With glowing eyes, he looked around him. He could sense the magical energy of each of the students.
He raised both of his blades, as they both gathered energy. Then, in a swift set of successive swings, he launched water slashes all over the forest, and subsequently, many students were eliminated at the same time.
He continued to do this. Some, like Ryo and Kyouko, managed to defend themselves, while some weren't so fortunate.
6 Minutes left
"It's time," Ryujin mumbled to himself.
A day before the exam.
"Why do you want to so badly participate in the exam?" Ryujinn asked Kyouko. Kyouko looks annoyed and intensely irritated by Ryujin's constant question.
She heaves out a sigh, before looking at Ryujin with a cold and murderous gaze,
"Why are you so persistent?" She annoyingly asked.
"Just tell me, please???" Ryujin replied playfully.
"*Sigh*, It's more of a self-validation. I want to prove something to myself."
Ryujin was surprised at the unexpected answer.
...
"Prove something, right? Then, through this battle, prove them to me." Ryujin mumbled, before quickly chasing Kyouko.
...
"Oh no, he's chasing after us!" Hina exclaimed as she sped up her running.
"T-T-That guy's like the second phase of a final boss!!!" Arata yelled out in fear.
"Don't panic! Just continue running." Airi yelled out, trying to console both of them.
If we just continued running, we'd run out of energy first. Besides, we can't outrun him. Kyouko thought to herself. She quickly decided, and turned around, placing her sword upfront as she did.
"F-Fujimoto-san?!" Haruto blurted out.
"Run, and try to cover from the shadows." She stopped and planned to face Ryujin alone.
Everyone was confused about what to do until Ryo spoke out.
"Let her be. She knows her things, " he said nonchalantly before continuing to run. Everyone behind hesitantly followed.
At one point, they stopped and looked at the tracker. Ryujin's dot was just still. They all caught their breath.
"We'll cover from the shadows. She can handle herself," Ryo said. Everyone was worried but followed. They maneuvered to go back to Kyouko and Ryujin.
...
"It's amusing to think and see that you have the confidence to face me alone, Kyouko," Ryujin said, with a straight, smiling face. "I'll bet my position for you. If you beat me, you'll be the fourth seat."
"W-What??" Kyouko blurted out, surprised and taken aback.
"Wanna bet on it?"
"You fool. Why are you bringing your council position into this?"
Ryujin lets out a laugh, before replying, "It's more fun that way. There's more at stake. It'll hype me up to be serious."
Kyouko's face turns serious as she realizes Ryujin isn't playing around.
"The fourth seat sounds like an excellent reward. I'll take it." Kyouko replied as she got into a fighting stance. Ryujin also does so, and with exploding magic, they clash against one another.
With swift movements, they launched attacks on each other and defended themselves with utmost accuracy.
Ryo and the others watched from the side, focusing intently to follow their movements.
"She's very strong, going up on an even-march pacing with Kajiyashaki-san," Reina Commented as she stared at Kyouko, blissfully amazed.
"Let's look for an opening to enter from," Airi suggested, still staring with focus at them.
Their speed was unmatched, and their battle was fierce. Anyone could easily tell that these are not ordinary people.
At one point in the battle, Kyouko was pushed back into a disadvantage, landing on her feet, and was slowly getting sloppy in parrying Ryujin.
"What's that?! That isn't the moves of the eighth-seat, isn't it?!" Ryujin yelled out, taunting her.
Kyouko only remained silent and focused. She quickly collected herself and gained her composure. In the next while, she was able to defend with great precision again.
"Of course, I am not this sloppy, Ryujin." She answered with a cold, determined voice.
In the next second, she covered herself in a purplish aura, with sparks of lightning all over her, making her so immersed in the battle that she entered the zone.
The battle became ever more intense, with only the sparks of their attacks seen. It was similar to when Ryo clashed against Ryujin, but, it was much intense.
Everyone around could only wait impatiently, their heart pounding nervously, clueless as to who is the winner.
However, in Ryo's eyes, everything was beginning... To get a little slow.
Their attacks... Are all calculated.... They know what they are doing. They can predict each other's movement.
He thought to himself as he carefully watched, waiting for a chance.
This is Seiei Academy... They are... Interesting.
At that moment, he saw the opportunity to lunge in.
Before lunging in, he looked at the others
"I'll slow him down. Follow up some attacks."
The other nodded in agreement. That being done, Ryo turned his gaze back to the fierce battle.
Four minutes remaining. Let's make this quick.
...
Kyouko was beginning to falter and become tired. From time to time, she looked behind her, waiting for their follow-up attacks.
I can't hold for much longer... She poured all her remaining strength into continuously defending against Ryujin's barrage of successive attacks.
Each of her parries was getting weaker, and weaker, and at one point in the exhausting battle, Kyouko wasn't able to defend against an attack, causing her stance to be off, and revealing an opening for Ryujin to eliminate her.
I don't want to eliminate you, honestly. But, this is an exam, and I can't be empathetic. Without hesitation, Ryujin redirected his sword towards Kyouko's badge and swiftly swung his blade.
At that moment, Kyouko could only close her eyes, accepting the clear outcome of the battle.
When suddenly,
"Thanks for holding him off." A voice spoke. She opened her eyes in surprise, and saw Ryo, in between her and Ryujin.
She smiled in relief, as she allowed her body to relax, and jump back, away.
Ryo and Ryujin's blade locked in, as they looked at each other fiercely.
"I thought you'd run off and leave little Kyouko all alone." Ryujin taunted,
"4 minutes left. It's not the right time to taunt. We'll pass."
"Oh? And how are you sure?"
"Because... We're stronger." As Ryo uttered those words, a flowing energy of fire rose through his sword, and with great force, he pushed Ryujin back.
"Art of Fire." He mumbled. Then, in a flash, he dances through the battlefield, and with precision, he cuts through the trees, and everything around him, injuring Ryujin in the process.
Ryujin felt familiar with his technique, ever so mesmerized that he didn't even counterattack.
So you saved this technique for last.
He thought to himself, as he smiled.
This brings him to his childhood, where his magic teacher would teach him magic. This teacher is the one and only user of the "Art of Fire."
It is a technique where the user will successively flash all around, unseen, as if he flickers all around, its fiery trace resembling a flying phoenix, dancing all around.
This is that... Exact technique.
Things got even more interesting. I like it!
His heart pumped in excitement, as he quickly composed himself, and jumped up to avoid the overlapping energy of fire.
"That burns, you know." He said, while in mid-air, as he brushed off the lingering fire on his uniform.
"Art of Fire," Ryo mumbled again. This time, he jumped upwards, and straight onto Ryujin.
I can't clash against that fire. But,
He snapped his fingers. In the next second, a powerful rain poured down on them, weakening Ryo's fire.
"That's more like it." He said in satisfaction as he summoned a foothold in mid-air, and prepared to propel himself back towards Ryo.
"But, are you sure?" Ryo asked, still in momentum.
"What?"
Suddenly, the pouring rain slowly slowed down. Ryujin looked all around and saw that the water was turning into ice.
"What the hell is this?!" He blurted out.
Then, from below, Kyouko followed up with a lightning strike towards Ryujin.
He ever-so swiftly slashed through it in half. Little did he know, it was just a diversion.
As he did, Arata and Haruto jumped from behind and in front of him.
"Trembling Rocks"!
"Thunderstrike!"
Both of them yelled out as they launched an attack towards him.
"That's weak! Both weak!" Ryujin quickly summoned a foothold and reassumed his stance to simultaneously cut through those attacks.
"Good. Ayane!"
"Another diversion?!"
As Ryujin was occupied, Hina summoned tree roots from below and quickly tangled themselves onto Ryujin, immobilizing him.
All that while, Ryo only continued his momentum towards Ryujin.
All was done, and all did their parts well.
All that was left was... For Ryo to deliver the final blow.
With a smooth movement, he quickly swung his sword towards Ryujin. Its fiery blade lit up even more, as it slowly nears Ryujin.
Maybe this would be the end, the hunter would finally be rendered immobilized, and unable to move.
Everyone spectating watched nervously, as Ryo's blades near Ryujin.
This is a victory...
.
.
.
Or so they thought.
"Fool!" Ryujin suddenly yelled out. With only an inch away from Ryo's blade, Ryujin quickly released himself from the shackles of Hina's roots and quickly pushed Ryo's blade away.
His force was so strong, that Ryo was thrown off-guard, and lost his sword and momentum, causing him to lose his stance, and fall onto the ground.
Ryo can't levitate nor summon an invisible foothold in mid-air. Taking advantage of this, Ryujin quickly propelled downwards towards Ryo.
He slightly began to panic, quickly looking around for things to use.
Ryujin was quickly closing on him. If he doesn't think of a way to defend himself, he'll be eliminated.
1:30 minutes left.
Everyone tried to quickly follow up. However, Ryujin's speed this time, was superior.
They can't catch up.
It's only a matter of seconds before he gets eliminated.
No weapon in hand, Ryo tried using his palms embedded with fire. However, it was proven useless. A wound was cut on his palms, as Ryujin's blade penetrated through his magic.
"I win!" Ryujin yelled out. While still falling in mid-air, Ryujin managed to reach Ryo's range, and swung his sword towards his badge.
Isn't there anything that I can do right now?!
He continuously tries to think of a way out, however, nothing comes to mind.
It's nearing... The defeat, at the end of the long battle.
Is defeat, really the ending to this battle?
...
"Hey, now." A voice, from afar mumbled. Then, a figure raised its hands up, and in the next second, a spherical time field was summoned within Ryujin's vicinity.
This field slowed the time around, giving Ryo time to escape.
He quickly caught on, and as he was nearing the ground, he twists his whole body, and landed on his feet.
1 Minute Left.
While Ryujin is still stuck mid-air, Ryo quickly took the opportunity and summoned a bird-like shaped fire on his palms.
"We passed, Ryujin." He mumbled, as he looked at Ryujin in he eye.
Then, he launched his magic, and it quickly flew towards Ryujin.
Its fire power was so strong, that it melted the spherical time magic.
Once destroyed, the fiery magic quickly ate through Ryujin, and it sent him flying away.
...
Everyone waited cautiously for Ryujin to come back...
However, each second was safely passing.
And finally, the clock hit zero, and everyone passed the entrance exam.
...