Then Ken said to him in his usual flat, deep monotone voice, "I like Chiyo but I’m not in love with her.

She just seems lonely so I just try to cheer her up... and well if you claim you love her, you should stay by her always and cheer her up."

The words hung in the tense air between them.

Ryū’s face immediately showed a little bit of an angry impression, his golden eyes narrowing sharply while his brows furrowed deeply.

The red-and-gold hair shifted as he tilted his head slightly, the muscles in his broad shoulders and large chest tightening visibly beneath the dark triad Chinese emperor-style robe embroidered with coiling golden dragons.

His voice rose with clear irritation as he replied, "What??? You mean to say you’re chasing after her and you’re not even in love with her??... Are you trying to mess with her feelings or what? Who do you think you are you scumbag"

The accusation echoed across the damaged street, mixing with the faint crackling sound still coming from the shining circular form of mixed elements that continued to pulse dangerously in Ryū’s hands.

Small sparks of fire, flashes of light, and ripples of air occasionally escaped the unstable orb, scorching tiny marks on the already cracked pavement around his boots.

Then Ken was confused, his head tilting slightly to the side in a mechanical motion while that deathly hollow stare remained fixed on Ryū.

His expression showed clear bewilderment, though his voice stayed flat and emotionless as he tried to process the sudden outburst.

Then Ryū, facing him from a short distance, let his angry impression soften into something less intense.

His golden eyes still burned with irritation, but the tight line of his jaw relaxed just a fraction.

In his mind he thought, "I would really love to beat this guy up really badly but he’s not really a bad guy."

Ryū knew Ken was actually pretty strong. If he were to take the fight seriously, as annoying as Ken’s light and sound abilities were, he would probably have to go for the kill to end it quickly.

But he didn’t want to kill him because he wasn’t a bad guy.

To Ryū, this was just a little fight — nothing more than his personal displeasure at having this boy hanging around Chiyo.

Now Ken stood breathing heavily, his shoulders rising and falling with deep, labored breaths as sweat glistened on his face and neck.

His body showed clear signs of exhaustion after the long exchange of light beams and sound waves, yet he stubbornly kept his fighting stance upright — knees slightly bent, hands still positioned defensively, that thousand-yard hollow stare never wavering even as fatigue set in.

Then Ryū said to him in a firm, decisive tone, "It’s enough.

This fight is over... for now."

The shining circular form of mixed elements still hovered between his palms, its multicolored surface swirling with fire, water, earth, light, sound, and air in a chaotic but contained storm. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The orb continued to hum with dangerous power, small arcs of energy occasionally snapping outward, but Ryū made no move to release it.

Then Ken said to Ryū, his deep monotone voice carrying a serious warning despite his exhaustion, "You better watch your back.

You have no idea what weapons and power the SCO has." Because Ken actually thought the SCO was so strong that they were Gods pretending to be humans far stronger than Ryū.

"Don’t look down on them just cause they are humans.

I tell you they have more power than you think... Take this as an advice."

As Ryū backed away a few steps, the dragon-embroidered robe flowing around his taller, muscular frame, he then laughed — a low, confident, and slightly mocking sound that rolled from his chest and echoed between the damaged buildings.

The laughter caused the golden dragons on his high-collared tunic and robe to catch the light dramatically.

His golden eyes glinted with amusement mixed with lingering irritation as he looked at the exhausted but still defiant boy standing across from him.

The air between them remained thick with tension.

The shining circular form of condensed elements slowly began to fade as Ryū gradually dispersed the gathered power, the swirling colors dimming until the dangerous orb dissolved completely into harmless sparks that drifted away on the breeze.

Smoke still rose faintly from scattered scorch marks on Ryū’s clothes, but his powerful body showed no real damage.

Ken continued standing in his fighting stance, breathing hard, his hollow stare fixed on the Dragon Lord even as his body clearly struggled to keep going after the intense battle.

The surrounding street bore clear marks of their fight — cracked pavement, scorched walls, and scattered debris — while the distant SCO agents remained behind the glowing purple line Chris had drawn, watching the scene unfold with cautious eyes.

Ryū’s laughter slowly faded, but the confident, almost playful smirk remained on his face as he regarded Ken one final time, the red-and-gold hair swaying gently in the coastal wind.