Both of us unleashed our ninjutsu at the exact same moment.
The collision between the two techniques became inevitable.
RASENGAN!
CHIDORI!
The space at the point of impact seemed to twist and distort, as though the world itself had been forced to bear the unimaginable burden of two overwhelming powers crashing directly against one another.
A blinding radiance erupted between us.
Brilliant light flooded the arena in a dazzling flash.
An instant later, a colossal wave of energy exploded outward, sweeping across the entire training ground.
The wind roared like a furious beast.
Dust burst in every direction.
Fragments of shattered earth and stone were hurled away from the epicenter, as though struck by an invisible tempest.
An immense pressure surged through my arm.
Ian was undoubtedly feeling the exact same thing.
For the first time since our battle had begun, the calm expression on my younger brother's face vanished.
His brows furrowed.
His eyes narrowed with fierce concentration.
It was the very same expression I wore.
He was pouring every ounce of his strength into resisting the violent clash between Rasengan and Chidori as the two techniques relentlessly tore into one another.
A cracking sound echoed through the air.
As though a gigantic pane of glass had shattered.
Even the space surrounding the collision appeared to tremble, spiderweb fractures spreading outward like a mirror struck by a massive hammer.
Only for a fleeting instant.
Then...
BOOOOM!!
A colossal explosion of chakra erupted from the center of the collision.
Its destructive force far surpassed every shockwave that had come before it.
Both Ian and I were violently thrown in opposite directions.
I struggled to stabilize myself as the explosion continued to drive me backward.
The force behind the blast was so tremendous that several moments passed before my feet finally found solid footing once more.
Ian disappeared from my sight.
A towering wall of dust rose between us like a massive curtain.
It did not matter.
Not to the Sharingan.
Even through the thick cloud, I could still perceive the faint flow of Ian's chakra.
Several moments later, as the dust gradually began to settle, a massive crater revealed itself at the center of the arena.
Its size was far greater than the scar left behind when Ian's Great Fireball Technique had collided with Lucas's Water Release earlier.
I had not expected the impact to become this destructive.
Perhaps it was because I increased Chidori's chakra output during the final moments before the collision.
I had no choice.
Otherwise, Ian's Rasengan, empowered by the momentum of his descending attack, would have shattered my defense.
Besides...
The amount of chakra he had poured into that Rasengan had clearly exceeded what he had used only moments earlier.
He had increased its output just as I had.
A slow breath escaped my lips.
I drew the straight-bladed katana I had sheathed earlier.
Without giving him even the slightest opportunity...
My body vanished.
Before the dust within the arena had completely dispersed, I was already standing directly before Ian.
Clang!
Steel collided once more.
Sparks of lightning and streams of wind chakra scattered from the point where our blades met.
He was fine.
The steady rhythm of his breathing told me everything I needed to know.
The explosion had not diminished his combat ability in the slightest.
Once again, we exchanged sword strikes.
One.
Two.
Three.
Each slash flashed like lightning.
Each parry was met with equal speed and precision.
Neither of us was willing to yield even a single step.
Once again, the arena echoed endlessly with the merciless song of clashing steel.
Then...
I caught his left hand.
At almost the exact same moment, he halted my own movement.
Our hands locked together.
Restraining.
Contesting.
Holding one another in place.
Our eyes met from only inches away.
Neither of us moved.
It was as though time itself had frozen beneath the overwhelming pressure of the chakra saturating the air between us.
A genuine smile slowly appeared upon my lips.
"You've become stronger, Ian. A few months from now... I may find it far more difficult to keep pushing you onto the defensive."
Upon hearing my words, Ian made no effort whatsoever to pull his hand free from my grasp.
Even if he tried, it would not have been easy.
Instead, he answered in that same calm voice.
"It would be different if Big Sister were truly fighting seriously."
"The same applies to you. This battle would be far more difficult if we were genuinely fighting for our lives."
"Perhaps... but I still wouldn't be able to defeat Big Sister."
"Oh?"
His answer did not surprise me.
Instead, it stirred a quiet curiosity within my heart.
"Why?"
Ian fell silent for a moment.
His obsidian eyes met mine with unusual intensity, as though he were carefully selecting the proper words.
"Because I am Ian."
"Hm? I don't understand."
"That's alright. One day, Big Sister will."
A soft laugh escaped my lips.
For some reason, that answer sounded exactly like something Ian would say.
"Becoming too philosophical isn't healthy, Ian. You're starting to sound like Father."
"If that is true, then I shall take it as a compliment."
"Always the same."
My laughter grew warmer.
He was right.
Father had always been the person he admired most.
Because I am Ian...
I tried to unravel the meaning hidden behind those simple words.
Yet a moment later, I brushed the thought aside.
Let it be.
Perhaps only Ian truly understood what he meant, and perhaps the time had not yet come for me to understand it as well.
Without the slightest warning, my left hand, which was still gripping his, began to move.
"I'll borrow your hand."
"...?"
In an instant, my fingers danced with dazzling speed.
Using both my hand and Ian's, we formed a rapid sequence of hand seals, so swift that even a trained eye would struggle to follow them.
The moment the final seal was completed...
Thud!
I drove a straight kick directly into his chest.
"Ugh!"
A brief grunt of pain escaped my younger brother's lips.
Yet even after being caught by surprise, he maintained the composure etched upon his face.
Everything had happened far too suddenly.
Ian had been given no time to prepare.
The force sent him stumbling backward several steps before he finally regained his footing.
I retreated as well, creating distance between us.
Then I drew in a deep breath until my lungs were completely filled.
Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.
A colossal torrent of flames erupted from my mouth.
Within the blink of an eye, the inferno condensed into a perfectly formed sphere of fire, vastly larger than the one Ian had used earlier.
A miniature sun surged straight toward him.
Its scorching heat seemed capable of incinerating the very air itself.
The earth beneath its path cracked apart, leaving behind a long black trench carved by merciless flames.
In the distance, Ian frowned.
He clearly had not expected me to use his own hand to complete the seals for my ninjutsu.
***
Was this Big Sister's way of getting revenge?
Had I not done the very same thing to her years ago?
Now the situation had completely reversed.
Because she had become too absorbed in our brief conversation, her vigilance had slipped ever so slightly.
A mistake no Shinobi should ever make.
The gigantic fireball continued racing toward her.
The heat radiating from it was far more terrifying than the Great Fireball Technique she had used earlier against Lucas.
Without waiting for the flames to consume him, Ian immediately formed a new sequence of hand seals.
Fast.
Incredibly fast.
A moment later, his palm slammed firmly against the ground.
Doton: Doryūheki.
Earth Release: Earth Style Wall.
The earth beneath the arena trembled.
A massive wall of stone and soil surged upward directly before him.
Chakra flowed through every layer of earth and rock, reinforcing the barrier until it resembled the ramparts of an ancient fortress.
The next instant...
The gigantic fireball crashed into it.
BOOOOM!
A deafening explosion of heat thundered throughout the arena.
An ocean of flames began devouring the earthen wall layer by layer.
Each section crumbled beneath the relentless crimson blaze.
Tongues of fire burst from both sides of the barrier, dancing wildly through the air like enraged serpents.
Even so...
The wall had fulfilled its purpose.
The raging inferno failed to swallow Ian completely.
Through his slowly rotating Sharingan, Ian detected a massive surge of chakra coming from the opposite side.
Its flow was becoming denser.
More violent.
More overwhelming.
His older sister was already preparing another ninjutsu.
And...
His suspicion proved correct.
Ian's eyes widened slightly.
"That ninjutsu... this is bad."
I should have expected Big Sister to do something reckless again whenever she became completely immersed in a sparring match.
Without wasting even a single moment, Ian immediately began forming another sequence of hand seals.
On the opposite side...
Charlotte had already completed her own.
Without granting him even the slightest opportunity, she unleashed yet another large-scale technique, as though the existence of the training arena no longer mattered.
The chakra within Charlotte's body surged violently.
It flowed toward her chest and throat, gathering in quantities far greater than before.
She drew in a deep breath.
Even the air surrounding her trembled beneath the immense pressure of chakra pouring from her body.
Then...
Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation.
A colossal torrent of flames erupted from Charlotte's mouth.
The blazing crimson inferno surged forward like a raging sea of fire, devouring everything before it.
Its sheer scale engulfed nearly the entire training arena.
Even so, Charlotte was still restraining her chakra output.
If she released any more power without restraint, the reinforced concrete walls surrounding the arena would most likely collapse beneath the unbearable heat and overwhelming shockwaves.
On the opposite side...
Ian had already completed his hand seals.
Chakra gathered within his abdomen.
Then he released it without the slightest trace of panic.
Fūton: Daitoppa.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
A violent gale exploded from Ian's position.
The remnants of the Earth Wall that had protected him moments earlier shattered into countless fragments before crumbling into dust.
The raging winds surged forward, sweeping across the ground, hurling stones into the air, and carving a path of destruction across the arena.
An instant later...
The two large-scale ninjutsu collided.
BOOOOM!!
Because Charlotte's flames were not ordinary fire but chakra-enhanced flames, the collision with the wind did not cause the techniques to cancel one another out.
Instead...
The wind amplified the destructive force of the inferno.
The resulting explosion became several times more terrifying.
A tremendous shockwave swept throughout the entire arena.
Fragments of fire scattered in every direction.
Countless tongues of flame danced through the air like a crimson meteor shower descending from the heavens.
Within seconds...
The training grounds had transformed into a sea of chaos.
Scorching heat filled every corner of the arena.
Burning everything touched by the flames.
The howling winds carried blazing embers across the battlefield.
At the far end of the arena...
Dorothea's sapphire-blue eyes widened.
Her small body trembled as she watched the ceiling above become filled with endless fragments of falling fire.
The sight was dreadful.
Terrifying.
As though a rain of fire had descended from the heavens themselves.
"...Brother."
Without saying another word, she hurried closer.
Her small hands tightly grasped Lucas's clothing.
Then she wrapped her trembling arms around him.
Seeing that, Lucas clicked his tongue in irritation.
I told them not to use large-scale ninjutsu.
So why did it still end up like this?
More accurately...
Charlotte had become completely carried away by the thrill of battle.
Meanwhile, Ian had sensed the immense surge of chakra from his older sister and had no choice but to answer with comparable force.
Otherwise...
Gōka Mekkyaku would have shattered the concrete walls behind him.
Using Water Release had never been a good option for Ian either.
A collision between fire and water would only produce an enormous volume of steam.
The resulting cloud would blanket the entire arena and completely obstruct everyone's vision.
In that situation, Dorothea would be in far greater danger than from the scattered flames, which could at least be anticipated and avoided.
Besides...
Ian trusted Lucas.
He believed his cousin could protect Dorothea.
"Damn it."
Lucas immediately gathered his chakra.
Without wasting even a single second, his hands formed a rapid sequence of seals.
Suiton: Suijinhō!
Water Release: Water Encampment Wall.
A powerful stream of water burst from his mouth.
The flowing water spiraled around him and Dorothea, forming a dome-shaped barrier that completely enclosed them.
A full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree defense.
Not a single opening remained for the flying embers or the raging winds to penetrate.
"This should be enough."
The translucent dome trembled beneath the impact of the scorching winds, yet the flowing chakra within the technique remained steady and unwavering.
For the moment, it stood firm against the chaos consuming the arena.
After making certain that the barrier was stable, Lucas gently patted Dorothea's head.
The gesture was soft.
Reassuring.
He was trying to calm his younger sister, who continued clinging tightly to him while, beyond the protective dome, a sea of flames and a storm of chakra still raged throughout the training grounds.
"There is no need to worry. Big Brother will protect you. And once all of this is over, you can always extort compensation from Charlotte."
Dorothea slowly raised her head.
Her sapphire-blue eyes wandered in every direction, studying the watery dome surrounding them with undisguised wonder.
The gently flowing water formed transparent walls, reflecting the blazing flames outside until they resembled shimmering crystal.
Lucas's words gradually soothed the anxiety in her heart.
Although her pulse was still racing, a tiny spark of courage began to bloom within her chest.
"Forget it, Big Brother. Even if I don't ask for anything... Sister Charlotte will definitely give Dorothea something later."
A faint smile appeared on Lucas's lips.
"Dottie truly trusts Charlotte."
"Hehe... of course. Sister Charlotte would never make Dorothea sad."
"Very well. Then Big Brother shall trust her as well."
Both of them turned their attention back toward their cousins.
The rain of fire still continued.
The entire open training ground remained showered by glowing embers that fell upon every corner of the arena.
Had it not been for the enormous concrete walls surrounding the training grounds, the flames would likely have spread toward the Handler family's main residence.
The estate guards would probably have been running about in panic, desperately attempting to contain a massive fire.
Meanwhile...
Charlotte narrowed her eyes.
The collision between their large-scale ninjutsu had escalated into a disaster she had never anticipated.
She had completely forgotten to hold back.
It was an old habit.
Whenever she became truly immersed in a battle that set her blood ablaze, she often lost awareness of everything around her.
But...
This time was different.
The arena contained more than just herself and Ian.
A flicker of panic crossed her face as she immediately turned toward Lucas.
More precisely...
Toward Dorothea.
Her heartbeat accelerated.
Even faster than it had during the fierce battle moments earlier.
The thick clouds of dust filling the arena did nothing to obstruct her vision.
Her Sharingan pierced through the haze with ease.
Beyond the smoke and dust, steady streams of chakra remained clearly visible.
Lucas.
And Dorothea.
They were still standing exactly where they had been before.
"...Suiton."
Charlotte released a long breath of relief.
"Thank goodness."
I always forget to hold back.
It seems I still haven't managed to rid myself of that bad habit.
Without wasting even a second, Charlotte formed a sequence of hand seals.
Water Release chakra surged toward her chest.
A moment later...
She expelled an enormous volume of water.
The torrent surged throughout the entire arena.
Within minutes, the surface of the training grounds had transformed into a vast expanse of water.
The magnificent arena, built in the likeness of a grand coliseum, suddenly became an artificial lake.
The scattered fires still burning across the battlefield were extinguished one after another the moment they touched the water's surface.
Hissing sounds echoed from every direction.
Thin white steam rose gently into the air.
Within seconds...
Every last tongue of flame had vanished.
All that remained was a delicate mist slowly spreading throughout the arena, creating an atmosphere of tranquility after the violence that had raged only moments before.
Charlotte sensed someone appear beside her.
Ian.
Without exchanging a single word, they understood one another perfectly.
The battle had ended.
There was no longer any reason to continue.
Just as Lucas had told Dorothea, the match itself had ended in a draw, though the conclusion of the battle had unfolded far beyond anyone's expectations.
Together, they began walking slowly across the water toward Lucas and Dorothea.
Gentle ripples spread beneath every step as they crossed the flooded arena.
Without anyone noticing...
The sun had already reached its highest point.
Midday had arrived.
Lucas decided not to continue with physical training.
The arena, now soaked with water and transformed into mud, was no longer suitable for sparring.
Instead, after lunch, Ian taught him through discussion and theory.
There were no more battles.
No more weapons clashing against one another.
Only lengthy conversations concerning the fundamentals of becoming a Shinobi, chakra control, and the combat experiences Ian patiently shared with him.
The lesson continued until the sun sank beyond the horizon and night draped itself over Brandenburg.
Before that day finally came to an end, Ian handed Lucas a rather thick notebook.
Inside were detailed explanations regarding how to use chakra more efficiently.
Methods for learning new ninjutsu.
Risks that should be considered when training certain techniques.
As well as numerous theories and combat insights he had inherited from his father.
Everything had been carefully organized so that Lucas could study it little by little.
They no longer had much time remaining.
Tomorrow...
Ian and Charlotte would leave Brandenburg and journey toward the Imperial Capital.
The night gradually passed.
Then dawn arrived once more.
At last...
The day of their departure had come.