The deeper part of the forest was silent.
Tall trees surrounded the clearing from every direction while sunlight barely reached the ground beneath the thick canopy above.
The air felt colder here.
Still.
Even the wind seemed quieter.
Saito and the others stepped into the center of the clearing while birds quickly flew away from the nearby branches.
Shiro looked around calmly.
"…This should be enough."
Mina leaned against a tree nearby while Herion stood silently beside her.
The mayors spread out cautiously around the clearing.
Even Gein looked unusually serious.
Shiro stretched both arms lazily before rolling his shoulders once.
"…Alright."
"Let's begin."
Then his eyes shifted toward Kaito.
"…You start first."
Kaito blinked once.
"…Me?"
Shiro nodded casually.
"…Sure."
"I can't show Saito anything impressive if I don't feel threatened first."
Saito's eyes instantly lit up.
"…WAIT."
"Shiro versus Kaito?!"
He immediately sat down cross-legged on the grass like an excited spectator.
"…THIS IS GOING TO BE COOL."
Takashi sighed deeply from behind him.
"…You're treating legendary figures like street performers."
Bomb crossed his arms while Takeru quietly focused on the clearing.
Kaito slowly exhaled.
"…If I go too far…"
"…Let me know."
Shiro smiled calmly.
"…Sure."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The forest suddenly felt heavier.
Even the mayors instinctively stepped farther back.
Kaito slowly drew his knife.
Silver auris quietly flowed around the blade.
Across from him—
Shiro simply stood there with one hand inside his pocket.
Still smiling.
Without another word—
Kaito vanished forward.
The ground beneath his feet cracked from the speed.
SLASH!
His blade sliced directly across Shiro's chest before most of the group could even react.
Mina's eyes widened slightly.
The mayors gasped.
Blood dripped slowly from the corner of Shiro's lip.
Saito immediately stood halfway up.
"…He hit him?!"
But Shiro stayed completely silent.
Then—
His body suddenly dissolved into gray mist.
FWOOOSH.
The slash passed through empty air as the mist scattered across the clearing.
Saito's eyes widened in awe.
"…WHAT?"
Kaito instantly stepped backward, eyes scanning the forest carefully.
The mist circled quietly around the trees.
Then—
Kaito sensed it.
CLANG!
He spun and blocked behind him just as condensed mist rushed toward his back like a blade.
The swirling mist slowly reformed into Shiro standing there calmly with a faint smile.
"…Good reflexes."
Kaito didn't answer.
Instead—
He quickly pulled multiple knives from his coat and launched them across the clearing.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
The knives flew from different angles toward Shiro.
Shiro calmly dodged sideways.
One knife narrowly missed his shoulder.
Another struck a tree.
Then—
Kaito disappeared.
Saito blinked.
"…Where did he go?!"
Shiro's eyes slowly moved across the scattered knives.
Mist quietly swirled around his sword now.
"…Interesting."
Then—
Kaito suddenly appeared beside one of the knives embedded in a tree.
He instantly drove a punch toward Shiro's face.
BOOM!
Shiro tilted sideways just enough to avoid it.
Kaito followed immediately with a spinning kick.
Shiro stepped backward smoothly.
Leaves exploded around them from the force.
Shiro finally smiled wider.
"…Oh."
"So the knives act like portals for you."
Kaito stayed silent.
Shiro's eyes slowly tracked every knife scattered throughout the battlefield.
Calculating.
Predicting.
Trying to determine which blade Kaito would emerge from next.
Kaito vanished again.
FWOOSH.
The leaves around the clearing spun violently as his presence disappeared completely.
Then—
SHING!
A knife flew toward Shiro from the left side.
CLANG!
Shiro blocked it instantly with his mist-covered blade.
But the moment the knife passed him—
Kaito appeared beside it.
BAM!
A punch slammed toward Shiro's ribs.
Before the hit could fully connect—
Kaito disappeared again.
Another knife flew from above.
Then another from behind.
SHING! SHING!
Each knife became another entry point.
Another opening.
Another attack.
Kaito reappeared across the battlefield repeatedly—
Punch.
Kick.
Slash.
Disappear.
Reappear.
The rhythm became almost impossible to follow.
Even the mayors struggled to track him.
Saito watched with wide eyes.
"…So THIS is how Kaito suddenly disappears and reappears…"
Bomb crossed his arms quietly.
"…His movement isn't speed."
"…It's positioning."
Kaito vanished once more.
The clearing became silent again.
Only scattered knives remained embedded around the battlefield.
Shiro slowly looked around.
Mist curled around his blade softly.
"…Where next…"
"…will you appear, Noctarion?"
Silence.
Then—
Kaito emerged instantly from behind Shiro with another knife already moving toward his neck.
But—
Before Kaito could attack—
Shiro turned immediately.
His hand grabbed Kaito's arm mid-motion.
Kaito's eyes widened slightly.
"…What—"
BOOM!
Shiro slammed him directly into the ground.
The impact cracked the earth beneath them.
Dust exploded upward through the clearing while the others stared in shock.
Shiro slowly loosened his grip slightly.
"…Nice move."
Kaito suddenly twisted his body and kicked Shiro hard across the side.
BOOM!
The impact forced Shiro backward several meters.
Kaito immediately lunged forward again with terrifying speed.
The ground shattered beneath every step he took.
Saito could barely follow the movement now.
"…Fast…"
Shiro's body instantly dissolved into mist again.
Kaito's strike passed through harmlessly.
The mist spiraled upward through the clearing before reforming high above the trees.
Shiro stood atop the swirling gray mist calmly.
Then—
He launched downward.
BOOOOM!
Mist exploded beneath him as he dove straight toward Kaito.
Kaito crossed his blade instantly.
CLANG!!!
The collision shook the entire forest.
A violent shockwave erupted outward from the impact point.
Trees bent sideways violently.
The ground cracked apart.
Even the mayors struggled to remain standing.
Rick nearly lost balance.
"…What kind of monsters are these?!"
Saito shielded his face from the wind while staring in complete awe.
At the center—
Kaito and Shiro stood locked against each other.
Mist and silver auris violently collided between them.
Inside his thoughts—
Kaito's expression darkened slightly.
…So this is why they never let me take this mission alone…
His grip tightened slightly.
…How did Sensei fight someone like this by himself…?
Then—
Fein suddenly stepped forward.
"…Alright."
"That's enough."
His voice echoed sharply through the clearing.
"We don't need more destruction."
He glanced toward the trembling forest around them.
"…The nearby villages will feel this."
The tension slowly eased.
Shiro stepped backward first.
Kaito lowered his blade shortly after.
The two stood silently facing one another.
Then Shiro suddenly raised both hands casually.
"…Okay okay."
"We'll stop."
Mina immediately exhaled in relief nearby.
Herion adjusted his glasses slightly.
"…You only wanted to show off your powers for fun, boss."
Shiro grinned shamelessly.
Then stuck his tongue out slightly.
"…It was fun though."
Mina sighed deeply while rubbing her forehead.
"…Hopeless."
Saito's eyes sparkled as the tension finally faded.
"…It's awesome."
He quickly cleared his throat and added with a smug grin,
"…Not as cool as me though."
Shiro chuckled softly, shaking his head.
Kaito exhaled and adjusted his stance slightly.
"…I wouldn't have survived that if he didn't hold back at the end."
Shiro glanced at him.
"…You're strong yourself."
His tone was calm, almost approving.
"…Now I understand why you were chosen as Noctarion."
A brief silence settled over the clearing.
Saito stretched his arms slightly, still energized.
"…This is the best day."
He looked between them.
Then back at Shiro.
"…My mom used to tell me stories about Primordeus."
"That's why I wanted to see them myself."
He scratched his cheek slightly.
"…Still, you're way too strong."
Then his expression sharpened with excitement.
"…Looks like I've got to work harder."
"I'm going to become King of Gangsters."
Shiro paused for a moment.
Then smiled slightly wider.
"…Oh?"
"So that's your dream too?"
Saito nodded immediately.
"…Of course."
Shiro stepped forward slightly.
Mist still faintly drifting around his fingers.
"…Then let's see."
"Who gets there first."
Saito grinned confidently.
"…You're on."
For a moment—
the forest was quiet again.
But now, it no longer felt like silence after battle.
It felt like the calm before something far bigger.