"I honestly can't decide whether you two are genuinely interesting… or just completely oblivious to the situation.
"But since this is the path you've chosen, I suppose I'll indulge you. Are you arrogant fools—or do you truly possess power beyond the ordinary? I'll open my eyes wide and see for myself."
Originally, Shiroyasha's Gift Game had been designed for Ren Kuroda and Izayoi to face a single Star Beast together.
But from the way both boys had spoken, it was clear—they had no intention of fighting side by side.
If there were only one Star Beast, they would've argued over who went first.
Such blatant disregard for the host's authority was enough to make Shiroyasha laugh in irritation.
The newcomers of No Name were far too wild.
Very well. She would teach them a lesson on Black Rabbit's behalf—show them just how cruel reality could be.
Holding her folding fan, Shiroyasha snapped it shut.
Then she raised her hand and slashed downward.
The sky—bright as eternal noon—suddenly split open.
Two enormous spheres of fire materialized high above.
The instant they appeared, the surrounding air seemed to scorch and twist. The temperature of the atmosphere spiked violently, climbing higher and higher in a matter of seconds.
It was as if two blazing suns had suddenly ignited overhead.
"MOOOOOOOOOO—!"
"HIIIIIIIIII—!"
As the twin suns burned in the sky, massive silhouettes began to take shape within the fireballs. Their outlines sharpened, and with thunderous roars, they burst forth—charging straight at Ren and Izayoi.
One was a majestic, broad-chested bull, its horns curved like crescent moons.
The other was a noble white horse, its body sleek and divine.
The Ox of the Zodiac.
The Horse of the Zodiac.
Two of the Twenty-Four Sun Authorities had descended in the form of Star Beasts.
They weren't even displaying their unique blessings.
And yet the pressure radiating from their bodies alone—
Was already comparable to four-digit existences.
In Little Garden, a four-digit being was equivalent to a renowned god or Buddha.
Compared to these colossal Star Beasts, the five-meter griffin from earlier might as well have been a housecat.
Each Star Beast maintained the natural form of its animal counterpart—but its scale was monstrous, far beyond reason.
Shiroyasha flicked her fan forward.
The two Star Beasts let out piercing cries.
Then they split apart—charging separately.
The Ox thundered toward Izayoi.
The Horse streaked toward Ren.
Facing the oncoming titan, Izayoi didn't flinch.
He grinned.
Excited.
He clenched his fist, then stomped down so hard the earth beneath him shattered into fragments. Without hesitation, he launched himself straight at the charging Ox.
"BOOOOOOM—!"
Izayoi possessed the Gift capable of shattering heaven and earth.
When it came to raw power, he had always been confident.
So far, he had never encountered anything he couldn't smash with his fists. Even against Ren, the only reason he hadn't gained an overwhelming advantage was because Ren relied on technique and spiritual arts. In a pure slugfest, the outcome would have been far less certain.
It was a bull.
Sure, a Sun Authority.
But what was it going to do—throw punches?
And Izayoi loved straightforward opponents.
So when the enormous horn came barreling toward him, he didn't hesitate for even a second.
He drove his fist forward.
The horn and fist collided head-on.
The impact detonated a deafening shockwave, rippling outward like a bomb going off midair.
But the advantage Izayoi had expected—
Did not appear.
The Ox's horn was completely unharmed.
Instead, a terrifying shock ran through Izayoi's arm.
In the next instant, the boy who had charged forward like a rocket—
Was blasted backward like a cannon shell.
He flew through the air at an even more absurd speed, then slammed face-first into the ground, carving a long trench before finally coming to a stop.
When he pushed himself up—
His arm was bent at a grotesque angle.
Dislocated.
Meanwhile, the Ox Star Beast had merely taken a single step back.
It snorted, scraping its hoof against the earth—preparing for a second charge.
Shiroyasha's eyes narrowed.
"To endure a direct collision with a Star Beast and walk away with nothing more than a dislocated arm… That boy does have some substance."
The Ox's charge carried force comparable to a small asteroid crashing to earth.
An ordinary five-digit would have been reduced to paste—or at best, rendered completely unable to fight.
Yet Izayoi had survived with a mere injury.
Impressive.
But when Shiroyasha shifted her gaze to the other battlefield—
The surprise on her face deepened.
If Izayoi's performance had been eye-catching—
Ren's was outright astonishing.
On the other side of the field, a chestnut-haired boy stood poised with a long blade in hand, eyes locked onto the white horse engulfed in flames before him.
The Horse Star Beast was weaker than the Ox in brute strength.
But it was faster.
And its fighting style was far less straightforward.
"HIHIIIIIII—!"
With a shrill cry, the Horse stamped the ground.
Flames bloomed beneath its hooves like fiery lotus blossoms.
It surged forward at terrifying speed.
Before its body even arrived, it opened its mouth—
And spewed forth blazing fire.
The temperature rivaled the surface of the sun.
Moisture in the air evaporated instantly. The inferno hadn't yet reached Ren, but the heat alone already scorched his skin.
"So swift as the wind—Piercing Army!"
A silver flash erupted.
The surrounding air twisted and converged, drawn into Ren's blade as if obeying his will.
Then—
He slashed.
The advancing sea of flame split cleanly in two, like a crimson curtain sliced down the center.
But at that very moment—
The Horse had already arrived.
Ren had just torn open the inferno.
The blazing stallion was now right in front of him.
There was no time to dodge.
Ren stepped forward instead.
"Iron Mountain Charge!"
He activated Chaos Unleashed at full output.
One side had built momentum from a full-speed charge.
The other had been forced into defense.
Even with his monstrous strength amplified, Ren was at a clear disadvantage.
The collision sent him flying.
But unlike Izayoi—
Ren did not crash helplessly to the ground.
"Bakudō #63 — Chain Restraint!"
Midair, glowing chains burst from his hand.
They shot forward and wrapped tightly around the Horse's neck.
With a fierce tug, Ren used the tension and inertia to swing himself upward—
Landing squarely on the Horse's back.
The Horse Star Beast froze.
Its neck was bound.
A human—
Was riding it.
As a Sun Authority.
As a manifestation of the sun itself.
How dare some insignificant mortal mount it like a common steed?!
The Horse shrieked in fury.
It bolted forward violently, attempting to throw the insolent rider off.
But Ren gripped the glowing chains like reins, refusing to be dismounted.
No matter how wildly the Horse bucked and twisted—
Ren refused to be demoted from cavalry to infantry.
The humiliation burned.
The Horse's rage intensified.
Its speed increased.
Flames began to leak from its galloping form.
Ren soon felt something was wrong.
The temperature of the Horse's body was rising rapidly.
His legs—
Were starting to burn.
The chains themselves began to soften, melting under the intense heat.
Ren clenched his teeth.
If he lost his mount, his value in this battlefield would plummet.
But right now—
His backside was literally on fire.
The temperature continued to climb.
Six thousand degrees Celsius.
Equivalent to the surface of the sun.
Ren possessed regenerative abilities. He could endure the heat longer than most.
But his clothes?
Not so much.
And he had absolutely no intention of exposing himself in front of the girls.
With visible reluctance, Ren leapt off the Horse's back.
In the Horse's eyes—
The humiliation of being ridden had already crossed the line.
Now it was truly enraged.
The once divine white stallion now glowed red, like a blood-sweating warhorse.
Not because it was bleeding—
But because of the overwhelming heat radiating from its body.
Each hoof strike turned earth to scorched black soil.
Its entire body radiated six-thousand-degree flames.
Its eyes burned.
With a thunderous neigh, it ignited the very air around it—
Then charged forward in a blazing inferno, determined to incinerate everything in its path.
Ren steadied his stance.
"Your attacks are straightforward," he muttered.
"But the power… is undeniable. As expected of a Sun Authority."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"I've got a rough idea now of what a four-digit existence feels like."
The air trembled as demonic energy surged around him.
"Which means…"
"It's about time I stopped holding back."
Ren lifted his blade.
"And win this Gift Game for real."