Six years ago, I faced despair. One of the people I admired greatly who had given me defeat for the first time in my life had killed my friends, family, and everyone whom I cared for. I had only hate for him ever since that day and during the times that I cried for Akane's death, I'd curse him.

When Emi smiled, I remembered my innocence. I wielded a weapon to fight but not to kill. That way of thinking was wrong. I wielded a weapon, I should've been prepared to kill and to be killed. On the day we first fought, I had faced power and had fear implanted in my heart. But that fear quickly disappeared when I faced his friends and family.

'How would an evil person have a family so nice?'

I knew that I was wrong in fearing him and so I locked it away. When he came back, he defeated me once more but he apologized. I didn't even have a chance to injure him despite the fact that I did my best. Once more, the fear that had been locked away was opened even if only slightly.

During the short time that we spent, the fear was once more locked away. I figured that it would forever be sealed and eventually disappear. But then he started acting weirdly. He fought with us less and less, he didn't go outside of his house, and when we asked him, he said there wasn't anything wrong. It started the day after he rescued Akane.

He defeated the clan's strongest and took back Akane. That would make me fear him more but it was covered by gratitude. Ever since then, I held him in reverence.

'So why?'

He was possessed by a demon and slaughtered the clan members. The demon was only using the power of Kai's body without limits, it was obvious that it was Kai's strength.

'So why is this happening?'

He defeated the Patriarch, defeated the elders, defeated the mages, and the knights. I protected Emi while Kai killed Akane and his parents. My family was dead from the start of his assault on the mansion but I felt more dread when I saw Akane, Aunt Akemi, and Uncle Juro's deaths.

'So how?'

When he reappeared as Satou Kenji, he defeated me in one move. He countered Erina who had aimed for a killing blow. He defeated an A-class and killed nine people on the level of B-class all alone.

'So how did this happen?'

That's right, he's strong. Very strong. He's the strongest person I've ever met and will ever meet.

"So why...? Why are you losing?"

Yoko opened the door to the scene of Natsumi injured by the wall and Kai bleeding while holding his right arm. Erina was encased in a cage of ice and wearing handcuffs that sealed her ability to use magic.

"I had thought you were stronger than this, captain of the third princess' royal guard and proclaimed the strongest man in the kingdom."

Hyosuke stood there looking down on Kai.

"To think that you even damaged that body by taking enhancing potions. I didn't think you were that petty, demon."

Hyosuke gave a 'hmph' and launched an icicle. Kai slashed it with his scythe and leaped backwards.

"Kai!"

"Yoko, take care of Natsumi. I can't use my full power if she's here."

"Hooh? So you were holding back. Figures, I've been trying to kill that little princess over there since earlier after all."

Yoko glared at Hyosuke and went to pick up Natsumi.

"Kai, I'll be back soon. I'll get her to the vice-captain."

"So he's here already? It's fine. I can handle this one myself. If this is his power when he's enhanced..."

The wounds that Kai took closed at a visible speed and soon, they all disappeared.

"...Then he has no chance."

When Kai's words fell, Yoko nodded resolutely and left carrying Natsumi who still wanted to help.

"No chance? Aren't you overestimating yourself?"

"No, I've just simply been holding back too much."

Kai's scythe disappeared and what appeared next was something not of this world yet. A gun. Then on his other hand, a sword.

"What is that? A tool?"

Kai raised his left arm which held the gun and pointed it at Hyosuke.

"This is a gun. I prefer using a scythe but I have to change weapons if it's ineffective."

BANG

A single pull of a trigger and Hyosuke was forced to create a wall of ice which only slowed down the bullet but didn't stop it.

"What is this?!"

Hyosuke's shoulder was pierced but he quickly closed it up with ice.

"This pistol I'm using right now has the power of an anti-tank rifle by using magic instead of normal bullets. Unfortunately, I can't replicate the speed of rapid fire with a regular bullet but using light magic, I can shoot many times faster than the speed of sound though albeit lacking compared to the speed of true light."

Three pulls of the trigger and Hyosuke was forced to make the ice walls several times thicker just to block. Kai had used terms that Hyosuke couldn't understand but Erina could clearly listen to his explanation.

"...This power is incomparable. But even someone who has only seen it once such as I can tell the weakness of something like this, it costs too much mana."

Kai didn't answer and jumped upwards. Then, he twisted in the air and shot several times in succession towards Hyosuke. Just as Hyosuke raised another wall of ice, a small piece of ice enough for Kai top step on floated under his foot. Then, he kicked that piece of ice which immediately shattered and he appeared right behind Hyosuke.

"[Body Enhancement: Maximum Output]."

Hyosuke immediately reacted and sliced backwards but Kai vanished once more and appeared on top of the [Ice Wall].

"[Flame Breath]."

Kai's cheeks puffed up and after only a few seconds, flames spread out in a cone in front of him and Hyosuke had to leap back several meters.

"Flames from his mouth...? That's a secret technique of the Onigawara, but it's somehow different. Was he taught by them or did he steal and modify it?"

Kai vanished from the top of the ice wall and appeared back near the gate.

"Such frightening speed. Your speed is even faster than an S-class body. "

"If I use my max speed, I'd pierce through the wall like it was made of paper in an instant. I can travel from one side of the capital to the other in half an hour."

"It's an S-class body, huh?"

"I wouldn't challenge you as an A-class, would I?"

Hyosuke clapped his hands and along with the sound, a huge burst of wind spread out from his position. Kai ignited himself in flames and the shockwave was dispersed immediately. Then, Hyosuke launched a huge stream of water and Kai pointed his gun in the middle of the stream.

"Bang."

Along with the pull of a trigger, a brown-colored light burst out from his gun and made the stream of water explode like it was child's play.

But before the water could burst out, Hyosuke waved his arm and the water froze. Then, he closed his palm and the hundreds of droplets became spikes of ice that headed towards Kai.

"[Empyrean Flames]."

Golden flames began to burst out of Kai's body and all the spikes of ice turned into steam.

"Those blasted flames again... You managed to injure me even though it was only a fourth of my power while only being at C-class, it was quite a feat."

Kai snorted.

"A fourth? You seem to have been overestimating yourself, that was nearly half of your power."

Hyosuke had a cold smile.

"Looks like you knew. What amazing magic sensing. But you're not the only one who's improved in these six years."

Kai's eyes sharpened and he jumped from his place. Then, a huge geyser burst through the floor that he had just been standing on.

He controlled the water flowing under the floor, it's quite deep and would require him to at least prepare for a bit.

Kai readied his gun once more and pulled the trigger, Hyosuke managed to follow it this time and dodged with simple movements.

Hyosuke moved once more and stomped on the floor. Ice rose from his position then at a high speed, it reached Kai in an instant. But Hyosuke wasn't finished yet, multiple geysers rose and with a wave of his arm, they all froze and began creating a wall around him.

"...Well, I guess it's time to stop holding back."

Kai stabbed the sword into the floor and pointed his gun towards an incoming ice pillar.

"[Rending Bullet]."

BOOM

Just like that, the pillar and wall in front of him disappeared. Hyosuke had cold sweat running down on his back. His cheek was grazed, the wall behind him had a huge hole piercing through the entire palace. Erina was safe and she was slowly sitting up.

It was Kai's [Rend] made from pure mana but launched from his gun, it showed at least ten times more power than that of in the past. But the mana needed to activate it was obviously a lot higher as well.

"I'm not the only one who's improved in these six years, but I'm the one who's improved the most. Now, I'll purge that demon out of you and release Erina."

"...You insect! I'm a higher being yet you dare injure my vessel!"

A demonic aura surged out of Hyosuke but Kai had a fearless smile.

"You may think that you're strong. You may think that humans are below you."

Kai picked up the sword on the floor and pointed it at Hyosuke.

"Even if you look down on humans, I can do the same to you. A higher being? I killed your kind when I was nine, you aren't a big deal."