"We don't break; we just bend until we can't pretend." - Akarui Hikaru.
The moment Kokuen disappeared into the shadows, I smirked, "Not my first time."
With a deep breath, I let the shadows around me stretch and shift, my control over darkness filling the air. My eyes focused on the faintest stirrings, the imperceptible shifts in the air.
Damn it. Allsight.
"You're not getting away this time," I muttered under my breath, and my hand shot out. Darkness surged, ripping apart his invisibility, and for a split second, he was exposed. There you are.
"Damn you!" Kokuen snarled, eyes wide in disbelief.
I was already on him. I didn't give him a chance to breathe. My leg came up in a swift roundhouse kick aimed right at his ribs with Ikari.
CRACK.
The sound of his ribs snapping echoed, but he didn't fall. Instead, he staggered back, clutching his side, his sword already raising for a counterattack.
Before he could recover, Ren surged forward. His fists were like hammers, crashing down with relentless power, each punch shaking the air. He moved so quickly, it was almost like he was a blur of motion.
"You'll pay for that," Ren growled, his fist coming down toward Kokuen's face.
Kokuen parried the first blow, but the next punch slammed into his stomach with enough force to push the air from his lungs. He winced, but his eyes narrowed with fury. "You think I'll fall so easily?"
"Actually, I do!", Akira struck next. Blood shot from his body in quick bursts, forming into long, sharp tendrils that lashed at Kokuen with terrifying speed. His blood manipulation was a nightmare to face up close, and Kokuen struggled to keep his distance.
Akira's voice was cold and venomous. "You're about to find out what happens when you cross me." The blood tendrils surged toward Kokuen, but he slashed wildly with his blade, narrowly dodging one of the strikes as it whipped past him, slicing into the stone ground with a hiss.
Before Kokuen could react, Ren closed the gap. His fist flew forward, smashing into Kokuen's chest with a sound that could only be described as bone-shattering. "Got you!" Ren shouted.
Kokuen stumbled backward, breathless. The sheer power of Ren's punch had rattled him, but he wasn't done yet. He wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes glowing with rage.
"Pathetic little ants," Kokuen sneered.
Damn it! This place is too cramped, "Luka! Let's take this outside!" I called out.
"Ok!"
Let me try my Realm.
"Realm: Midnight Coffi-"
A huge blast of dark matter struck me.
Why can't I use my Realm?
"Akarui! He disrupted your Realm's Chi. You can't use it for a while. All your connections have been disconnected!" Ren called out.
I guess I have to rely on power now.
As we exited... The temple collapsed.
Kokuen's chilling laugh echoed behind us, sending a ripple of unease through the group. "You think this is over?" His voice was a low growl, dripping with malice. "This is just the beginning."
Before anyone could react, he charged, his dark sword flashing as it cut through the air like a bolt of lightning. Luka moved to intercept him, his trident meeting Kokuen's with a resounding clash that shook the earth beneath our feet. Sparks flew as the two warriors danced in a deadly duel, each strike faster than the last.
But Kokuen wasn't the only threat. I could feel his aura expanding, reaching out with dark tendrils that seemed to pull at the shadows around us. He wasn't alone—he was drawing on the very darkness to fuel his power.
I tightened my grip on my weapon, summoning the shadows to shield the group. "Stay on your toes!" I barked, turning to Luka. "We need a plan, now!"
Luka gritted his teeth, his eyes calculating as he parried another of Kokuen's brutal strikes. "We need to hit him from multiple angles," he said, his voice steady despite the intensity of the battle. "If we all focus on one weakness, we can break through his defenses."
As we regrouped, the others moved into position, each one finding their place in the growing chaos. Akira was already on the move, his blood blades in hand. With a savage growl, he slashed the air, and instantly, the ground began to shake as massive blood leviathans erupted from the earth. The enormous creatures—formed entirely of Akira's blood—roared, their bodies writhing and coiling with a terrifying intensity.
"Cover me!" Akira shouted as the leviathans surged forward, their jagged fangs aimed straight at Kokuen. With terrifying speed, they charged, closing in on him from multiple directions.
The sheer force of Akira's blood beasts was enough to knock Kokuen off balance, his dark aura flaring as he tried to ward them off. With each strike, the leviathans retaliated, their massive jaws snapping shut with a sickening crunch.
Kokuen's eyes flared with fury as he attempted to summon more shadows to fight back, but Akira's blood leviathans were relentless, tearing through the darkness with brutal efficiency.
"Stay focused!" Luka barked, his voice cutting through the chaos. His trident gleamed as he closed in on Kokuen once more, striking with precise, calculated moves.
The fight was turning in our favor, but it wasn't over yet. Kokuen's rage was palpable, his energy growing as he pulled the shadows around him even tighter, as if to smother us all.
"Get ready for the counter!" I yelled, my eyes fixed on Kokuen as I felt the darkness building up again.
Suddenly, there was a flash of movement from behind us. A familiar voice rang out, and a figure dropped from above, landing with a resounding crash.
"You think we're just gonna watch?" Kaede's voice cut through the air as she unsheathed her sword, her eyes glinting with determination. "Let's finish this."
I glanced at her, relieved but a bit surprised. "Kaede... How did you find us?"
She grinned, spinning her sword effortlessly in her hand. "Did you really think we'd let you take all the fun? besides... It's the last day." she teased, her stance ready for battle.
"Last day? I swear we were just 3 days in."
"What are you talking about? You have been missing for days."
"You guys can do this later!" Sakura called out before launching a huge blast of flames.
And that was when I noticed the rest of the group moving into position. Kaede wasn't alone. Luka had already been in the fight, but now, standing beside him, was Noah Maxwell with Yui Takahashi and Izumi Kinoshita. They'd all arrived.
"You're a bit late, but it's good to see you all," Akira said, raising an eyebrow. "How'd you find us?"
Noah flashed a grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "We weren't exactly far behind. Just needed to make sure we had the right timing to join the fun."
Yui added, her voice steady as always, "We've been tracking your energy. It was only a matter of time before we caught up."
Izumi nodded, her aura radiating confidence as she prepared for the battle. "We'll make sure Kokuen doesn't get away."
The battlefield was chaos. Kokuen's strikes came faster and harder with each passing moment, his blade cutting through the air like lightning. My body was already trembling under the weight of his power, and I could see my classmates struggling just as much.
Ren gritted his teeth, launching himself forward with everything he had, but Kokuen cut him down without hesitation. Akira summoned his blood leviathans, but even those were sliced apart before they could get anywhere near Kokuen. Luka moved in and out, trying to get a hit, but Kokuen's speed and precision made it impossible.
We were completely outmatched.
I glanced at Ren, who was still standing, but barely. "We can't keep going..." I whispered, struggling to stay on my feet.
Ren looked at me, his eyes filled with defiance. "Not yet. We can't give up."
But even he knew—Kokuen was too powerful. We were losing, and fast.
Just then, the air around us seemed to shift. It felt like the entire world had paused, an unnatural stillness settling over everything. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, the presence of something... something immense, something suffocating, weighed down on me.
I looked around, trying to figure out what was happening, when I felt it—the rush of energy, an incredible wave of Ikari that surged through the battlefield. My body froze, unable to move under the crushing force of it. The ground cracked beneath us, and the very air felt like it was turning to stone.
The battlefield was chaos. Kokuen's strikes came faster and harder, his blade cutting through the air with lethal precision. My body was already trembling under the weight of his power, and I could see my classmates struggling just as much.
Ren gritted his teeth, launching himself forward with everything he had, but Kokuen cut him down without hesitation. Akira summoned his blood leviathans, but even those were sliced apart before they could get anywhere near Kokuen. Luka moved in and out, trying to get a hit, but Kokuen's speed and precision made it impossible.
We were completely outmatched.
I glanced at Ren, who was still standing but barely. "We can't keep going..." I whispered, struggling to stay on my feet.
Ren looked at me, his eyes filled with defiance. "Not yet. We can't give up."
But even he knew—Kokuen was too powerful. We were losing, and fast.
Just then, the air around us seemed to shift. It was as if the entire world paused, an unnatural stillness settling over everything. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, the presence of something... immense, something suffocating, weighed down on me.
I looked around, trying to figure out what was happening, when I felt it—the rush of energy, an incredible wave of Ikari that surged through the battlefield. My body froze, unable to move under the crushing force of it. The ground cracked beneath us, and the very air felt like it was turning to stone.
And then—he came.
From above, a shadow descended, moving faster than I could track. A boy, cloaked in a powerful aura, his presence overwhelming, filled the entire space. The moment he landed, the pressure of the Ikari released, but it was replaced by something even more terrifying—his sheer, raw power. His katana gleamed with a dangerous light, and I could barely comprehend the speed at which he moved.
He struck without hesitation, moving so quickly that Kokuen barely had time to react. Kokuen, who had been untouchable up until this point, faltered under the boy's onslaught. The mysterious figure was all Ikari—pure, unrelenting, and brutal. His katana sliced through the air, cutting through Kokuen's defenses like they were made of paper. The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, knocking us all back.
Kokuen's sword flew from his hand, his body faltering under the pressure. He staggered back, struggling to stay on his feet, his face pale with disbelief.
"W-What... what are you?" Kokuen rasped, his voice hoarse with panic.
The boy didn't answer immediately. He simply took a step forward, his katana raised again. The air around us vibrated with the intensity of his Ikari, and Kokuen realized, too late, that he was outmatched.
"You've done well," the boy said, his voice calm and deep, cutting through the chaos like a blade. "But now leave it to me."
Akira, still trying to process what had just happened, muttered, "What do you mean done well? You're our age."
In one swift, fluid motion, the boy swung his katana down, releasing an immense wave of red Ikari that engulfed the entire area. The power was unlike anything I'd ever felt. The sheer force of it was enough to freeze us all in place, unable to move, unable to breathe. It was as though the world itself had been consumed by the power he unleashed.
How is he this powerful.
Kokuen's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless, before it even had a chance to hit the earth. The battle was over. In a matter of moments, the boy had completely dismantled the threat that had been too much for us to handle.
We were all still in shock, unable to move or speak as the boy sheathed his katana with a simple, effortless motion. He stood there for a moment, his presence still overwhelming, before finally speaking again.
"Who the hell are you?" Ren demanded, his voice sharp with suspicion.
The boy didn't flinch. His eyes, cold and steady, met Ren's. "Introductions later," he said, his voice quiet yet commanding. "Right now, we have a mission."
He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in.
"I am the 23rd student of Class 1A," he continued, his tone remaining calm, almost detached. "I joined late—had some personal matters to attend to. But now, I'm here to tell you that there's a village missing. It's our mission to investigate."
His words landed with the force of a thunderclap, the shock of everything that had just transpired—the battle, the power he'd displayed—quickly overshadowed by the weight of his announcement. A missing village? What did he mean?
None of us knew who he was or how he had found us, but the aura around him was undeniable. This boy—this student of Class 1A—was on another level entirely.
"What... missing village?" Ren managed to ask, still shaken from the battle and the overwhelming presence of the boy.
The boy didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped forward, his eyes scanning each of us with a certain... understanding.
"We'll talk on the way," he said. "Right now, we need to move. We don't have much time."
And with that, the boy turned and began walking, his footsteps silent yet purposeful. Without saying another word, he continued onward, leaving us no choice but to follow.