Souta's attacks were relentless, each strike with a deadly precision that left almost no room for Takeshi to dodge. Despite the overwhelming assault, Takeshi moved effortlessly, weaving through the barrage of attacks with a casual grace. Nearly as if Souta's strikes posed no real threat to him.
With a sudden change of pace, Souta dashed back in at a speed far greater than before, aiming his dagger straight at Takeshi's torso. The immense speed caught Takeshi off guard, forcing him into a defensive position. With a quick sidestep, Takeshi barely dodged the incoming attack, feeling the air rush by as the dagger sliced through the space he once stood. Clinching his right fist tightly, Takeshi launched a counter—a punch aimed straight at Souta's jaw. Before the blow landed, Souta was already gone, his form dissipating into a cloud of smoke.
Reforming a few feet away, Souta wasted no time engaging. He dashed in once again, this time in a zig-zag pattern, his form partially obscured by the thick smoke around him.
Takeshi narrowed his eyes, tracking the erratic movement as best he could. The smoke made it difficult to rely on sight alone, so he turned to another one of his senses.
The echo of his footsteps.
The rustling of his clothes.
The soft hiss of his breathing as he ran.
He could hear it.
Suddenly, Souta emerged to Takeshi's left, his dagger slashing down with lethal intent. Reacting on pure instinct, Takeshi raised his left arm to block the attack. The smoking dagger collided with his forearm, and for a moment seemed it might have cut clean through. But as the dagger contacted his skin, a flame erupted where the blade had connected.
Stepping back from the attack, Souta glanced down to see blood gushing from a deep gash on his forearm. With a small flame within his right palm, he held the heat against the wound, searing off the injury completely.
When he lifted his gaze back to Souta, his demeanor had changed. His almost bored expression had now changed to something more serious.
A flame erupted from his right arm, completely consuming it in an inferno of power.
With an explosive burst of speed, Takeshi closed the distance between them, sending a roaring flame toward Souta's ribcage. The sheer heat emitted from the attack torched the air around them, embers flying off from the source.
Souta's gaze widened, the orange glow of Takeshi's flame reflecting in his eyes.
Warping through the smoke, he narrowly avoided the punch. Though he evaded the full impact, the edge of Takeshi's fist grazed past his side before he disappeared. It seared off his right arm sleeve, leaving behind a trail of scorched fabric.
Souta rolled across the ground, landing on one knee as he fought to steady his breathing.
His heart pounded.
One clean hit from Takeshi would be enough to end this fight, and he knew he couldn't afford to let that happen.
With a flick of his wrist, he closed his eyes and took a deliberate breath.
The smoke around them thickened, dark threads spreading across the forest floor like a living shadow. From the swirling smoke, shadow figures began to rise. Six human-like forms materialized, each of them identical to Souta. Their hollow white eyes gleamed within the darkness, ready to strike Takeshi from every direction.
One of them lunged forward, a blur of smoke as it moved.
Takeshi was ready for the attack, sending his blazing fist into the clone's chest, disintegrating it on impact.
But there were more.
The other clones closed in on him.
Two attacked from his flanks simultaneously.
Takeshi dodged their strikes, sending a blast of fire outward, engulfing the two clones into nothingness.
From behind, another clone leaped into the air, sending down a violent slash. With a swift backstep, Takeshi evaded the attack and drove a flaming uppercut straight through its torso.
The battlefield became a flurry of smoke and fire as Takeshi destroyed clone after clone. However, Souta's real form remained hidden, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
At this time, Takeshi exhaled sharply, frustration boiling within him. He knew Souta was planning something, but he couldn't fight what he couldn't see. The flames engulfing his hands burned brighter, feeding off his growing irritation. As he shattered the final clone, he felt a sharp presence appear behind him.
There, Souta emerged from the smoke, his dagger poised to strike.
Takeshi turned just in time to see the blade coming down on his left shoulder, raising his right arm to block. But Souta was prepared this time. He fainted from the slash, pulling back at the last second before driving a knee into Takeshi's side.
The impact was solid, knocking the breath from Takeshi's lungs. As Takeshi staggered back, Souta seized this opportunity, gathering a dense ball of concentrated smoke within his palm.
Even with the wind knocked out of him, Takeshi wouldn't lose to something like this.
Raising his right hand in Souta's direction, flames coiled around his hand.
At the same time, they unleashed their attacks.
The blasts collided midair, the heat from Takeshi's flames instantly vaporizing Souta's attack. In the eruption of smoke from the impact, visibility was reduced to nearly nothing.
It was Souta's plan all along.
He took advantage of the chaos, sinking into the smoke, his presence completely undetectable.
"This is my world…" Souta's voice echoed from within the darkness. "There is no escaping it."
If Souta controlled the battlefield, all Takeshi needed to do was destroy it.
Takeshi lifted his left hand, sending out a wave of fire that cut through the smoke.
As the smoke cleared, there Souta stood in front of him, a smoking dagger in hand.
The was no more hiding.
No more tricks.
The battle had come down to this—one last exchange.
Takeshi's fists blazed, a roaring flame consuming his arms as he lunged forward to strike.
Souta ducked the first punch, but Takeshi was relentless.
A quick jab to the ribs.
A hook to the liver.
A cross to the jaw.
And a vicious roundhouse kick that slammed into his side, sending him across the charred ground. Souta gritted his teeth as he stood back up, pushing himself through the pain.
They locked eyes with each other, but neither spoke a word.
Both were breathless.
Both were tired.
But both didn't want to give up.
Takeshi's flames flickered.
Souta's grip tightened.
Then, they dashed forward.
Time seemed to slow as they closed the gap, yet all happened in an instant.
Souta froze
At that moment, Takeshi's right hand pressed near his chest, a spark just at the edge of ignition. One more push—one more moment—and Souta would be engulfed in flames.
A long silence stretched between them before Souta finally spoke up.
"I surrender..."