Rolling eyes falls, ruling dies out... Yuuko vs Azuki

Yuuko’s eyes flashed red, and she moved aside at the last moment. A cloud of dust rose between them as Azu hit the ground, sinking and creating another tremor. This didn’t prevent them from seeing each other. One distinguished Azu’s aura and the faint ochre light emitted by her eyes, blending into the dust. The other tilted her head and saw the gleam in Yuko’s eyes and the white aura of her arts coursing through her body. A circle of spells cast an intense reddish gleam at Serizawa’s feet. Azuki tried to launch herself at her opponent again, screaming in anger, trying to prevent any spell. Two strong, flaming wings emerged from Yuu’s back, enveloping her between them.

‘Purify the skies, Phoenix!’ Azu halted and leaped backward, avoiding being engulfed by the phoenix’s flames. Yuuko spread her wings, emerging from the flames with a regal presence. The iris of her eyes had turned ruby red. Both of them looked at each other. The blood at the corner of their lips completely evaporated, and her right arm was in perfect condition.

‘The Phoenix Lady.’ Azu shifted her weight onto her lower body, lunging at her opponent. Yuu remained motionless with an arrogant gaze, waiting until the last moment. ‘Maellum!’ Yuko tilted her head, and Azu’s fist whistled in front of her nose, creating a strong wind that struck her face and tossed her hair. She smirked, anticipating playfully all of Azu’s strikes and avoiding them effortlessly, as if dancing with her; without breaking a sweat or exerting herself in the slightest.

‘Anima Sagitta!’ The Phoenix Lady briefly touched her fierce adversary’s stone armour with her fingers. Something pierced Azuki’s stomach, cracking the rock and causing blood to flow from her lips. Azu curved her back and hurled herself backward, gazing up at her “friend” with a look of distress and rage, while Yuu kept her self-assured smirk. ‘What’s the matter, close combat genius? Are you going to cry?’

‘Now, you’ll see...!’ she tried to recover. Yuuko swiftly moved, positioning herself face to face, catching her off guard.

‘Too slow!’ It was Yuu who struck Azu, driving her armour further into her stomach, causing more cracks. Azu slipped and fell to the ground, gazing at the smug expression on Yuuko’s face, further igniting her boiling blood.

‘Are you laughing at me?!’ A yellow magic circle enveloped both of them. The fire witch glanced at her surroundings as two enormous solid blocks of pure rock attempted to bury her when her opponent clenched her fist. Azu rose and looked up at the sky, observing the splendid spread of the Phoenix’s flames. Sharp stalagmites resembling spears shot up, trying to reach the Phoenix Lady, while Azu, surrounded by them, leaped towards Yuuko.

‘Let’s end this, Yuuko!’ Azu swiftly hopped from rock to rock, evading the flames launched by Serizawa. They exploded, destroying the stalagmites in their path.

‘As you wish!’ Yuuko’s eyes flashed, and the flames swirled in her arms, rushing towards Azu like a bird towards its prey. Yuu struck first, and her flames exploded, shattering Azu’s armour and incapacitating her. Her eyes rolled back as blood flowed. Serizawa was pierced by stalagmites, causing blood to flow. Flames burst from the professor's body, guarding her conjurer and smashing the stone spears. The hot rocks flew in all directions before both opponents crashed onto the ground with a powerful impact. Azu landed on her back. Yuu continued to resist as the flames burned her multiple wounds, rapidly healing them but causing intense pain. The loud explosion sent pyroclasts raining down. Badly Injured, Yuuko stood up; the embrace of death seemed preferable to the pain coursing through her nervous system. Because of her high pain threshold, she overcame it and approached Azu, realising that she was only unconscious. Despite being sustained by the spirit of the Phoenix, which had kept her alive, Azu’s devastating blows had taken their toll on her. The Fatigue, and an infernal pain consumed her, and she collapsed.

‘Yuu! Azu!’ Ryoko’s figure appeared before Yuuko. Her voice seemed to fade into infinity as she closed her eyes. ‘What happened here?! Yuu!!’

‘Have I made the correct decision?’

***

Hiiragi, Sakai, and Ayumu halted in the middle of the road upon hearing a loud explosion. They turned around, and smoke rose on the horizon.

‘Miss Serizawa!’ Ayumu attempted to go back, but Sakai stepped in between them.

‘Are you trying to get yourself killed?’

‘But Serizawa...!’ Sakai got upset at the boy’s reaction.

‘What do you reckon you can do? Do you have any brains!?’

‘Sakai is right,’ Hiiragi caught her two companions’ attention. ‘Even if Miss Saruyama didn’t kill you instantly, you would only be a hindrance.’ Hiiragi gripped her sword. ‘We must utilise the time Serizawa has given us.’ Hide and prepare for the worst.’

‘Oh thank you, Miss Positive! That makes me cheerfully me a lot!’ Masami sarcastically remarked before walking along the road towards the bus station. ‘Why made me do this? I don’t think even an advanced AI...’ She kept up with her train of thought. Hiiragi glanced at Ayu and hesitated before raising her sword against him. Sakai turned back, surprised at their hesitation. Ayumu swallowed.

‘Nakabayashi...’ Sakai retraced her steps, trying to interfere, and placed a hand on Hiiragi’s shoulder, appealing to her to lower her weapon.

‘Can we calm down a bit!?’

‘Shut up!’ Nakabayashi showed agitated. She twisted away, causing Sakai to step back. She kept her sword pointed at Ayu. ‘Doesn’t it seem strange to you, Sakai?’

‘Strange?’ she wondered, shifting his gaze to Ayumu. ‘Well, he’s just a boy...’

‘I’m not talking about that!’ Hiiragi pointed out. ‘Why would a teacher go so crazy as to confront her colleague without hesitation? Did you not see her gaze?’ Sakai's face creased, remembering how Azu had rushed at them recklessly, not considering that she was there.

‘You’re right,’ Sakai’s expression turned serious and facing Ayumu.

‘Girls...’

‘Are we doing the right thing?!’ the girl with burgundy hair interrupted. ‘Tell me!’ Sakai reached into his pocket without averting his gaze, pulling out a couple of copper coins, awaiting some response from the boy, just like Hiiragi. The wind rustled through their hair, creating a tense silence among the three. Both girls changed their expression in the threat’s face. The wind swirled again around the bamboo rods of the sword. Sakai tossed a coin into the air, and both of them attacked. Ayumu paled, unable to move. The gust of wind tore his left cheek, and the propelled coin grazed his right cheek. Blood trickled down his rosy skin.

‘Hurt him...’ a cold, feminine voice was heard behind Ayumu. She advanced, and the boy swallowed when he saw her pass by his side. The wind fluttered her dark hair and the black ribbon in it. She turned her back to the young man, positioning herself between him and his adversaries. She opened her left hand, releasing the copper coin that Masami had attacked him with. It fell and bounced slightly before embedding itself on the ground. Part of her white shirt was torn, and blood slid down her arm, dripping from her collarbone to touch the ground. Paying no mind to the severity of her injury, she fixed her gaze on the two of them. Her eyes were like an impassive executioner. ‘And I assure you, you will beg for a swift death...’