Minato Ward—-
While the Seventh faced off against the Kaidanchō, Nonoko, Sōshin, Rei, and Shino joined the confrontation against the Eighth. Rika helped Zaria up.
〈*8th* of the Heralds—-Herald of Deception. Level: 180,000〉
"So you sold your soul for all that power," Zaria hissed. "I see how it is!"
"What do we do?" Shino asked.
"What we're supposed to. We're bringing him in, and shoving his traitorous ass right with his queen!"
She formed her spear, launching it at the Eighth, but he dodged, appearing behind her and slamming her face into the ground. "I said STOP. Listen for once in your life!"
Rika tried to push him off, but he pushed her aside. Rei attempted to blast him, but he used a wire to pull himself out of the way before forming an electric gate to block her beams. Thugs rushed towards the group, but Sōshin knocked them over, allowing Shino to erase their weapons.
Nonoka's body began to shift. "Jugen-Sōunsha: Ningensei Tōki!"
〈Humanity *Discarded.* Buff Timer: 1:30〉
She swung at Han, but Han caught her fist with ease. "You're no fighter, Nonoka. Stop it."
〈Ability: Ready.〉
"Eagle's Reckoning!"
A powerful wind gust burst from her armor, forcing the Eighth back. He used two wires to anchor himself as Nonoka tried to attack again. The Eighth formed a cage around her, trapping her as her buff wore off. "That's enough."
She banged on the bars. "I rarely trust anyone, and you took advantage of that. Some friend you are, hmm?"
"All for the greater good."
He sent the cage sliding back as Shino erased it, freeing Nonoka. Rei formed moon crests above Han's head, but he blasted them with an array of darts, destroying them in the process. Rei used two hands and unleashed an even more powerful moonlight blast at Han, one as big as an entire tree.
"She's losing it," Han thought. "I've got to make my move quickly; there's no use dragging this out any further."
He touched the ground, Abyss energy trailing off him. Zaria held out her hand. "Watch out! He's pulling some weird trick!"
"Jugen-Daraku: Jidō Shien!"
A large moving turret with the base of a tank formed, and the Eighth used it to fire ropes at the group, which they narrowly managed to dodge. Zaria tried throwing her spear at one of its wheels, but the Eighth used chains to intercept it.
"Shino! Erase that thing!"
Shino prepared to fire a vector, but the Eighth quickly fired an array of smoke bombs from his turret, shrouding the area. By the time the smoke cleared, the Eighth had all the girls in chains, but Sōshin remained free.
"Friend Han?"
"Hold on just a little longer, Sōshin. I still need you."
The turret drove off, tossing the girls aside. Zaria called out to Sōshin. "Sōshin! Use your Jugen and don't let him get away!"
As thugs followed, Sōshin looked between the girls and Han, before shaking his head. "Friends don't hurt friends!"
"Sōshin, he's not our friend!" Rika told him.
"No, Big Sis! Friend Han will save us! I believe in him!"
Sōshin leapt over the group of thugs and followed after the Eighth, while Shino managed to erase the chains. "That little kid is so damn naïve!"
"We've gotta go after him!" Zaria ordered. "Before he gets himself killed!"
Deep in the streets, the Seventh was busy dueling with Atsushi's golem form, trading punch after punch. Yuka flew around him on her ice eagle, forming massive ice spider legs and slamming them into his back.
"The bastard's tough," Yuka noted. "We'll need more firepower!"
From below, Gakuto charged head-first into the Seventh's legs, while Mizuki launched Kōichi at his head. The latter formed his tripwire gun and aimed it at his chest. "Take a seat, eh?"
The tripwire wrapped all across Shion's body, allowing Atsushi to slam him into the ground. The Seventh's mech formed stone fists just like Atsushi's, briefly surprising him.
"Yeah, I've studied your moves too, Atsushi," Shion mocked. "So one-dimensional. Let's do this just like back in the day, eh?"
The two began swinging at each other, fists striking faces and jabs clanging against each other. Atsushi sidestepped an uppercut, while Shion evaded a right hook.
Kaoru climbed onto a roof, sweating profusely. "Sir Omariro trusts us with stopping this madman! You've got to help, Kaoru! You've got to show his faith isn't misplaced!"
Yuka swooped in, attempting to strike the Seventh once more, but he threw a punch at her, forcing her to back up. Kaoru took a deep breath. "I told myself I'd never use this power after my brother tricked me into helping him…but…now's the time!"
She held her hands up. "Jugen-Kaiseisha: Yōsei no Shien!"
〈Fae: Summoned.〉
A glowing pink fae creature floated into the air, shocking the Seventh. It formed a light pink bubble around the entire area, and when the Seventh punched Atsushi, he noticed Atsushi didn't even flinch.
"What did that girl do…" Shion wondered.
He tried to strike her, but his movements were much slower, allowing Kaoru to hop on the back of Yuka's ice eagle.
"What was that, Kaoru?" Yuka questioned.
"My final skill! I can only use it once this fight, so make sure it's worth it!"
Gakuto and Mizuki both charged in, striking Shion's legs at the same time Atsushi kicked him. The Seventh formed a large cube, using it to form two wires to support himself. "Jugen-Daraku: Shin'en no Yaiba!"
Axes chopped through the ward like guillotines, tearing through building after building, while Mizuki grabbed Gakuto and Kōichi, speeding them off to safety. Yuka flew Kaoru high above the ground as Atsushi blocked two axes with his forearms.
The moment an axe cut off his arm, it instantly regrew, and Atsushi examined it. "Kaoru. Not bad. With this power on my side, it's time to take this former colleague of mine down."
He and Shion locked eyes.
Many years ago—-
"Training! Dojo! Now!"
Multiple students raced into the dojo, all raising their hands. "I was first!"
"No, I was!"
"My feet hit the ground before both of you!"
Omariro tapped his staff on the ground. "Everyone. New student has come. Say hello to Atsushi Sunahara."
A young Atsushi entered the room, with a nervous look on his face. "Hello everyone…"
The dojo laughed.
"Atsushi?" Rin chuckled. "You mean the boy with a low Jugen Percentage, Master?"
"He isn't very talented," Mirei noted. "Sir, why don't you send him back home?"
"Yeah," Shion agreed. "Before he hurts himself."
A tall, redheaded young man in the corner with his hair spread over his face remained quiet, briefly looking up. "Let the Master bring whoever he wants. It's not our place to decide."
"You're always so stuck up, Renka."
Omariro tapped his staff once more, and everyone hushed up. Atsushi took a seat. "Children will pair into groups. Offense and defense. Offense attacks crystal. Defense protect crystal."
Itsuki raised his hand. "May I ask the teams, sir?"
"Itsuki and Renka. Rin and Mirei. Shion and Daigo. Kaito and Naoya. Ichika and Atsushi."
With a clap of his hands, a glowing purple crystal appeared. "Crystal from Asahikawa Dungeon. Ichika team protects. Shion team destroys."
The two opposing teams lined up as Omariro and others watched. Shion cracked his shoulders. "This will be easy."
"Don't cost me the win, you buffoon," Daigo warned him.
"Relax. Ichika's no fighter, and now she's gotta carry Atsushi!"
"Begin!" Omariro ordered.
Without hesitation, Shion sprang forward. "Jugen-Henshōsha: Ruinform!"
His body shifted into the top half of a multi-armed mechanical contraption, immediately striking at the crystal. Atsushi formed one stone arm in an attempt to block, but Shion broke it with a punch.
"Weak!"
Ichika slid in front of him. "Jugen-Mahōshi: Kesshō Men'eki no Ōra!"
The room shifted into one made of crystals, and when Shion tried to hit her as well, his attack bounced off. "What? No way!"
Daigo began rubbing his hands together. "Jugen-Mahōshi: Abyss Inferno!"
A powerful lava-like blast erupted from his hands, shattering Ichika's defense. "Gah!"
Atsushi quickly sprang into action, reforming his stone arm. "Stop!"
He swung at Daigo, who met his fist with another blast, sending Atsushi flying into the wall. Shion struck the crystal, breaking it.
"Shion team wins," Omariro announced. "Will resume with later teams after break."
"Told you," Shion bragged. "Easy."
Atsushi ran over to the living room, where he sat on the floor and buried his head in his hands. He felt a hand on his back, and when he looked up, he noticed Ichika there, smiling at him. "What? If you're here to blame me for the loss, just get it over with."
"Of course not," she insisted. "You did great! The others can be a bit harsh, but Master wouldn't take you on if he didn't have faith in you!"
"Really?"
"Yeah! He only takes on people worth his time. He's not really…an energetic man."
Atsushi got up. "But if they're so strong, how can I beat them?"
"You don't," a voice interrupted.
Ichika and Atsushi turned around, where Itsuki was standing. "You surpass them. The others might have their fancy tricks, but one thing you aren't born with is drive. Cultivate that enough, and you can become strong too."
"Is that what you're doing?"
Itsuki nodded. "I was Master's first student. It's up to me to show him all that effort wasn't wasted."
"Okay. I'll try."
Omariro entered the room.
"Break over," Omariro stated. "Training resumes."
Present Day—-
"Their minds may have been twisted," Atsushi thought. "But their hearts were in the right place. My drive…"
He punched Shion in the chest.
"Can be matched by NO ONE!"
The Seventh formed a spear, stabbing it through Atsushi's gut. The wound immediately healed as Yuka unleashed more ice attacks from behind. Gakuto and the others kept up the attacks on the Seventh's legs, but with a powerful stomp, he sent everyone flying back and knocked Atsushi out of his golem form.
"Pathetic," the Seventh mocked. "Where are you now, without your stone?"
Atsushi formed a stone arm, punching the ground hard enough to knock the Seventh off balance. "Come down and fight! Stop hiding behind your metal form!"
The Seventh's mech shattered, revealing his armored figure beneath. In an instant, he grabbed Atsushi by the face and slammed him into the nearest wall.
As they dueled, the Eighth rolled in on his turret, catching the other Kaidanchō off guard. As the Seventh knocked away Atsushi, he turned to the Eighth. "Just in time."
The Eighth extended a hand. "Hop on."
The Seventh did so. "Use this thing and destroy these weak beings. The Sixth needs help. Nyugawa won't be easy."
As Sōshin caught up, the Eighth paused. "Actually. I had a better idea."
"Oh—-?"
"Jugen-Daraku: Nogarerarenu Fūin!"
Dark vines wrapped around both Heralds' bodies, and the Seventh began to struggle against the binds. "The hell are you doing?"
"Trapping us," the Eighth replied. "You wanted me to use this to trap Master. Well, seems it works well on Heralds too!"
"You fool!"
Han turned to Sōshin. "Sōshin! I need you to bring these back to the HQ as fast as possible! Don't let Mirei get her hands on it!"
"Friend Han!"
And with a burst of energy, the two transformed into two purple cubes, leaving everyone in the vicinity stunned. Sōshin picked up the cubes, confused. "Friend Han, why…?"
The girls caught up to Sōshin.
"Where's Han?" Zaria demanded.
Atsushi walked forward, staring at the cube. "That boy…he just ended the fight."
"What?"
???—-
Han's body floated around in a void-like area. As he opened his eyes, all he could see was darkness, but in the glimpse of the darkness was a strange realm, dark and ruined.
There was a tall dungeon-like structure in the distance, ascending higher than Han could see. "Where am I?"
"The Abyss Dungeon," a voice commented. "Merely a glimpse."
Everything went dark once more, as the voice shifted into a mocking tone.
"I had high hopes for you, Han. You have failed me."
——