The instant Elder Renkai's voice fades—
The battleground explodes into motion.
---
Tokisada moves first.
Not fast.
Not reckless.
Not overwhelming.
---
Silent.
---
Like a blade leaving its sheath.
---
SHIIING.
---
His curved sword flashes beneath the foxfire glow.
One clean step.
One precise slash.
---
Kisaragi reacts immediately.
---
CLANG.
---
The foxfire staff intercepts the strike.
Sparks scatter.
---
The crowd erupts.
---
"Already?!"
---
"They're fast!"
---
Kisaragi doesn't stop there.
---
The moment the weapons separate—
He spins.
---
WHOOOSH.
---
The staff sweeps across the arena in a wide arc.
---
Tokisada ducks.
---
The staff whistles past his head.
---
CRACK.
---
The pressure alone fractures stone.
---
Yukito's eyes widen.
---
Yukito:
"Okay!"
"That would've broken my ribs."
---
Kaito:
"Your everything."
---
The group laughs briefly.
---
Back below—
Tokisada slides backward.
Calm.
Measured.
---
Watching.
---
Always watching.
---
Kisaragi notices.
---
And immediately charges.
---
THOOM.
---
His boots crack the arena floor.
---
The staff spins continuously now.
---
Left strike.
Right strike.
Overhead strike.
---
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
---
Tokisada blocks each attack.
---
Precise.
Minimal movement.
---
Not a single wasted step.
---
Jack notices immediately.
---
Jack:
"He's conserving energy."
---
Shiori nods.
---
Shiori:
"And gathering information."
---
The battle intensifies.
---
Kisaragi suddenly plants his staff.
---
FOOM.
---
A foxfire sigil appears beneath him.
---
Fushin Technique:
Echo Step
---
His body blurs.
---
The audience gasps.
---
One Kisaragi becomes three.
---
Not illusions.
---
Afterimages.
---
Different.
---
Each movement trails a lingering image.
Making it difficult to track the real attack.
---
The crowd erupts.
---
"Where's the real one?!"
---
Miko leans forward.
---
Miko:
"I can't tell!"
---
Below—
Three staffs strike simultaneously.
---
Left.
Right.
Above.
---
Tokisada pivots.
---
CLANG.
---
One block.
---
CLANG.
---
Second block.
---
The third strike clips his shoulder.
---
THUD.
---
Tokisada slides backward several meters.
---
The audience cheers.
---
Kisaragi presses immediately.
---
Not allowing recovery.
---
The staff spins faster.
---
CRACK.
---
Another strike.
---
CRACK.
---
Another.
---
CRACK.
---
Another.
---
Each hit grows heavier.
---
More aggressive.
---
More relentless.
---
Yukito whistles.
---
Yukito:
"He's going all in."
---
Jack:
"He knows Tokisada is dangerous."
---
Mizuki:
"So he's not giving him time to prepare?"
---
Jack nods.
---
Jack:
"Exactly."
---
At the center arena—
Tokisada finally attacks.
---
SHING.
---
One sword slash.
---
Simple.
---
Almost ordinary.
---
Kisaragi blocks.
---
CLANG.
---
The audience waits.
---
Nothing happens.
---
The battle continues.
---
Several more exchanges follow.
---
Sword.
Staff.
Movement.
Impact.
---
Neither gaining clear advantage.
---
Neither yielding.
---
Then—
Something changes.
---
Kisaragi blinks.
---
Once.
---
Twice.
---
His footing stutters slightly.
---
Almost invisible.
---
But Jack notices.
---
Immediately.
---
Jack:
"...Interesting."
---
Shiori's eyes sharpen.
---
Shiori:
"He landed it."
---
Miko looks confused.
---
Miko:
"Landed what?"
---
Below—
Kisaragi shakes his head briefly.
---
As if clearing his thoughts.
---
Then attacks again.
---
But—
His timing is slightly off now.
---
Not enough to be obvious.
---
Not enough to alarm the audience.
---
Only enough for experienced eyes to notice.
---
Tokisada notices.
---
And for the first time—
A faint smile appears.
---
Tiny.
---
Almost invisible.
---
The crowd remains unaware.
---
The battle continues.
---
Kisaragi launches another powerful combination.
---
THOOM.
---
CRACK.
---
CLANG.
---
His staff strikes with tremendous force.
---
But his reactions are becoming less perfect.
---
A fraction slower.
---
A fraction later.
---
The difference between victory and defeat often begins with fractions.
---
High above—
Kaito narrows his eyes.
---
Kaito:
"...Something's wrong."
---
Jack:
"Not wrong."
---
His gaze remains fixed on Tokisada.
---
Jack:
"Planned."
---
The mountain wind passes across the arena.
---
Foxfire embers drift between both warriors.
---
Tokisada's sword remains steady.
---
Kisaragi's staff remains deadly.
---
But beneath the surface—
The battle is slowly changing.
---
And nobody yet realizes just how dangerous Tokisada's fighting style truly is.
---
Because the poison hidden within his techniques has only just begun to take effect.
---
The foxfire-lit battleground trembles beneath the energy of the duel.
Kisaragi slides backward across the ancient stone, his staff carving sparks across the arena floor.
SHHHHHK—
His boots dig deep into the stone.
Breathing hard.
Sweat dripping.
Yet his eyes never leave Tokisada.
Around them—
Thousands of spectators watch in complete silence.
The earlier cheers have faded.
Now—
Everyone is trying to understand what is happening.
Because something feels wrong.
Not dangerous.
Not fatal.
But wrong.
High above—
Miko grips the railing tighter.
Miko:
"Why does Kisaragi look slower...?"
Shiori's expression becomes more serious.
Shiori:
"Because he is."
Jack's eyes narrow.
Watching every movement.
Every breath.
Every shift of weight.
Jack:
"Tokisada isn't overpowering him."
"He's weakening him."
Kaito exhales slowly.
Kaito:
"That's honestly scarier."
Below—
Kisaragi suddenly bursts forward again.
THOOM!
His staff spins violently.
Foxfire gathers around its length.
Kisaragi:
"HAAAH!"
WHOOOOSH—
The staff descends with enough force to crack stone.
But—
Tokisada simply tilts his head.
The strike misses by inches.
CRAAASH!
The arena floor explodes.
Dust erupts.
The crowd gasps.
Yet Kisaragi immediately notices something.
His arms feel heavier.
His breathing slightly uneven.
His strength isn't gone—
But it isn't fully there either.
Tokisada smiles faintly.
Almost amused.
Tokisada:
"You noticed."
The Kagetsu warrior slowly twirls his blade.
Green-violet poison foxfire dances along its edge.
Not enough to kill.
Not enough to cripple.
Just enough to interfere.
To disrupt.
To twist.
To create openings.
Kisaragi grits his teeth.
Kisaragi:
"What did you do?"
Tokisada answers calmly.
Tokisada:
"Nothing permanent."
"Just a reminder that battles aren't won by strength alone."
The crowd murmurs.
Jack watches carefully.
Jack:
"He's talking to distract him."
Shiori nods.
Shiori:
"And to make him think about the poison."
"Which makes the effect feel worse."
Kaito blinks.
Kaito:
"That's evil."
Mizuki giggles softly.
Mizuki:
"Very effective though."
Back in the arena—
Kisaragi refuses to back down.
His staff slams against the ground.
THUD!
Foxfire erupts.
Several glowing spirit symbols form around him.
Fushin Technique—
Guardian Spiral.
WHOOM!
Blue rings of energy begin rotating around his body.
The crowd erupts.
"There it is!"
"Fushin defensive arts!"
"He can still fight!"
Tokisada's eyes sharpen.
For the first time—
He stops smiling.
Because Kisaragi isn't falling.
He's adapting.
Then—
Kisaragi launches forward.
Faster than before.
STAFF STRIKE!
Tokisada blocks.
KLANG!
Second strike.
KLANG!
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
The arena fills with sparks.
The crowd roars.
Kisaragi keeps pushing.
Relentless.
Determined.
Ignoring the dizziness.
Ignoring the weakness.
Ignoring the poison.
Miko practically jumps.
Miko:
"He's fighting through it!"
Yukito grins.
Yukito:
"NOW we're talking!"
Kisaragi suddenly spins.
His staff becomes a blur.
WHOOOOOSH!
Tokisada is forced backward.
One step.
Then another.
Then—
Kisaragi sees it.
An opening.
A real opening.
Kisaragi's eyes widen.
Kisaragi:
"Got you!"
He lunges.
Everything behind a decisive strike.
The audience rises from their seats.
The staff races toward Tokisada's chest.
Victory feels inches away.
But—
Tokisada doesn't retreat.
Doesn't block.
Doesn't dodge.
Instead—
He steps forward.
Directly into the attack.
The crowd gasps.
Jack's eyes sharpen instantly.
Jack:
"...No."
Tokisada's free hand flashes forward.
TAP.
His fingertips touch Kisaragi's shoulder.
Just once.
Barely a touch.
Nothing more.
The impact never comes.
Kisaragi freezes.
His body suddenly feels heavier.
His muscles tighten.
Strength drains from his limbs like water leaking from a cracked vessel.
Poison Art—
Withering Touch.
Not lethal.
Not crippling.
But devastating in battle.
Kisaragi's strike loses power.
Just enough.
Just one moment.
And that is all Tokisada needs.
SHHHK!
The poison swordsman pivots.
His blade flashes.
The flat of the weapon crashes into Kisaragi's side.
BOOOOM!
Kisaragi is launched across the battleground.
Stone shatters beneath him.
Dust erupts skyward.
The crowd explodes into shocked cheers.
Miko:
"KISARAGI!"
Yukito:
"WHOA!"
Kaito whistles.
Kaito:
"Okay..."
"That was nasty."
Jack remains focused on the arena.
Watching the dust cloud.
Watching Kisaragi.
Because the battle—
Is far from over.
And as the dust slowly begins to settle—
The entire Kyobi Battleground waits to see whether the Fushin warrior can still stand.
The dust slowly settles across the Kyobi Battleground.
Foxfire embers drift through the mountain air.
At the center arena—
Kisaragi remains down for a moment.
One knee pressed against shattered stone.
Breathing hard.
Every muscle trembling from exhaustion.
The poison effects continue wearing on his body.
His movements feel heavier.
Slower.
Yet—
His grip never loosens around his staff.
High above—
The audience watches silently.
Waiting.
Hoping.
Wondering.
Then—
Kisaragi slowly rises.
The entire battleground erupts.
"HE STOOD UP!"
"He's still fighting!"
"What determination!"
Miko's eyes widen.
Miko:
"He's not giving up..."
Shiori smiles softly.
Shiori:
"That's why warriors earn respect."
Below—
Kisaragi wipes blood from the corner of his mouth.
His breathing is uneven now.
But his eyes burn brighter than ever.
Across from him—
Tokisada remains calm.
Measured.
Though even he shows signs of fatigue.
Several bruises mark his arms.
His robes carry cuts and tears.
His breathing has grown heavier too.
Neither warrior is untouched.
Neither warrior is standing comfortably.
But only one can advance.
Kisaragi lowers his stance.
Staff tightening in his hands.
Then—
THOOOM!
He explodes forward.
The crowd erupts.
Staff strikes rain down relentlessly.
KLANG!
Tokisada blocks.
KLANG!
Another strike.
KSHHH!
A spinning sweep.
Tokisada narrowly avoids it.
Kisaragi refuses to stop.
Strike after strike.
Technique after technique.
Pure determination.
Pure willpower.
Foxfire trails behind every movement.
The arena becomes a storm of sparks.
Kaito leans forward.
Kaito:
"He's forcing everything he has into this."
Yukito grins.
Yukito:
"That's the spirit!"
At center arena—
Kisaragi's staff crashes downward.
CRAAASH!
Stone explodes.
Tokisada sidesteps.
Counter.
SHHK!
His blade grazes Kisaragi's shoulder.
Blood scatters.
Yet Kisaragi doesn't stop.
He spins.
Elbow.
Staff thrust.
Foxfire burst.
Tokisada blocks two.
Avoids one.
Gets hit by another.
BOOM!
The impact forces him backward.
The crowd gasps.
For the first time—
Tokisada loses ground.
Kisaragi roars.
Kisaragi:
"HAAAAAAH!"
The Fushin warrior presses forward relentlessly.
A warrior refusing defeat.
A warrior refusing surrender.
But—
The poison continues working.
His strikes become heavier.
Less precise.
His footing less stable.
Jack notices immediately.
Jack:
"He's slowing down."
Shiori nods.
Shiori:
"The poison isn't winning."
"Exhaustion is."
The battle continues.
Another exchange.
KLANG!
KSHHH!
BOOM!
Both warriors separate.
Sliding across opposite sides of the battleground.
Breathing hard.
Sweat drips onto ancient stone.
Neither speaks.
The mountain wind passes between them.
The audience falls silent.
Everyone feels it.
This is the end.
The final exchange.
The deciding moment.
Yukito straightens immediately.
Yukito:
"Here it comes."
Kaito nods.
Kaito:
"They're going all in."