Nobu vanishes from sight, leaving Yagami's heart pounding in his chest. He knows he has to act quickly to ensure the safety of his friends, especially Ash, who's still sleeping soundly in his room. Yagami bolts towards Ash's room, his heart racing with worry and fear.
When he arrives, he finds Ash still asleep, blissfully unaware of the danger lurking just moments before. Yagami breathes a sigh of relief, "Demons can actually sleep whenever they want! Truly amazing!" Says Yagami, grateful that his friend is safe from Yamato's ambush. He knows that he can't let his guard down, though, so he casts a protective spell.
"Light Magic: Light Sphere," he whispers, as a golden sphere forms around Ash's body, following Yagami as he picks up his friend and begins to make his way out of the arena.
"Let's get you to a safer place for now," Yagami says, his voice a mix of relief and determination.
As he exits the arena, he spots one of their masters, Kaeya, in the distance. Yagami waves frantically, calling out to him, and Kaeya quickly closes the distance, concern etched on his face.
"Yagami! Where are the others?" Kaeya asks, his voice laced with concern as his eye scans the area for any sign of their friends.
"They're not here," Yagami replies, his voice tense. "Well, Yamato took Reina with him. So the others are going after him to rescue Reina! I hope they make it back safely, to be honest."
Kaeya's face darkens with worry as he processes Yagami's words. "Did Nobu go with them as well?" He asks.
"Y-yeah," replies Yagami, still trying to wrap his head around the situation. "Just a while ago, but he'll catch up..."
Kaeya's expression darkens further as he reveals their enemies' plan. "Their plan is actually to kill Nobu. And they're using Reina as a decoy while sucking his magical energy!"
"What... What are you talking about?" Yagami whispers, his voice barely audible as he struggles to comprehend the gravity of the situation.
"You heard me right," Kaeya confirms with a nod. "Warhammer is trying to hit two birds with one stone by executing this mission."
Yagami's heart sinks as he realizes the true nature of their mission. "It's because Nobu poses the highest threat against Warhammer," Kaeya continues, putting a hand over his forehead. "While Reina is needed so he could regain his full power... Things are getting so out of hand..."
Kaeya's tired eye gazes at Yagami as he rubs it wearily. The young boy's curiosity is piqued, and he can't help but ask, "Master Kaeya, something's bugging me though. How did you know that they are after Nobu?"
Kaeya's response is solemn, "As I said earlier, it's because Nobu poses the highest threat against Warhammer."
But Yagami furrows his brow, still not quite understanding. "But how does Nobu pose a threat?"
"It's because Nobu has powers," Kaeya replies, his voice heavy with sadness. "Powers that are both a blessing and a curse."
"Eh?" Yagami stammers, his eyes wide with shock. "What do you mean?"
Kaeya lets out a heavy sigh, his hand still rubbing his tired eye. "Nobu's power is a curse, Yagami. And whenever we'll face danger, he'll end up bringing misfortune to himself and those around him."
Yagami's mind's reeling, struggling to comprehend the gravity of what Kaeya was saying. "I don't understand," he whispers, "Is Nobu going to be okay?"
"I know that I'm leaking too much information right now," Kaeya continues, his grip on Yagami's shoulder tightening. "So I'll be asking you to keep it from the others. But when the time comes, and you know the full truth, you'll realize that Nobu's existence is meant for a mission. And then, he'll die right away. However, if that mission isn't fulfilled and Nobu stays alive more than what he had to, I'm afraid total chaos will keep haunting our world."
"All I can say is that Nobu's sole existence is a curse, for him or those around him. It's a curse, Yagami!"
Meanwhile, Katsu's doing his best to hold Henry back, his muscles straining with effort as he grapples with the powerful foe. The rest of his team is making progress in rescuing Reina, but Katsu knows that he needs to keep Henry at bay if they want to succeed.
"You..." Henry mutters, his eyes blazing with fury as he struggles against Katsu's hold. "You're pissing me off!"
Suddenly, a surge of power emanates from Henry's fists, and with a resounding crack, he slams both hands onto the earth beneath him. "Earth Magic: Dirt Flip!" he bellows, his voice resonating with ominous energy.
As if in response to his call, the very ground beneath Katsu begins to convulse and contort, rippling like the waves of a turbulent sea. Katsu's grip on his bow falters as he struggles to maintain his balance, but it's a futile effort against the raw might of Henry's magic.
With a triumphant bellow, Henry launches a portion of the enchanted earth, flipping it upward with a violent flourish. Katsu hurtles skyward, lifted by the power of his wind magic, but Henry seizes the opportunity before he can regain his bearings. He raises a colossal slab of the earth, hurling it with all his might toward Katsu.
With a focused intensity, Katsu raises his bow towards the looming pillar of stone. His eyes glint with fierce determination as he draws back the bowstring, the muscles in his arms and back tensing with the effort.
"Wind Magic: Sonic Boom," he intones, his voice ringing out with commanding power. As he speaks, a brilliant arrow of green light coalesces between his hand and the bow, shimmering with potent energy.
In one fluid motion, Katsu releases the bowstring, sending the arrow hurtling toward the towering stone with a resounding crack. As it strikes the rock, a deafening boom echoes through the air, and a shockwave of wind explodes outward in all directions.
As the dust begins to settle from the aftermath of his previous attack, Katsu senses his opportunity. With a swift movement, he soars upwards, his form blurring as he ascends toward the sky.
Henry is momentarily blinded, his vision obscured by the dust and debris that still lingers in the air. He can hear the rush of wind around him, but he can't discern its source.
Suddenly, he feels a presence above him, and he instinctively knows that he's in danger. He turns to face his opponent, but it's too late. Katsu has already drawn his bow, and an arrow of pure wind magic is taking shape.
"Wind Magic: Showering Wind!" Katsu calls out, his voice ringing out like a clarion call. And with those words, dozens of wind arrows pour forth from the arrowhead, cascading down like a waterfall toward Henry below.
Henry's voice booms across the battlefield, a note of contempt seeping into his words. "Such futile skills won't work on me!" he yells, his fists clenched tight as he raises a protective barrier of the earth around his arms. With blinding speed, he leaps towards Katsu, his form a blur as he streaks through the air like a missile.
Katsu's eyes widen in surprise as Henry closes the gap between them with lightning-fast speed. "So fast..." he thinks to himself, his mind racing as he tries to come up with a plan. But before he can react, Henry is upon him, his hands raised and ready to strike. With a savage cry, Henry slams Katsu down to the ground with bone-shattering force. Rocks and debris explode around them as Katsu's body impacts the earth, his ribs breaking with a sickening crunch.
"Now, Stone Fist!" Henry recalls, his voice ringing out across the battlefield. With a fierce determination burning in his eyes, he charges towards Katsu, his right arm slowly becoming encased in enchanted rocks.
But Katsu is ready for him. With lightning-fast reflexes, he generates wind elements, raising his right arm towards Henry as he lies on the ground. By controlling the wind, he's able to change the direction of Henry's attack, barely escaping the devastating blow.
As Henry crashes to the ground, Katsu leaps to his feet, snatching his bow up from the ground with a fluid motion. Seeing Henry slowly rising to his feet, Katsu grits his teeth in determination.
The tension between them is palpable as they face off, each one trying to anticipate the other's next move. And then, suddenly, Henry's grin spreads across his face once more, and he dashes toward Katsu with merciless intent.
Katsu leaps backward, raising his bow in defense. But just as he thinks he's out of danger, he realizes he's fallen into a trap. "Earth Magic: Quicksand," Henry chants, his left foot crushing the ground and lightly cracking it.
In an instant, the ground beneath Katsu's feet shifts and changes form, turning into a patch of quicksand that traps him in place. Try as he might, Katsu can't move, the quicksand holding him tight and immobilizing him.
With Katsu trapped in the quicksand, Henry closes in on him, a triumphant grin on his face. He jumps toward Katsu, his right fist poised to strike. "You can't run away now," Henry taunts as he lands a powerful blow on Katsu, his fist connecting with the boy's body and sending him flying even further away.
The force of the blow is too much for Katsu to handle, and he is sent hurtling through the air before finally crashing to the ground despite being first stuck in the quicksand. He struggles to get up, pain shooting through his body as he tries to regain his footing.
Henry looks down at his right fist, surprise and confusion etched on his face as he sees blood pouring from it. But even as he examines his wound, he doesn't seem all that surprised.
"So it wasn't just some random feeling that I just got," he mutters, raising his head to look at Katsu. The beaten boy struggles to stand up, his body battered and bruised from the brutal fight.
Henry's gaze flickers over Katsu's form, his eyes narrowing as he takes in the boy's battered state. And then, suddenly, realization dawns on his face. "Before I punched you," he says slowly, "you generated some tiny wind slashes and aimed them at my fist."
Henry's tone is incredulous as if he can't quite believe what he's saying. But even as he speaks, he knows it's true. Katsu's wind magic had been powerful enough to deflect his attack, even if only by a fraction.
Henry watches in awe as Katsu gets back on his feet. "Knowing that you couldn't escape, you attacked instead of dodging," Henry remarks, impressed with Katsu's quick thinking. "But still, you're just an average Joe compared to your comrades."
His taunting words ring in Katsu's ears, but our boy refuses to let them get to him. As Henry leaps toward him, Katsu deftly dodges as much of his punches as possible, moving with fluid grace to evade each strike.
"You're an average Joe!" Henry exclaims, a smug grin on his face. "Even with your powerful magic, you can't stand a chance against my common Earth Magic."
With a swift motion, Henry slams his fist into the ground, causing a spike of earth to shoot toward Katsu. But Katsu was ready for the attack, having anticipated Henry's move. He deftly avoids the spike, soaring into the sky as he keeps his eyes trained on his opponent.
Despite his calm exterior, Katsu feels a flicker of anxiety in his chest as he looks at Henry's irritating smile. He knows he can't let his guard down for even a second in this fight.
As Katsu finally speaks up, his voice trembles with uncertainty, yet there's an undeniable conviction in his words. He clutches his fists tightly, his body still suspended in mid-air, as he speaks of his perceived inadequacy.
"I am aware that I'm just an average Joe," he begins, his words laced with a tinge of self-doubt. "Compared to my comrades, I'm nothing more than a mere townsperson, with no cool blessing or power to speak of."
He raises his right hand forward, his eyes fixated on the ground beneath him where Henry stands. "I do know that at my current state, I can't catch up to them," he admits, his voice tinged with a hint of resignation.
As he speaks, vivid images of Reina, Nobu, and Ash came to life in his mind's eye. He can see their figures intertwined with reality, their forms pulsing with raw power and energy. "They just keep evolving crazily, it's irritating," he mutters through gritted teeth.
Despite the blood running from his wounds, Katsu's mindset is unbreakable, his eyes fixed on his opponent. The bow begins to materialize in his hand, glowing with a fierce, green light.
"However..." he says, his voice ringing out with a determination that belied his injuries. "I'm a sacred soldier, just like them!"
With those words, Katsu turns to face his opponent, his eyes blazing with fierce determination. He knows that he's outmatched, that his injuries would make this fight all the more difficult. But he refuses to back down, refuses to let his comrades down.
"Since I've reached this far," he continues, his voice unwavering. "I might as well strive to reach their level, instead of staying as an Average Joe!"
"You're pissing me off!" Henry's rage boils over, and he hurls a piece of the ground at Katsu after using his Dirt Flip skill. But Katsu is ready this time, and he raises his bow, quickly executing his Sonic Boom arrow to pierce the incoming attack.
With a deft flick of his wrist, Katsu shatters the piece of earth into a million tiny fragments, the debris scattering harmlessly around him. "Wind Magic: Gentle Breeze," he murmurs, channeling his energy into the air around him.
The winds begin to swirl around Katsu, picking up speed as he focuses his willpower. With a sudden surge of strength, he raises the fallen rocks from Henry's attack and sends them hurtling toward his opponent with incredible force.
"Can't you see it's futile?"As Henry punches through the barrage of rocks, Katsu braces himself, his bow at the ready. Despite the lack of effect from his previous attack, Katsu refuses to back down. He knows that he has to keep pushing forward, no matter what.
With a sudden burst of speed, Henry leaps toward Katsu once more, his muscles coiled like a spring. He readies another powerful blow, his fists clenched tightly.
But Katsu remains calm and collected, his eyes fixed on his opponent. As Henry draws near, Katsu moves his bow towards the incoming punch, deflecting it with a deft flick of his wrist. The impact sends a shockwave through the air, but Katsu stands firm.
Then, with a cool mind, Katsu raises his left hand, palm facing Henry. A powerful wind arrow materializes from it, glowing with fierce energy.
Henry grimaces in pain as the wind arrow slices through his shoulder, sending a sharp, searing pain through his body. He falls to the ground, gritting his teeth as he tries to ignore the throbbing ache.
But even in the midst of his pain, Henry refuses to give up. He glares up at Katsu, his eyes blazing with fierce determination. "Clever!" he thinks, his thoughts rising above the wind. He pushes himself to his feet, his muscles tense and coiled like a spring.
As Katsu channels his magic, a fierce wind begins to surge around him, whipping his clothes and hair into a frenzy. He focuses all of his concentration on the spell, pouring his energy into the gusts of wind that swirl around him.
"Wind Magic: Wind Surge!" he shouts, his voice ringing out over the howling wind. The current intensifies, becoming a powerful force that threatens to lift Henry off his feet and send him flying.
But Henry is not so easily defeated. With a fierce scowl, he braces himself against the wind, his feet firmly planted on the ground. His hand still clutched tightly to his injured shoulder, he uses his own magic to anchor himself to the earth, digging his feet deep into the soil.
"You actually believe that I won't try to stop you?" he roars, his voice rising above the roar of the wind. He glares fiercely at Katsu, his eyes blazing with fierce determination.
Katsu channels even more magical energy into his spell, his eyes blazing with an intense focus. The wind current around him intensifies, becoming a raging torrent that threatens to sweep Henry off his feet.
Despite Henry's best efforts, he cannot withstand the force of Katsu's magic. The wind surge breaks through his spell, lifting him off the ground and sending him hurtling into the sky.
Henry's eyes lock onto Katsu's figure, his body frozen in mid-air as he struggles against the force of the wind. Katsu's bow is pointed straight at him, and his golden eyes seem to radiate an aura of malice that sends a shiver down Henry's spine.
Despite his current situation, Henry can't help but feel a sense of admiration for Katsu. The boy's unwavering determination and fierce fighting spirit are truly impressive, and even in his current state, Henry can sense the strength and power emanating from Katsu's form.
"So what if I'm an average Joe?" Katsu says, his voice low and menacing, as a fearsome sphere begins to form between his hand and the bow. "Does that mean that I can't do what needs to be done?"
"Wind Magic: Sky Blade!" Katsu's voice is charged with power and intensity as he unleashes his magic, calling forth the full force of the wind. The sphere he had conjured hurtles through the air towards Henry, moving with such incredible speed that the man doesn't even have time to react.
In an instant, the sphere transforms into a deadly Shuriken, glinting dangerously in the sunlight. With a resounding impact, it slices through Henry's body, leaving a gaping hole in its wake.
The wind howls around Katsu as he watches Henry fall from such a great height, his body limp and lifeless.
Katsu's body feels heavy as he slowly lowers himself onto the ground, his chest heaving with each labored breath. The bruises and cuts on his body are a testament to the fierce battle he had just endured, and he can't help but feel a sense of pride at his victory over his opponent.
"Well... Henry..." Katsu mutters under his breath, his voice strained from the effort of speaking as he sits on the floor, "Guess that you're no match for an Average Joe!"