Previously On Unknown: Amid the battle, Kaori unleashes her Tempestuous Wolf Rampage upon Akishima, pummeling him mercilessly. Meanwhile, Shiden faces Hisashi on the second floor, stunned as Hisashi absorbs his lightning attack. On the stairway, as Akishima lies defeated, an ominous aura emanates from him, signaling a dangerous transformation. With Akishima's newfound power, a clash ensues between him and Kaori, their auras intensifying as they prepare for a decisive confrontation.
(Continuing)
*Back On The Second Floor Over To Where Matsumoto Is Spectating…*
As Matsumoto watches the battle between Hisashi and Shiden now at its climax, he smiles with contentment.
But somewhere else, within a separate dimension, is the one second to Shiden, The Rogue Assassin, The Grim Reaper Of Yuji's Henchmen, Tsukikage.
Tsukikage lies on a transparent green-tinted glass floor, unconscious, the whole room he's in is made up of this green-tinted glass.
What's surprising is that the gaping holes that were inside of him, due to his attack, have all vanished from his body as if they weren't there to begin with.
There are still a few bruises all over his body but for the most part, there aren't any major injuries.
Abruptly, Tsukikage regains his consciousness as he slowly gets up whilst holding his head, still light-headed having just regained consciousness.
As he sits upright, he darts his eyes around, surveying his surroundings. Realization struck him as he remembered what happened to him. "Wait a sec. That old man… he trapped me here," he muttered. Anger simmers beneath as more memories of the past flood through his mind. But even though he wanted revenge he knew that he had to escape this place to get it and that wouldn't be easy.
*Transitioning From Tsukikage To Shiden…*
Shiden is confused beyond belief. First Hisashi caught his lightning bolt then he absorbed it, and now he's talking about giving Shiden a taste of his own medicine.
Shiden didn't understand what Hisashi was talking about, however, he didn't have to wait long because Hisashi was gonna show him nevertheless.
In a flash, Hisashi appears in front of Shiden and kicks him with tremendous force in his gut; this attack sends Shiden flying. Taking advantage of this moment, Hisashi quickly caught up to Shiden before he could crash into a nearby wall. Hisashi held his hand out and as Shiden's body flew towards him, both Hisashi's hand and Shiden's body made contact but it wasn't a loud, crashing contact, it was a silent smooth touch.
Hisashi's five fingers touched Shiden's back but not his palm. At the same moment, those five fingertips each started to emit a purple glow at the point at which they made contact. In the background, the sound of three water droplets could be heard and then Hisashi once again began absorbing Shiden's element power.
This was the same moment in which Shiden reacted, sensing his element being drained from him. He backs off and successfully stops Hisashi's absorption.
"50%..." Hisashi muttered with a slight, devious smile and a clenched fist.
Shiden, now with one knee on the floor, didn't hear what Hisashi said because at the moment he was in his thoughts. "Damn it! I let my guard down. I didn't expect him to move that fast. He's gotten stronger and I think I know why." he brooded.
Shiden stood up with a confident look on his face, he now knew how to defeat Hisashi. He rushes in, which temporarily shocks Hisashi, and he begins his assault using various martial arts. His attacks and level of skill far surpasses that of Hisashi and the boy is getting pummeled.
"Just as I thought," Shiden thinks, "This brat was absorbing my element, that I already knew. But what I just realized is that since he just awakened this power he can't use his ability efficiently. For one, he has to stay still and secondly, he has to focus, not to mention the fact that it's really easy to escape his grasp. So with all that in mind if I don't allow him to use his ability then he can't hope to defeat me. If I only use my physical capabilities and no magic then he's done for." Shiden analyzed.
Hisashi slowly began fighting back, which surprised Shiden. Eventually, they began exchanging blows. Punches and kicks never stopped. Sweat captivated their bodies, it was a full-on street fight, however, with a hundred times the intensity.
Their battle continued, their faces becoming swollen and bruised, but Shiden was in a much better state than Hisashi, while Shiden only had a few bruises and a slightly swollen face, Hisashi had those injuries but even worse and a bleeding head.
Their brawl had a momentary stop when they heard a loud echoing explosion on the stairs. Heavily breathing, Hisashi inquires, "What the hell was that?"
Shiden himself was a little startled but then something crossed his mind which made a smirk play on his face. Shiden teasingly stated, "Akishima can't make it to Master Yuji. Our palace has a sizable population and there are a lot of other strong persons within the palace." then explained.
Hisashi only chuckled in response, "Doesn't matter how many other goons Yuji has, Akishima will get to him either way."
Shiden, with a smirk and not believing in this response, uttered "I guess we'll have to wait and see."
Hisashi scoffs in response, then, with a smirk of his own he stirs the conversation back to their fight. "You know, that I'm gonna win right?" he chuckles.
Shiden stared at him for a moment then he began laughing. "Win? Did you just say you're going to win? How amusing. I like your determination, kid but you won't win anything." Shiden asserted.
"Believe what you wanna believe, but the outcome will not differ." Hisashi started, "No matter how hard you try, no matter how desperate you become, a fact will always remain a fact." He continues, "Those were the words my master told my friend," then concludes, "And the 'fact' is… You won't be able to defeat me whether you like it or not."
Shiden was stunned for a while trying to comprehend what he was hearing. He had heard Hisashi say something like this before.
*A Memory Flashes Through Shiden's Mind…*
With unyielding determination, Hisashi declares, "Sorry but, I can't just back down. See, whether you like it or not, I came here to win and that's exactly what I'm going to do."
*Back To The Present…*
"Yes, that's right. He said something like that before." he reflected. Then, as if a jolt of lightning struck his mind, he realized, "Wait… Don't tell me…"
A devious, under-breath grin formed on Hisashi's face, and in synchronization, he went into a stance that was oddly similar to Shiden when he threw his lightning bolt. "No more games," Hisashi voiced, "Now, the climax is reaching its end and the falling action… is rising." He asserted as black voided sparks and purple lightning flashes around him. His purple-colored eyes brighten, illuminating its brilliance. His hair waves fluently and changes from a dark brownish color to that of purplish black.
Shiden now understood something as he watched the unfolding spectacle.
*On The Stairway…*
Falling stones from the cracks throughout the walls create a trickling noise that echoes through the stairway along with a huge cloud of dust, signaling the end of a devastating clash. As the dust clears, we see Kaori buried into the right wall of the stairway, and huge cracks spread throughout the wall. On the other hand, Akishima stands on his feet, heavily breathing with both his fists clenched and drenched in sweat.
After a while, Akishima catches his breath and with a smile of contentment, he assesses, "I did it… she's down… finally."
(To Be Continued)