---- Chapter 35: Two-on-One ----
=== Genkai's Temple ===
Clutching both fists to his side, Kazuma began to charge up quickly.
"Hyo-----!!!! Hya!!!"
Kazuma's muscles bulged outwards, and his aura increased in size dramatically. With a Ki barrier around it, Genkai's grave was undisturbed, but the rest of the sanctuary caved in completely. Tsuki stepped back in awe of the martial arts master's strength.
"I-It's.... even stronger than before.... !!!"
Shinrai's only reaction was a soft smile. "That all you got?" he asked. Kazuma scoffed at that - "I've got plenty more. Now, come at me, Tsuki and Shinrai! With everything you've got.... or you'll both die this day!"
The wind whirled around, flailing the clothes of all present with the sheer power of Kazuma's aura. And, with a loud battle cry, Tsuki charged forward.
"Reiken Nitoryu.... Two-Bladed Aura Blade!!!"
From each of Tsuki's hands, a long green blade emerged, and he swung both at Kazuma.... who seemed to take the hit head-on, but soon enough reappeared - behind Tsuki. Before he could react, Kazuma kicked him to the ground, and called out, "Reiken Nitoryu.... Aura Blade!!!" As it did from Tsuki's, a blade sprouted from his hand. As Tsuki spun around, he saw the blade pointing at his throat. Kazuma smirked, and extended his hand to catch a kick from Shinrai.
Shinrai thrusted his arms out to the side, and charged up.
With a smile, he called out, "I've been watching too much anime, so.... Reikou Shou-ryuu - THREE-BLADED AURA BLADE!!!!"
From each of his hands, and from his mouth, blades appeared. Charging forward, he slashed viciously at Kazuma, but his every slash was easily evaded or blocked. Finally, Kazuma swiftly swung his blade into Shinrai's arm, purposely making a shallow but very painful cut. Shinrai screamed in pain, and fell to one knee. Kazuma stood silent, before calling out, "I expected better of my star pupil. Fight with ALL your strength - you won't get to Yusuke with such cockiness. Now, fight me!!"
And, at that, Shinrai hurled a punch at Kazuma's stomach. He blocked it, but the ground burst upwards from the force of the blow. As the debris settled, Kazuma said, "Excellent! But I did expect more raw strength from you." Gripping Shinrai's fist so tightly as to draw blood from the boy's palm, the old master picked up Shinrai and slammed him into the ground HARD. As he withdrew his hand, he was greeted by an elbow strike to his back. He flipped to his feet, and saw a panting Tsuki pull Shinrai out of the ground.
"Oi, Shinrai!" he called out, "Is that all you got?! I had to save both our asses there, and this is your battle! Come to think of it.... why am I--!!!"
Kazuma kneed Tsuki in the chest, and sent him flying.
"Because it's good training, that's why," he snapped. And he extended one hand, forming another Reiken. But it twisted around, into a scythe-like shape.
"Reiken Nitoryu.... Reikou Ougama, or Aura Scythe. Let's begin."
In an instant, Kazuma had charged, and vanished. The wind whipped violently around, and Kazuma suddenly reappeared behind Tsuki.... and the boy burst out with hundreds of cuts in his skin. As he cried out, and collapsed, Shinrai stood frozen in awe at the skill displayed. Extending one hand, he shouted, "Reikou Shou-ryuu.... Reikou Tou - Aura Blade version 2." And an even longer red blade sprouted from his palm as he grasped onto it tightly. Both fighters vanished, and the wind went utterly still.
Sounds of light clashing could faintly be heard by the human ear for miles around, but most dismissed it as their imagination. In reality, both Kazuma and Shinrai were striking at each other with tremendous force, enough so that small cuts appeared in mountains hundreds of miles in every direction. After a few quick slashes, Kazuma dematerialized his Aura Scythe and punches Shinrai hard in the gut, causing him to disengage.
Shinrai panted and heaved greatly, and wiped the blood from his mouth.
.... I can only win as a demon, I know that. But....
".... I won't do it. I want to fight - and win - against you as a human."
Kazuma smiled softly, and motioned with his hand - "Come forward, then."
And Shinrai vanished completely, landing a swift kick to Kazuma's chest that sent the older man flying backwards. Kicking off the ground, the old master sprung forward, and slammed into Shinrai with a powerful punch, which the younger warrior blocked with both hands.
And then, he began to faintly glow.
"W-What?!"
Shinrai shoved off Kazuma, and cocked his fist back before shouting, "Reikou Kagami Ishiki!!!"
And his punch blasted into Kazuma like a bazooka, sending him crashing through Genkai's tombstone and miles away. Shinrai stared in horror, as he fell to his knees.
"Lady Genkai.... I...."
He suddenly felt a slight pressure on his cheek, almost like a powerful slap.
Dimwit.... Forget me. Give it all you've got!!!
"Lady Genkai.... I will!!!"
And so Shinrai darted off after Kazuma.
=== Tokyo, Japan ===
Kazuma blasted out from the rubble created by his entrance, and looked around to see a crowd of people staring at him. With a wave of his hand, just as Shinrai appeared, they all vanished in a large explosion.
"Kuwabara-sensei?! Wh.... Why?! Tell me!!!"
Leaping forward, Shinrai unleashed a brutal flurry of attacks from every angle, which Kazuma blocked - though with marked difficulty. Smashing into Shinrai with his elbow, Kazuma shouted, "Don't you question me boy! This is a succession test.... Life and death are in the hands of the participants. If you want to avenge them.... Kill me."
Shinrai's aura burst so high that the entire area was smashed into the ground. As he transformed into his demon form, he growled ferally.
"Let's rock...."
=== Genkai's Temple ===
Clutching both fists to his side, Kazuma began to charge up quickly.
"Hyo-----!!!! Hya!!!"
Kazuma's muscles bulged outwards, and his aura increased in size dramatically. With a Ki barrier around it, Genkai's grave was undisturbed, but the rest of the sanctuary caved in completely. Tsuki stepped back in awe of the martial arts master's strength.
"I-It's.... even stronger than before.... !!!"
Shinrai's only reaction was a soft smile. "That all you got?" he asked. Kazuma scoffed at that - "I've got plenty more. Now, come at me, Tsuki and Shinrai! With everything you've got.... or you'll both die this day!"
The wind whirled around, flailing the clothes of all present with the sheer power of Kazuma's aura. And, with a loud battle cry, Tsuki charged forward.
"Reiken Nitoryu.... Two-Bladed Aura Blade!!!"
From each of Tsuki's hands, a long green blade emerged, and he swung both at Kazuma.... who seemed to take the hit head-on, but soon enough reappeared - behind Tsuki. Before he could react, Kazuma kicked him to the ground, and called out, "Reiken Nitoryu.... Aura Blade!!!" As it did from Tsuki's, a blade sprouted from his hand. As Tsuki spun around, he saw the blade pointing at his throat. Kazuma smirked, and extended his hand to catch a kick from Shinrai.
Shinrai thrusted his arms out to the side, and charged up.
With a smile, he called out, "I've been watching too much anime, so.... Reikou Shou-ryuu - THREE-BLADED AURA BLADE!!!!"
From each of his hands, and from his mouth, blades appeared. Charging forward, he slashed viciously at Kazuma, but his every slash was easily evaded or blocked. Finally, Kazuma swiftly swung his blade into Shinrai's arm, purposely making a shallow but very painful cut. Shinrai screamed in pain, and fell to one knee. Kazuma stood silent, before calling out, "I expected better of my star pupil. Fight with ALL your strength - you won't get to Yusuke with such cockiness. Now, fight me!!"
And, at that, Shinrai hurled a punch at Kazuma's stomach. He blocked it, but the ground burst upwards from the force of the blow. As the debris settled, Kazuma said, "Excellent! But I did expect more raw strength from you." Gripping Shinrai's fist so tightly as to draw blood from the boy's palm, the old master picked up Shinrai and slammed him into the ground HARD. As he withdrew his hand, he was greeted by an elbow strike to his back. He flipped to his feet, and saw a panting Tsuki pull Shinrai out of the ground.
"Oi, Shinrai!" he called out, "Is that all you got?! I had to save both our asses there, and this is your battle! Come to think of it.... why am I--!!!"
Kazuma kneed Tsuki in the chest, and sent him flying.
"Because it's good training, that's why," he snapped. And he extended one hand, forming another Reiken. But it twisted around, into a scythe-like shape.
"Reiken Nitoryu.... Reikou Ougama, or Aura Scythe. Let's begin."
In an instant, Kazuma had charged, and vanished. The wind whipped violently around, and Kazuma suddenly reappeared behind Tsuki.... and the boy burst out with hundreds of cuts in his skin. As he cried out, and collapsed, Shinrai stood frozen in awe at the skill displayed. Extending one hand, he shouted, "Reikou Shou-ryuu.... Reikou Tou - Aura Blade version 2." And an even longer red blade sprouted from his palm as he grasped onto it tightly. Both fighters vanished, and the wind went utterly still.
Sounds of light clashing could faintly be heard by the human ear for miles around, but most dismissed it as their imagination. In reality, both Kazuma and Shinrai were striking at each other with tremendous force, enough so that small cuts appeared in mountains hundreds of miles in every direction. After a few quick slashes, Kazuma dematerialized his Aura Scythe and punches Shinrai hard in the gut, causing him to disengage.
Shinrai panted and heaved greatly, and wiped the blood from his mouth.
.... I can only win as a demon, I know that. But....
".... I won't do it. I want to fight - and win - against you as a human."
Kazuma smiled softly, and motioned with his hand - "Come forward, then."
And Shinrai vanished completely, landing a swift kick to Kazuma's chest that sent the older man flying backwards. Kicking off the ground, the old master sprung forward, and slammed into Shinrai with a powerful punch, which the younger warrior blocked with both hands.
And then, he began to faintly glow.
"W-What?!"
Shinrai shoved off Kazuma, and cocked his fist back before shouting, "Reikou Kagami Ishiki!!!"
And his punch blasted into Kazuma like a bazooka, sending him crashing through Genkai's tombstone and miles away. Shinrai stared in horror, as he fell to his knees.
"Lady Genkai.... I...."
He suddenly felt a slight pressure on his cheek, almost like a powerful slap.
Dimwit.... Forget me. Give it all you've got!!!
"Lady Genkai.... I will!!!"
And so Shinrai darted off after Kazuma.
=== Tokyo, Japan ===
Kazuma blasted out from the rubble created by his entrance, and looked around to see a crowd of people staring at him. With a wave of his hand, just as Shinrai appeared, they all vanished in a large explosion.
"Kuwabara-sensei?! Wh.... Why?! Tell me!!!"
Leaping forward, Shinrai unleashed a brutal flurry of attacks from every angle, which Kazuma blocked - though with marked difficulty. Smashing into Shinrai with his elbow, Kazuma shouted, "Don't you question me boy! This is a succession test.... Life and death are in the hands of the participants. If you want to avenge them.... Kill me."
Shinrai's aura burst so high that the entire area was smashed into the ground. As he transformed into his demon form, he growled ferally.
"Let's rock...."