The battle raged on, and as the bodies hit the floor, the remaining three attackers quickly adjusted. They had seen enough to know that brute force alone would not defeat Mei and Yuichi. They began coordinating their attacks with deadly efficiency. Two of them focused on engaging Mei and Yuichi directly, while the third hung back, casting spells to disrupt their rhythm and exploit their blind spots.
Mei and Yuichi, despite their initial success, were now struggling. The narrow corridor, which had initially slowed their enemies, was also limiting their movements. Mei's speed was hampered, and Yuichi couldn't fully unleash his flames without risking harm to Mei. Each attack they parried left them more vulnerable to the next, and the enemy caster was using binding Kido and barriers to block their strikes and slow them down.
Blood started to spill. Mei took a deep cut across her arm as she narrowly dodged a blade, and Yuichi was grazed by a spell that left a searing gash across his back. They were being worn down, their incomplete Shunkō techniques burning through their reiryoku at an alarming rate. They wouldn't last much longer.
"Yuichi!" Mei shouted as she blocked an overhead strike, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Fall back and use it! I'll hold them!"
Yuichi's eyes widened, but he didn't argue. He knew what she meant. With a nod, he leaped back, retreating behind Mei as she prepared to unleash her next attack.
Mei took a deep breath, her body trembling from the strain. The air around her grew even colder as she gathered the last of her reiryoku. "Fubuki," she whispered, and the corridor erupted into a snowstorm.
Fubuki (Snowstorm) was one of her most dangerous techniques, capable of engulfing everything in its vicinity in a swirling vortex of ice and snow. The temperature dropped sharply, and the storm intensified within seconds. The attackers found themselves caught in the blizzard, their movements slowing as the reiki sapped their strength. Ice formed on their armor and weapons, and frostbite began to creep across their skin.
Mei's face was pale, her body barely holding up under the strain, but she pushed forward, using the snowstorm to create an advantage. She lashed out with her fists, freezing and attacking anything within reach.
One of the attackers, desperate to stop her, hurled a glowing orb toward her. It exploded in a flash of light and force, catching Mei off guard but she still managed to make a makeshift barrier at the last second. The blast tore through her ice barrier, and she screamed as the explosion hit her full force, blood splattering against the frozen walls.
But despite the blast, the snowstorm continued, though weaker. Mei stood, her body covered in ice and frozen blood, using the last remnants of her strength to freeze her wounds to save herself. She swayed on her feet, her vision blurred, but she refused to fall.
The storm finally subsided as Mei collapsed to her knees, her reiryoku completely drained. The attackers, now free from the storm's grasp, staggered forward, their breath visible in the freezing air. The leader barked an order. "Finish him! Finish the other one now!"
Yuichi, who had been preparing behind Mei, was no longer surrounded by flames. Instead, his sword burned fiercely, the flames coiling around the blade like a living entity. He stood behind Mei's crumpled form, his eyes locked onto the remaining attackers.
He raised his blade, the flames intensifying. "Karyū no Yaiba (Dragon Blade)," he muttered, his voice cold as if filled with ice.
With a single slash, a massive wave of flame erupted from his sword, shaped like a dragon made of pure fire. The corridor lit up with a brilliant, fiery glow as the dragon roared toward the attackers.
The leader, realizing the danger, shouted a command. One of his underlings leaped forward without hesitation, colliding with the dragon of flame in a desperate attempt to stop it. The resulting explosion rocked the entire corridor, flames and debris flying in every direction. The walls cracked, and the force of the blast threw everyone off their feet.
Yuichi fell to one knee, his reiryoku completely spent. His sword was buried in the ground, the flames around it flickering weakly as he gasped for air. His body trembled, sweat and blood mixing on his skin as he struggled to stay conscious.
The two remaining attackers, bloody but still standing, emerged from the smoke and debris. Their eyes burned with hatred as they dashed toward Yuichi, their weapons raised to deliver the final blow.
Yuichi barely managed to lift his sword in time to block the first strike, but his strength was failing. The second attacker followed up with a swift slash across Yuichi's chest, sending a spray of blood into the air.
Pain seared through his body, but Yuichi gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay on his feet. He wouldn't fall—not yet. He had to keep fighting, no matter how hopeless it seemed.
As the attackers closed in for the final blow, Yuichi's vision blurred, and his body sagged with exhaustion. But in the distance, beyond the haze of pain and fatigue, he saw a faint glow. Hui and Byakuya's ice barrier, though cracked, still stood strong. Then, in the distance, Yuichi heard the unmistakable sound of a voice commanding, "Scatter, Senbonzakura." The cherry blossoms filled the air, cutting through the remaining enemies like knives.
The shattered remnants of the ice barrier suddenly shimmered as the deadly cherry blossom blades swirled through the air, reforming the barrier around the group. The attackers were finished, cut down by the graceful yet lethal display of Byakuya's Senbonzakura. The hallway was now silent, save for the crackling of residual flames.
Through the drifting petals, Yuichi saw Hui and Byakuya step through the shattered ice barrier. Radiating a calm aura Byakuya's icy gaze swept the carnage. Yuichi, still on one knee, struggled to his feet, wobbling as his muscles screamed in protest. Blood trickled from his lips, and he coughed, spitting it to the side before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Grab Mei," Yuichi rasped, nodding toward her crumpled form. His voice was rough, but there was no hesitation. The attackers were dead, but the mission wasn't over. Hui immediately moved to Mei's side, to lift the unconscious warrior.
Yuichi limped forward, each step heavier than the last. His reiryoku reserves were nearly depleted, and the earlier battle had left him with deep, searing wounds. As they moved through the cold, cracked corridor, Yuichi leaned against the wall for support. His breathing was shallow, but his focus remained sharp.