Hiroshi vs The White Knight - Great Encounter Battle Arc

Kuro-Yami opened his mouth in shock. He had far underestimated the man who he had chosen to be his host.

“Hiroshi? Can you explain to me how you can do a backflip like that?” he inquired, genuinely intrigued at Hiroshi’s near perfect movements.

“A lot of people can do a backflip, Kuro-Yami,” Hiroshi smirked at his friend. “Don’t tell me you have that little faith in me?”

Hiroshi knew how hard it was to pull off a move like that. He had been practicing moves similar to that for years. When he wasn’t in school, he would be running all around Tokyo, using different movements to get around the city in all different ways. Since he never had any friends, he always had time to himself. After about three years, Hiroshi became really confident in completing more intricate moves. This even included jumping across the rooftops of skyscrapers and other large obstacles.

He was a master in the trade of parkour.

The White Knight growled as he faced Hiroshi, revealing his face. He was just an ordinary man, with short, blonde hair, minus a few grey strands, with blue eyes, and he had a few wrinkles on his forehead, signifying the amount of time he had spent in his profession.

He was determined to win the Tournament. If he lost, he would have to retire. He was getting far too old for jousting, and he wanted to continue his training for one more year, just to delay his inevitable retirement. He wanted to relive the glory days of winning tournament after tournament, match after match. Feeling adrenaline. Life and death scenarios.

“Stop talking to me like you’re above me, child!” he ordered. “Don’t make me laugh! Just because you got one lucky shot-”

“Oh? You thought that was luck?” Hiroshi burst into a fit of laughter. “Then you are even more of a fool than I thought!”

Kuro-Yami couldn’t have been prouder of the way Hiroshi was acting. Maybe it was the increased adrenaline, or just being lost in the moment, but for the first time since the massacre of the village, Hiroshi was only acting towards his own goals and not caring about any other people who may stand in his way, even if they were to help him.

His confidence was at an all-time high.

With a low growl, the White Knight made another charge, this time aiming slightly higher with his lance, trying his best to make sure Hiroshi wouldn’t repeat the same trick. Hiroshi simply forward rolled under the lance and stood back to his feet promptly.

With another charge, the White Knight yanked the reigns of his steed and slammed them down, making the horse gallop even faster at Hiroshi. The man with the demon inside of him didn’t move a muscle.

“Oh wow, after all that talk, and he’s frozen in fear!” the champion jouster thought to himself as he continued his relentless attack. However, he decided not to become big headed and try out a move that would get Hiroshi swept off his feet.

He waited until the very last moment, and just as he was going to stab Hiroshi with his lance, he yanked on the reigns once more with his left hand. The horse slowed down, leaning its backside down, gliding across the floor. He swung the lance around with his other hand, attempting to wipe out Hiroshi once and for all.

Hiroshi saw it coming.

He dropped immediately, lying completely still. The White Knight continued circling, stabbing his lance down. Hiroshi, using both of his hands, pushed his entire weight upwards, turning it into a flip as he soared through the air. The White Knight attempted to raise the lance upwards to comply with Hiroshi’s quick movements, but it was too much. He fell off the horse, landing flat on his back with a thud. He dropped the lance and his steed ran away in fright.

The White Knight went to get back quickly with a groan. That was until a sword was thrust in his face.

He looked up at the blade slowly. The blade was so dark, you could see death within the metal linings. He looked further, attempting to put a face with the sword. He couldn’t move. The pressure of this individual was not normal.

It was on a God’s level.

Hiroshi’s eyes were dark in rage. He looked down at his opponent, who was now completely defenseless.

"H-Hey look, I'm sorry kid! It's just that, I wanted one last Tournament and be the best! I never meant to..."

“Give up. That way, I won’t have to be forced to kill you,” Hiroshi spat violently, not giving any sympathy to the White Knight's wishes. The White Knight was forced to say the words he never wanted to say.

“I…give up.” he stuttered, feeling an immense force overtake him.

“What? I never wanted to say that…but it was like my mouth wasn’t even part of my body…who is this guy?” The White Knight thought to himself. He was stunned. Hiroshi smirked and sheathed his sword and walked away, without offering assistance.

“Also, is the King of Jousting what you call yourself?” he asked, without turning around.

“Um…yes, it is.”

“Drop that name, your unworthy of that title. I hate people like you that are so full of themselves,” Hiroshi spoke, without turning his head.

Alexander the Presenter, wanting to move things along quickly, announced the winner.

“And Shinigami takes the final match of the Quarter Finals!”

Hiroshi walked out the arena with a smile of determination. He had gotten to the Semi-Finals without once using Kuro-Yami's manna. His next opponent would be Blossoming Flower. He looked up at the crowd to examine their response to his clear victory.

For the first time during the Tournament, the crowd didn’t cheer.