Kaito and Akira faced off in the center of the clearing, Akira's sword flashing in the dim light. Meanwhile, Hakuren and Mikage stood opposite each other, their eyes locked in a fierce stare.
"Let's begin," Kaito said, his hands weaving intricate patterns in the air.
Akira charged forward, his sword striking true. Kaito dodged and weaved, avoiding the blade with ease. But Akira was relentless, creating multiple illusions of himself to distract Kaito.
The copies danced around Kaito, each one striking a different pose, making it impossible to discern the real Akira. Kaito's eyes narrowed, his focus solely on the fight.
Meanwhile, Hakuren and Mikage clashed in a flurry of ice and flame. Mikage unleashed waves of fire that Hakuren countered with shards of ice. The two elements collided in a spectacular display of magic.
Despite his valiant efforts, Mikage stumbled backward, overwhelmed by Hakuren's sheer power. A blast of ice extinguished his flames, sending him flying across the clearing.
Hakuren approached him, his eyes gleaming with a fierce intensity. "You're holding back, Mikage. Don't."
Mikage gritted his teeth, summoning a fierce inferno that Hakuren easily countered with a wave of ice. The flames died down, and Mikage fell to the ground, defeated.
As the fight raged on, Kaito began to tire of Akira's illusions. With a swift gesture, he dispelled the copies, revealing the real Akira. "Time to end this," Kaito said, his eyes gleaming with a fierce intensity.
Akira smiled, his sword raised high. "Not yet."
Kaito caught the sword with one finger, his eyes gleaming with a fierce intensity. "Try to manifest the snake, Akira," he said, his voice low and commanding.
Akira focused, his eyes narrowing as he attempted to summon the serpent. But nothing happened. The air remained still, and the only sound was the heavy breathing of the two fighters.
Hakuren approached Mikage, who was still recovering from their battle. "Your issue, Mikage, is your mana reserve," Hakuren said, his voice firm but gentle. "You burn through it too easily. You need to learn to conserve your energy."
Mikage nodded, his eyes downcast. "I know. But it's hard to control when I'm in the heat of battle."
Hakuren placed a hand on Mikage's shoulder. "You don't have to sacrifice power for control. You can still use powerful attacks without burning through your mana. You just need to learn how to pace yourself."
Mikage looked up, determination in his eyes. "I'll do it. I'll learn to control my mana."
Meanwhile, Kaito was still holding Akira's sword, his finger unyielding. "Try again, Akira," he said, his voice dripping with challenge. "Summon the snake."
Akira gritted his teeth, focusing all his energy on manifesting the serpent. But again, nothing happened. Kaito's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with triumph.Here's the continuation:
Kaito tossed Akira and his sword aside, dismissing him like a rag doll. Akira landed hard on the ground, his sword clattering nearby.
"You two will be treated like slaves," Kaito declared, his voice cold and unforgiving. "You won't eat or drink water. Your bodies will go through hell. But at the end of these 40 days, you will notice the difference in your power levels."
Mikage's eyes widened in horror, while Akira's face set in determination.
"You can't do this!" Mikage protested, but Kaito's gaze silenced him.
"Oh, but I can," Kaito said, his smile twisted. "And I will. You see, I've been searching for individuals with potential, and you two have it in spades. But potential is nothing without the proper training. And my training methods are...unorthodox."
Akira slowly got to his feet, his eyes locked on Kaito. "We won't give up," he said, his voice firm.
Kaito chuckled. "We'll see about that. Hakuren, take them away. Let the training begin."
Hakuren nodded, his expression unreadable. He gestured to Akira and Mikage, and they reluctantly followed him, leaving Kaito's ominous presence behind.
As they walked, Mikage whispered to Akira, "What have we gotten ourselves into?"
Akira's response was a determined whisper, "We'll survive this. And we'll come out stronger."