Push
At the stroke of midnight, the tranquil expanse of the towering mountain ruptured into a chaotic spectacle of flames. From the heart of the conflagration emerged figures ablaze, their agonized forms swiftly consumed until naught remained but ash. Amidst the inferno, with eyes gleaming malevolence, stood Hiyoku, clutching a shimmering purple gem. Emerging from the blaze, he sauntered forth and leaned against the gnarled trunk of a nearby tree.
"Verte! I've secured the artifact," Hiyoku announced, his voice tinged with triumph.
In a puff of pink smoke, Verte materialized beside him. "Excellent. That marks the retrieval of the final artifact. Your training nears its conclusion," she replied with satisfaction.
Grinning, Hiyoku recounted the trials he had endured, his words brimming with genuine enthusiasm. "This has been the most exhilarating training regimen! From fleeing earth elementals on treacherous slopes to battling arboreal denizens in a perilous forest, your tutelage has been nothing short of thrilling. And that exercise with the jar, channeling all my magic into it for a week? Intense, but so rewarding!"
Verte regarded him with a hint of skepticism. "Are you being sarcastic?" she inquired, uncertain.
"Does it sound like I'm being sarcastic?" Hiyoku retorted, his tone earnest. "Because I'm not."
"Ah, I see," Verte conceded, somewhat taken aback.
Eagerly, Hiyoku inquired about their next steps. "What's next on the agenda?"
"Now that we've recovered all 250 magical artifacts, it's time to proceed to the final stage of your training," Verte revealed.
"Is it a sparring match with you? Because I'm pretty confident I could defeat you without further training," Hiyoku boasted.
Surprised by his sudden aggression, Verte attempted to reason with him. "Where is all this aggression coming from?"
"Because I crave a challenge! I feel stronger than ever, and I'm hungry for a real fight," Hiyoku declared passionately. "Wasting my power on weak opponents won't satisfy that hunger!"
Though reluctant, Verte agreed to spar with him, opting for a more expansive and less combustible setting. Twenty minutes later, they found themselves on an open plain, facing each other with determined expressions.
"Ready?" Hiyoku inquired eagerly.
"Yes, let's begin. But remember, I'll be holding back," Verte cautioned.
With a swift movement, Hiyoku vanished from sight, leaving Verte momentarily perplexed by his newfound speed. Suddenly, he reappeared above her, a fiery orb clenched in his grasp.
As Verte pondered the magnitude of the power contained within the blazing sphere, Hiyoku hurled it downward, unleashing a cataclysmic explosion that engulfed the entire thirteen-acre field in flames, leaving behind a charred chasm five times deeper than it was wide.
Emerging unscathed from the inferno, Verte materialized behind Hiyoku, her expression a mixture of awe and apprehension.
Verte's resolve hardened as she faced her opponent, a flicker of determination in her eyes. "I'm not holding back anymore," she declared, her voice firm.
A massive stone pillar erupted from the scorched earth, a testament to her newfound resolve.
"Fine with me!!!" Hiyoku responded, undeterred.
"Soul Magic: Soul Lock," Verte intoned, her voice commanding.
Caught off guard, Hiyoku found himself enveloped in darkness, his body impaled by golden rods from all sides. Panic gripped him as he struggled against his immobilization. "I can't move..."
From Verte's perspective, Hiyoku's body slumped onto the pillar, her landing beside him deliberate.
"Sorry Hiyoku, but I think I've won this fight. Spell Magic: Body Lock," Verte announced, her tone tinged with regret as chains ensnared Hiyoku, rendering him helpless.
Determined not to succumb, Hiyoku fought against his restraints, his spirit burning bright with defiance. "No way I lose like this!!!"
"Soul Lock is a soul seal that removes the soul and immobilizes it," Verte explained, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Body Lock completely immobilizes one's body, making them unable to perform any techniques. I'll release him after I'm done fixing this environment-"
Suddenly, Hiyoku's body erupted in a fiery yellow aura, defying the constraints of Verte's magic.
"What... how? You can't use magic..." Verte gasped, taken aback by Hiyoku's unexpected resilience.
"My will... will get me through this!!!" Hiyoku declared, his soul igniting with determination as the chains burned away.
With an indomitable spirit, Hiyoku rose to his feet, his fiery aura ablaze with newfound strength.
Verte could only watch in awe as Hiyoku defied the odds. "Impressive, I yield," she admitted, acknowledging his resilience.
"Awww, WHAT!? IT JUST STARTED?!" Hiyoku protested, his enthusiasm undiminished.
"Well, I could have killed you..." Verte replied with a hint of amusement.
"If you say so! Where do we go from here?" Hiyoku inquired eagerly.
"Straight behind you," Verte replied cryptically.
"Perfect," Hiyoku agreed, his aura dissipating as he leaped off the pillar into the air.
As Verte contemplated the events of the night, she couldn't help but acknowledge Hiyoku's strength. "Who am I kidding, he could have killed me," she admitted to herself.
The following day, Hiyoku and Verte found themselves in a bustling city. Verte awoke in her inn room to the distant roar of a crowd, signaling a new chapter in their journey.
"What is that sound?" Verte questioned, her curiosity piqued as she glanced out of her window to behold an ocean of people flooding the streets below.
"What the-" she began, interrupted by the overwhelming sight before her.
Six minutes later, Verte hurriedly exited her room, her heart racing as she reached for Hiyoku's supposed dwelling. To no one's surprise, he was nowhere to be found.
"Hiyoku," she called out, her voice tinged with urgency.
Stepping outside the inn, Verte was immediately swept up in the throng of people crowding the doorway.
"What's... going on!?" she exclaimed, bewildered by the chaos.
A random civilian's voice broke through the commotion. "Habiwa Boko! He's here," they shouted.
"Habiwa Boko? Why does that sound familiar?" Verte wondered aloud.
Suddenly, a figure plummeted from above, landing heavily in front of Verte, their face marred with bruises.
"Where did he come from??" Verte exclaimed, taken aback by the unexpected arrival.
Before she could gather her bearings, five more figures descended from the sky, joining the first in a menacing display.
"Hiyoku," Verte muttered, a sense of foreboding creeping over her.
Meanwhile, Hiyoku surged through the crowd, fists flying as he pushed through the throng of bodies.
"Out of my way!!!" he bellowed, his voice drowned out by the clamor of the crowd.
Random voices cried out in pain as Hiyoku's path carved through the masses.
"Hiyoku!!!" Verte's voice pierced through the chaos, drawing his attention.
"What, where?" Hiyoku responded, searching for the source of her voice.
Above him, Verte soared on a pink star, extending a hand for him to grab onto.
"Grab on!" she urged, her voice urgent.
Hiyoku seized one of the star's points as the crowd below clamored for their capture.
"Hey, they're flying! Get them!!!" a voice from below shouted.
Twenty people latched onto Hiyoku's leg, attempting to pull him down.
"I DON'T THINK SO, BOZOS!" Hiyoku retorted, charging up a fireball and aiming it at their assailants.
"Hiyoku!" Verte called out, her concern evident.
The star accelerated, shaking off their pursuers as it ascended higher into the sky.
"Do you have to be so reckless?" Verte chided, her voice tinged with exasperation.
"YES!" Hiyoku responded, his determination unwavering.
As they soared above the city, Verte's gaze fell upon a large stage surrounded by a sea of people.
"Oh, there's where everyone's going," she remarked, her curiosity piqued by the spectacle below.
"I'M GOING DOWN!" Hiyoku's voice boomed through the air, determination evident in his tone.
"Wait, Hiyoku!!!" Verte cried out, her voice filled with concern.
With a resolute gesture, Hiyoku released his grip on the star and descended directly into the midst of the crowd.
"HEY, HE SKIPPED THE LINE!" a random civilian shouted indignantly.
"Sucks for him! He's one person late for the free V.I.P. entries, HE'S GOTTA PAY LIKE THE REST OF US," another chimed in with disdain.
"That's what dirty cheaters like you get!" a third voice added, their resentment palpable.
"What are you guys so angry about?" Hiyoku questioned, perplexed by the hostility.
A large, muscular bouncer stepped forward, blocking Hiyoku's path. "Money please?" he demanded.
"Money? For what?" Hiyoku queried, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"For the Habiwa Boko fan meet and greet," the bouncer explained tersely.
"Oh, not interested," Hiyoku replied dismissively.
"Okay, then could you politely go to the back of the line, kid?" the bouncer requested.
"No can do, I'm beating the ever-loving shit out of that Haweeba Buko guy for WAKING ME UP!!!" Hiyoku declared, his frustration bubbling to the surface.
"Sorry, I can't let you do that," the bouncer responded firmly.
"What are you going to do about it?" Hiyoku challenged, a hint of defiance in his voice.
Without hesitation, the bouncer cracked his knuckles and aimed a punch at Hiyoku's jaw. But to his surprise, Hiyoku didn't even flinch.
"Cute. We're fighting now?" Hiyoku remarked casually, unfazed by the blow.
"What the hell!?" the bouncer exclaimed, taken aback by Hiyoku's resilience.
With lightning speed, Hiyoku seized the bouncer's arm and effortlessly tossed him into the ocean of people.
"THERE'S NO BOUNCER!!! CHARGE!!!" a random civilian voice shouted, inciting chaos among the crowd.
"Defensive Magic: Barrier!!!" Verte reacted swiftly, conjuring a protective shield that enveloped the entire stage, isolating Verte, Hiyoku, and a few others in close proximity from the surging mass of people.
"Hiyoku, you almost got hit by a stampede of people!" Verte admonished, her concern evident in her voice.
Angry citizens pounded on the barrier, demanding entry. "LET US IN!!!" they shouted in frustration.
"Hiyoku, this better be worth it. At this point, we are basically enemies of the city," Verte warned, her tone grave.
"Revenge is always worth it," Hiyoku retorted, his resolve unyielding.
Two minutes later, Hiyoku and Verte found themselves backstage, the absence of security notable.
"This place is really empty, no security or anything," Hiyoku observed, scanning the surroundings.
"That's because we are confident in the abilities of our dear Habiwa!!!" a woman wearing all black with pink hair interjected, sliding in front of Hiyoku and Verte.
"Who-" Verte began, interrupted by the sudden appearance of a man in all black with green hair, who joined the woman beside her.
"Who are you, you may ask!" the woman exclaimed, her voice filled with dramatic flair.
"I'm Clover," the man in all black introduced himself.
"And I'm Rose," the woman added, both of them proclaiming, "And we're Habiwa's personal managers!!!"
"We did not need all of that extraness," Hiyoku remarked dryly, unimpressed by their dramatic introduction.
"We saw that you got through the security," Clover noted, his tone tinged with warning.
"But you won't get past us!" Rose declared confidently.
"Are you confident in those words?" Hiyoku challenged, his gaze unwavering.
"Plant Magic: Clover Boost!!!" Clover invoked, casting a spell that enveloped Rose in a green aura.
"Plant Magic: Rose Thorns!!!" Rose followed suit, unleashing a barrage of small red thorns from her fingertips aimed at Hiyoku.
"ERRRR," Hiyoku grunted as he created a fiery barrier around himself, obliterating the thorns on contact.
"But how? Those thorns were super powered!!!" Rose exclaimed, astonished by Hiyoku's defense.
"Anything else?" Hiyoku sighed, unimpressed by their tactics.
"No... that usually takes care of everyone..." Clover admitted reluctantly.
"You guys seriously don't know any other spells?" Verte questioned incredulously.
"No..." Rose confessed sheepishly.
"Let's go!!!" Hiyoku declared, seizing the opportunity to make their move.
With determination, Hiyoku and Verte dashed past Rose and Clover, making their way to the stage.
"Where's the prick at!?" Hiyoku shouted as they emerged onto the stage, greeted by a chorus of boos from the audience.
"Is that booing I hear!!!" a muscular man with black hair, violet eyes, and a red cape appeared behind Hiyoku and Verte, his hands wrapped in bandages.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!" the crowd erupted into cheers at the sight of him.
"You must be-" Hiyoku began, interrupted by the man's interjection.
"Habiwa Boko? Yes, I am. Why are you here?" the man, Habiwa, questioned, his gaze piercing.
"I'm gonna kick your ass for waking me up!" Hiyoku declared, his tone resolute.
"I didn't wake you up, my fans did," Habiwa countered calmly.
"I don't care. I'm gonna beat you and prove how weak their idol is," Hiyoku retorted, his determination unwavering.
"Your funeral. Let me talk to my fans right quick!" Habiwa replied confidently.
"I'll drop those barriers..." Verte offered, preparing to release the protective shield.
As the barriers vanished, the crowd surged towards the stage, eager to witness the confrontation between Hiyoku and Habiwa.
"HELLO CITIZENS OF BLUE RED CITY!!! I HAVE RETURNED AFTER TRANSITIONING FROM THE TITLE OF BEING THE WORLD'S BEST BOXER TO THE WORLD'S BEST MARTIAL ARTIST!!!! BUT BEFORE THE MEET AND GREET BEGINS, I MUST DEAL WITH THESE ENTHUSIASTIC FANS, IN THE ARENAAAAAA!!!!" Habiwa's booming voice echoed across the arena, met with thunderous applause from the citizens.
"YEAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" they roared in response to his declaration.
"Fans? No thanks," Verte remarked dryly before teleporting away, leaving Hiyoku bewildered.
"Verte?" Hiyoku called out, scanning the area for any sign of her.
"Make sure to look at the TV, guys," Habiwa instructed, drawing everyone's attention.
As the stage transformed into a large arena, a gigantic TV descended from above, broadcasting the impending fight for all to witness.
"On the microphone, Clover announces the rules," the announcer declared, bringing attention to the proceedings. "No magic, all fighting techniques allowed. Knockout or ring out is a win for the opponent. The fight starts in 3... 2... 1... GO!!!"