The streets of Sendai roared to life as Furōkawa and Naoto squared off.
Furō, using his wings to propel himself forward with extreme speed, closed the gap between them before Naoto could react. With a powerful grip, he slammed Naoto into a nearby building, crashing through the walls like paper, then threw him into another tall structure.
The impact sent a shockwave through the street, and Furō hovered in place, waiting for a counterattack. Suddenly, a large, invisible blast of energy erupted from the hole Naoto had created, slamming into Furō. The force rattled him, inducing a wave of dizziness.
"This is AWFUL!" Furō groaned, shaking his head as he tried to regain his senses.
Before he could fully recover, Naoto emerged from the hole in the side of the building, leaping into the air with incredible speed. His figure descended like a meteor, a massive aerial spike aimed directly at Furō. Barely in time, Furō swung up Onamazu in its oar form, using the long handle to absorb some of the crushing attack.
Naoto landed with precision, his feet planting firmly on the ground. Without wasting a moment, he launched himself at Furō again, engaging in melee combat. Furō met him head-on, spinning Onamazu to deflect strikes while countering with calculated blows.
Furō's fighting style—a mix of taekwondo and bojutsu, honed by a year of martial art training with Maki Zenin, and defeating the nine Valkyries- gave him an edge. His strikes were fluid yet powerful, combining disciplined technique with creative movement. In contrast, Naoto's boxing style relied on sharp, compact punches, each carrying explosive force that made up for his shorter range.
The two traded blows, the sound of their strikes reverberating through the empty streets. Furō ducked under a hook, spun on his heel, and struck Naoto's side with Onamazu. The blow sent Naoto sliding back, blood dripping from a deep cut across his torso.
Naoto smirked through the pain. "My cursed technique... it amplifies soundwaves and blasts them out of my hands. I need to charge it for maximum output."
Furō frowned, his grip tightening on his
weapon. 'He's revealing his technique? Damn it…'
Naoto straightened his posture, brushing off the dust. "You're strong. What era are you from?"
Furō's eye twitched in irritation. "Why do my enemies always want to know my life story?"
Naoto sighed, frowning slightly. "It's a warrior's courtesy. Don't be crass."
'I'll catch a breath,' Furō thought. "I'm from the current era. You said this is your second lifetime when you so pitifully begged for it, right?" Furō taunted.
Naoto smirked, his bloodied teeth showing. "Sure is. I'm from the Edo period. Lots of crazies from that time."
"Why are you even back? You know Kenjaku doesn't have anything beneficial planned for you," Furō said, his eyes narrowing.
Naoto shrugged casually. "Truth is, I just wanted another lifetime of killing people."
Furōkawa's jaw tightened.
'He's the "crazies!" Are all past sorcerers serial killers?!'
"What's with the look?" Naoto asked, tilting his head mockingly. "You should honestly look into enjoying murder if you want to survive in this game.There's no place for softies like you."
He raised his palm toward Furōkawa, a glowing orange ring forming in the center. "Let me show you what I mean."
Naoto unleashed a massive soundwave from his palm, the sheer force blasting Furō through multiple blocks. He tumbled mid-air before finally stabilizing himself with his wings, his body aching from the attack.
'Woah!' Furō thought, flapping his wings to slow down. 'Revealing his technique added so much more force to that. I need to stay on my toes.'
He scanned the area, squinting to find Naoto's figure in the rubble. He spotted Naoto sprinting toward him at full speed.
Furō absorbed Onamazu into his ring and descended to the ground, bracing for impact. Just before Naoto's punch could land, Furō crossed his wings in front of him, letting the punch crash into their reinforced surface. The impact caused Naoto to recoil, shaking his hand in pain.
Taking the opening, Furōkawa unfolded his wings and grabbed Naoto's extended left arm with one hand and his neck with the other.
With a powerful flap of his wings, Furō took flight, slamming Naoto into a nearby car with enough force to flip it. Not stopping there, Furō crashed into a coffee shop, dragging Naoto through tables and furniture, using him like a giant broom. Finally, Furō hurled him out of the shop and into the street.
Furō exhaled, standing amidst the wreckage. "That should take care of him without killing him," he muttered to himself.
From across the street, Naoto slowly rose from the rubble, smirking despite his bloodied face. "You guys are totally useless, aren't you?"
Furō's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
His mind snapped to the three sorcerers he had defeated earlier. He turned around, only to find Tsuyoshi Ono, Rin Ayasaka, and Retsu Takakura standing nearby, their cursed energy flaring. Malicious smiles spread across their faces as they circled him with Naoto.
"Shit," Furō muttered under his breath, gripping Onamazu tightly. His wings twitched, ready for another round.
Naoto cracked his neck, his smirk widening. "Now the real fighting starts."