Chapter 57

Gakuto rolled out of the way of another heavy strike from Kitsuya’s blade, panting heavily, as he kept his head on a swivel. The wiry man had become very irritated once he pointed out his tool’s second ability and Gakuto had been fully on defence since.

Kitsuya appeared from his left and Gakuto barely dodged the strike, this one leaving a huge gouge in the shrine grounds. The young guard had barely any time to avoid the fox’s follow-up as another lunge from the man created another hole in the shrine.

The tall man stopped his assault and stretched his shoulders, as if releasing tension from them. “Gakkun, this has grown quite dull…”

“I’m not fighting you for entertainment! I started this to protect Yurika from you!”

“Oh, that’s how it is. Kaede-chan rejected you, eh?”

Kitsuya swung his blade but Gakuto blocked it, pushing him back.

“It’s not like that!”

“Don’t be shy, boy. Men should go after as many women as they want.” A blast of flame from Setsuna flew past Kitsuya.

Gakuto, panting heavily, his dagger pointed at the wiry man. “I don’t want to hear any life tips from you either, Kitsuya!”

“You’re at the end of your abilities, aren’t you, Gakkun?”

“Shut up!” Gakuto yelled, his blade still raised but his arm was feeling weak. His left hand was pressed against ribs and his vision was starting to blur. He had never even sparred with Jiro for as long as he and Kitsuya had been fighting, let alone with actual injuries.

“It happens to the best of us, boy. You put up a more admirable fight than Jiro did. Almost as much as your old ma–”

Another burst of flames appeared but Kitsuya disappeared, appearing further away from Gakuto and more to the right than before. Sweat was dripping down Gakuto’s face as his breathing labored more. He didn’t know how much longer he could stay in this fight.

“You’re an impatient one, Gakkun. How many times have you interrupted me now?”

“The third ability of your earrings… it adjusts your weight.” Gakuto said between pants, releasing his hand from his torso, before tucking it behind his back, pointing Setsuna, unsteadily, at Kitsuya. “That explains why you move at different speeds as well as how you can make your strikes significantly harder. You increase the weight at the moment of impact.”

Kitsuya rested the blunt side of one of his daggers on his shoulder as he listened to Gakuto’s analysis.

“You know, it is rather a shame that I have to kill you here, Gakkun. The fact you figured that out is better than almost anyone else I’ve fought.” Kitsuya smirked, throwing one of his daggers at Gakuto suddenly. The young guard parried it but the tall man closed the gap and brought his right leg down on Gakuto’s left shoulder, slamming him hard into the ground.

Gakuto cried out in pain from the impact as Kitsuya crouched down, still holding just one blade, as he brought up his hand and flicked his left earring.

“I’m not done yet, Kitsuya!” Gakuto snarled, glaring up at the man, but he could hardly move at this point.

“No, I think you very much are, Gakkun.” The tall man stood to his full height before lunging his foot back and slamming it hard into Gakuto’s broken ribs. The young guard screamed in pain, rolling over across the ground a few times before coughing up blood.

“It’s a shame really. Had you been anywhere else during this, you might’ve had a chance to live… If you want to curse someone for your fate, make it Kaede-chan.” There was a coldness to Kitsuya’s voice before he placed his foot on Gakuto’s head, pushing his face into the ground.

After a few seconds, Gakuto didn’t move and Kitsuya clicked his tongue and walked back across the torn-up shrine grounds. “What a waste of time. Guess we can just wait for the end here…”

Gakuto sputtered and coughed, spitting up more blood as he pushed himself up, struggling to his knees. Kitsuya turned around, a disgusted look on his face.

“Your struggle is worthless, Gakkun. You put up a good show and you lost it. Accept it and just wait until the moon falls.”

Gakuto shook his head, his bangs shading his eyes as he struggled to stay conscious. Blood poured down the corners of his mouth and from his nose as he fell onto his hands, panting heavily.

Kitsuya sneered, pointing at Gakuto with his dagger. “Only worms struggle when they've been beaten! Your master didn’t know when to quit and neither did you! At least your father had the dignity to roll over and die!”

Gakuto’s head turned up, a defiant look in his eyes as he glared at Kitsuya and the tall man suddenly became erratic and angry.

“You’re really pis–”

“Ryuta. His name was Ryuta and I doubt he rolled over and died.” Gakuto struggled to his feet, swaying slightly as he kept his gaze locked on Kitsuya. “He wasn’t the type to just do what someone else said.”

“What would you know, you were just a child! You’re still just a child! He was a weak, pathetic man and your injuries have made you delusional!”

Gakuto raised his dagger and pointed it at Kitsuya, taking a step forward, the edge of Setsuna glowing with flames. “My mind has never been clearer, Kitsuya.”

The tall man clenched his dagger and moved to lunge towards Gakuto when the young guard squeezed the hilt of his dagger gently before swinging it slightly.

“Setsuna… Extend!”

A small, chakram-shaped flame, no larger than a pebble flew off the tip of the blade and spun through the air at Kitsuya’s face. The tall man didn’t even try to dodge it, expecting the flame to merely singe his cheek at best.

Yet, it didn’t.

Instead, the tiny disc of flame spun and sliced clean through the edge of Kitsuya’s left earlobe, severing the earring from it. The wiry man’s eyes widened, either from panic or anger, which Gakuto didn’t know.

The round earring bounced and rolled across the ground as Gakuto tucked his left arm behind his back once more, his blade surrounded once again with a vortex of flames.

“Let’s see you dodge it this time, Kitsuya!” Gakuto roared, stretching right arm back, aiming to slash from across the shrine.

“Foolish boy, you merely removed one of them, I still have half the…”

“That’s right, I did, but you got cocky.” Gakuto grinned, smugly, the vortex of flames building up even more on Setsuna’s edge. “You flicked the left earring, didn’t you? You thought you had won!”

“I can still warp, you miserable worm! This is still my…”

“Then go right ahead, Kitsuya!” Gakuto started to swing his blade. “If you’re right, then it’s my loss!” One of the gems on Kitsuya’s right earring glowed, but Gakuto wasn’t taking any chances.

“SETSUNA, IGNITE!!!!!!!” He bellowed, swinging the dagger in a wide arc across his body with the last of his energy. A large wall of flames emerged from the path of the swing, swirling into a cyclone of flames that engulfed the tall man, blasting him with the full force Gakuto could muster as the young guard fell to the ground, completely spent.