Deep within his mind, Koutetsu was in his dream realm, where he was practicing fighting images of his classmates as he slept. His ability to analyze an opponent wasn't as good as Hiro's, as Hiro could do so in the instant he saw his enemy.
Koutetsu had to look over them over and over again, doing so let him memorize all their moves, habits, and even the emotional state that affected the moves. He hadn't done this for a while due to being limited in strong opponents to face save for Megumi at the time. It was nice for him to get some more practice on those he respected in terms of strength.
Starting off his dream training, he first fought Ryuji, with everything he knew about him, he was able to make a perfect image of him, from the way he threw his punches, the slight temperaments in his swings, his movements in his legs, up to the new power he obtained during his fight with Alexandra.
'Ryuji has gotten a lot stronger. He's been practicing Sambo with Alexandra-Sensei every day for these last few months. He has some very dense muscles even without him hardening his body with his power. Landing a hit won't be a problem, it's getting past those thick muscles that'll be a challenge. Got to counter with Jiu-Jitsu locks and Aikido throws with the Mizu Hebi no Kata(Water Serpent Form) and Gikufu no Kata(Counter Wind Form).'
The Ryuji image went for the initiative, Koutetsu reversed the tackle attempts by going into headlock maneuvers followed by armbars, leading up to a swift transition into a triangle choke. When the Ryuji Image tried to slam him into the ground to break the hold, Koutetsu used the momentum to rotate his body into a perfect position to do a double knee strike to the face. The strikes disorient the Ryuji image giving Koutetsu an opportunity to do a guillotine choke hold.
The image training was going well, and Koutetsu was adding more to his style with every counter. He started taking the other katas more seriously, not focusing on offense as much and letting himself be more balanced in his approach. The practice paid in how he was able to counter Ryuji.
'Perfect, I'm getting better with grappling maneuvers and locks. It'll take some real-life practice but my body will remember everything here. Instead of focusing on offense I'll get better all around so I won't get beat easily again. The progress is working in me getting the Hiyou Ryu into my own rhythm, soon I can make some more original moves like Master did making Panther-inspired attacks with her forms.'
Koutetsu kept practicing, he needed to be able to win in the future and not die again like before, that was a close call he couldn't afford again. Not with the pain it caused his friends, he couldn't rest doing that to him.
As he was choking Ryuji, mist surrounded the makeshift arena he built in his mind. The arena dissipated, and so did the image of Ryuji. Everything was changing and it wasn't of his own will.
Koutetsu was confused as to what was going on. The mist surrounding the area changed the landscape of his dream, it was now the same Spirit World that Koutetsu was in when he died fighting Megumi. Done to the exact detail of the trees and rock formations the clouds made.
'What the? Why am I back here I didn't die again. I would have known if I somehow kicked the bucket in my sleep. What's going on here?'
Koutetsu looked around, but no one was there, he was alone in the vast sea of clouds.
He started feeling anxious, his breath was rapid, and the feeling of being alone in this place was getting to him.
Koutetsu's head snapped to behind him when he heard the sound of footsteps, the presence was making its way quickly to where Koutetsu was, almost like it was in a hurry to warn him.
He waited nervously, he didn't know what to expect. Koutetsu waited till he saw Old Jabi, she was gliding her way to him, her wrinkled face portraying extreme fright, her lips trying to mouth words to him from the distance.
"Old lady? What's going on? Why am I here?"
"R....n"
"Huh, what you trying to tell me?" Koutetsu couldn't make out her words. They sounded garbled like this was being blocked from speaking. Just trying to say one word was a struggle for her to utter.
"R…..u..n....RUN! HE'S BEHIND YOU!"
Koutetsu heard her clearly now, and he was hit hard with the words of warning she shot his way. He turned quickly to see a shadowy figure leap at him with a ferocious roar and killer intent. Koutetsu dodged the towering figure barely with a second to spare before the claws nearly ripped his head off.
Koutetsu's body rattled in fear, the shadowy figure was forming, it shaped itself into a heavily scarred white tiger with shackles on its feet. An iron collar, leather armor on the shoulder blades of its legs and upper back, a short mohawk on its head, and fierce blue eyes staring him down with murderous intent. The creature before him was the Hunter Monarch, Byakurai. The first encounter Koutetsu would make with one of the Monarchs. Unfortunately for him, this was the one that wanted to kill him at the moment, not help him.
"Give her back!!!"
'Back? Give what back. What the hell is this tiger talking about?'
Byakurai lunged forward with his hateful roar, Koutetsu tried to fight back against him, but Byakurai's speed was great, greater than anything Koutetsu had faced before. He was barely able to evade the strikes coming his way, this was an opponent he focused solely on defense against.
Koutetsu tried using his flames to attack when he could, but Byakurai countered with lightning bolts from his mighty claws. Every move Koutetsu made, Byakurai countered with his sheer might, he was going to kill Koutetsu and Koutetsu could feel the intent from from his glowing eyes piercing into Koutetsu's soul.
"Give back my child!"
Koutetsu didn't know what he was talking about. Koutetsu didn't take any child from him. He didn't even know who Byakurai was, to begin with.
Byakurai continued his assault, he wasn't going to stop till his fangs were stained with Koutetsu's blood. Koutetsu tried his best to fight back, but he was no more than a child fighting against an Alpha. Byakurai was the Hunter Monarch, a title he was granted by God for being the perfect hunter of the Heavens. The Lord of the Wilds, everything was his jungle, he was King, nothing Koutetsu ever faced before in his second life.
"I don't know what you're talking about, what child? And who are you?" Koutetsu tried to ask to find some kind of answer to why he was being attacked.
Byakurai wouldn't listen, he was filled with rage, and his claws began to illuminate with lighting energy.
"Koutetsu watch out!" Jabi tried to warn him, that Byakurai was aiming for a strike with his signature finishing blow.
"Raikou Ken(Thunder Fang)!!!"
Byakurai slashed with his claws at the air in front of him, it made three claw blades of lighting aimed at Koutetsu. Koutetsu put up a wall of flames in hopes they would be enough as a shield, they barely blocked the attack in time. The impact knocked him into the air scorching his hands from the electrical damage, Byakurai used the chance that Koutetsu was off balance to leap in the air and bite Koutetsu's arm. Byakurai's teeth dug deep into Koutetsu's arm, biting through the flesh and bone. Koutetsu gave a blood-curdling scream of pain, he never faced an enemy like this. Megumi was nothing compared to Byakurai's ferocity.
Byakurai threw him like a slab of battered meat to the ground. Koutetsu couldn't move, he was frozen in fear, the anxiety was back tenfold, more than it had ever been. The pain numbed every inch of his body. Byakurai crept slowly toward Koutetsu, every step Byakurai took was with a dominant purpose, to make Koutetsu know how insignificant he was in the presence of the Lord of the Wilds.
"You? My Partner? Bullsh**!!! Why should I fight alongside a deer who thinks he's a mighty Lion? A pathetic runt who doesn't even have the fangs to stand up against me. Never!!! I'll never accept you as my Partner you pathetic little sh**. I'll take my child back and feast on your corpse!"
Byakurai lunged forward baring his bloody fangs, Koutetsu couldn't move still, his body was stuck in a catatonic state of absolute terror.
Jabi tried to stop it by throwing herself between them, but then chains flew from behind her, latching themselves to the iron shackles and collar on Byakurai. He roared in pain at the chains sending a shock of magic that gave him immense migraines and pain to his nervous system.
"Release me you old fools! You have no right to confine me. He's my prey!" A furious Byakurai demanded fighting with everything to break the chains binding off his body.
The other Monarchs came, their eyes brimming with fury at Byakurai's brazen actions.
"Silence Byakurai!!!!! You have caused enough trouble for the last time you stupid fool!" Rekkamaru emerged from his shadow appearance greatly disappointed in what Byakurai was attempting to do.
Koutetsu witnessed him. He was majestic, a dragon clad in silver and gold tinted scales, earrings of gold, and wings that fluttered with glittering light. He was beautiful, a dragon worthy of being the Legend Monarch.
Rekkamaru looked at Koutetsu, he blew flames at him to heal his body. The flames he blew were the same as Koutetsu's, blue flames.
Koutetsu sat up confused. He had no idea what was happening.
"Forgive us, child. He will never bother you in your dreams again. I wish you were mine to fight with but you are destined to be his Partner." The regretful Rekkamaru said.
"No one is my Partner. You can never replace the one who died saving my last child." Byakurai yelled unwilling to accept he and Koutetsu were destined to fight together.
Rekkamaru turned to Byakurai, the chains began to charge the shackles and collar again, and he was roaring in pain from the charges even more.
"Silence! You will not speak again unless I permit it Byakurai. You could have ruined everything, why God favors you so much baffles me."
Jabi ran to Koutetsu, she waved her finger at him before imparting a clue to beating Byakurai in the future.
"Dual Blades, Twin Fangs, Mizuno Family."
Koutetsu departed from the Spirit World after she said her words. Jabi was relieved, but she knew what was coming next.
"Jabi, what is the meaning of this? As our Speaker, you are forbidden to interfere directly unless permitted. Everything that happens must do so naturally. Why did you give Byakurai's last child to the boy?" Rekkamaru demanded form Jabi to answer for her disobedience in giving up Byakurai last remaining offspring without his consent.
Jabi was silent, she changed back into her youthful appearance, getting on her knees and bowing to the Monarchs for forgiveness.
"Forgive me. I had no choice. The boy is in danger. The barrier place to keep Jagan out is breaking more and more, and he has to become stronger before it happens, I gave the last child to him in order to build his army. Forgive me, my Monarchs."
The Monarchs were disappointed in her. She had good intentions but the last child was Byakurai's, it was his decision to make whether to give Koutetsu his progeny, not her's.
"What shall we do Rekkamaru, time is running out she says. There is only so much we can do to steer the boy in the right direction. We can't let Jagan get him. By right, he is theirs' due to the summoning ritual. We did not summon him ourselves, we were only lucky to notice his potential. If he is caught all realities are doomed."
The bird silhouette spoke.
Rekkamaru was troubled. He wished the boy was his to be partnered with, as they shared the same flame element. But Byakurai was his to be destined to. His brow was heavy bearing the crown of Lord of Divine Beings.
"God, what shall I do? How can I make these two work together? What path have you for us?"
Koutetsu's spirit had returned to his body, his eyes furiously opened in a panic as he woke up, he let out a scream as his body was in a cold sweat. Rina could hear it, she had been woken by the loud yells of Koutetsu's voice echoing out from his door. She ran to the room to check on him.
"What's wrong?" Koutetsu couldn't respond he was still frightened from his fight with Byakurai. He was having a panic attack, the Thanatophobia was seeping back into his mind.
Rina got in the bed quickly to help him calm down before he lost control again like at the arena. She held him in her arms, rubbing his head, doing what she could to help the attack go away.
"It's ok, I'm here, I'm here, it's ok."
Koutetsu's head lay on top of her breast as her arms continued to wrap around him. By reflex, he held her arms back trying to calm down. Rina buried her face in the top of his hair, she had never seen him panic like this before, not even the sight of him at the arena was this bad. All she wanted was to help him. So she held him for the rest of the night, not caring about anything else but helping him recover from his panic.