Ken swiftly advanced, the rapidly colliding arms, enhanced by Taikyuu's durability, prevented bones from breaking. "Makoto." Makoto nodded and moved behind the rocks in the rocky valley. Yasushi was solely focused on his opponent.
"YOU WERE TRAINED, EMPOWERED, IS THIS YOUR THANKS? LEAVING US ALONE?" Ken increased the flow in his arms, and Yasushi was thrown backward. "I came here for what's in my mind. You all believed, didn't you? Because I came with a food cart in a friendly manner, people loved me. The master loved me, but no one could see inside me because I didn't allow it." Yasushi remained silent, lifting his foot and shattering the soil beneath, throwing it all onto Ken, disappearing from view. Before Ken could turn around, Yasushi's elbow struck his jaw, followed by a series of punches with the hilt of the sword. Ken staggered backward with each blow.
"YOU WRETCH, DO YOU THINK HIGHLY OF YOURSELF? THE MASTER MIGHT HAVE ABANDONED YOU, BUT I WON'T, I WILL PUNISH YOU." Ken displayed nothing against the incoming punches. "WHY, WHY ARE YOU BEHAVING LIKE THIS? TELL ME, MASTER TAUGHT YOU WITH LOVE, AND YOU DECEIVED HIM FROM THE START, DECEIVED US ALL." Ken smirked slightly, "That's why I can't be chosen; I'm a piece of filth." Yasushi increased the power behind his fists, and Ken started rolling on the ground after the incoming punches.
"WHY AREN'T YOU FIGHTING? WEREN'T YOU THE ONE TALKING ABOUT A SECOND ROUND?" Ken stood up, dusted himself off, and silently looked at Yasushi. "WHY ARE YOU SILENT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND?" Yasushi was angry, though he had expected betrayal, there was a wound within. "TELL ME, WHY?" his tone softened, tears started rolling down his eyes.
Ken reached his limit and struck his fist into Yasushi's stomach. Yasushi stuck to the rock behind him. "Emotions, Yasushi. They make us both strong and as helpless as a rock. A rock can't move, can't decide what will happen to it, just stays there, doing nothing." "Y- you, you vile scum." Yasushi pulled himself off the rock. "You waited for my weak moment." Ken remained silent. No matter how much Yasushi tried to gather his emotions, his efforts were in vain. His insides were filled with indescribable complexities.
"That's one of the differences between someone who falls and someone who doesn't. When one falls, instead of trying to escape the pit impatiently, they wait for the right moment and do the right thing; the other, on the other hand, impatiently tries to climb out of the pit they fell into desperately." "I didn't come here for a moral lesson," Yasushi locked his fingers onto the rock behind him, and Ken, with Taikyuu, was the only defense he used against Yasushi and the rock. The rock dragged Ken along for a while.
"A meaningless fight, I don't understand. You're doing nothing, taking empty hits, and trying to give me moral lessons. What's your goal?" Yasushi, despite all his attempts to understand Ken up to that point, never succeeded, never... He was the strangest person he had ever seen.
Ken stood up again, brushing off the dust. "I have no purpose; I have wounds. Wounds I can't cover, or maybe I do have a purpose, I don't know." Yasushi's mind became more clouded. "You were the one who initially wanted a second round. You, you. This is all too absurd." "Yes, you're right." Ken disappeared, and Yasushi focused on his surroundings. He deflected a blow coming from behind with his arm. Ken repeatedly attacked from different angles. It was all senseless; Yasushi easily brushed them aside. What was on Ken's mind?
In the next attack, Yasushi grabbed Ken's arm and pulled him underneath. "WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE? Why are you behaving so foolishly?" Yasushi looked into Ken's eyes, but there was nothing; they were empty. Ken had buried all the truths deep within.
Yasushi raised his sword and thrust it beside Ken's head. "What are you, Ken? Why are you like this? What does this meaningless fight mean for you? WHAT DO THESE MEAN TO YOU?" "You're right; it means nothing," Yasushi couldn't cope with the questions in his head. "I think it's time to end this." Ken opened his hands; Yasushi was thrown into the air. Ken, standing behind him, kicked the ground, hitting Yasushi again with the soil he landed on.
Ken didn't stop; he grabbed Yasushi by the head and slammed him against the rock. Yasushi set aside all the questions; he grasped Ken's arm holding his head. Ken moved away instantly. A smile appeared on Yasushi's face. He extended his hand to Ken, showing all five fingers and lowered his hand to the ground; the strings tied Ken to the soil, just like Yasushi. Ken used his fingers to break the soil, building a wall around himself.
In the short time Yasushi lost sight of Ken, Ken began pulling the wall he built behind Yasushi toward himself. Yasushi, coming down, observed the rocks around him start to crack. All the rocks were in pieces, tied to Yasushi's fingers by many strings. Carefully scanning his surroundings, he awaited Ken's move.
Suddenly, Ken appeared in front of him. Yasushi struggled to think about what he planned. Ken was looking at him. Yasushi moved his fingers, the rocks shattered; all the small pieces rapidly approached Ken. Ken didn't flinch; just as the stones were about to hit him, Yasushi stopped. While waiting for Ken's move, his senseless waiting, considering he risked his life like this, made no sense at all. Ken smiled. "This is what makes you weak." Ken threw all the pieces in front of Yasushi onto him. Until Yasushi could recover from his distraction, it was too late; the pieces pierced his body, and he succumbed to the stones.
Ken didn't go to check on him; he slowly continued on his way. A loud noise erupted behind him; Yasushi had unleashed all his flow. "YOU TRAITOR, CHEATER!" Yasushi was furious; without even healing his wounds, he grabbed Ken's throat. "Do you enjoy playing with people's emotions?" Yasushi, with all his strength, threw Ken to the ground. Even Taikyuu couldn't protect Ken's broken bones. "I will show you the gap between us." Yasushi lifted Ken with his strength and stuck him to a large rocky peak. "Kanri." Ken, unable to do anything but cough up blood, felt Yasushi's fist rapidly approaching; with the impact, Ken was buried in the peak. "Kyouka and sokudo." Yasushi pulled Ken out of the peak and threw him to the ground. "You're not my equal; why did you start this senseless fight? I don't understand; what do you want, what's your purpose?" Descending slowly, he stepped on Ken's broken chest bones. "Ah hehehe, I-I knew." Ken struggled to speak. "What?" "All of this." Yasushi's eyes widened; he looked around; the person he hadn't focused on all this time, Makoto. "Hehehee, ahg, I won." Ken awaited the final act with his body lying in a pool of blood.
Makoto stood up from her hiding place. "BOOM!" She opened both hands; Yasushi was tied with invisible strings. Placed all around in a wide angle, these strings controlled by kanri were waiting for this moment. To avoid Yasushi's radar, they were placed as widely as possible. Although Yasushi realized everything, the meaning was lost now.
Ken didn't forgive Yasushi's distraction due to defeat. He shoved the flow he had gathered in his fist for a long time into Yasushi's face. "Vuhuuu, we did it, Ken-chan." Makoto ran to the unconscious body lying on the ground, trying to heal her own wounds rapidly. "Just as we thought." Ken smiled at Makoto. Makoto stared into his eyes. "Ken, your eyes reveal more secrets now," her voice had lost some of its softness. Ken flinched; he was aware of this but couldn't explain how it happened, one of the few questions he couldn't answer. Makoto hugged Ken tightly. "I will protect you, I swear. I won't let them appear." Ken's bones ached, but he didn't mind. He responded to Makoto's embrace. Makoto's tears burned Ken's wounds; nevertheless, no pain could prevent this loving hug.
"It's time, Makoto." Ken, having healed his fractures, was ready to go. Makoto hopped onto Ken's arm. "LET'S GO, KEN-CHAN." The two set out to witness the change in the horrifying region they came from.