The courtyard was still buzzing from the first round, but now, the atmosphere was different.
More focused. More alert.
Koneko Toujou adjusted her gloves, stepping into the sparring ring. Despite her petite frame, every step was sharp—calculated. Even the uninformed students felt something change.
"Wait, isn't she from the Occult Club?""She's strong as hell…""That guy's gonna get flattened."
Ren rolled his shoulders lazily, stepping across from her.
He offered a smile. "You're not mad because I beat your upperclassman, are you?"
Koneko stared. "You're hiding something."
"Oh? That hurts." His grin widened. "I thought we were getting along."
Akeno leaned in, murmuring to Rias from the sidelines. "She's serious. She wants to test him."
Rias didn't respond, but her crimson eyes locked on the ring.
"Now we see who he really is."
The whistle blew.
Koneko blitzed forward. No hesitation. Her foot snapped up in a powerful kick that would've broken most ribs.
Ren pivoted backward, just enough to let the strike whistle past his jacket.
She followed instantly—palm strike to his stomach, low sweep, punch to the neck. Her barrage came fast, tight, professional.
And Ren?
He was… moving like he was dancing.
Not aggressively. Not defensively. Just flowing—sidestepping, leaning, tapping her wrist aside with two fingers.
"What… is that movement?" Tsubaki whispered."He's not fighting back," Kiba muttered. "He's reading."
Koneko's frustration was growing. She growled, mana leaking around her body, her true strength surfacing.
Ren ducked under her punch—and whispered softly, just loud enough for her to hear:
"That strength… you're scared of it, aren't you?"
Her eyes widened. She hesitated—just a fraction.
And in that moment, Ren moved.
He didn't punch. He didn't kick. He simply stepped forward, faster than her eyes could follow, and pressed two fingers gently against her forehead.
A flash.
A pulse of something that didn't belong in this world.
The air trembled.
Cosmic energy.
For the briefest instant, behind Ren's easy smile, she saw it—a shadow with glowing veins, stars in its skin, and eyes like endless galaxies.
And then—it was gone.
Koneko dropped back two steps, beads of sweat on her face. Not from exertion.
From instinct.
[Template Exposure Detected: 11% Unlocked]Compression Stability: Restored.Threat Level: Below Minimal – Combat Output Unaltered.
Ren tilted his head.
"You okay?"
She blinked rapidly, forcing her stance back. "…What are you?"
Ren smiled again.
"Just a transfer student."
The crowd didn't know what they saw. They clapped, cheered, confused as ever.
But the ORC?
They were silent.
Rias closed her book slowly. "He suppressed something just now."
Akeno nodded. "I felt the pressure… and it vanished."
Kiba looked uneasy. "He didn't even win the fight. He just ended it."