Gabimaru straightened his posture, rolling his shoulders once as if loosening invisible restraints. The training hall had gone quiet—too quiet. Even the air felt heavier, as though it were holding its breath.
"So," Gabimaru said calmly, eyes fixed on Raizen, "since you understand now…"
Raizen met his gaze, silver crystals faintly shimmering in his pupils.
"I guess I'm not going easy on you anymore."
Raizen didn't answer out loud.
Inside his mind, thoughts moved faster than speech.
So these are the Ryōgetsu…
I can activate and deactivate them at will now.
I don't need to focus—I just know.
He exhaled slowly.
It enhances my reaction speed because even when I'm not looking, I already know what's about to happen.
But the real question is…
His fingers twitched.
How far can I see into the future?
Five seconds? More? Less?
And can these eyes do more than just predict?
Across from him, Gabimaru's thoughts were just as sharp.
If Ryōgetsu predicts energy flow, he reasoned, then overwhelming it won't work.
But if I suppress the amount of energy in a clone…
His eyes narrowed.
Will he see air instead of intent?
A faint smirk tugged at Gabimaru's lips.
Guess we'll find out.
Without warning, Gabimaru moved.
He launched forward in a blur, his body snapping upward into a perfectly timed jumping kick. The impact should have landed squarely on Raizen's jaw—
—but Raizen was already gone.
Gabimaru's foot cut through empty space.
Raizen reappeared a step to the side, calm, composed.
Aoi, watching from the edge of the hall, leaned forward slightly, her eyes tracking every movement.
"He's…" she murmured under her breath, "…cute. And cool."
Her lips curved faintly.
But I won't let him surpass me in speed. Never.
Gabimaru didn't slow down.
He reached into his sleeve and flicked his wrist.
Steel flashed.
Kunai sliced through the air, their sharp edges screaming as they rotated. Each throw was precise—measured, elegant, deadly. They weren't aimed randomly; they formed a shifting lattice of death.
Raizen's pupils brightened.
Time slowed.
Left.
Right.
Up.
Down.
To the gut.
His body moved before thought could finish forming. He twisted, ducked, slid, each motion perfectly synchronized with the future unfolding in his vision.
Five seconds, he realized.
That's it.
Sweat trickled down his spine.
So far… five seconds is what I can do.
Gabimaru landed lightly, already forming seals with one hand.
"Kyōketsu Shōnge."
The floor shuddered.
Forty clones erupted outward in an instant, surrounding Raizen from every direction.
Lu scoffed loudly. "This guy is a complete dumbass. Does he seriously think that move will work on Raizen now?"
Before anyone else could react—
BOOM.
Raizen was hit.
Not grazed. Not clipped.
Hit.
A massive force slammed into his lower back, launching him across the training hall. His body smashed into a pillar, stone cracking under the impact. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he hit the ground hard.
The sound echoed.
Aoi froze.
Lu's smirk vanished instantly.
Senji snapped, "Shut your trap, woman. You're bringing your curses to poor Raizen."
Raizen groaned, forcing himself onto one knee.
"What the hell…" he muttered, coughing blood onto the floor. "…How did he hit me?"
His eyes burned.
I read everything.
I saw every clone.
So why—?
Senji adjusted his glasses slightly, eyes sharp with fascination.
Interesting, he thought. I didn't expect him to be this smart.
His mind raced.
He reduced the amount of energy in one clone.
So Ryōgetsu wouldn't register intent.
To Raizen… it looked like empty space.
Before anyone could say another word—
Raizen vanished.
No sound. No warning.
He reappeared directly behind Gabimaru.
The air exploded.
Raizen's fist buried itself into Gabimaru's stomach with brutal force.
CRACK.
Gabimaru's eyes went wide as the air was violently forced from his lungs. His body folded forward, knees buckling as he collapsed to the floor.
Shock rippled through the hall.
Senji's jaw dropped.
Aoi stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat.
Lu didn't even blink—she simply couldn't process what she had just seen.
Raizen stood over Gabimaru, breathing heavily.
"Heh," he said, forcing a grin. "Hey, Gabinettsu."
Gabimaru groaned, unmoving.
"It looks like I win."
Silence.
"How—" Senji whispered, disbelief flooding his voice.
Aoi still hadn't moved.
Lu's hands trembled at her sides.
Raizen turned casually, as if nothing had happened, and looked at Aoi.
"Let's go to the cinema."
And then—
Blood poured from his eyes.
Not tears.
Blood.
Thick, dark streams spilled down his cheeks, dripping onto the floor in heavy splatters. His silver pupils shattered into fractured light before dimming entirely.
Raizen didn't scream.
He didn't even gasp.
His body simply went limp.
He collapsed.
Lu staggered back, one hand flying to her mouth as she started retching violently.
"Oh—oh shit—" she choked, vomiting onto the floor. "I've never… I've never seen gore like that in my life…"
Senji stood frozen, horror etched across his face.
His genius mind had no calculation for this.
Aoi's world shattered.
Memories flooded her vision—blood, screams, the Priest King, her mother's lifeless eyes.
Her legs gave out as she stumbled forward.
"Raizen—!"
Her voice broke.
She screamed his name as the hall echoed with it.
End.