Two minutes passed in silence.
The steam still hung thickly in the air, refusing to dissipate. Yuta began to sense that something was wrong.
He slowly stepped backward—and suddenly, one of his feet struck something invisible.
Hard. Cold.
Yuta turned around.
There stood a thick, solid dome of water, towering high and completely enclosing the area around them.
Suddenly, Sei emerged from the mist.
His clothes were torn and scorched in several places. Burn marks were clearly visible across his body, though none appeared life-threatening. His steps were unsteady, his breathing heavy—but his eyes still burned with determination.
Sei approached until he was about seven meters away from Yuta, then smiled. It was a smile accompanied by a grimace as he struggled to endure the pain.
"What are you doing?" Yuta asked cautiously.
"Do you know why this steam hasn't disappeared yet?" Sei replied calmly.
"I don't know," Yuta answered, furrowing his brows.
Sei gave a faint smile.
"Then I'll tell you."
He slowly moved both hands to his sides, his palms facing outward.
"I created a dome of water that completely surrounds us."
Yuta was startled—but quickly sneered.
"So what? Your water magic is easily evaporated by my fire."
Without hesitation, Yuta increased the heat around him. Flames roared back to life as the temperature suddenly skyrocketed.
The water dome began to boil in several places—yet strangely, it did not evaporate like before.
Sei's smile widened.
He slowly clenched his right hand and pulled it toward his chest.
Instantly, the water dome began to contract.
The space between them grew narrower. The air became heavier and hotter.
Sei stepped forward, one step at a time.
Then, suddenly—
Yuta felt as though his chest were being squeezed from within.
His breathing became shallow. His throat grew dry. Panic began to rise uncontrollably.
Why... is it so hard to breathe? he thought.
Slowly, the flames surrounding Yuta weakened.
The fire dimmed—
then went out completely.
There wasn't enough oxygen.
"Why do you look like you're suffering so much, Yuta?" Sei said as he continued walking toward him, his smile never fading.
Beside him, a sword made of water slowly formed, spinning gently as he walked.
Outside the dome, Yuta's father frantically rushed toward it. He repeatedly slammed his fists against the surface of the water dome, but not even a crack appeared.
"Stop! Stop right now!"
Inside the dome, Sei was also beginning to feel the lack of air.
But he could still endure it.
Yuta couldn't.
"Damn it..." Yuta hissed, anger and desperation mixing in his voice. "Come on... breathe..."
Sei stopped directly in front of him.
"You forgot one thing," he said quietly.
"I didn't just create this water dome around us."
He raised one hand toward the sky.
"I sealed the top as well."
Yuta's eyes widened.
"The oxygen inside here is limited," Sei continued coldly. "And no oxygen from outside can enter."
He stared at Yuta without expression.
"You're the one using it up—by continuing to burn your flames."
Yuta's knees began to tremble. His eyes were half-closed, his consciousness fading.
Sei raised his water sword.
The corner of his eye caught sight of Yuta's pale face and bluish lips, and for a fraction of a second, his hand stopped in midair.
This... is enough, he thought faintly, though he wasn't entirely sure why the thought had crossed his mind.
But the arrogance that had taken root within him was stronger than his hesitation.
He pushed the thought aside and swung his arm.
The water sword slashed across the arm that was still holding Yuta's sword, forcing him to release his weapon.
Yuta collapsed to the ground, conscious but completely exhausted. His chest rose and fell rapidly as air finally began flowing back into his lungs when the dome started to crack.
Outside the dome, Sei's father witnessed everything.
His expression changed.
Without wasting a moment, he stretched out his palm and rapidly began chanting a spell.
"Seventy-eight percent nitrogen. Twenty-one percent oxygen. Zero point ninety-three percent argon. Zero point zero four percent carbon dioxide. Wind Magic: Air Bomb!"
Wind gathered in his palm—
then exploded forward with tremendous force, blasting through Sei's water dome and tearing a large hole into it.
Sei's father dashed inside.
In one swift movement, he grabbed Sei by the wrist and locked his arm in place.
"Enough, Sei," he said in a low voice, almost trembling.
Sei struggled against his father's hold. His breathing was still heavy, and beneath his victorious smile, something seemed to waver.
"Ahahaha...!"
He forced himself to laugh, his voice echoing across the now-silent field.
"Take that! I told you never to underestimate me—my magic is far superior to your swordsmanship!"
But his eyes briefly glanced toward Yuta, who lay exhausted on the ground.
For a moment, his laughter sounded more forced than before.
Yuta's father was already kneeling beside his son, gently lifting his head.
"Yuta! Yuta, can you hear me?"
Yuta groaned weakly, his eyes half-open.
He was conscious, but completely drained.
His father let out a brief sigh of relief before his expression hardened again when he noticed the slash wound on his son's arm.
"Bring a healing mage!" he shouted to one of the guards stationed around the edge of the field.
Two hours later.
Yuta had been treated in the family's medical room.
His wound was fairly deep, but it was not life-threatening. He would simply need several days of rest.
In the waiting room, two men sat in heavy silence.
Yuta's father finally broke the silence.
"Your son has gone too far, Rokutou."
His voice was low, but filled with restrained anger.
"Trapping an opponent without air during a duel isn't simply about winning anymore. You've put his life at risk. You need to reprimand him. Harshly."
Sei's father did not answer immediately.
His head hung low, his gaze fixed blankly on the floor.
He was thinking about everything that had happened—all the things his son had done, not just today, but over the past several months.
Then, in a heavy voice filled with regret, he spoke quietly.
"You're right. This has gone too far."
He turned toward his friend, deep guilt visible in his eyes.
"As his father, I apologize for what my son has done. I'll talk to him."
The moment Sei's father stepped into the house, he headed straight for Rokutou Sei's room.
Before his hand could even reach the doorknob—
a tremendous explosion shook the entire building.
The wall of Sei's room was blown apart, leaving a massive hole.
The contents of the room were scattered and destroyed.
Sei himself had already been thrown outside and now lay flat on his back in the yard, grimacing as pain spread throughout his body.
"Damn it... what did you do, Father?!" Sei growled, struggling to get back on his feet while clutching his right arm.
His shoulder felt wrong.
It was as though the bone had shifted out of place.
Behind the gaping hole where his bedroom wall had once stood, his father stared at him with cold, furious eyes.
Yet beneath that anger was something else—
concern he was desperately trying to hide.
"What did I do?" his father repeated sharply.
"That should be my question for you, Sei."
His voice grew colder.
"You nearly killed someone else's child today. Do you realize that?"
Sei fell silent for a moment.
For the first time since the duel, uncertainty appeared on his face—only to be covered once again by a defiant expression.
"He was the one who challenged me first," he replied, though his voice was not as strong as usual.
"That is no excuse for nearly cutting off his air supply," his father shot back.
"Today, I'm going to teach you something I should have taught you a long time ago—the feeling of standing against someone far stronger than yourself."
Without waiting for an answer, his father raised one hand and pointed it directly at Sei.
His lips began to move as he loudly chanted a spell.
"Seventy-eight percent nitrogen. Twenty-one percent oxygen. Zero point ninety-three percent argon. Zero point zero four percent carbon dioxide. Fire Magic: Fireball!"
A ball of fire ignited in his palm, glowing a brilliant red, before shooting rapidly toward Sei—
but it was aimed directly at the ground beside him rather than at his body.
Sei jumped to the right just before the fireball struck the ground.
A massive explosion thundered through the area, and the resulting shockwave sent Sei flying several meters away.
He felt the heat sting his skin, but the injury was superficial.
It was a warning, not a lethal attack.
For the first time that day, something inside Sei's chest felt cold.
Not because of the fire.
Because he realized that his father was holding back—
and that was precisely what frightened him.
But he quickly pushed the fear aside.
He rose to his feet, straightened his body, and prepared to fight back.
His father was already floating in the air, his body lifted by a swirling current of wind that spiraled from his thighs down to his feet.
Sei raised both hands.
One by one, swords made of water materialized around him.
They spun rapidly, their sharp edges gleaming threateningly, all of them pointed toward a single target.
"Take this—" Sei shouted, though his voice trembled slightly.
"Water Magic: Sword of Multiple!"
Dozens of water swords shot forward simultaneously, slicing through the air toward his father at incredible speed.
Yet his father merely narrowed his eyes calmly.
His lips moved once again.
"Seventy-eight percent nitrogen. Twenty-one percent oxygen. Zero point ninety-three percent argon. Zero point zero four percent carbon dioxide. Wind Magic: Wind Barrier Rejection!"
A spherical barrier of wind exploded outward from his body, spinning violently at an unmatched speed.
Everything that approached it was blown away.
Every single one of Sei's water swords was torn apart and shattered before it could even touch him.
Silence briefly descended over the yard.
Sei stood there, breathing heavily, both hands trembling—
whether from exhaustion or because, for the first time, he truly felt the immense gap between himself and his father.
"Where is that magical ability you always brag about, Rokutou Sei?!"
His father's voice thundered through the silence, filled with challenge—
and with hidden hope beneath his anger.
Sei gritted his teeth.
Annoyed by his father's words, he struggled to stand upright before raising both hands in front of him, level with his chest.
"Water Magic: Water Cannon!"
A powerful stream of water burst from both of his palms, charging straight toward his father.
But his father merely tilted his body slightly before rushing toward Sei at incredible speed.
A powerful punch struck him directly in the stomach.
Sei recoiled.
He fell into a seated position on the ground, clutching his stomach as saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth, followed by a fit of uncontrollable coughing.
His father stood still for a moment, staring at his son as he curled up in pain.
The anger on his face slowly faded, replaced by something heavier—
exhaustion, and a hint of sadness.
"That power isn't meant to be flaunted, Sei," he finally said, his voice much quieter than before.
"Especially not as a way to measure how much better you are than everyone else."
Sei was still coughing, but his eyes glanced toward his father, who was now crouching beside him.
"I know I've gone too far," Sei replied, his voice still hoarse.
"But strength is meant to be shown. What's the point of having power if you don't use it?"
His father did not answer immediately.
He simply looked up at the sky for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
"I'm the one who was wrong," he said quietly.
"I should have talked to you about this a long time ago. As your father, I failed to raise you properly."
Those words left Sei speechless.
He lowered his head, unsure of what to say.
Silence lingered for several moments.
Only the sound of the wind filled the space between them.
"It's already too late," his father continued.
"But it can still be fixed."
"Then... what is true strength actually for?" Sei finally asked.
His voice was still slightly raised, though nowhere near as harsh as before.
His father gently patted Sei on the head.
"Have you ever heard of true strength?"
Sei raised his head and looked at his father suspiciously.
"True strength is power that no one can defeat," he answered, repeating a line he had once read.
"You're wrong."
His father gave him a faint smile.
"But that's what the book says," Sei protested, confused.
"Then your book is completely wrong, Sei."
Sei fell silent, trying to process his father's words.
He was not used to being told he was wrong—especially about something he had memorized by heart.
"Then... what does it mean?" he asked quietly.
This time, he genuinely wanted to know.
His father sat beside him, staring into the distance before answering.
"Your grandfather once told me that true strength is the strength to protect what is precious to you."
"Strength that can make others smile, rather than make them cry."
"That... sounds naive," Sei muttered, though his tone was much softer now.
"It is naive," his father chuckled softly.
"But that's what strength is for."
"People like us, who have been blessed with greater power, should protect those who are weaker—not oppress them."
Sei remained silent for a long time.
Images of Yuta collapsing, the pale face of the trembling servant, and his mother's sorrowful expression flashed through his mind one after another.
For the first time, all of it felt unbearably heavy in his chest.
"Sei," his father asked gently, "is there anyone you want to protect?"
Sei lowered his head, staring at the ground beneath him.
It took several seconds before he finally answered, his voice barely above a whisper.
"There is... Mother."
"And Father, too."
His father smiled and slowly stood up.
"Then use your power wisely."
"You can become far stronger than this—not to show off, but to protect us."
He walked several steps away before stopping without turning around.
"Think about everything you've done, Sei."
"I know you're a genius."
He paused for a moment.
"But remember—above the sky, there is always another sky."
His footsteps faded into the distance, leaving Sei alone amid the ruins of his room.
Sei remained sitting on the ground, his head lowered as he stared blankly at the scorched grass around him.
One by one, the faces of those he had hurt returned to his mind.
For the first time since he had discovered his power, Sei truly fell silent and reflected on everything he had done.