Ichigo slowly raised his hand. A low hum filled the air. It was so quiet you could almost miss it, but the effect was instant. The ground beneath them started to tremble, sending ripples outwards as if the earth itself was breathing. Then, with a sharp hiss, magic circles on the forest floor activated, revealing more than fifty sleek wolves.
These "Cerberus Children" emerged with an unsettling grace. Their fur gleamed in the patchy sunlight filtering through the trees. Their red eyes glowed like embers, coldly and precisely scanning their surroundings. Each wolf moved in perfect unison with the others, their claws scraping lightly against the dirt as they formed a circle around Kuro's team.
Xero's grin widened, his black eye gleaming with unrestrained excitement. "Now this is what I'm talking about!" he said, lifting his massive blade onto his shoulder.
Ichigo, standing still in the noisy mess like someone leading a scary band, smiled a little at them. He was a normal person—his dark eyes were very bright, and he moved as smoothly as any good fighter. "You three?" he said, his voice quiet but with a little threat. "You're nothing compared to Fire Fly's best things. Let's see if you survive."
Kuro thought quickly, trying to figure things out. The Cerberus Children were faster and stronger than regular wolves, and they worked together perfectly, making them much more dangerous. They were hunters, made to be quick and exact, and everything they did showed that.
"Reika, Xero," Kuro said, his tone steady, his calm commanding their attention despite the rising tension. "The wolves are yours. I'll handle him."
Xero's laughter echoed through the forest, loud and reckless. "Don't have to tell me twice!" he said, launching himself forward without hesitation. His massive blade carved through the air, its edge slicing cleanly through the first wolf that lunged at him. Sparks flew as the creature's body split apart, its remains collapsing with a metallic screech.
Reika smirked, brushing her crimson hair back with an almost theatrical flair. Her hands glowed with radiant energy as she stepped into position. "Try not to die, you two," she said coolly before unleashing a wave of devastating projectiles. Each blast found its mark with pinpoint accuracy, tearing through the cybernetic wolves in a cascade of explosions.
Ichigō watched the chaos unfold, his smirk deepening. "Not bad," he said, his gaze fixed on Kuro. "But you'll need more than theatrics to survive me."
Kuro didn't respond. His sharp eyes were locked onto Ichigō, studying every detail of his stance, every subtle movement. There was no mistaking it—this man was dangerous. Not just because of the technology embedded in his body, but because of his skill and confidence. He wasn't just a creation of Fire Fly. He was a weapon, honed to perfection.
As if sensing Kuro's thoughts, Ichigō raised an eyebrow. "Analyzing me, are you? Smart. But it won't help." With a fluid motion, he drew a sleek blade from his side, its edge gleaming faintly. "Come on then, Kuro. Show me what Fire Fly's greatest failure can do."
The insult didn't faze Kuro. He stepped forward, his movements deliberate, and electricity crackled faintly around his fists. "You talk too much," he said, his voice calm and resolute.
Their clash was immediate and explosive. Ichigō's blade moved like a flash of lightning, each strike aimed with deadly precision. Kuro countered with lightning-fast reflexes, weaving through the attacks with a mix of raw speed and calculated technique. Sparks flew with every impact, the forest floor trembling under the force of their battle.
Meanwhile, Xero was a blur of motion, his blade cleaving through the Cerberus Children with reckless abandon. Each swing sent shards of metal flying, but the wolves didn't falter. They adapted, their attacks growing more coordinated as they surrounded him. "Come on!" Xero roared, his laughter wild. "Is this all you've got?"
Reika, in contrast, moved with elegant efficiency. Her energy projectiles burst in fiery explosions, obliterating wolves in precise clusters. But her sharp eyes never stopped scanning the battlefield, ready to cover Xero if his recklessness led to a mistake.
The forest had become a battlefield of sparks, fire, and fury, and at its center, Kuro and Ichigō fought like titans.
Kuro looked back at Ichigo, who was standing perfectly still in the middle of the mess, with a small smile on his lips like he was enjoying the show. All around them, the sounds of fighting were loud—Xero's loud laughing mixed with the metal screeches of the Cerberus Children being cut down by his sword, and the sharp bangs of Reika's energy attacks as she took apart their attackers one by one. But Ichigo didn't seem worried at all, his eyes fixed on Kuro like he was better than him.
"Do you even understand the power you're up against?" Ichigō asked, his tone dripping with mockery. His posture was relaxed, almost casual, as if he didn't consider Kuro a threat worth exerting himself for.
Kuro didn't respond. Words wouldn't change anything here, and he wasn't about to waste his breath. Instead, he moved.
With a sudden burst of speed, Kuro closed the distance between them in an instant, his movements fluid and almost impossible to predict. His fists crackled with electricity, the energy coursing through him like a living thing.
Ichigō reacted swiftly, his blade arm snapping up to intercept Kuro's advance. The metallic edge whistled through the air, but Kuro slipped past it with effortless precision, ducking low and driving a lightning-infused palm strike toward Ichigō's torso.
Ichigō twisted away, his counterstrike coming as fast as a coiled viper. Kuro leaned back just in time, the blade slicing through the space where his throat had been a split second earlier.
Each exchange was like a carefully choreographed storm. The forest around them seemed to tremble under the force of their blows, the impact sending shockwaves rippling through the air. Sparks of electricity and faint trails of energy illuminated the gloom, their battle casting flickering light onto the ancient trees.