Chapter 18: Threatening Power

Jojiro moved his arms.

The wind answered right away.

It was no secret that his main element was thunder. But few knew the wind also responded to him. Not at the same level, but well enough.

A powerful gust expanded from where he stood and swept across the platform from one end to the other, pushing the young ones back before they could react.

Everyone gave ground.

Everyone but Joshido.

His metallic blades came out from his wrists and cut through the wind head-on, forcing a path without slowing down. Every step cost him something, but he kept taking them.

And then he was there, right in front of Jojiro.

Outside the dome, Draval watched alongside Zianya and Amiria.

In his mind, just one thing.

Joshido, don't get desperate. Or you're going to fall.

Joshido attacked.

One strike, another, another. Looking for any opening to land his substantial weapon on Jojiro.

Jojiro dodged without too much effort. Moving just enough, not wasting energy, letting each strike pass by centimeters.

But Joshido didn't step back.

He kept pressing, no pauses, searching for the moment where Jojiro couldn't get out of the way.

Joshido noticed something.

He's being very careful with me.

Zianya frowned.

-What are they doing? I thought they were going to face him more carefully.

Amiria, calm as always, answered.

-Maybe they want Jojiro to get tired.

Draval said nothing.

He stayed where he was, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the platform.

Mozir moved in.

He started throwing strikes from the side without warning, adding to the pressure Joshido was already putting on. Now there were two of them on top of Jojiro at the same time.

Jojiro used his hands to manage them both. Blocking one, deflecting the other, moving between them without losing the thread. But he had one thing clear in his head.

If I take my eyes off Joshido for even a second, that hit is going to cost me.

Mozir went in direct.

Jojiro stopped it with his hand.

Right in that moment, Joshido came with his substantial weapon.

Jojiro twisted his body and kicked, deflecting the blow just before it landed.

Joshido caught it.

He's being very careful with me.

Eldren didn't wait and launched his cutting wind gusts straight at Jojiro.

Jojiro made them disappear by raising his presence. Without moving. Nothing to it.

Eldren smiled a little.

-Ha. I was naive to think I could even scratch him.

Mozir held his ground in front of Jojiro, throwing strike after strike. But Jojiro's reflexes kept getting there first.

Joshido closed in again and the two of them attacked together.

That's when Yuzo moved.

He activated his speed and in a blink placed Naiden right in front of Jojiro. Jojiro was about to dodge, but he didn't see what was coming from behind.

Yuzo pushed him forward.

And Jojiro couldn't avoid it.

The hits came from everywhere. Mozir landed several to the body. Naiden added his to the face. And in the middle of it all, Joshido found the gap he'd been looking for and caught Jojiro's right arm with his substantial weapon.

A small wound.

But real.

Jojiro took a few steps back.

He looked down at his arm.

-A little more and I lose the arm.

He smiled.

-You're doing well. Really well. But this is as far as you go.

He got ready.

The thunder element started building in his hands, dense, charged, with an intensity you could feel before you could see it.

Then Heliya acted.

She closed her eyes and entered Jojiro's mind with everything she had. His body froze on the spot.

Jojiro couldn't move.

But he could talk. He did it telepathically, straight to her.

Your strategy worked well. You made me focus on the others so I'd forget about you.

Heliya didn't respond to that.

-This is the moment -she told the others-. Everyone attack before he can move.

But it was too late.

Jojiro pulled her out of his mind all at once. Electricity shot from his fingers and crossed the platform, hitting everyone at the same time.

The impact froze them.

The electricity ran through their bodies, locking every movement for a few seconds that felt much longer than they were.

Jojiro took the opening.

He got ready for his best attack.

And then he felt it.

A presence that shot up all at once. Loaded. Threatening. The kind that doesn't warn you, it just shows up and makes it clear something is about to happen.

Jojiro turned his head.

It was Joshido.

Standing there, right arm extended, substantial weapon pointed straight at him. And on the metallic blade, something Jojiro recognized the moment he saw it.

Orange energy.

The same as that time.

I'm not risking the territory.

He didn't need anything else to make his decision.

Outside the dome, a memory hit Draval out of nowhere. The moment in the cave, training Joshido, when that same energy had shown up without anyone calling it.

In that moment I felt like I was going to disappear along with the territory.

I hope he's not going to do it.

Renir wasn't doing much better.

If he fires that energy... the damage is going to be unimaginable.

Nobody moved inside the dome.

Joshido looked straight at Jojiro.

-We have to win one way or another.

His presence kept rising.

Jojiro looked at all of them.

He had no other choice.

He raised his hands.

-I surrender.