The Moonlit Duel: Kira vs. Akira Part 3

The wind whispered through the trees, carrying the scent of damp earth and the faint metallic tang of blood. The moon hung heavy in the sky, its silver glow casting long shadows across the forest floor. Between the towering trunks, two figures stood locked in a silent standoff.

Kira exhaled slowly, the pain in her ribs a dull throb. Blood trickled from a cut on her brow, dripping onto the leaves below. She rolled her shoulders, forcing herself to stay loose. Every breath burnt, but she refused to let it show.

Akira, on the other hand, was pristine—untouched. Her hair swayed with the breeze, and her emerald eyes gleamed, reflecting the moonlight. A cruel smirk played on her lips as she lifted her hand, fingers trailing lazily through the air. A faint glow flickered at her fingertips.

“You’re looking rough, sister,” she mused. “Maybe you should give up before you embarrass yourself further.”

Kira flexed her fingers, ignoring the sting. “Not happening. Let Zane and Kimiko go.”

Akira tilted her head, feigning consideration. “And why would I do that?”

Kira shifted her stance. “If you don’t, I will make you.”

Akira chuckled. “Oh, Kira… Always so plain.”

Her hand snapped forward.

A beam of light tore through the darkness, searing toward Kira at impossible speed. Kira twisted in time, the heat grazing her cheek as she surged forward, closing the distance between them.

Fists flew.

Kira struck first—a sharp jab aimed at Akira’s ribs. The impact never came. Instead, a shimmering barrier flashed into existence, absorbing the hit before vanishing like it had never been there.

Kira barely had time to register it before Akira’s palm slammed into her stomach, sending her skidding back. She gritted her teeth, steadying herself.

Kira wiped the blood from her lip, eyes narrowing. “So that’s how it works…”

Akira smirked. “You always were quick on the uptake. But knowing won’t help you.”

Light flared.

Another strike—this time from above. Kira dodged, weaving through the barrage of light rays, but the moment she closed in, her fists met that same impenetrable shield.

Another opening.

Kira moved fast, launching a low kick toward Akira’s legs.

Akira reacted—shifting back, preparing to strike—

And Kira saw it.

For a split second, the shield was gone.

“Only when she defends…”

Kira let herself open up. She feigned hesitation, her stance loosening just enough to invite an attack.

Akira’s eyes flashed. She took the bait.

Her palm drove into Kira’s side with enough force to rattle her bones. Pain exploded through her ribs. A strangled cough escaped Kira’s lips.

But her fingers curled.

Before Akira could react—

Kira’s fist slammed into her face.

A satisfying crack echoed through the forest as Akira staggered back, a rare flicker of shock crossing her face.

Akira slowly straightened.

Then—rage.

Her eyes burnt with fury as her voice dropped into a seething whisper.

“You dare—”

The air around her shifted. The very atmosphere seemed to bend, as if light itself obeyed her will. The ground pulsed—once, twice—before an eerie stillness followed.

Kira stiffened. Her instincts screamed.

A cold smirk curled Akira’s lips.

“You will pay for this, sister.” She lifted her hand, fingers spreading like a conductor preparing to end a symphony. “Now—kneel before me.”

A blinding radiance erupted from Akira’s body, swallowing the battlefield in pure golden light. The heat pressed against Kira’s skin, not burning—but seeping into her, twisting her wounds, magnifying them.

The pain hit all at once.

Every bruise—every cut—ignited.

Kira gasped, her legs giving way as agony rippled through her like chains tightening around her bones.

The dull aches became unbearable agony. The wounds that had only been scratches now bled freely.

Her vision blurred. Her body refused to move.

Boots crunched against gravel.

Akira’s silhouette loomed over her, one foot pressing against Kira’s throat.

Kira wheezed, blood coating her tongue.

Akira leaned down, conjuring a thin blade of light. It shimmered, sharp enough to cut through steel.

“Beg me for mercy.”

Kira forced a weak smile. Her lips moved, but the words were barely above a whisper.

Akira scoffed. “Look at you… so pathetic.”

Kira’s eyes met hers.

Her voice came clearer this time.

“You lose.”

The ground beneath them glowed.

Then it detonated.

A burst of golden energy erupted, tearing through the battlefield. The force sent Akira flying, her body crashing through the trees.

Smoke and debris filled the air.

And Kira—vanished.

Silence.

Akira coughed, dragging herself up. Her shield had taken the brunt of the explosion, but she felt that.

Her eyes darted through the smoke. “Where—”

A shadow moved.

And then—impact.

A devastating blow crashed into Akira's back, shattering her shield in a single strike.

Akira's eyes widened in pure disbelief. Impossible. Her breath hitched—her shield was gone.

Instinct took over. She twisted, light crackling at her fingertips, but—

Too slow.

Kira was already moving. A second strike crushed into her ribs, sending her sprawling.

A flash of panic flickered in Akira's eyes. She tried to create another shield, but it was already too late.

Kira was on her, delivering hits and tossing her like a toy.

Fists rained down. Every attack stronger than the previous.

A brutal uppercut. A knee to the gut. A kick that sent Akira skidding back.

Kira’s expression had changed.

Gone was the cold, silent determination.

Instead—she grinned.

“Aw, sis, what’s wrong? Thought you were untouchable.”

Akira hissed, staggering to her feet. Light crackled around her, but Kira was already moving.

With every strike, Akira's body weakened. Her movements slowed.

“No... No, this isn't how it's supposed to be.”

Desperation flickered across her face. She raised a trembling hand, summoning a final burst of light, but Kira interrupted her with a brutal uppercut that sent her reeling, her vision spinning. Another strike followed. Then another.

Akira's body refused to move. The golden light around her flickered – then vanished.

And then—

A final, devastating blow.

Kira's fist crashed into Akira's jaw, sending her sprawling into the dirt.

The last thing she saw was her own blood splattered across the leaves before darkness took her.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

Kira panted, wiping sweat from her brow. The adrenaline began to fade as she aimed for Akira’s unconscious body, her breaths shallow, her vision flickering between clarity and haze. She had won.

But she wasn’t done.

Her trembling fingers curled into a fist as she took a shaky step forward. Blood dripped from her wounds, staining the ground beneath her, but she forced herself to move. One more strike. That’s all it would take.

She raised her arm.

Her body refused.

A violent tremor ran through her, and her strength collapsed all at once.

Her knees buckled.

Her vision blurred.

She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to stay upright, to finish what she started.

“Just… a little bit longer.”

The words barely escaped her lips.

But her body had reached its limit.

With a final exhale, Kira fell and the forest fell silent once again but it wasn’t the kind of silence that came with peace, it was the kind that followed destruction. The trees bore fresh scars, their trunks blackened and splintered. The air was thick with dust and the faint scent of burnt earth. Leaves, torn from their branches, drifted to the ground like slow-falling embers.

Kaito stepped into the clearing, his presence like a blade cutting through the stillness. His coat barely stirred despite the breeze, his dark eyes scanning the scene with quiet precision. He wasn’t searching—he already knew where they were.

His gaze landed on the two figures sprawled across the ground.

The sisters lay motionless, their bodies battered from the fight that had shaken the forest itself.

Kaito’s boots crunched against the debris as he approached. His expression remained unreadable, his movements deliberate. He stopped between them, his gaze shifting from one to the other.

Kira was unconscious, blood streaked her face, her clothes torn in places where Akira’s light had burned through. But despite her injuries, she was still alive. Still fighting, even in sleep.

Akira, however…

His eyes lingered on her unmoving form.

The once-pristine woman who reveled in her power now lay in the dirt, her golden hair tangled, her once-glowing eyes shut. Blood smeared across her jaw where Kira’s fist had landed the final blow. She looked smaller like this—less of a goddess, more of a fallen star.

Kaito said nothing.

He knelt beside Kira, his fingers pressing lightly against her neck. A pulse—faint but there.

For a long moment, he remained still. Then, without hesitation, he slid one arm beneath Kira’s back and the other beneath her legs, lifting her effortlessly. Her body slumped against his chest, but he didn’t falter.

He rose, turning away from the battlefield without another glance at Akira.

There was no hesitation. No second thoughts.

Only action.

Kaito adjusted his grip and vanished into the night.