Akashi vs Raiga (1)

"...First is that cockroach of a betrayer, and now, a boy." Raiga bickered as he walked at me, with his eyes locked on Ryuma that I currently was holding onto, "But whatever, fine. I was hoping to see you again anyway."

I didn't reply. Instead, knowing that Gin has managed to move himself to some distance away, behind the tall bushes, I secretly sighed in relief that Raiga won't use Gin as the hostage to bargain for Ryuma.

One versus one without any interruption.

'...A piece of cake.'

Gathering my resolve, I dashed at the unfazed Raiga, and initiated the battle by slashing my sword upward.

BOOOM!

The sparks shot out everywhere as the fire and lightning collided. Raiga's right arm that held onto the sword was knocked back slightly as the result.

<Swing straight down, quickly and smoothly.>

Using my right foot to push myself slightly off the ground, I spun in the midair before swinging Ryuma down powerfully. Raiga met it with his other sword on the left hand.

BOOOM!

<Swing up diagonally without loss of strength.>

Along with another round of spark, I placed my right foot back on the ground, before immediately moving my swung-down sword back up, diagonally.

Raiga blocked this strike with both his swords, adding up the overall voltage of the electricity on his swords.

PAZZZZZZZ!!!

The potent lightning forced me into a struggle, trying to make my grip on Ryuma loosen. Although I was safe from being electrocuted, the vibrations from Raiga's Kiba made my arms numb.

<Gain momentum by using enemy's force, and turn around,>

Sliding Ryuma to my left while taking a step forward, I spun around rapidly counter-clockwise, ending the struggle between the swords.

<And stab. This is the basis of my style.>

With vigorous flame blazing around Ryuma I stabbed the blade forth to Raiga,

BOOOOM!

Who parried by slamming both his swords on the left side of Ryuma.

"Full of unnecessary movements." Raiga stated with a snort, "Only fit for the idiots who love to spin around for no reason."

His whole body began to crackle with the potent electricity, giving off a ferocious vibe. Then, he leaned his top forward as if about to fall, before blasting himself at me at a quick speed.

PAZZZZZ!

I lowered my body and parried Raiga's swords by swinging Ryuma up vertically, over my head.

'Body Replacement technique!'

Then, I quickly swapped my body with the nearby tree stump just in time, as the tree stump was immediately shredded apart into pieces by Raiga's electricity-imbued swords.

'Gin's style is unnecessarily excessive just as you say, Raiga. However, that is the exact reason why it was the perfect set of movements to learn.'

Along with Ryuma, the indestructible sword that won't melt from my fire, and the insights that I've gained from Gin's style, there was so much more that I could do.

PAZZZZZ!!

And now, when Raiga launched himself again and was right before my face in an instance,

CLANG!

I intentionally extinguished the fire from Ryuma, parrying Raiga's swords with nothing but metallic noises.

Then,

"Lightning Release,"

In this instance where Raiga and I were now back to back, we spun around at the same time. Raiga slashed his twin blades horizontally, intending to cut me into three pieces in one go. My skin tingled from the electrifying sparks that stung from the air, indicating just how intense Raiga's lightning was.

"Dual Lightning Flash Strike!"

'Focus.'

I breathed as I loosened the strength from my shoulders. Gripping firmly onto Ryuma, the fire—even more vigorous than before—has reignited around the blade once again,

'Don't fight against it.'

I placed the blade of Ryuma on the path of the approaching Kibas, and gently moved upon the contact.

The fire swarmed and flowed smoothly, enveloping the violent electricity.

'Let it flow.'

Ryuma smoothly slipped past the blades of Kiba, generating the unpleasant screech of metals scraping against one another, before,

PAZZZZZZ!!

causing the built-up energy of the twin swords to strike the tree bark in the front.

'Though the involvement of many spins isn't as practical, I've learnt a lot from Gin's style.'

I continued my spin by using the momentum from Raiga's attack. The fire around Ryuma has become even stronger by Raiga's electricity, blazing brilliantly to a frightening degree.

'Enhance my body with chakra, reinforce my physical capability, and take in a deep breath—then begin.'

I took in a deep breath as the fire-coated Ryuma began its assault on Raiga, who was seen with sweat due to the intense heat,

"Torrent of Fire."

BOOOOM!!

The initial clash between Ryuma and Kibas generated another explosion. However, even using the force from the explosion as the momentum, I spun once again, before slamming Ryuma onto Raiga again—with even more strength.

BOOOOOM!!

Then, by using Raiga's strength, turn the other way. Spin again, and use this rotational force to reinforce my own.

BOOOOOOM!!

"Krugh...!!!!" Raiga grimaced as he was sent skidding back from my third blow.

Then fourth. Fifth. Sixth. Seventh. Without stopping, I repeated spin after spin, bombarding Raiga with non-ending sword strikes.

Raiga held his breath as he was sent flying in the air by my seventh strike.

"Huu..." The key to this non-ending strikes of mine lied in breathing. I couldn't afford to take another breath, but continue moving with my body rapidly using up the oxygen; once I breath, my body will relax, and I will lose my momentum.

Enduring the stress on my lungs, I blasted myself from the ground along with the spin to build up even further rotational velocity, before meeting Raiga's Kibas with Ryuma once again.

BOOOOOOOM!!

"Ugh... damn it!!" Raiga cursed as he was knocked by another sword strike. With visible trouble in his expression, he formed a single-hand-seal, "Water Release: Water Clone technique!"

Out of thin air, the moisture condensed into two water clones of Raiga, which then made the series of hand seals as I rapidly approached Raiga in midair.

"Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder!"

"Water Release: Water Gun!"

The short burst of lightning spread onto the condensed stream of water, which shot at me ferociously. Simultaneously, Raiga placed his feet on the vertical plane of one tree, before shooting himself directly at me.

With my teeth gritted, I met Raiga's combined attacks with my enhanced fire-coated Ryuma.

BOOOOOOOM!!

Upon the collision, the chaotic explosion involving fire, lightning, and water occurred, causing me to finally release my breath as I was sent knocked back.

"Haa... haa... haa..." Landing back on the ground, I supported my weight with Ryuma to prevent myself from falling. I was currently experiencing shortness of breath.

"...Boy." Raiga, who too landed at some distance away with some signs of exhaustion on his face, then spoke up, "What's your name?"

My eyes narrowed, "What, haa, got you interested?"

"Your formidable strength." Raiga then grinned with a mix of craziness and rage, "I'd at least have to know the name of my noteworthy victim, don't you agree?"

Asking for my name in the middle of the battle all of a sudden. This man surely had a huge ego, being able to become casual in midst of a fight.

Raiga wasn't an idiot. I suspected that Raiga was aware of Gin being nearby. Yet, out of arrogance alone, and having assessed already that Gin was bound to die soon or later, he decided to focus on the fact that I currently am the one on hold of Ryuma. And I was glad, though it only made my situation slightly better.

Currently, my hands were shaking slightly from the intense vibrations that I felt every time Ryuma met Kiba. I was slowly running out of chakra as well, and I knew that I won't be able to outlast the infamous 'Thunder of the Hidden Mist' in terms of stamina either.

Though I didn't show it, I've been carrying this subtle feeling of fear in this battle. My hands were sweaty from the heat of my fire and the intense atmosphere. A single mistake will lead me right to my death, and I could feel it within my instinct, that Raiga wasn't going all out.

Nonetheless, I determined.

'I am not going to die. I am not going to lose. I am going to destroy that madman, and show Gin of what he managed to achieve.'

Never give up. If it's impossible, make it possible.

Therefore, I replied Raiga's casual question coldly and daringly, "Though dead man tells no tales, I've got no name to sprout out for the likes of you."

"...How boring." After a momentary silence, Raiga stabbed his swords into the ground momentarily and cracked his neck, "Fine then. Enjoy your funeral, unnamed boy."

He then pulled his swords back up, before charging at me at an even faster speed,

CLANG!

I gritted my teeth as I met Raiga's sudden strike with Ryuma.

Raiga said with a still grin, "It's time for round two."