The forest seemed to bend beneath the clash of powers. Stars collided with afterimages, mana exploded in blinding arcs, and the very air shimmered as Gold Prasso's Golden Heaven collided with Hinorami's Frames Magic.
Golden Heaven—Gold Prasso's realm—was no ordinary spatial realm. It was a divine expanse of light and radiance, where golden skies stretched infinitely overhead, clouds of pure light swirling lazily, and columns of shimmering energy marked the boundaries of his power. Every strike within it left trails of sunlight, and the ground itself glowed with holy fire that burned only what was malicious.
Hinorami, whos realm is called the Effect of the Flawless, twisted reality around him with Frames Magic. His afterimages multiplied into hundreds, each one a shadow of himself capable of instantaneous movement. It was as if he existed everywhere at once.
"You call that divine?" he sneered, flicking his hand. "I am perfection. I am the flawless. Even your golden toys will fail against me."
Gold Prasso's eyes narrowed, golden light coalescing into tendrils around his body. "Then you will see what divine mastery truly is."
With a wave of his hand, the Golden Heaven expanded. The stars of his realm burst outward like explosive fireworks, forming blades, shields, and gravitational fields that reshaped the battlefield. Every afterimage Hinorami threw was sliced, evaporated, or redirected. Light itself bent around Gold Prasso as if obeying him.
Hiko watched from the bus, leaning against the window, mouth agape. "It… it's like a real heaven…"
Goru nodded beside him, voice tense. "That's why it's called Golden Heaven. Every attack, every shield, every defensive layer… it's absolute control. Only a Master Rank like Gold Prasso can maintain it while fighting at full intensity."
Hinorami grinned, a shadow crossing his face. "Control is meaningless if perfection cannot be preserved."
With a snap of his fingers, one afterimage teleported behind Gold Prasso, dagger in hand. Gold Prasso spun, the dagger clashing against a blade of sunlight that erupted from the ground. The force sent a shockwave through the forest, cracking the earth beneath them.
The collision of the two realms created an impossible spectacle. Stars from Golden Heaven collided with frames of darkness, creating twisting, overlapping constellations. Every strike echoed like a thunderclap. Birds, deer, and even the forest itself fled, leaving only shattered trees in the wake of the fight.
"Sensei..." Hiko whispered inside his mind, speaking to the devil. "How can anyone survive that?"
The devil chuckled. "They aren't surviving, boy. They're demonstrating what being below zero really means."
Hinorami laughed, then vanished entirely. One of his afterimages suddenly blinked, flickered, and vanished in a column of black light. Gold Prasso's eyes followed immediately.
"Ah…" Gold Prasso said softly. "You cannot resist your own arrogance."
The Effect of the Flawless had teleported. Not randomly. Not into the forest. He had chosen a single point—his master's temple, far away.
The golden light of Golden Heaven flared brighter, scorching the forest floor. Hiko could see the afterimages dissipate like smoke caught in a beam of sunlight.
Hinorami appeared at the temple, the real Hinorami, kneeling slightly to absorb the energy of retreat. He smirked, brushing his coat. "I've survived… once again…"
But that smirk vanished immediately.
From the shadows, a presence darker and more terrifying than Hinorami himself manifested. The master. A sorcerer whose aura warped reality around him like a living shadow. His robes rippled as if alive. His eyes burned with absolute fury.
"You… dare return alive?" the master's voice boomed, echoing through the temple halls. "You failed. You did not kill them all."
Hinorami's smile faltered. "I… I only needed to retreat—"
The master's hand moved, faster than Hinorami could comprehend. The movement was a blur, slicing through air, stone, and light.
Before Hinorami could react, a silver streak flashed. The master's blade—or was it pure mana?—cut through him cleanly.
The head separated from the body instantly. Blood, mana, and afterimages vanished in an instant.
The temple trembled. Magic cascaded across the walls, resonating like a tolling bell of power. The master's aura flared like a storm, consuming everything in a radius of hundreds of meters.
Hinorami was gone. Effectively erased.
Back at the forest, Gold Prasso lowered his hands. Golden Heaven shimmered, stars spiraling back into the sky, and the forest slowly returned to normal. Broken branches hovered for a moment before settling, scorched earth glowing faintly in golden light.
The bus shook gently as students peeked out. Their eyes were wide, and silence filled the space.
"Gold Prasso…" Hiko whispered, voice trembling. "He… he survived… and then… disappeared?"
Goru nodded grimly. "Effect of the Flawless. Hinorami Higuko. He's dead. But it's because of his master. Whoever controls him is above even him."
Gold Prasso stepped forward, calm, his golden cloak shimmering in the sunlight. "He underestimated the consequences of failing perfection. That is the law of his kind."
Hiko shivered. "And Golden Heaven… it's unreal. It feels like an actual god created that place."
Gold Prasso's eyes softened slightly. "It is a god's domain… for those below zero. Only in the realm of a Master Rank does reality bend so completely. Golden Heaven is not a toy, Hiko. It is discipline, power, and protection all in one."
Hiko nodded, absorbing every word. The devil whispered inside his mind, approving. Notice. This is what being below zero truly means. You will need this someday.
Goru, looking over the forest edge, whispered, "Hiko… the road ahead is still 3 kilometers. We need to move carefully. Hinorami's destruction shows us the stakes. Any mistake now, and we might not survive the next threat."
The bus rumbled forward, tires crunching gravel, the forest looming ahead. Broken branches and scorched leaves marked the aftermath of the battle. Golden light lingered faintly in the trees, a silent reminder of the power Gold Prasso had wielded.
Even the students who had been screaming moments ago were quiet. Their faces pale, their hearts racing.
"Was… that really a Master Rank fight?" one whispered.
"Yes," Goru said. "And now we see why Gold Prasso is the Defender of Class-1C. No Rank 0, 1, or 2 sorcerer could have handled that."
Hiko's eyes remained on the horizon. Somewhere, far away, a shadow of a temple existed, where the Effect of the Flawless had met his end. The thought made Hiko's heart tighten.
Inside his mind, the devil said softly, almost like a warning: You've seen Master Rank power, boy. Remember this feeling. Because one day, you will fight beneath zero as well.
The bus continued its journey.
The forest ahead stretched like an endless sea of green, sunlight spilling through in dappled patterns, birds chirping nervously, and the faint smell of scorched earth lingering.
But every student knew something had changed.
The world was no longer a simple place. Danger had taken form. Power had taken form. And Master Rank sorcery had just reminded them all of who truly stood above zero.
Hiko clenched his fists.
Golden Heaven. Effect of the Flawless. Master Rank below zero.
He had seen the scale of power.
And somewhere deep inside, he felt the first spark of determination ignite.