Chapter 26: Unbeatable

Natsu raised his sword, wearing a smirk as his feet kicked off the ground.

He vanished.

Taichi unsheathed his sword, frantically looking around, holding the blade firmly, braced for anything. His senses were all completely tuned up. From behind him, he felt a familiar aura approaching him.

This speed.

This shiver down his spine.

He’d only felt it once before.

“It was you…” Taichi muttered, the air growing cold against his skin as he imagined the scene of Natsu’s blood pouring over the arena floor.

Suddenly, steel slammed into Taichi’s guard with enough force to drive him backward, his shoes scraping across the floor. His arms jolted from the impact, the shock rattling up through his shoulders.

“Oh, wow, you actually blocked it, huh Transfer Student?” Natsu smirked. “I thought this would be boring, but maybe you really can show me a good time.”

Taichi forced his footing, breath sharp in his chest. His hands shook as he brought his sword back up.

“You killed Natsu,” Taichi whispered, grasping his ribs.

“I am Natsu.”

Asumi and Meguri moved simultaneously from behind, rushing his flanks with their swords unsheathed.

Two bolts of lightning crashed down.

The sound cracked through the gym. The two girls were hit mid-step, bodies slamming hard into the floor as sparks crawled and faded around them.

“You’ve never fought without the mats to heal you…” Natsu chuckled. “My bad, I almost killed you!”

He glanced down at them, quivering on the floor, before turning away without concern.

“Stay down.”

Taichi rushed forward at Natsu, their blades meeting again.

The impact forced Taichi back a step, and the proceeding impacted another step. With each clash, he kept being pushed further and further back. Taichi kept blocking, staying in the fight to the best of his ability.

“So, your dear ol’ dad taught you how to fight off the mat, huh?” Natsu smirked. “Alright then, let’s see it.”

Kodaka coughed weakly from the wall. “Hayato… don’t–”

Taichi grit his teeth and pushed in harder.

Steel rang through the hall as the exchange lengthened. Sparks snapped at every crossing, the rhythm quickening – until Taichi’s eyes narrowed.

The speed of these strikes.

The angles.

The timing.

“It really is…” Taichi muttered.

“Oh, it seems you’ve noticed,” Natsu said, his smile widening.

“How…?” Taichi muttered. “This style of fighting, it’s identical to my dad’s!”

He stepped back half a pace, blade still raised. “You giving up yet? I don’t mind taking my time, but the boss won’t appreciate it.”

“Hayato… you can’t win here,” Kodaka said.

“You should listen to our Sensei,” Natsu added.

Taichi took a deep breath and engaged with Natsu’s eyes.

“No,” Taichi said firmly, raising his sword.

Natsu’s grin grew wide.

“That’s just what I was hoping for.”

He surged forward.

The next exchange came too quickly. Steel crashed again and again, sparks flying through the dark gym. Natsu pressed forward relentlessly, forcing Taichi backward step by step. Taichi blocked desperately, arms burning as the blows stacked on top of each other.

With each strike, however – something was slowly shifting.

Taichi’s sword was getting into the correct blocking positions faster.

And faster.

And faster.

One strike came in low – Taichi caught it cleanly.

Another followed – he parried without losing ground.

With a strike of his blade crossing Natsu’s, sparks flew, lighting the dark hall. Natsu tried to reclaim offense, striking at Taichi’s hip, but he pre-emptively defended – his blade sitting to parry.

For the first time in this fight, Taichi gained ground.

Meguri stared up at the sight in awe.

“Taichi trained with his father for years on end… he knows everything there is to know about his sword style,” Asumi said, getting up from the floor. “I bet all he thought about for years was how to counter Hayato Rintaro’s specific sword style… the skills being identical worked in Taichi’s favor.”

Taichi pressed forward, flicking his blade upward, pushing his sword away from his center.

Natsu’s guard opened.

Taichi’s blade went down on Natsu.

Natsu only smiled.

“But they aren’t completely identical,” Asumi said, rushing in to support Taichi.

An explosion tore between Natsu and Taichi, pushing Taichi’s sword away.

Smoke and heat roared outward, swallowing the space – but Taichi felt no impact. A thin pressure held firm in front of him.

As the smoke slowly cleared, Asumi stood there, mana wrapped tightly around her body, teeth clenched.

“Taichi, you can’t forget, he’s got more offensive ability than his sword,” Asumi said. “At the end of the day, we have to accept that even though it isn’t how we remember him – even though he’s stronger… this person is Natsu.”

“Thanks…” Taichi muttered, wiping some blood from his cheek.

“Oh, so you lovebirds wanna fight me together now? Two people versus little ol’ me? How am I meant to take it?!” Natsu exclaimed, the weight of his words as heavy as a feather.

“We won’t win here, Taichi,” Asumi whispered.

“I know…” Taichi muttered, legs shaking from the impact of the collisions he’d faced. “Of course I know that, damn it.”

Taichi’s eyes flicked past Natsu – to Meguri struggling to rise and Kodaka slumped against the wall.

He reached up and tore the pendant from his neck.

“But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a reason to fight.”

Taichi rushed forward at Natsu, swinging his sword with all his strength.

Natsu easily blocked the attack and raised his free hand, mana slowly beginning to flood the air.

Taichi let go of his sword mid-swing, grabbing Natsu’s wrist.

The mana vanished, and Natsu couldn’t activate anything.

Natsu stilled, eyebrows lifting slightly. “…Interesting.”

“Asumi!”

“Got it!”

A dome erupted around them, heat crashing inward as spires of flame stabbed toward Natsu again and again. The air burned. Taichi felt every surge, every impact, nullifying the fire touching him and restricting Natsu.

His legs shook as his grip on Natsu slowly weakened, but he stood strong, keeping a hold of the wrist despite his quickly draining stamina.

Asumi pushed harder, sweat dripping from her chin as the spires closed in tighter.

“Meguri…” she whispered.

A crackle of lightning echoed through the gym as Meguri rushed forward from the ground, picking up Kodaka.

Tears streaked her face as she turned and ran, electricity tearing through the gym behind her.

“I’m sorry…” Meguri cried.

“Idiot…” Asumi muttered, a small smile tracing her face. “Don’t apologize… that’s what you were supposed to do.”

Once Meguri’s lightning could no longer be heard, Taichi’s grip faltered.

His vision blurred. His knees buckled.

The dome exploded outward as Taichi collapsed, hitting the floor before he could brace himself.

Natsu stumbled out, covered in burnt skin – his body black in the spots where the spires of fire made contact. Asumi raised her sword, but before she knew it, Natsu was right behind her.

With a swift crack, she was unconscious.

When the echoes finally settled, Natsu was the only one left standing in the ruined gym.

He pulled out his phone, putting it to his ear.

“Isshiki and Kodaka escaped. Hayato and Yuki have been defeated and are currently unconscious. Send a team to pick them up.”

Without a care in the world, Natsu walked away from the unconscious bodies, leaving the gym as a crew of suited people entered, tying up the duo and taking them away.

They had no idea where to.