Takayuki charges but it gets parried by Satou's sword that the swords are hitting each other.
"Are you really sure that you can defeat me with such a small sword?! That won't do!"
Satou hits hard that Takayuki gets hurled.
Satou's black long blade looks strong that it can outmatch Takayuki's short blade.
Takayuki persists to charge, but Satou can block it that causing the consecutive sword fight that cut so many trees around them.
"How persistent! I told you that it won't do!"
Satou sends Takayuki flying by hitting his short blade hard like before. Takayuki then gets up and charge.
"Why you---"
Satou thinks that Takayuki would do the same, but this time, Takayuki tricks him. Takayuki swiftly moves to Satou's side to wait for the right momentum to attack.
"Ugh!?"
Satou then hits Takayuki with his long blade, but Takayuki evades to the back and hits Satou for the second time.
"Grr! You—"
Satou then performs a spinning attack that hits Takayuki on his back, but unfortunately, Takayuki is faster than the spinning. As Takayuki is about to attack Satou, Satou summons flame from his long blade.
"Don't mess with me!!"
Satou exclaimed summoning great flame and Takayuki swiftly makes the distance to evade it. But, Satou is not done yet, he shoots fire at Takayuki and Takayuki dodges it swiftly.
"Crap! You!!"
Takayuki hits Satou's body again, but he's not done yet as he hits Satou consecutively every time he moves.
"Uh!!"
A few minutes later, Satou finally falls on his knee from the blow.
Takayuki then approaches him and at that time, Satou…
"Gotcha, you little mouse!!"
Satou launches a sudden attack with his long blade and Takayuki blocks it with his short blade, that his short blade gets broken out of the blue.
"Not done yet!!"
With the chance, Satou shoots flame to Takayuki with his long blade.
Takayuki is trying to dodge as fast as he could but the flame gets his shoulder.
"Uhh!!"
It's not done yet, Satou shoots many fireballs at Takayuki, and Takayuki swiftly summons a quite big root to block the fireballs, but…
"Such a weak defense is easy to burn down, you know?!"
The fireballs burn down the root and when Satou is busy with burning down the root, Takayuki makes another short blade and appears behind Satou.
"So, you were waiting for this, eh?!"
Takayuki hits Satou that Satou falls for the second time, and he stands before Satou Hideaki.
"You let your guard down!!!"
Satou exclaimed slashing Takayuki with the flame that came out before him.
"Ugh!!"
Takayuki moaned in pain and he falls on his knee.
"Though you are faster than me, you are weaker than me! I am more experienced than you, amateur!"
Satou said approaching Takayuki and strangling him. Then, as Satou is about to slash Takayuki with his long blade…
"I… cannot lose!!!"
Takayuki said with his body gets enveloped by cacti roots out of the blue that stab Satou's body.
"Crap!! Ugh!!"
That makes Satou let off Takayuki. The roots then bind Satou's body.
"Do you think it's just enough to stop me?! Don't underestimate me!!"
Satou said burning the roots with his burning long blade.
Takayuki then runs away to make the distance. Satou who realizes it the launches the 3-branches-root.
Takayuki blocks it with the same root.
"Attacking with roots won't do, eh?"
Satou mumbled.
Satou then summons great flame from his blade to attack Takayuki, then he blocks the blow with his root power yet the flame burns up Takayuki, and Takayuki gets burned for the second time.
"Ukkkkh!!!"
Takayuki moaned in pain and falls.
---
"Yumeno, let's get outta here! Just leave everything to Takayuki!"
Ryoichi said.
"No. I stay! I can't let him fight by himself!"
Yumeno said.
"But, he is too strong! The only one who can match him is Takayuki!"
Ryoichi argued.
"Despite that, I just refuse to give up! I have to stop Satou as well!"
Yumeno then leaves Ryoichi.
"Wait a sec. Arggh!"
Seeing that, Ryoichi just lets out a sigh and starts carrying Isshin Kira to somewhere safe.
Yumeno who rushes to where Takayuki fights against Satou is surprised to see Takayuki lost to Satou, And when Satou is about to finish the beaten Takayuki, Yumeno stops Satou with her gale.
"Quit it already, Satou!!"
Yumeno exclaimed.
"Yume…"
Satou said.
"What are you doing here, Yumeno san?! Go away already!"
Takayuki yelled at her.
"I believe that you'd stop all of this, Satou san. That's why… Let's end it once and for all. Then… We enjoy a peaceful life together."
Yumeno told Satou.
"You are wrong! This guy… Is not… Satou… Hideaki…"
Takayuki argued.
Satou then charges at Yumeno with his long blade yet she manages to block it with her gale.
"Please, Satou san!"
She exclaimed.
Satou breaks her defense and that hurls her away.
"I told you, right? I will destroy everything."
Satou said ready to attack her.
"Dammit! I can't move much for now! Move! Move!"
No matter how hard he tries, he can't move. But, he just doesn't care if it's painful, at least he has to move. Now, he sees Satou is about to slash her shoulder.
"I've made it this far. Yet, in the end, I can't protect anyone?!"
What he sees right now is darkness. Is it despair?
"No! I won't give up here! I have to save Yumeno san!"
As he gets up, he sees the red long blade on Satou's right hand getting broken easily by a hit from Takayuki's short blade in which the blade is enveloped in greenish flame.
"Ukkkh!! Hot!!!"
Satou stays away as his hand has been cut.
"Takayuki, is that you?"
Yumeno is surprised to see Satou's entrance.
The wound on Takayuki has been recovered. The short blade on his and is enveloped in greenish flame. That time, Takayuki realizes that he can move to save Yumeno.
"If my body has a will to fight, then I'll do the same!"
Takayuki points out his short blade to Satou Hideaki.
"Your body has a will to fight you said?! What's that?! Is it your plot armor? And what's with the green flame on your small blade?! Disgusting!"
Satou is getting pissed off.
"This is your sin and the cost is your life, impostor!"
Takayuki summons the greenish flame on the short blade that causes great energy around the blade. That makes Yumeno and Satou startles.
"This energy?! No mistake! Is The energy I felt before come from you?!"
Satou exclaimed.
"You still don't get the point?! Why did Issho san tell you so and why do I have this power anyway? It's because the Yggdrasil doesn't approve of you, Satou Hideaki. The Yggdrasil has chosen me to punish you, impostor!"
Takayuki said.
"I don't lose yet! That's right! I haven't used all of the power!"
Satou exclaimed trying to regenerate the broken long blade on his right hand.
"Uwoooooh!!!"
His right hand regenerates the sword with his roots immediately, then suddenly the black flame appears on it turning the long blade black.
"Then hand turns to a black blade, eh?"
Takayuki said.
"Yeah, I'll make you pay for everything you've done to me!"
Satou exclaimed.
Satou then shoots the great black flame to Takayuki and Takayuki just blocks it with his hand. The flame then disperses before their very eyes and that surprises Satou.
"No way! It's a lie, right?! I would understand if he dodged, but he blocked it with his hand?!"
"Then, it's my turn!"
Swiftly, suddenly Takayuki appears before Satou in no time and strikes Satou with his green burning short blade.
"Ugh!!"
Satou then gets away to make some distances.
'No way?! My instinct would feel the danger ahead, but why didn't it work at all!'
Satou said in his mind.
"Yumeno san, this time, the fight will be tenser. That's why…"
Takayuki holds Yumeno's body with his roots.
"Wait, Takayuki!!!"
He just ignores her as he charges Satou.
"Now, I get it what your ability is. You can summon black flame from your sword and you have the power of regeneration. Then… "
Takayuki is about to strike, and this time Satou is trying to parry the blow with his long blade, but it doesn't do well. The long blade gets broken as well as his hands by Takayuki for the second time.
"Ugh!! Why did this happen to me?!"
Satou moaned in pain as he backs off.
Not missing the chance, Takayuki slowly gets closer for another blow.
"I can't take this! I can't take this defeat! Aaah!!"
After saying that, Satou turns into a half-monster. His cut hands turn into black swords full of thorns and his body is enveloped by black flame.
"With this. No one can defeat me!"
Suddenly Satou is coming to Takayuki with his black flame. The time then freeze out of the blue and Takayuki teleports to Satou's back.
"As I thought! Die!"
Satou then turns around and strikes Takayuki with his black flame. Yet, Takayuki moves to get closer to Satou and strikes him that he falls on his knee.
"Damn you! Why can't I read your pace?! Don't tell me that his speed passes beyond space and time?! No way! But, it still makes any sense, but why can't my instinct detect it?!"
Satou said as he gets up and wants to charge again.
But, Takayuki has appeared beside him. Satou then turns to the right and Takayuki then moves to the left to attack.
"This time, you will take my blow!"
Satou then shoots the flame to the left, but Takayuki moves to the right and strikes again.
"Ugh!! Damn you!!!"
Satou is shooting great flame at Takayuki consecutively but Takayuki manages to dodge those flawlessly then he throws his short blade at Satou like a dart.
"Do you think you are the only one who can dodge, huh?!"
Satou dodges the short blade and the blade stabbed the ground behind him. Swiftly, Takayuki has been behind Satou with the short blade he just threw.
As Takayuki is about to attack, Satou turns around to counter. At that moment, Takayuki teleports to Satou's front and strikes him again.
"Ughh!!! Damn!!"
Satou screams in pain. At that time, Satou summons very big roots from his black long blade to attack Takayuki and Takayuki blocks it with his short blade.
"!!"
But, the short blade breaks for the second time instead and the roots strangle Takayuki.
"Bwahaha! Finally, I got you!"
After getting him, Satou shoves Takayuki away that he ends up crushing many trees.
"How does it feel?! When you fight against the one stronger than you?! I'll finish it off once and for all!"
Takayuki then interrupts,
"Finish it off?! I am stronger than you now!"
After saying that, he then breaks the roots bound him with his roots and that surprises Satou.
Taking the chance, Takayuki then jabs Satou's face that Satou gets thrown away that he ends up crushing many trees.
"Damn!! Why can't I just keep on his pace?!"
Satou gets up.
As Takayuki got shoved before, his jacket has become torn on the side.
"Let's finish it off! No more Mr. Nice guy!"
Takayuki said summoning a short blade that enveloped great greenish flame from his hand.
"Come! I'll kill you!"
Satou said summoning great black flame from his long blade.
Finally, Takayuki charges Satou whose hand is a black long blade with the black flame, while his short blade with greenish flame.
Takayuki is ready to shoot great greenish flame from his short blade so is Satou who does the same.
Both, Takayuki and Satou Hideaki, is about to have a sword fight that the black flame of Satou's long blade is bigger than Takayuki's flame.
"This is my victory!"
As Satou says that, he thinks that Takayuki has vanished by the black flame, but too bad Takayuki has no intention for a sword fight.
That time, the time froze and Takayuki just trick Satou so he would think that they would have a sword fight. But the truth is, when Satou stroke with the black flame, Takayuki just dodges it to the side.
"Don't tell me you—"
Satou is surprised by Takayuki's entrance.
At that moment, Takayuki has found a chance and uses it to strike Satou with his short blade.
"Hooo!!!"
Takayuki yelled swinging his sword.
"Ugh!!"
The black long blade on Satou's hand then disappears, then he turns to his human form.
"Take your sins with your life!".
With no hesitation, Takayuki stabs Satou's chest. And then Satou just smiles in relief.
"That's right. If it's not like this. It's just not like the typical Satou Hideaki."
Satou said and falls.
"Don't tell me, you---"
Takayuki is surprised and holds Satou's body.
"Good job, Takayuki. With this, everything runs according to my plan."
Satou said.
"What plan are you talking about?!"
Satou said.
"Last year, I managed to fix the Yggdrasil by sacrificing myself as its guard. I thought that would be alright, but I was so naïve."
"Why?! How?!"
Takayuki asked.
"No matter how kind someone is, they must have a dark side that they will fall to the darkness. Yet, before that happens, I've prepared for the anticipation. I have made a copy of myself, Takayuki!"
Takayuki just remains silent to hear the truth.
"You are the image of my weakness, though darkness won't appear on you… As you are my hope! That's why I gave you fake memories, my goal is to kill myself with the idealism on your head!"
Satou explained.
Takayuki just cries and says,
"Why?! Why should I kill you?! Why should we have fought like this?! Isn't there a better way to solve this?!"
"I'm sorry, Takayuki. Sorry for the trouble."
Takayuki remains speechless.
"See, Takayuki. Basically, the world is being controlled by the Yggdrasil. In the end, the one who decides my fate is myself, not the Yggdrasil. That's why, I have no regret,"
Satou then coughs.
"It seems my time has come. If only there was another way, I wouldn't do this. So, I am sorry."
After saying that, Satou vanishes like a cloud of dust.
Takayuki then realizes something.
Taka means eagle and Yuki means snow.
Satou must have hoped that Takayuki would keep flying like the eagle no matter how much the snow ahead.
Michio means the right way.
Satou believes that Takayuki would fly the right way.
Satou has left everything on me as Takayuki is the only hope he has.
"In the end, I am still protected. With this, everything is over, right?"
Takayuki then is shocked to see Yumeno close to him. He looks really surprised.
"Satou, where are you?! You'll live in peace like usual, right?!"
Yumeno said.
"Yumeno san!"
Takayuki calls her and she hugs him out of the blue.
"Welcome home, Satou."
She said.
"What are you talking about?! I am not Satou san! I am Takayuki, Yumeno san!"
"What are you talking about, Satou? For me, you are the usual Satou and why did you call me Yumeno? You used to call me Yume, right?"
Her hug is getting tight and the copy of Satou is sure that Yumeno saw Satou vanish before her very eyes and as she can't take the truth that Satou has died, she acknowledges Takayuki as Satou Hideaki.
"Why the long face? Are you missing me that much?!"
She asked.
He just thinks that it's just a dream but this is the truth that seems like a nightmare.