30 Chapter 30 - Riku's end 

Have you ever experienced your body being torn apart at a cellular level, over and over again? No? Well, consider yourself fortunate. Ryu, unfortunately, couldn't say the same. After all, the process of strengthening the body involves muscles being torn during training and then rebuilt to be even more robust. However, in Ryu's case, it wasn't just a small portion of his muscles being affected—it was his entire body. His muscles, bones, organs, and everything else were all being torn apart and rebuilt simultaneously.

The pain was excruciating, nearly causing Ryu to lose consciousness. He considered altering his brain to dull the pain as he had done before, but he was in the midst of a complex transformation and didn't want to risk any complications. Fortunately, due to the intensity of his enhanced healing factor, the agonizing process didn't last long, taking only about a minute to complete.

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"Ugh... Is it over?" Ryu wondered aloud. He could sense a significant transformation in his body; it felt more agile and responsive than before. Gripping his hand tightly, he noticed the muscles and veins bulging more prominently than they ever had. Despite retaining the same height and appearance as a twelve-year-old, Ryu now had an astonishingly muscular physique, which worked to his advantage. All the power he possessed would be concentrated in his small yet mighty fists.

Without hesitation, Ryu used the Flicker Jutsu to move toward Riku with such force that a crater formed in the ground where he had been standing just moments before.

Riku and Daisuke found themselves locked in combat within a crater. Riku had destroyed the surrounding area to force Daisuke into close-quarters combat, and the contrast between the two shinobi's preferred fighting styles was evident. Daisuke had just crouched down to dodge a strike from Riku, seizing the opportunity to lunge forward and attempt to stab Riku's exposed chest. However, Riku managed to block the strike by stepping on the guard of Daisuke's sword. Just as Riku was about to land a hit on the vulnerable Daisuke, Ryu burst onto the scene.

Riku barely had time to register what was happening when Ryu's chakra-infused fist collided with his chest. "Ryu?!" Daisuke exclaimed in surprise. He knew Ryu wasn't much of a fighter, or at least he had thought Ryu wasn't at this level of skill. But that speed was simply astonishing.

"Daisuke, I have a score to settle with this guy. Go take care of the others," Ryu said as he dashed forward, giving Daisuke no time to respond.

Ryu manipulated the air near his hand, forming a replica of the Silver Eagle. The gleaming sword caught the sunlight as Ryu faced Riku with determination. "Who are you, kid? There isn't anyone like you in our files!" Riku demanded.

"I'm Haru's son, and here to avenge him!" Ryu declared, slashing at Riku with Silver Eagle.

Thinking quickly, Riku raised his sword defensively, attempting to protect himself from Ryu's attack. However, it was to no avail. Ryu had instinctively identified the weak point in Riku's stance, and as he bypassed the sword and slashed Riku's thigh, a torrent of memories flooded Ryu's mind. The memories were of Riku's grueling training sessions, where he honed his mastery of that specific form. Ryu yelped in pain from the sudden influx of information and staggered, giving Riku the opportunity he needed to back away and regain his footing.

'That was strange, he found the exact weak point of my stance immediately. What's going on?' Riku wondered as he studied Ryu cautiously. Ryu, driven by sheer determination and anger, suppressed the pain and refused to let this chance slip through his fingers. A small crater formed beneath him as he launched forward once more.

Riku's instincts kicked in, instantly raising his katana to meet Ryu's ferocious strike. Their blades collided with a thunderous clang, sparks erupting as steel clashed against steel. Fueled by rage, Ryu moved with a frenzied agility, twisting his body and spinning around Riku's attack. He harnessed his smaller size and leaped into the air, completing a swift aerial flip before landing behind Riku and viciously slashing at his back.

Riku barely managed to turn in time, his sword intercepting Ryu's attack with a desperate parry. He counterattacked, his blade slicing through the air with deadly precision and speed. Ryu anticipated the move and evaded the razor-sharp edge of Riku's katana with a graceful roll to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp edge of Riku's katana.

Ryu feinted to the left, then violently changed direction, delivering a swift horizontal cut at Riku's chest. Riku countered by stepping back hastily, narrowly avoiding Ryu's blade, before lunging forward with a powerful thrust aimed at Ryu's heart.

Ryu twisted his body to the side, Riku's blade narrowly missing him. With a snarl, he spun around, his sword arcing in a wide, sweeping motion. Riku raised his own sword to block the attack, the force of the blow rattling his arm and forcing him to retreat.

The air crackled with tension as Riku and Ryu circled each other, each warrior's eyes locked onto the other's, gauging their movements. With an explosive burst of speed, Ryu lunged forward, his sword aimed at Riku's chest in a swift thrust fueled by his desire for vengeance. Riku, reacting with equal speed, barely managed to parry the attack, his katana's flat edge meeting Ryu's blade and redirecting it to the side.

Seizing the momentary opening, Riku unleashed a diagonal slash towards Ryu's shoulder. Ryu, nimble and quick, deflected the strike with a flick of his wrist, sending Riku's blade off course. In a fluid motion, Ryu retaliated with a low sweep aimed at Riku's legs.

Riku, displaying remarkable agility, leaped into the air to avoid Ryu's attack. As he descended, he brought his katana down in a powerful overhead strike. Ryu, anticipating the move, sidestepped and launched a counterattack, his sword slicing through the air in a rapid upward arc.

Riku barely managed to crouch in time, evading Ryu's powerful strike. Seizing the opportunity, he used his low position to spring upwards, his sword thrusting toward Ryu's exposed abdomen. Ryu, however, reacted with lightning speed. He skillfully stepped on the guard of Riku's katana, blocking the attack and throwing Riku off balance. In a fluid motion, Ryu slashed at Riku's exposed back.

Riku couldn't avoid the strike this time. He grimaced in shock and pain as the blade sliced through his defenses, leaving a searing wound in its wake. With Riku momentarily stunned, Ryu capitalized on his advantage, his eyes blazing with anger as he delivered a powerful kick to Riku's face. The sheer force of the blow sent Riku hurtling backward, crashing into a massive boulder nearly a hundred meters away.

Gasping in pain, Riku tried to make sense of what had just transpired. The moves Ryu had used, they were his own! From the masterfully executed slashes and stabs to the identical stances and dodges, even the counter of stepping on an enemy's sword guard. The level of skill required to pull off such intricate techniques was simply astounding. He was supposed to be the only one capable of such feats!

And yet, how was it possible that a twelve-year-old was competing with him, an S-rank swordsman? Not only was he the most renowned Kenjutsu user in the Mist, a hidden village famous for its swordsmen, but he might also have been the greatest swordsman in the world. And yet, this kid could mimic his moves with ease. How could the son of a blacksmith fight like that?

Ryu, though he hid it well, was also struggling. As he had used Riku's skills in rapid succession, memories of Riku's extensive training to master those moves flooded his mind. But other memories began to surface as well – memories of Riku laughing with his father. What? Ryu needed answers, so he used his right eye on Riku, discovering something he had hoped he wouldn't.

He saw a memory of Riku standing solemnly before a makeshift grave – Ryu recognized it as his mother's. What was Riku doing there, and how had he found it in the first place?

"I'm sorry, Akane... I never meant for this to happen. Even though you were an enemy, you brought true happiness to Haru, and as his friend, I'm grateful for that... I fear my relationship with Haru is forever ruined. He must see me as a demon now. Ugh, why did it have to end this way? You were both supposed to be taken alive!

If I find the person who defied that order, I swear I'll— but it won't change anything now. Choosing between my village and Haru was the hardest decision I've ever made. I hope I chose correctly..." Riku stood in silence for another moment before vanishing.

Ryu stared at Riku, his emotions churning like a tempest. He knew that no one did anything without reason – even the most wicked of men believed their cause to be just. But experiencing it from their perspective was an entirely different matter. He understood Riku's thought process and struggles as if they were his own.

How could he maintain his rage against someone like that? His quest for vengeance would not be fulfilled this way, and he wouldn't even find satisfaction in killing Riku. But someone had to pay! Who would take responsibility? It was the Mist that had turned Riku against his father, just one more atrocity they had committed against him. He would eradicate them! That should be enough, right? As for Riku, he should just die quickly.

Riku had barely managed to stand when Ryu transformed the air in front of his face into a longsword, impaling him and ending his life in an instant.

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So I saw several comments about the memory mix thing. Don't worry, there will be a solution, but I think it's worth playing with a bit. Don't you think it's interesting how this will affect him? I really like exploring this, I find it fascinating. Don't worry though, I'll try to not hammer it too hard in the future. But it will be present for now.