"The Hirata is a group of cowards who proclaim ideals they can't live up to," Kumugawa said. "Pride? There's none to have, Courage? Don't make me laugh, discipline? Discipline is faith and trust in education you already have, then setting up good repercussions for people who disregard them, not strenuous training to acquire power."
"Unlike the Saito, we Hirata have to labor for our strengths. God's finger doesn't touch us. You guys are pitiful." Shiki said.
Shiki and Kumugawa vanished from where they stood, leaving craters behind them.
They tracked each other down, gazing at each other and then closing in for an attack.
Shiki slid and got up with a flip to strike kumugawa head but missed.
Kumugawa seized onto his arm and twisted it, elbowing his hamstring.
Shiki fell to the floor in pain but recuperated quickly enough to gain balance.
Kumugawa stood still, not taking advantage of the opening.
"let's continue." kumugawa mocked.
Shiki gripped his fist in anger and got into his fighting stance again.
Kumugawa also put his left foot forward and put his fists up.
Shiki made the first strike going for a quick jab to his face.
Kumugawa turned his neck grabbed the arm and flipped Shiki over.
He lifted his leg to stomp on Shiki, but Shiki moved and flipped back over.
The Hirata and Saito soldiers stood next to each other, staring at the clash they could scarcely see.
Kumugawa's wife came out of the tent with her son. She held his hand as he walked with her. He had long white hair tied in a ponytail, and bangs almost covered half his face.
"What is going on." She said.
"My lady, you and Lord Zenkai should return before you get hurt." one of the Saito guards said.
"Where is my husband." She looked around and saw Shiki and Kumugawa going at it.
"Why are he and Shiki fighting." She asked.
"Shiki intends to destroy the Saito's today," they answered.
"This childish rivalry Kumugawa might not act like it, but he likes the competition the Hirata give." She stepped back inside with her son.
Shiki kneed Kumugawa in the nose and flipped him over. With his fist, he sat on top of him, prepping a blow.
One of the Saito Guards came and kicked Shiki off.
The Hirata soldiers all got out their weapons and started to fight each of the Saito.
Shiki got back up and scrubbed the dirt off himself.
"What happened to head vs. head?' Shiki questioned.
Kumugawa laughed.
"I didn't request their help. Such an ineffective attack couldn't hurt me, but they filled their role as Guards and moved with their mind, which is acceptable."
Shiki, aggravated, got back into his fighting stance. "Well, let's continue."
Kumugawa's body lit up, and his core began to change colors from white to grey.
Shiki smiled. "Guess you are starting to take it seriously."
Shiki's body lit up as well, and his core began to change colors from white to gold and duplicated, showing two cores in his soul.
Shiki started to duplicate himself.
Clown Core: Towering Giant.
All the clones turned into clowns and stacked up, making a giant.
Shiki closed his eyes and opened them, flying toward the giant, creating a giant sword for it to wield.
Kumugawa's eyes started to glisten, and he saw all the giant's attacks in slow motion.
He sidestepped all of it without batting an eye and flew up and punched through the giant, splitting the clowns and exploding them.
Shiki fell back to the floor and landed on his feet.
He was glancing toward the fighting soldiers and guards. The Hirata was doing well.
"I can't fail if they succeed; I'll be the one holding them back."
Kumugawa coursed toward Shiki, missing his attacks.
Shiki utilized his elbow to strike Kumugawa in the face and created a clone to do a kick to his ear, causing it to ring.
Blood dripped from Kumugawa's ear, and he grabbed it, smiling.
"Every time we battled, I failed because of your stupid ability," Shiki said.
"Did you think I came in today without a strategy?" he smiled. "for your foresight to work, you need all your senses. If one is off balance, your response gets delayed, or you tend to see false futures." He grinned. "Am I wrong?'"
Kumugawa forced a smile as he felt the blood leaking through his fingers.
"Why was this attack different? It caused more damage than everything else you've done, and it's taking me a while to heal." He asked.
"Well, the plan would be laughable if you just healed, right," Shiki said. "I trained a new ability, Jester's redemption. Funneling all my clone's core exuberance into the tip of his foot, causing internal damage to your body, crashing your therapeutic procedures. So let's say I struck you without striking you."
"I didn't know you were so smart, you asshole," Kumugawa remarked.
Shiki scurried toward Kumugawa.
Kumugawa saw Shiki in slow motion still, and he backed up.
The Shiki he saw faded away, and he looked behind him and saw Shiki punching him far away from the Saito campsite.
Kumugawa got back up and attempted to remain balanced.
He ran back toward Shiki, forcing him into the defense.
"if I can't see your attacks, for the time being, I'll just make sure you can't attack until I'm ready," he said.
Shiki tried to stop all his punches and kicks but couldn't find an outlet.
''Shit, if this continues, he'll recover before I can attack again," Shiki said, angered.
The Saito Guards overpowered the Hirata Soldiers and rushed to Kumugawa's aid.
One of them slammed Shiki from behind and made him fall over.
Another guard came from above, trying to damage the Shiki, who lay on the floor but missed leaving a mark where his foot landed.
Shiki flipped the guard over, banged his head into the ground, and then raised his body to toss it to another guard.
He constructed more clones for the guards and looked back toward Kumugawa, who was smiling.
Shiki examined the ear and saw that all the blood was gone.
"Shit, these idiots wasted my time," he said.
Kumugawa slowly walked toward Shiki.
''I commend your efforts, but it's over for you." Kumugawa raised his hand. "And this time, I'll make sure you never return."
Kumugawa punched Shiki in the chest, knocking the air out of him.
"I don't have no problem with the Hirata. All I seek right now is to raise my son well. Don't you have kids of your own? You doing this shows nothing other than it's destined for the Hirata to be below us." Kumugawa said.
Shiki slowly let the words out, "I .. won't..break..give me fate..to bend. The Hirata.. will never fall."
Anbu saw his defeated father and moved from his spot, but he wasn't fast enough.
"NO" he screamed.
The sky roared, and the ground began to shake.
A gold dragon appeared and rushed toward Kumugawa, and a floating sword with a dragon symbol came toward Anbu.
Kumugawa looked toward the dragon that steered toward him and backed up.
He rolled out of its attack.
Anbu grasped the sword, rushed toward Kumugawa, and hurled it, slashing Kumugawa's cheek.
Blood leaked from his cheek. He felt the blood and looked toward Anbu, who was still moving.
"Why didn't I see that attack coming?" he questioned.
Anbu looked toward Kumugawa.
"don't lay another finger on my father again."
Kumugawa glanced back toward Shiki and then back toward Anbu.
He laughed.
"So he does have a child, after all," he said. "Why doesn't he concentrate on that instead,"
Kumugawa sped toward Anbu with his hand out.
The dragon growled, and flame came out of his mouth, cutting off his attack.
Shiki looked at Anbu, then slowly closed his eyes, passing out.
Anbu's body lit up, and his core showed. He went from white to gold.
"Reality Reconstruct: Clown's mansion."
Kumugawa looked around and was surrounded by mirrors.
each mirror showing different forms of his death
Blood started to leak from his nose. He wiped it and looked at it.
"What is going on."
Anbu returned Kumugawa to the real world and struck him through the Saito campsite, knocking down many of the tents.
Anbu walked through and saw Kumugawa's wife covering her son and looking at him.
Anbu stared at the kid, then continued walking.
Kumugawa got back up.
Anbu's dragon let out another flame breath burning down half the campsite.
Kumugawa looked around and then back at Anbu.
"There's no way Shiki created you. Your mother must have had an affair." Kumugawa gagged.
Anbu overlooked his remarks and kept striding toward him, his sword soaring behind him.
"Is that a blade of History? I've never seen its irregular markings, though."
Anbu didn't respond and kept walking to Kumugawa.
"At least tell me your name," Kumugawa said.
Anbu stood in front of him and looked up into his eyes.
"Anbu the Saito killer."