Rengoku POV

"Oh so maybe you'll give me a fight," UPM3 said.

"Before we begin may I know your name," I asked him giving him the respect of a warrior.

"Akaza," the man said.

"Kyojuro Rengoku," I said before getting into a ready position.

Akaza then shot off at lightning speed toward me. I activated my skill blitz (yes his skill was mentioned all the way back in chapter 2)

Thanks to my skill and my level two stats I was able to barely keep up with Akaza. He threw a first which I dodged and activated my first form of flame breathing. He parried it with his fist and sent another punch to my head. I was barely able to move my head out of the way his fist clipping it causing it to bleed.

"You're faster than I gave you credit for" Akaza teased.

"So am I to assume you're playing with me right now," I asked.

"Someone's perceptive"

We then charged again and I was able to slash his chest but barely as he moved out of the way of the slash. I saw his fist come at my eye again and wasn't able to dodge this time taking the blow directly to my eye forcing it to shut.

"That's a pretty bad injury Rengoku if you were a demon that wouldn't even be a problem," Akaza said.

I said nothing and charged at him again cutting his arm in half before maneuvering my blade across his chest as well. But like before they healed with no problem.

"See how good it is being a demon that was a pretty good blow and yet it was healed in an instant"

"I will never become a demon" I replied.

"Pity," Akaza said before taking an odd stance. I then heard him say something about a blood demon art. Thinking quickly I was able to parry his blow which seemed to be condensed wind. He sent a flurry of them of which I was able to parry all.

He then ran at me again and our fight went back to him throwing punches and me parrying them with my sword.

"I can't win," I thought to myself. "He's just toying with me treating me like I'm just some bug"

I cut his arm in half again before he jumped back and activated his blood demon art again. I was able to block all of the attacks again but this time Akaza used them as a distraction and grabbed me by the neck. He then threw me and I landed on the ground hard bouncing a few times before rolling to a halt. Akaza wasn't far behind as he landed right in front of me.

"Rengoku" I heard Bell's confused voice ask.

I turned to the face boy who I could tell had a concussion. "BELL RUN" I shouted to the boy.

I was too late however as Akaza had appeared right in front of Bell. Bell thinking quickly activated his shield and stopped Akaza's attack but was sent flying into the wall of the keep.

"Who's the brat Rengoku your kid" Akaza joked while turning to face me.

Feeling a wave of anger I never felt before I charged at Akaza aiming for his head. I barely was able to get even a tiny cut on his neck as Akaza had seen this coming.

"Oh so the kid is important to you," he said side-stepping my slashes like they were nothing.

He then seemingly had enough of dodging and swung a fist at my ribs. This one I was able to dodge and I could feel at least three of them break under the force. I swung my sword at him to which he dodged before I fell you my knees holding my right side.

"Oh come one Rengoku they're just a few broken ribs you'd be able to regenerate from the if you become a demon," Akaza said once more offering to make me a demon.

All of a sudden Akaza turned on his heel and punched Bell who was aiming for his head with his blades of chaos directly in the face sending him bouncing off a wall directly next to me.

"BELL" I yelled running next to him.

"Oh come on leave the weakling and keep fighting me," Akaza said sounding like a whining child.

I ignored him and was at Bell's side. His face didn't look good as a big bruise well starting to swell on his left cheek but he was awake.

"Sorry I missed" Bell mumbled.

"Don't worry about that Bell you're gonna be ok just stay here rest I'll take care of him?" I said standing and facing Akaza.

Bell POV

I lay there my face feeling like someone had hit a bat across my head. I watched as Rengoku stood up and faces UPM3

"Come on Rengoku look at yourself. Your left eye is swelled shut you have about three broken ribs with one of them most likely piercing your lung. But you wouldn't have to deal with any of that if you became a demon. As you can see all those blows you did to me are already healed and gone yet yours still remain" UPM3 ranted.

"Bell" Rengoku said to me looking at me with a sad smile. "I'm sorry," he said and I thought I saw a tear roll down his cheek.

Sorry? Sorry for what you did nothing wrong.

"Set your heart ablaze. Push past your limits. I am the flame hashira Kyojuro Rengoku 9th form Rengoku" Rengoku said before shooting off at alarming speeds.

The image of a dragon made of pure fire consumed UPM3 and Rengoku which then turned into a tornado of fire covering the two of them.

An explosion then rang out as smoke and dust covered the area. Not being able to see much on my back I propped myself up to be sitting and once the dust cleared my eyes widened in horror.

Because right in front of me was Rengoku sword in the demon's neck but also with the demon's fist going right through his stomach.

And I'm gonna end it here still in the hospital but doing much better and if everything goes well should be going home by Friday. But I also wanted you to get an update on the story as well and it makes me happy knowing I have people who like my stories worried about my health it really touched me and I'm glad I'm able to write a story you'll enjoy.