"T-This cannot be..." Genichiro coughed out, his body visibly shaking as if gravity told him to stay down. Genichiro slowly got up to his feet, his pride hurt by the fact that he had been defeated by someone not of any royal bloodline. Genichiro gritted his teeth, his body trembling with a mix of rage and frustration. His once immaculate robes were now stained with sweat and blood, the metallic clang of his sword echoing through the vast chamber.
"I'll say it again, you sure you want to continue? I'd feel bad If I embarrassed you in front of your friends, even more~" Akane stated in a cutesy manner, obviously trying to get under Genichiro's skin.
"You got lucky," he snarled at Akane, his eyes burning with fury. "I won't let it happen again."
Akane tilted her head, a sly grin playing on her lips as she responded to Genichiro's words. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I make you look bad in front of your fellow Royals?" she said, her voice dripping with faux sympathy. "Well, maybe next time you'll be able to keep up with me. But I wouldn't hold my breath," she added with a giggle, before twirling on her heel and walking towards Lars, leaving Genichiro on the floor, seething with anger.
As he lay there, staring at Akane with venom in his eyes, he could feel his hands trembling with the effort of holding onto his sword. His body was battered and bruised, his muscles aching with the effort of fighting against an opponent that was far more skilled and overwhelmingly powerful than he had anticipated.
He felt a trickle of blood running down his forehead, the metallic taste filling his mouth. But he refused to give in, refused to accept defeat at the hands of someone he considered to be beneath him.
Trying to get up, he clenched his fists, trying to hide his frustration and anger as his blood and sweat spilt onto the marble floor. He could feel the eyes of the other royals upon him, their judgment weighing heavily on his shoulders. He knew that they were watching him closely, judging his every move and assessing his worth as a member of their elite society, perhaps going as far as to believe he was a false Royal, a man with royal blood who didn't fit his birthright.
But he refused to back down, refused to let Akane win. He had been trained to be a warrior and had been groomed since birth to be the best of the best. And yet, as he stared at his opponent, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt creeping into his mind.
Was he really good enough to defeat her? He had always been naturally gifted, his Royal bloodline giving him a powerful Catalyst, money, and abilities that others could only dream of. He had never needed to train much or put in much hard work to excel in his martial skills.
But now, as he faced an opponent who matched him blow for blow, he couldn't help but doubt himself. Had he been relying too much on his natural talent, without putting in the effort to truly master his skills? Was he really the warrior that he had been groomed to be, or was he just a spoiled Royal who had been handed everything on a silver platter?
His mind spiralled into doubt and worry, horrifying him at the realization that he may be...weak.
"Genichiro!" A voice screamed out, cutting through the thoughts that plagued Genichiro's mind. He turned to see Shu Xiangli angrily looking at him with a sort of crazed desperation in his eyes. "You were born with a gift, the gift of power. And yet, here you are, letting this girl get the best of you? That's not like you, man."
Shu's words cut through the air like a knife, his voice ringing with desperation and frustration. He had looked up to Genichiro for so long, and had seen him as the embodiment of everything that a Royal should be. And now, to see him faltering like this, to see him struggling with this girl who has just been spitting all over the Royals... it was almost too much for him to bear.
Genichiro gritted his teeth, but he couldn't deny the truth in Shu's words. He had been raised to be a warrior, to be the very best that he could be. And yet, here he was, struggling to hold his own against an opponent who was supposed to be weaker than him.
With a sense of shame and resolution burning in his chest, Genichiro took a deep breath, stood up, and squared his shoulders. He wasn't going to let his doubts hold him back any longer. He was a Royal, damn it, and he was going to fight like one.
"Hey, peasant!" Genichiro called out, his voice echoing through the empty Rotunda. He could see her silhouette in the distance, walking away from him with a sense of cool indifference. He gritted his teeth, feeling a surge of frustration and anger rise within him.
Akane turned, halfway facing Genichiro with a look of minimal interest. Her piercing red eyes looked down into his soul, speaking softly. "You still want to fight? Seriously?"
Genichiro felt a twinge of annoyance at the condescending tone in Akane's voice. He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of determination welling up within him. "You'll see, Akane," he said, his voice low and intense. "You'll see what I'm capable of. And when I'm done with you, you'll be begging for mercy."
Akane sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. "You just don't know when to quit, do you?" she said, her voice laced with a hint of exasperation. "Very well then, let's finish this."
As Genichiro charged at her again, his Muramasa crackling with lightning, Akane analyzed his movements with a discerning eye. She watched as he stepped forward with his left foot, pivoting his hips as he raised his sword high above his head.
She saw his eyes glint with malice as he brought the sword down in a diagonal arc, his movements swift and precise. The air hummed with electricity as the sword sliced through the air, creating a gust of wind that pushed against her skin.
Akane reacted with alacrity, her body twisting and turning as she avoided the blade with the fluidity of a seasoned martial artist. She felt the wind of the sword passing by her face, the tang of ozone and steel filling her nostrils.
Genichiro was formidable, but she was more so. She felt a surge of energy course through her body as she focused on the fight, her senses sharpened and her mind clear.
As she dodged the sword, she decided to use her powers to displace herself, creating a phantasmagoric image of herself to disorient Genichiro. She watched as he swung his sword again, his eyes filled with wrath.
But as the sword passed through the ethereal image, Akane seized the opportunity and countered with a powerful spinning kick, aimed directly at his sternum. The force of the blow caused Genichiro to hurtle backwards, crashing against the wall with a resounding thud.
Akane watched as he groaned in pain, his body crumpling against the wall. She could feel the vibrations of the floor under her feet, the dust and debris swirling around her in the aftermath of the strike.
Genichiro was determined to continue the fight, his face twisted with fury as he charged at Akane again, his sword raised high. This time, he got into a low position, lightning gathering around his legs.
"Reveri..." He began the electrons surrounding him gathered and shot into his thighs, causing them to glow lightly. His feral eyes began to glow until he was ready to take off. "LAUNCH!" He screamed out, his legs blasting off as he launched himself at Akane at speeds surpassing the return stroke of a lightning bolt.
As Genichiro propelled himself towards Akane, the air around him crackled and sparked with electricity. The marble floor beneath him cracked and shattered from the force of his launch. He was a blur of motion, a streak of lightning that seemed to bend the very fabric of reality itself.
In his hand, his sword crackled with purple energy as he swung it with all his might, intent on slicing Akane in half. His eyes burned with a fierce determination, his fangs bared in a savage snarl. He was like a wild beast, unleashed and hungry for blood.
She watched as he closed in on her with startling celerity, his sword crackling with electrical power. But she was ready for him.
As he came within range, Akane's eyes blazed with willpower, as her Mahogany aura swirled around her body and accelerated her movements. She bent her knees, shifting her weight and creating a pivot point. Then, she spun on the ball of her foot, her body whirling like a top.
Genichiro's sword swung towards her, but it missed her by a hair's breadth as she dodged his attack with a flicker of movement. He tried to adjust his course, but Akane was already a step ahead of him.
With another flick of her wrist, she spun on her heel once more, her footwork fluid and graceful. As she pivoted, she brought her other arm around, her hand glowing with pulsating energy.
She struck Genichiro with a powerful blast of pure temporal energy, slamming into his chest like a freight train. The impact sent him careening backwards, his sword flying from his grip as he hit the ground hard.
As Genichiro hit the ground hard, he struggled to get back up, still reeling from the impact of Akane's blast. But he knew he couldn't afford to stay down for long. He bounced back up, blasting himself at her once again.