why didn't you do this from the start? Why did you want to get hurt this badly?"

"I just was testing the power of my opponent's Decree," Suzuki said coldly.

"Testing my power?! I see... so the outcome of this battle was obvious from the very beginning," Takeda whispered with a bitter smile.

"Anyway, enough talk." Suzuki raised his sword. He was about to thrust the blade into the prone Takeda to finish the job. But...

Suddenly, Suzuki froze. His eyes widened. He looked down slowly at his own chest. The tip of a black sword was protruding from his torso, having entered from his back. Suzuki dropped to his knees, coughing up blood. Standing behind him was a figure in a black hood, face completely lost in the darkness, a presence that felt like nothingness itself.

The hooded figure pulled the sword out. Suzuki collapsed. The shadow, having finished the job, turned toward the wounded Takeda who had witnessed the event. As the figure faded into the darkness, these words echoed in Takeda’s mind:

"You did not see me! You did not hear me! You did not remember me."

The phantom was gone. Though wounded, Takeda remembered his mission. He crawled toward the dying Suzuki, intending to retrieve the device. But Suzuki was smiling. You... will not get this, Suzuki thought. Suddenly, Suzuki’s body burst into flames and began to expand. The glow engulfed the entire rooftop.

BOOM!

A massive explosion turned the night into day, erasing everything.

The End.... The death of Suzuki. The beginning of the true story.