After an hour of much-needed rest, Ryoshi awoke with renewed energy, his determination burning brighter than ever.
"Two thousand and sixty-nine!" he exclaimed triumphantly, completing his final push-up.
With a graceful backflip, Ryoshi landed on his feet, his muscles pulsating with vitality.
"Push-ups are the best way to waste 10 minutes! That dude is still frozen?" Ryoshi mused, glancing over at the block of healing ice where Demonio lay encased.
With a decisive clap of his hands, Ryoshi melted the ice, freeing Demonio from his icy prison.
"Hopefully I didn't put him in a coma... well, I guess I'll just head on into this other room!" Ryoshi decided, his focus shifting to the challenge that lay ahead.
Punching down the door to the next room with a burst of energy, Ryoshi strode inside with confidence.
"RISE AND SHINE! I'm here to beat you!" he declared boldly.
Inside, he found a man with dirty blonde hair, clad in a grey tracksuit with red sneakers and a black belt. He sported a stubble beard.
"Hey! This is the room before Ketori's, my name is Iwi Holokiki!" the man introduced himself.
"What's your thing?" Ryoshi inquired, curious about his opponent's abilities.
"Spectate!" Iwi replied, a charged bone extending from his hand.
"Bones?" Ryoshi questioned, assessing his opponent's powers.
"Yeah! Just like Demonio, I can't use all of my abilities, or else you'd be killed in a few seconds, BUT! I can still go all out on offense," Iwi explained.
"Alright! Surikku No Ha!" Ryoshi called, summoning his weapon to his hand.
"Very well. Bone Armor!!!" Iwi declared.
Bones sprouted from all over Iwi's body, connecting to form a full suit of bone armor equipped with wrist blades and appendages, along with horizontal blades around his ankles.
"I have no spells other than this, bring it on!" Iwi challenged, ready for the battle ahead.
"This is gonna be easy!" Ryoshi boasted, lunging at Iwi with determination.
But his confidence was short-lived as Iwi effortlessly dodged Ryoshi's sword strike and retaliated with swift slashes across Ryoshi's chest and ankles, drawing blood.
Considering that I don't have a shirt, this is dangerous! Ryoshi realized, his focus sharpening as he braced himself for the fight.
With a swift maneuver, Ryoshi attempted to freeze one of Iwi's legs with his ice magic, but Iwi countered by breaking free and impaling Ryoshi's hand with a bone before delivering a powerful kick, sending Ryoshi crashing to the ground.
"Darn, you've outdone me this time," Ryoshi conceded with a rueful grin, his breath forming wisps of vapor in the frosty air.
Undeterred, Ryoshi rose to his feet, his presence commanding the attention of the vast room. "Skill 2: Abominable Snowman!" he declared, his voice resounding against the expansive walls as he summoned forth his formidable ally.
From the far reaches of the room emerged the towering figure of the Abominable Snowman, its colossal form dominating the space around it. "Slush!" it roared, unleashing a barrage of icy projectiles that shimmered in the dim light.
But Iwi was swift and agile, his movements like a dance across the expansive floor. With a graceful leap, he ascended into the air, spinning like a cyclone as he descended upon his target. In the vastness of the room, his acrobatics seemed almost otherworldly, a testament to his mastery of the art of combat.
Ryoshi's brow furrowed in confusion as he scanned the expansive room, searching for any sign of his elusive opponent. And then, with a suddenness that left him breathless, the truth became painfully clear.
"What in the..." Ryoshi began, his voice trailing off into stunned silence.
There, amidst the vast expanse of the room, knelt Iwi, his form bathed in the faint glow of victory. In a blur of motion, his blade sliced through the Abominable Snowman with a precision that bordered on the supernatural. Vertically bisected, the icy colossus crumbled into nothingness, its power extinguished by the swift stroke of Iwi's blade.
But the true devastation came moments later, as Ryoshi staggered, a crimson gash searing across his chest. With a strangled cry, he fell to his knees, the vast room seeming to close in around him as he crumpled to the floor. Blood pooled beneath him, staining the expansive floor crimson, his sword lying discarded at his side, a silent witness to his defeat.
"We won't let you just beat us all in one go! You need trial and error to grow. But I guess I have to heal you up now," Iwi spoke with a hint of resignation, his voice echoing in the vastness of the room.
But Ryoshi's response was swift and defiant. Rising to his feet, he reached out to touch the scars that marred his flesh, a testament to battles past. "Trial and error? I can do that without losing!!!" he declared, his determination blazing like a beacon in the icy gloom.
With a fluid motion, Ryoshi retrieved his sword and assumed his fighting stance, his muscles coiled with anticipation. "Ice Mana BURST!!!" he shouted, his voice resonating with power as his hair bristled with frost, the very air around him crackling with energy.
"Impressive. You're still moving!!!" Iwi acknowledged, a note of respect coloring his tone as he braced himself for the onslaught to come.
"Time for a real... FIGHT!!!" Ryoshi roared, his aura expanding with every word, a tangible manifestation of his resolve. With a thunderous cry, he launched himself at Iwi, the two adversaries locked in a deadly dance of blades and blood.
As their swords clashed and sparks flew, Ryoshi unleashed his icy magic with precision. "ICE MAGIC: ICE SWORD!" he cried, blocking Iwi's relentless assaults with practiced skill before driving his blade deep into his opponent's chest. But Iwi was not so easily defeated, his resolve unyielding as he pushed Ryoshi away, his own blade whirling like a cyclone of death.
In a blur of motion, Iwi spun with lethal grace, his blade carving a path of destruction through Ryoshi's defenses. With a savage kick, he sent Ryoshi hurtling into the unforgiving wall, the impact reverberating through the room like thunder. Bones erupted from Iwi's body, piercing Ryoshi's flesh with agonizing force.
Ryoshi's mind raced with incredulity as he surveyed the array of bones protruding from his body. Does this guy just have extra bones or something? he mused, his thoughts drowned out by the throbbing pain that coursed through his veins.
Summoning every ounce of his willpower, Ryoshi focused his energy, channeling it into a burst of icy magic. With a resounding crack, the bones embedded in his flesh froze solid, their brittle forms succumbing to the force of his will before shattering into a thousand icy shards.
"You had me there! Consider yourself lucky!" Iwi remarked, his voice tinged with admiration as he braced himself for the next onslaught.
But Ryoshi was not one to rest on his laurels. With a swift motion, he unleashed his next attack. "Surriku No Ha!" he exclaimed, his voice reverberating with power as he summoned his sword from within Iwi's wounded form, the blade materializing in his grasp with deadly precision.
Lunging forward with unbridled determination, Ryoshi caught Iwi off guard with a daring maneuver. As Iwi crossed his arms to block, Ryoshi vaulted over him with breathtaking agility, dodging his retaliatory strike with ease.
But Ryoshi was not finished yet. Somersaulting through the air, he descended upon his adversary with lethal intent. "Ice Magic: Ice Spears!" he cried, conjuring a barrage of frozen projectiles that descended upon Iwi like a hailstorm.
In a swift display of skill, Iwi deftly removed Ryoshi's sword from his shoulder, his movements fluid and precise. With a graceful flourish, he front-flipped through the air, slashing Ryoshi across the chest with his own blade before sweeping his legs out from under him, intent on driving him into the ground.
But Ryoshi was not so easily subdued. With a defiant cry, he summoned his sword once more, his blade piercing through Iwi's defenses with unerring accuracy. Hanging on to the hilt for dear life, Ryoshi halted his descent, his grip firm as he stared into the eyes of his wounded opponent.
"How many stabs will it take to put you down!?" Ryoshi demanded, his voice laced with frustration as he confronted his relentless adversary.
"I was about to ask you the same thing!" Iwi retorted with a defiant smirk, his resilience matching Ryoshi's determination with unwavering resolve.
Undeterred, Ryoshi rose to his feet, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword as he prepared to deliver the final blow. With a swift motion, he withdrew his blade from Iwi's form, causing his opponent to collapse to the ground in a heap.
"Haha, you learn quick!" Iwi chuckled, his tone tinged with admiration as he acknowledged Ryoshi's tenacity.
"Not the first time I heard that..." Ryoshi quipped, a wry smile gracing his lips as he exchanged banter with his opponent amidst the chaos of battle.
As Iwi extended the bones on his back, forming deadly spikes, Ryoshi leaped away with lightning speed, narrowly avoiding the lethal protrusions. "Trial and error, right!?" Iwi taunted, his voice echoing in the cavernous room.
"Heh, I can tell from the way you're talking and moving that the next time I penetrate that armor of yours, you'll be out COLD!" Ryoshi retorted, his confidence unwavering despite the odds stacked against him.
"And I can tell from your physical appearance and your body language that the next time I slash you, you'll be unconscious," Iwi countered, his gaze locked with Ryoshi's in a silent challenge.
"So it's about time we end this! One attack decides it all, what do you say!" Ryoshi proposed, his voice ringing with determination.
"No harm in doing this because if you lose because of this, it will contribute to your—"
"TRIAL AND ERROR!!!" they both exclaimed in unison, their voices melding into a single declaration of resolve.
"Ice Magic: Ice Tip!!!" Ryoshi cried out, launching himself into the air with unparalleled speed. In response, Iwi extended the blades on both of his wrists, leaping towards Ryoshi with lethal intent. But in a clash of steel and ice, they met in mid-air, their blades crossing with a resounding clash before landing back on the ground.
How... Iwi began, his thoughts interrupted by the sudden realization of his predicament.
With icy spears piercing his torso, Iwi could only wonder in astonishment. How so fast? he pondered, the answer eluding him amidst the whirlwind of battle.
F L A S H B A C K
In a moment of gravity-defying agility, Ryoshi flipped over Iwi with the grace of a seasoned acrobat, his mastery over matter magic allowing him to navigate the air with ease. With a swift gesture, he directed all five spears to converge on Iwi, their deadly points finding their mark with unerring accuracy.
The force of the impact sent Iwi reeling, his bone armor retracting beneath his skin as his eyes rolled back in unconsciousness. Blood trickled from his lips as he plummeted to the ground, the battle taking its toll on his battered form.
"Good fight!" Ryoshi called out with genuine admiration, offering Iwi a thumbs-up and a broad smile, though the realization dawned on him that his fallen opponent could not hear his words.
"Wait, he can't hear me. WAIT, I SHOULD SAVE HIM!!!" Ryoshi exclaimed, a surge of guilt and responsibility flooding his senses.
With a determined resolve, Ryoshi melted the ice spears encasing Iwi and encased him in a block of healing ice, ensuring his survival before turning his attention to his own wounds.
"I'm already at the final room, huh? Hah, what a trip! But I gotta heal for now, so..." Ryoshi trailed off, creating a protective bubble of healing ice magic around himself as exhaustion finally caught up to him.
"Wouldn't be too bad if I dozed off..." he murmured as he succumbed to the comforting embrace of sleep.
MEANWHILE, WITH KETORI
Seated before an orb that displayed the events unfolding in the room where Ryoshi battled, Ketori's expression twisted with a mixture of disbelief and frustration.
"No way he won that!" Ketori exclaimed, his disbelief palpable.
Beth, standing beside him, could only nod in silent agreement.
"He's humiliating us! Even though I'm sure the final encounter will humble him, all he's done is prove that he could kill us all if he wanted! Though if Iwi and Demonio actually tried, they would take him down!" Ketori lamented, his frustration boiling over.
"Is him being strong not what you wanted?" Genrugi interjected, his voice calm and measured.
"I want him to be pushed to the brink of only being able to use blood ice magic. This entire experience was meant to give him mastery over his blood ice magic! If nobody can push him into doing it, I guess I'll be the one to do that. Time for me to get ready," Ketori resolved, his gaze hardening with determination as he prepared for the final confrontation.