The Deadly Flower Dance

Ryu stared sharply at Suyou.

"Suyou! Is it true that you planned my father's murder?!"

Suyou gave him a sinister smile.

"So, you came all the way here just to ask about his death?"

Ryu clenched his fists tightly.

"Answer me!"

Suyou calmly looked at Ryu.

"Ryu, even without being killed, every human being will eventually die. Sooner or later, it makes no difference to me. If I think someone should die, then that person must die!"

Ryu became even angrier after hearing Suyou's answer.

"Suyou, at first, I came here only to capture you and make you pay for all your crimes. But I've changed my mind. Someone like you doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as me!"

Suyou grinned.

He casually spun both of his katanas in his hands, as if he didn't take Ryu's threat seriously.

"How about I send you to the other world so you can meet your father? Then you won't have to worry about breathing the same air as me anymore..."

Suyou smiled.

Ryu lowered his body and took his fighting stance.

"I'll end this quickly!"

"Prove it..."

In an instant, Ryu dashed forward at incredible speed.

Swoosh!

Clang!

Ryu's sword clashed against one of Suyou's katanas.

Suyou smiled behind his blade, then suddenly kicked Ryu hard in the stomach.

Whack!

Ryu was pushed backward.

His feet scraped across the floor, leaving a long mark behind him from the force of the kick.

But Ryu didn't give up.

He rushed forward again.

Ryu made a feint toward Suyou, then lowered his body and swung his sword at Suyou's legs.

Suyou jumped to avoid it.

Ryu quickly changed the direction of his attack and swung his sword upward in a vertical slash.

Clang!

Suyou blocked the attack, then jumped several steps backward.

Suyou smiled.

"Not bad... Now it's my turn."

Suyou rushed forward and swung his katana straight at Ryu.

He attacked with both katanas one after another, moving quickly and leaving Ryu no opening.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Ryu blocked every attack.

However, his body kept being pushed backward by Suyou's incredible strength.

"What's wrong, Ryu?! Why are you just defending yourself? Is this all you can do?" Suyou mocked.

Ryu gritted his teeth.

He turned his body to the side, then jumped while swinging his sword at Suyou.

Clang!

Suyou successfully blocked the attack.

Ryu quickly jumped away and took his fighting stance again, preparing for his next attack.

"This is getting boring, Ryu..." Suyou said.

Suyou stared at him sharply.

In an instant, Suyou dashed forward again.

Ryu tried to avoid him, but one of Suyou's slashes struck his left hand.

Slash!

Blood immediately began to flow from the wound.

Ryu grabbed his injured left hand.

But Suyou gave him no time to recover.

He turned around and dashed toward Ryu again.

Brutally, he unleashed slash after slash.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Swish!

Ryu's sword was knocked out of his hand.

His body was thrown backward and crashed onto the floor.

Suyou immediately rushed forward to deliver the final blow.

Swoosh!

But...

Clang!

A sudden slash was blocked.

Kenji appeared and stood between Suyou and Ryu, stopping Suyou's attack.

Suyou frowned.

"Kenji?!"

"Stop this, Suyou! "The Covenant" is over!"

Suyou let out a small laugh.

"Don't make me laugh, Kenji!"

Suyou spun around and kicked Kenji with tremendous force.

Boom!

Kenji was sent flying and crashed into Ryu, who was lying behind him.

Both of them fell to the floor.

Suyou walked toward them while holding both of his katanas.

"So, the pet I've been feeding all this time has finally decided to bite me? Kenji, you really are brave!"

"Suyou! Stop all of this! You know what you're doing is wrong! Why do you keep forcing it?!"

Suyou looked at Kenji coldly.

"Kenji, have you forgotten? I'm the one who decides what's right and what's wrong. If I think something is right, then it is right!"

Kenji and Ryu were still lying helplessly on the floor.

Suyou spun both of his katanas and prepared to finish them off.

His eyes were fixed sharply on the two of them.

But suddenly, his gaze shifted toward the corner of the room.

Yūto was trying to get back on his feet.

Suyou noticed him and turned toward Yūto.

He smiled.

Yūto closed his eyes.

He took a deep breath and began to move.

His body began to dance, following the movements of a sword technique he'd once learned from the book Kenji had given him.

"Flower Dance."

With his eyes still closed, Yūto continued performing the movements of the sword dance where he stood.

Ryu's sword was held tightly in his hand.

Every now and then, Yūto spun the sword and swung it again, continuing his dance.

He remembered every movement written in the book.

Suyou turned his body and stared sharply at Yūto from a distance.

Suyou's smile slowly disappeared.

His expression became serious.

"That movement..." he muttered.

Suyou fell silent.

'No way! How can he perform that sword dance?'  Suyou thought.

Yūto continued to move.

Every movement was calm and smooth, as if his body was following a rhythm that only he could feel.

He ended his dance with several gentle spins, then jumped to the side and returned to his starting position.

With a calm movement, he slid his katana back into its sheath.

Click!

Suyou's eyes widened.

"That guy?!"

Yūto slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze sharpened.

"No way! No way! That technique died a long time ago!" Suyou said.

Yūto stared sharply at Suyou.

"Flower Dance."

In an instant, Yūto moved at incredible speed.

His body disappeared from Suyou's sight.

Then suddenly, he appeared right in front of him.

Swish! Swish!

Suyou tried to slash at him, but Yūto avoided every attack.

In an instant, Yūto was already behind him.

Yūto's eyes were completely calm.

His breathing was slow and steady.

His movements made almost no sound.

Slash! Slash!

"Arghhh!" Suyou groaned.

He was thrown far away by several of Yūto's slashes.

He didn't even have time to block the attacks.

Suyou got back on his feet and looked at the cuts across his back.

But he fell silent.

"This is strange... Why am I not injured? Could it be because of that sword..." Suyou muttered.

Yūto simply stared at him without saying a word.

Then, he dashed toward Suyou again.

"This is interesting!" Suyou said.

Suyou met Yūto's attack head-on.

Clang! Clang!

Yūto's katana clashed violently against Suyou's two katanas.

"I am absolute power! You can't defeat me!" Suyou shouted.

Yūto suddenly spun his body.

In an instant, he disappeared.

"?!"

A gentle breeze brushed against Suyou's body.

Suyou slowly turned around.

Yūto was already standing behind him.

Yūto held his katana with an ice-pick grip, then slid the blade back into its sheath.

"It's over..."

Slash!

Suyou's body was covered in wounds.

Both of his arms and legs had been disabled.

He collapsed onto the floor, unable to move.

"No way! I can't lose!"

Suyou tried to get back up and reach for his sword.

But his arms and legs wouldn't move.

Blood flowed from several wounds across his arms and legs.

"Who are you really?!"

For the first time, fear appeared on Suyou's face.