Academy War God: Unrivalled Magic

"You say you are the incarnation of fists?

Then let me show you... the soul of the whip."

- Karuma Midō [Tōun Academy - Ryūga Grounds] In the vast training arena, Aozora Academy's fourth-ranked fighter, nicknamed "Cursed Berserker," Deon Gray, strode forward with heavy steps.

Dressed in an iron-plated trench coat, his arms were sculpted like stone, filled with bulging muscles. His exposed left arm was covered in dense curse marks that shimmered with an eerie crimson-black glow.

Opposite him stood Karuma Midō, dressed in Tōun's standard uniform. In his hand, a whip dangled loosely like a sleeping flame serpent.

[Act I: Enchanted Strength × Opening Shockwave] "I am not interested in pleasantries. Out of your entire Magic Club, there's only one person worthy of my serious efforts."

-Deon said coldly, his eyes leaping past Karuma to focus on Yami Mikasa in the bleachers.

The moment his words ended, he sprang into action - fists roaring like landslides.

-[Cursing Technique - Berserker Form I] - Earth Shattering Strike!

Even before his punch landed, the ground beneath him shattered, and his cursed energy howled like a storm.

But Karuma didn't flinch.

His whip slashed through the air like a silver flame - CRACK!- and caught Deon in the middle of his attack.

[Act II: Instinctive Whip Arts × Fivefold Disruption] "I'm not good at frontal combat," Karuma grinned.

"But I am good at making people want to smash their own skulls in."

His whip shimmered in the air, drawing five intersecting paths in an instant.

-Fivefold Disruption - Phantom Flame Array!

A typical suppression technique, this "fracture-style" maneuver used airflow manipulation to trick the opponent's muscles into misfiring.

Deon was lured into Karuma's rhythm, his offense broken, his strikes losing momentum - broken piece by piece.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

Three precise whip strikes hit his right shoulder, left knee and rib. The Curse Marks destabilized, the energy flow thrown into chaos!

[Act III: Curse Overload × Karuma's Blazing Wrath] Cornered, Deon let out a furious roar as his curse marks surged violently-[Curse Technique - Final Berserker] - Roar of Broken Logic!

This was Berserker mode unleashed - his body now a vessel for pure cursed instinct.

The surrounding air exploded in a storm of energy.

Breaking free of Karuma's seal, Deon unleashed a savage blow at him!

Karuma took a deep breath, anger flashing in his eyes.

"I've come close to losing control... more than once."

"But I'm still here - because I refuse to be consumed by it!"

He stepped forward, reversed his grip on the whip, and drew a blazing arc of runes- -**[Magic Club Special Technique] - Blazing Heart: Curselock Bind! ** The whip ignited, transforming into a flaming chain that wrapped around Deon's arm mid-strike, sealing his cursed energy at the source- BOOM!!!

A thunderous shockwave erupted - Deon was sent flying, slamming into the arena wall and collapsing unconscious.

[Yami Mikasa rose to her feet, her eyes fixed on Deon's fallen form, her expression unreadable.

The Queen's voice stirred in his mind once more:

"Do you see it now? The price of violence... You too will walk this path."

Behind him, Fonk stood quietly, turning his magic cube and muttering:

"The whispers of the Queen of Spades are getting louder... It looks like he's getting closer to the heart of the cost."

[Kyōichi Tendō's Hospital Room] In his hospital room, Kyōichi Tendō leaned against his pillow, pale but conscious.

Sunlight streamed through the window as a nurse adjusted the IV bag.

He opened his eyes slightly and stared at the ceiling.

"Red Blade... Karuma... you're both holding up well."

"Yami Mikasa... now it's time for you to carry the weight of the entire Magic Club."