Baifeng Uesugi took out a card. A woman holding a scepter was engraved on its surface.
"Innate Magic, Thousand-Li Ice Seal."
Baifeng Uesugi poured the last of his psions into the card.
"What's that?"
Pulis asked in confusion as Baifeng Uesugi suddenly took out a card.
But Baifeng Uesugi did not answer him. Instead, snowflakes filled the sky for a hundred li around them.
"That's it?"
Pulis sneered at the snow falling from the sky.
But before he could finish laughing, he saw someone turn into an ice sculpture the moment a snowflake touched them. More snowflakes kept falling on the sculpture.
"Crack."
With a crisp snap, the ice sculpture shattered into countless shards.
"Quick, don't touch the snowflakes!"
Pulis shouted a warning.
But his warning came a little too late. More than ten low-level magicians, along with the three S-rank magicians from before, had already turned into ice sculptures.
Pulis's pupils contracted sharply. As he shouted his warning, he saw a snowflake land on his shoulder.
The next second, Pulis was frozen into an ice sculpture.
Seeing that all his enemies had been dealt with by the effects of his Innate Magic, Baifeng Uesugi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Baifeng Uesugi had not used his Innate Magic at the start because he was worried that Pulis had something else up his sleeve. That was why he had waited so long to use it.
But in the situation just now, he could no longer afford to worry about that. If he had waited any longer, he would not have had enough psions left to activate his Innate Magic.
Fortunately, Pulis had no more tricks up his sleeve.
Baifeng Uesugi collapsed to the ground and spat out a large mouthful of blood.
"This should keep their attention here now, shouldn't it? It's finally over. I can live in peace for a while."
After saying this, Baifeng Uesugi slumped to the ground and lost consciousness, but not before calling his emergency contact.
"Hello, Little Feng."
Maya Yotsuba's voice came from the phone in Baifeng Uesugi's pocket.
"Little Feng?"
When Baifeng Uesugi did not answer, Maya Yotsuba realized at once what had happened.
Something had happened to Baifeng Uesugi. Maya Yotsuba immediately instructed the Yotsuba Family members she had previously stationed in Coffee Country to assist him.
She sent them to the location of his phone's signal, while her own face was full of anxiety.
If he were not the head of the Yotsuba Family and unable to leave Sakura Country lightly, she would have wanted nothing more than to fly straight to Baifeng Uesugi's side.
Six hours later...
At an airport in Sakura Country, Maya Yotsuba waited anxiously. After a long wait, she finally saw the plane carrying Baifeng Uesugi land.
When Maya Yotsuba saw Baifeng Uesugi being carried out on a stretcher, her heart suddenly clenched. She hurried forward to check on him.
Seeing Baifeng Uesugi's pale face and the many wounds on his body, she felt a sharp pain in her heart.
"How are Little Feng's injuries?"
Maya Yotsuba asked the Yotsuba Family medical staff beside her.
"Family head, Young Master Bai Feng has suffered multiple injuries, and his internal organs are also badly damaged. He has lost too much blood and needs treatment as soon as possible."
The medical staff replied.
"Quick, take Little Feng back for treatment."
At their words, Maya Yotsuba hurriedly urged the medical staff to take Baifeng Uesugi back for treatment.
"Yes, family head."
The medical staff nodded in response.
First High School...
Tatsuya Shiba was accompanying Erika Chiba at the kendo club, watching its members put on a demonstration.
"You don't look very impressed," Tatsuya Shiba said, seeing Erika Chiba's lack of interest.
"Because it's boring. They're facing opponents they already know inside out and are twice as strong as, and they're fighting according to a plan they made beforehand. This is obviously just a rehearsal."
Erika Chiba grumbled.
"It's a martial arts demonstration for publicity. Aren't they all like this?" Tatsuya Shiba replied.
"Real martial arts matches aren't meant to be watched. You're staking your life on them."
"You're so cold."
Erika Chiba said this as she looked at the impassive Tatsuya Shiba, who had just said something far from impassive.
"We just think differently."
While the two were talking, something unexpected happened during the kendo club's demonstration.
"What's this? Did a conflict break out?"
"It isn't the swordsmanship club's turn for more than an hour, Kirihara. Why couldn't you wait until then to come over?" Sayaka Mibu said displeasedly.
"Mibu, you're treating me like a stranger," Takeaki Kirihara said coldly.
"I thought opponents with no skill wouldn't be able to show off your abilities, so I just came to help you out."
"You suddenly forced a challenge on us. Who would believe you came to help?" Sayaka Mibu said displeasedly.
"But you were the ones who attacked first, weren't you?" Takeaki Kirihara sneered.
"Only because you came and provoked us first," Sayaka Mibu retorted.
Tatsuya Shiba and Erika Chiba also came down from the stands onto the floor.
"Looks like things are getting interesting," Erika Chiba said.
"Do you know those two?" Tatsuya Shiba asked.
"Though I haven't met them in person..."
Erika Chiba said.
"The girl is Sayaka Mibu. She placed second nationally in the girls' division at the junior high kendo tournament the year before last."
"The boy is Takeaki Kirihara. He won the junior high division of the Kanto swordsmanship tournament the year before last."
Erika Chiba said.
"Oh, looks like they're about to start. They're going to spar right here."
"Don't worry, Mibu. This is just a simple kendo demonstration. I won't use magic."
Takeaki Kirihara said as he took his stance.
"You think you can beat me with sword skills alone?"
Sayaka Mibu replied, taking her stance as well.
"Kirihara, you're from the swordsmanship club and rely on magic. Can you beat me, a member of the kendo club who stakes everything on honing my sword skills alone?"
"Staking everything on honing sword skills alone? Those are some big words, Mibu. Then let me see them."
"See the sword skills of my swordsmanship, honed through sparring in a realm beyond the limits of physical ability."
With that, Takeaki Kirihara raised the wooden sword in his hand and swung it at Sayaka Mibu.
Tatsuya Shiba, standing in the crowd, silently switched on his recorder to capture everything that happened.
The two exchanged a single move, then stopped.
"Was that a draw?" Erika Chiba asked.
"No, it wasn't," Tatsuya Shiba said.
"If these were real swords, you would have suffered a fatal wound by now. You didn't even hit bone on my side, so just admit defeat."
Sayaka Mibu said as she knocked Takeaki Kirihara's wooden sword aside.
"If they were real swords?" Takeaki Kirihara murmured.
"How disappointing."
"Mibu, do you want a match with real swords?"
"Then I'll grant your wish and face you with a real sword," Takeaki Kirihara muttered to himself.
Then Takeaki Kirihara rolled up his sleeve, revealing the CAD on his arm, and operated it with his other hand to activate a spell.
"Vibration-type close-combat magic, High-Frequency Blade."
The moment Takeaki Kirihara activated the spell, Tatsuya Shiba analyzed it and identified the magic he was using.
After activating the spell, Takeaki Kirihara raised his sword and charged at Sayaka Mibu again.
He reached Sayaka Mibu and immediately swung his sword at her.
Sayaka Mibu had not expected Takeaki Kirihara to be serious, but she managed to dodge the attack in a hurry.
"How about it, Mibu? This is a match with real swords," Takeaki Kirihara said smugly.
Just as Takeaki Kirihara was about to step forward and attack Sayaka Mibu again, Tatsuya Shiba rushed in with a swift stride.
He stepped between them and crossed his arms, then activated magic with his CAD, briefly immobilizing Takeaki Kirihara before subduing him with a shoulder throw.