Previously on Unknown: Tsukikage faces Akishima's eerie smile in a dim room. Hisashi rushes to the second floor. Matsumoto intervenes but overlooks Shiden. Akishima regains control and heads to the third floor. Matsumoto and Tsukikage engaged in battle.
(Continuing)
"Ah, I see, you're an assassin," Matsumoto exclaimed, looking in a specific direction after Tsukikage had just vanished.
Akishima, who had not left yet, sighed, "That was close. I wasn't expecting him to be so shameless, even for an assassin. To think he'd attack me behind my back. Thanks sensei." he thanked Matsumoto.
Matsumoto stood with his walking stick as he scolded Akishima, "Well boy, don't let your guard down like that again or it will be fatal. Now go on, we don't have much time left."
Akishima assured his master, "Yeah you're right. Don't worry, that won't happen again. So see ya." he says as he runs off.
Matsumoto watches the boy running to the stairs that lead to the third floor and as the boy vanishes into the distance the old man turns his gaze to a specific part of the room and he then says, "In all my years, I have never seen an assassin so bad at being stealthy."
"Grr… What did you say!" Tsukikage shouts in anger.
"You let your emotions get the better of you, as an assassin that's one flaw you shouldn't have." Matsumoto scolded Tsukikage who was still hiding.
Tsukikage got more and more agitated by the second, eventually, he reached his limit and charged at Matsumoto from behind out from the shadows once again, his anger fuming as a smokey, midnight-purple aura emanated from him, his veins edged on his face as he grits his teeth with eyes of rage.
However, he wasn't gonna make the same mistake twice and whilst he dashed from a corner of the room he had a wind dagger in his left hand as he was about to strike the old man, Matsumoto once again proved his superiority by catching Tsukikage's hand which had the dagger in it but then another concentrated wind dagger, which Tsukikage was hiding with his body, came flying from the same direction as Tsukikage towards Matsumoto at high speeds, but Matsumoto still wasn't fazed and easily dodged the attack with a tilt of his head, the dagger pierced the floor.
However, Tsukikage used this chance to escape the old man's grasp and once he did, the wind dagger that pierced the ground after Matsumoto dodged it, suddenly started to shake and then it forcibly unstuck itself from the ground, at the same moment it swooshed back at Matsumoto from behind at high speeds but with a single tilt of his head Matsumoto once again dodged the attack and the dagger came back to its owner.
Tsukikage was visibly agitated and frustrated at what had transpired and the smokey purple aura continued to leak out of the assassin's body.
Matsumoto was startled by the purple aura. "Wait? That's-That's manki!" He couldn't believe his eyes, "So he's another one."
Tsukikage shouted at the old man, enraged, "Damn it! Damn it! Damn It!!! First, that brat Akishima! And now you! I Won't Stand For Any More Humiliation!!" as he shouts, he charges magic power with a faint greenish tint. With his eyes filled with bloodlust, his magic cracked and cackled as it intensified, illiminating the room, and briefly catching the attention of Hisashi and Shiden who were engaged in their battle, as the magic got brighter and more potent.
Tsukikage continued to show his anger with words, "Listen here, old man! I Am The Second Rank Of The Ranks, A Rogue Assassin! Tsukikage The Reaper!!! And I Will Not Be Treated Like Trash!!" he screamed as he introduced himself. His voice echoed throughout the room as the magic power he was charging got bigger and bigger, and a huge surge of wind swirled throughout the room as if a tornado were forming.
Tsukikage continues as the tornado gathers in one place where Tsukikage's hands were. "Now, Turn Your Imagination Into Reality, Manipulating The Very Air We Breathe, Air Magic Transfiguration! Mana Manipulation Phase 1! Level 3! Dual Wind Daggers!" Tsukikage ends, as two wind daggers appear in his hands along with the other two he had before. In the same instance, he let go of his daggers which floated above the ground under his hands, there were two floating under his right hand and another two under his left.
Matsumoto instantly realized what was happening as something similar happened beforehand, "Yes, it all makes sense now. A little while ago the dagger that I dodged which pierced the ground, pulled itself out of the floor on its own… Or that's what seemed to happen. In reality, it was him, he pulled out the dagger from the floor; it was a thin, yet strong thread of wind that wrapped around the dagger and it's what he's doing now, wrapping the daggers with wind which seems to be his affinitive element." he mused.
With a slight smile, Matsumoto concluded, "This idiot doesn't even know what he got himself into, it's clear to me now," he chuckles in his mind, "You're a member… of The Shadowmancers."
All and all, the battles that are going on right now. Hisashi VS Shiden. Pretty even, they're both strong in their own right, and none is using any magic as of yet.
Matsumoto VS Tsukikage. This one is very one-sided like it's not even a challenge. Matsumoto is practically teaching the enemy. Pointing out all his flaws, which there are a lot of.
Akishima is now on the stairs to the third floor, the throne room, where The King, Yuji lies. However, what he doesn't know is that it won't be so easy as to just go up the stairs. There Are Only Four Hours Until Midnight Until The Island Of Garton Is Destroyed.
*On The Third Floor Of The Gomi Palace, The Throne Room...*
"Hmm…" the man seated on the throne wanders. "Shiden and Tsukikage are engaging in battle and Akishima is heading this way." the man seated on the throne continued. "Tonight is going to be wonderful." the man chuckles as he concludes.
*Back On The Second Floor, Matsumoto Vs Tsukikage...*
"Dual Wind Daggers huh…" Matsumoto looks at Tsukikage, as Tsukikage dashes at the old man with his stringed four daggers. "I'm impressed that you can use Magic Transfiguration. It's something that would take the average person years to achieve," Matsumoto praised the rogue assassin, dodging all his attacks effortlessly.
Tsukikage displays an interesting fighting style using all four daggers simultaneously and attacking in many unpredictable, yet calculated strikes, slashes, and stabs.
"And I see that you're a rogue assassin. That partially explains your lack of emotion management but still, rogue or not, an assassin is trained to cast away things such as emotions, which makes me wonder," Matsumoto continues to relentlessly dodge every one of Tsukikage's attacks as he then smirks, "Were you truly an assassin from birth or were you trained like an assassin by someone even though you weren't one from heritage?"
As he says this Tsukikage stops in his tracks, his face filled with shock and confusion. "Wait? How do you…"
*Over To Shiden VS Hisashi...*
"You're quite the skilled fighter," Hisashi complimented Shiden with a grin as they maintained their evenly matched combat.
Shiden, however, insisted on his prowess, asserting, "Pretty good' is an understatement. I'm Shiden The Rain, No.1 Rank Of The Ranks and I'm far beyond 'pretty good." Their exchange of blows continued relentlessly.
Hisashi decided to reciprocate the introduction. With a series of agile backflips, he distanced himself a few meters from Shiden. Assuming a stance with a slight bend in his knees and a swing of his arms, Hisashi declared, "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Hisashi, Aki's Right Hand." The distance between them is palpable.
Engaging Shiden's attention, Hisashi began, "Shiden, you're aware of the various types of magic, right?" Hisashi's hands began to glow as he elaborated, "While there are only four main elemental types: Fire🔥, Earth🪨, Air💨, and Water💧, each human can possess one. However, some gifted individuals can wield more than one element. These are the Dual-Elemental, Tri-Elemental, and the rarest of them all, Quad-Elemental users. They earn the title of 'Elemental Adepts'." Hisashi explained the concept further, shedding light on the intricacies of magic.
Hisashi continued his discourse, "All and all, the 50% of the population that can manipulate magic were given the name, 'Magicians'. And were given this name for they could… Turn Their Imagination Into Reality…"
As Hisashi spoke, beads of sweat formed on his brow, and he began panting heavily. His musculature expanded, his entire physique underwent a dramatic transformation, and a heatwave captivated his body. Behind him, his hands emitted radiant colors representing the four elements. His left hand crackled with earth and fire, while the right one radiated water and air. He intensified his attack, bringing his hands together with a burst of electric sparks that enveloped him from head to toe.
Turning his attention back to Shiden, Hisashi raised an eyebrow at the man's awe-struck expression. "Shiden," he inquired, "Was there anything I missed when I was talking about the Elemental Adepts?"
Baffled, Shiden shook his head, having found no inconsistencies in Hisashi's previous explanation.
Hisashi's grin widened, and he shifted to a more serious tone. "How about Quinta?" he queried.
Shiden's posture was poised with curiosity. "Could it be that you possess a Special Element or the rare Lightning Element?"
Hisashi chuckled, accompanied by the continuing swirl of electricity and steam, confirming Shiden's suspicions. Then, with unwavering determination, Hisashi unleashed his ultimate attack, declaring, "Ahhhhh! Turn Your Imagination Into Reality! The Four Elements Of Creation! Fire, Earth, Water, Air Combine! Elemental Fusion: First Level! Elemental… Canon!!!"
The amalgamated beam, blending all four elemental hues, converged into a colossal, luminous projectile hurtling straight toward Shiden. But just before impact, Shiden vanished, leaving behind a residual purple spark. The formidable beam punctured through a palace wall, shaking the edifice and tearing a substantial hole through which the night sky and its brilliant stars became visible.
Hisashi, shocked and bewildered, stammered, "Where did—how did—"
In the blink of an eye, a menacing figure, cloaked in purple electricity and eyes gleaming with bloodlust, manifested behind Hisashi. Before he could react, Hisashi was flung violently into a wall.
(To Be Continued)