She boosted herself with fire, and suddenly, she was in front of Yunosuke again. The weakness of water manacians lie in close combat was undeniable; any decent water manacian knew that. Water manacians required large, sweeping arm movements due to the sheer mass of water. Since joining Scorn, Yunosuke had been hammered with this fact for the past two weeks. Despite countless spars with Fuji, Mizu, and Gino, he couldn't find a way to counter this limitation. His frantic thoughts were abruptly cut off by a powerful, fire-boosted punch to his abdomen, sending him crashing into the wall behind the flag stand.
Kana sprinted forward again, her eyes blazing with determination.
"ARGH..." Yunosuke screamed, pain shooting through his body as he struggled to lift his arm.
"AHHHH!!!" He swung his entire body instead, summoning a massive wave of water that crashed in from the side. With a desperate motion, he stretched the wave around himself and the flag, then clenched his fist, forming a gigantic, three-meter-thick ice dome around him. He pushed himself up, leaning heavily against the wall, and watched through blurred vision as Kana relentlessly tried to melt through the ice.
"ACK," he groaned, wincing as he accidentally stretched his wound. "Vice Captain... it's up to you now...
. . .
"What's this?… you think you can stop me?" Hyun growled, his concern barely masked as explosions rocked the area near the flag. "I have to go," he muttered, breaking into a sprint. His eyes darted around frantically for water sources, but the earth manacian had it all meticulously planned. He knew exactly where each high-ranking person would be, leaving their base defences critically vulnerable.
"Isn't that right, Kazami Quon… the only Quon in this school," Hyun hissed as he slowed to a halt before the earth manacian blocked his path. "You really think you can beat me?" Hyun sneered.
"You don't have water, you sitting duck." Hyun's eyes flickered around, desperate.
"There's plenty right here." He thrust his arms high, and water began to gather from the surroundings—not from the atmosphere, but from the trees themselves, forming a massive sphere above him. Kazami stood motionless, watching.
"Now uh… I need to get going," Hyun said, gesturing sharply. The water morphed into a wave that solidified as he leapt onto it. The wave alternated between liquid and solid, propelling him forward without using any additional water. "I heard all the Quons are crazy… it seems my suspicions have been wr—" Before he could finish, Kazami smashed his palm into the ground, conjuring a massive wave of earth that surged in all directions. Hyun leapt from his ice slide, instantly liquefying it to prevent shattering. With a fierce burst of motion, he splayed his fingers, sending a barrage of icicles from the hovering water sphere. Kazami remained unfazed, raising a wall beside him to block the assault. Hyun re-solidified the water into ice with a fluid gesture, landing back on his slide. Kazami punched the ground again, sending jagged spikes shooting towards Hyun's water slide.
"Oh boy…" Hyun muttered as the spikes grew increasingly closer.
. . .
"Jun… Gino… Mizu… y'all be against me for today." "…Inio Furata… One of the new 1st years that joined Drifters right before the competition…" Mizu said.
The first-year student with sunglasses stood before them, his uniquely red hair waving strongly in the gusts of wind that swept through the forest. It seemed natural, yet somehow not. They struggled to stay standing against the force of the wind.
"Have I caught that much attention? I just wanted to test my skills!" Inio said as he bit his thumb, causing blood to leak out.
"As you can see, there's no water here, so why not improvise?" he continued as the blood slowly turned and formed an extremely sharp red sword that was completely solid.
"What in the…" Mizu uttered, awestruck. He found it hard to believe anyone could control anything besides the base element. Water alone requires a large amount of mana to grasp and move. Even small movements can drain a fire manacian's entire mana pool. Moreover, controlling the small amount of water in blood requires not only more mana but also exceptional skill in liquid manipulation.
"What is that, Mizu?" Jun asked, bewildered.
"It's a blade made of blood, you dummy. Can't you tell?" Mizu replied with a hint of sarcasm, still unable to believe what he saw.
"So, my eyes are correct," Gino declared.
"Stop talking and start striking, guys. Talking won't get us anywhere!" Jun snapped, clenching his fist. In an instant, two cuffs materialised around Inio's feet, anchoring him to the ground. Gino swiftly followed, unfurling his fingers from a fist, sending shards of rock hurtling towards Inio.
"Ah, fuck…" Gino muttered.
"This guy… he's a genius Water manacian," he said, frustration evident in his voice.
"Then do something about him!" Gino urged.
"Aight, I'mma head out," Mizu responded, his tone heavy with concern. "Damn... his control is immaculate. If he really is as good as I think he is, I doubt there's any way the three of us will win against him. He can control his blood without any finger movements. Earth manacians cuffing him won't work... How about we throw large boulders at him quickly?"
"Alright, boss…!!" Gino and Jun roared in unison, stomping the ground as countless large chunks of rock lifted into the air. With focused punches, they rapidly sent the rocks hurtling toward their opponent.
"Now, this is a challenge!!" Inio bellowed, slashing his sword rapidly—forward, sideways, relentless. Despite his skill, he was getting overwhelmed.
"Jun, Iron Maiden!" Gino commanded urgently.
"Iron Maiden!" Jun shouted fists clasped together. Rocks from the surroundings shot towards Inio, aiming to overwhelm him.
"BLOOD TECHNIQUE: EYE BASKET!!" Inio shouted fiercely, swinging his arm out. His sword vanished, replaced by nearly invisible strands of blood tethered to his fingers. With a twitch of his fingers, a dome formed around him, the strands overlapping tightly with no gaps larger than a fist.
As the rocks closed in, they were effortlessly sliced apart.
Mizu clapped his hands together, and ice patches began forming on Inio's fingers. His movements stiffened, his control faltering.
"Tsk," Inio clicked his tongue in annoyance as larger patches of ice spread around his body.
While fire manacians might easily handle ice, water and earth manacians posed a different challenge. Inio's strategy was clear—to overpower the ice with his mana and control it. Yet...
Inio glanced back at Mizu, finding him still in a prayer-like stance with clasped hands. He struggled relentlessly, but nothing seemed to work. The relentless barrage of boulders from Gino and Jun only compounded his predicament. With no choice, he retracted the blood strings into a sword and swung it desperately at the incoming rocks. However, the encroaching patches of ice slowed him down, and soon, the boulders began landing, cracking the ice in some spots. Mizu's unwavering technique swiftly restored and reinforced the icy defence.
"Can't believe those third-rate family fuckers forced me to do this… ARGH… HAIZZZZZ!" Inio roared in frustration, his annoyance palpable.
Regaining focus, he looked up, fists clenched together. "Blood technique: Skewered Morning Star!" he bellowed. Suddenly, spikes shot outward from his body, shattering the ice and demolishing the surrounding boulders in one devastating sweep. As the spikes withdrew, gaping holes marred his skin, yet blood loss remained minimal.
"He must be controlling the flow…" Mizu thought, watching intently as he flexed his fingers.
. . .
Yunosuke stood in the centre of the icy dome. His breath was visible in the cold air, and his determination was palpable despite his exhaustion. The sound of cracking ice echoed around him, each fissure sending shivers down his spine. Kana's muffled voice could be heard from beyond the freezing barrier, her frustration and impatience seeping through the thickening tension.
Inside, Yunosuke's mind raced with plans and contingencies. He knew he had to act quickly before the dome gave way entirely. His hands trembled slightly as he focused, channelling his remaining energy into the icy prison that enclosed them both.
"Enough," Yunosuke murmured, his voice barely audible over the cracking ice. "I've already let down my father's expectations. But I refuse to disappoint my squad. I am of the Four Great Families. I don't need pride to fight. I crave victory just as much as anyone!"
His words hung in the frigid air, a vow forged in the heat of battle. The icy dome around him trembled with his resolve, his determination resonating through every crystalline shard. With each breath, he steeled himself against doubt, against the chill that threatened to freeze his spirit.
Ignoring the pain, Yunosuke summoned the water around him, willing it to respond to his commands. The icy water enveloped his fists, forming sharp icicles that gleamed in the dim light filtering through the dome.
"This is all I can do now," he thought grimly, his mind clear and focused despite the chaos around him. He positioned himself strategically with precise movements, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Kana's frustration grew outside the dome as she sensed the weakening structure around her. She pounded on the ice, her flame-coated fists leaving small indentations, her desperation growing with each passing second.
Inside, Yunosuke waited patiently, his heart pounding in anticipation. The dome continued to thin, each passing moment bringing him closer to his decisive move.
As the tension dissipated, Yunosuke stood in the aftermath, his chest heaving with exertion. Now brittle and fragile, the dome began to collapse around them, its purpose fulfilled.
Then, with a sudden rush of adrenaline, Yunosuke sprang into action. He melted the ice near Kana's position just enough to weaken it, then swiftly pushed her off balance, sending her crashing into the frigid water below. Before she could react, he trapped her limbs with his icy constructs, immobilising her completely.
Time seemed to slow as Yunosuke raised his icy weapons, their deadly tips glinting in the subdued light. His resolve hardened as he aimed for his target, knowing that this moment would determine everything.
. . .
"Hah!" Jin swung his left leg towards Yata's right face.
Yata backflipped and kicked Jin's chin before landing again and jumping right back in for a punch. Jin's close combat experience was not top-tier. He managed to get second place last time because it is easy to win against anyone who is not an air manacian within his territory. Something he was very proud of… until today when he found its weakness… and to top it all off… Yata has even more close combat experience than him.
But the thing is... Jin is no longer just aiming to beat the opponent in front of him... he is planning something else.
Jin sprang into action when Yatagarasu closed the distance with his jumping punch. Dodging the punch, he grabbed Yata's wrist and, turning around, stepped back and pushed his hips up while pulling on Yata's wrist, causing him to lift off the ground. Jin followed through with the motion, slamming Yata into the ground.
Jin smirked. He pulled Yatagarasu's wrist and shoved his arm into the swirling circle of air.
While there was no pain, Jin finally let go of Yata's wrist. The ring was gone. Without it, Yata's control over the territory weakened, reducing the fierce winds to a gentle breeze.
"YONU, YOU BETTER GET OUT OF THERE!" Jin shouted, but he knew to no avail.
Yatagarasu reacted instantly, kicking Jin's leg from the ground and causing him to fall. As Jin hit the ground, Yata looked at his wrist and realised the ring was gone. He tried to track his territory's mana, but the sheer amount swirling around him was overwhelming.
"ARGH," Yata groaned as he got back up.
"Do you really think you can win?" Yata said, eyes blazing with anger.
"Let's try those close combat moves again, huh?" Jin replied, wiping the blood off his lips and resuming his stance, determination etched on his face.
. . .
'The winds are growing weaker…'
'It must be Jin's doing,' I thought, firing off flames beneath my feet and palms, lifting myself, Yuuki, and Wano. But the turbulent winds still affected the flight as I started swaying, eventually falling back down.
'FUCK…' I got up, dusted myself off, and scratched my head. 'Okay, sorry, but change of plans. We can't afford to waste more time. Since it's weakening… I'll go out first. If you guys get the chance, follow me. I'm sorry to leave you behind.'
"No problem." "Win it for us!"
They said as I reignited the flames below me. This time, it was much easier. I shot upwards in a single burst, instantly overcoming all the turbulence. The next thing I knew, I was above the vortex. I looked down to see the flag just sitting there.
'LETS GO!' I yelled, bursting towards the flag. But suddenly, slabs of earth rose from beneath.
'ACKK!!' I stopped the flames at my feet and released a burst from my palms aimed downward, causing me to fly upward. I was right above the flag when—
'FUCK!' I yelled as a slab of earth flew from the side, covering the flag just as I flew past it. I shot flames from my feet again to slow myself down.
I looked up to see a not-so-familiar face.
'Who the hell are you?'
"Kazami Quon."
###
Inio Furata --- Element: Water , Year: 1st , Rank: 509