After shedding all his weights, Gekkō Hoshiyomi instinctively rolled his shoulders and stretched. His joints cracked with a satisfying series of pops, followed by a wave of lightness washing over his entire body—as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his limbs.
Once again gripping Mikazuki Munechika with both hands, he leveled the blade at Kitada Asuka.
"Second round begins."
Asuka blinked, momentarily stunned—but she didn't falter. Her eyes burned with resolve as she launched forward, aggressive and unyielding. In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance with Instant Step.
Kitada Style: Hummingbird Assault.
Her figure streaked forward like a flash of light, blade aimed straight at Hoshiyomi.
But this time, to her shock, Hoshiyomi—who had only barely managed to defend before—caught her blade with ease. The sheer force transmitted through her sword made her arms go numb.
No… his strength's increased again. If I keep going head-to-head like this, I might not even be able to keep hold of my sword.
Asuka immediately retreated, refusing to clash with brute force. Hoshiyomi didn't let the moment go to waste—he slashed forward with a Crescent Moon Slash, but Asuka evaded like a feather on the wind.
Kitada Style: Divine Bird's Cry.
Instead of engaging directly, she used Instant Step to flank him, reappearing at his side with a quick, slicing motion.
Hoshiyomi reacted in time, turning to block the strike. But Asuka was already gone.
A whisper of wind passed him—and in a blink, she was behind him, slashing once more.
This time, Hoshiyomi was a second too slow. Her blade sliced across his back, leaving a shallow wound. He twisted at the waist and swept Mikazuki Munechika in a wide arc, hoping to strike her—but it only cut through the afterimage left by her speed.
Another gust of wind brushed past.
Asuka had already found his blind spot, slashing lightly again.
In mere moments, two more wounds appeared on his body.
She's too fast… My eyes can't track her. At this rate—I'll lose.
What now? A wide-range slash? Launch into the air with Dragon Rise Flash?
No—that wouldn't work. At her speed, she could dodge them all.
Then he remembered—the burrowing opponent from an earlier match. He had won that fight not by sight, but by instinct.
Should I try it? The old man trained me for this. Maybe... just maybe.
Hoshiyomi closed his eyes.
It was as if he'd returned to those grueling training days—locked away in darkness, forced to rely on the blade alone.
As his vision faded, his other senses sharpened. The roar of the audience disappeared. He focused solely on the air.
There—left side. A shift in the wind.
Clang.
He'd blocked her.
Asuka's eyes widened in shock. She stepped back, reoriented, and struck again.
This time, the wind came from behind and left.
Hoshiyomi shifted smoothly, right hand swinging Mikazuki Munechika forward—colliding with Shirasagi.
Unseen by Asuka, his left hand had already gripped the scabbard.
In one swift motion, he struck with it—like lightning—catching her in the right hip.
Her frail frame was sent flying.
She crashed to the ground, coughing blood
Asuka leaned on her blade and slowly stood, body trembling. The blood wiped from her mouth threatened to return.
Yet she refused to fall.
She steadied herself again, forcing her body into a ready stance.
Hoshiyomi frowned.
"There's no need for this. You're already at your limit. Don't keep pushing your body."
"Nonsense!"
Her voice cracked, but her stance didn't falter.
"I told you—I only have two paths. Win, or die on this stage.
You breaking through Divine Bird's Cry is impressive—but that wasn't my final move.
Use your strongest technique. If you don't come at me with the intent to kill…
You will die first."
Despite her ragged state, she gripped Shirasagi tightly.
After a moment of stillness, her aura surged again—renewed, sharp.
"This… is my strongest technique:
Kitada Style Secret Art—Divine Bird's Three-Stage Thrust."
She moved.
Her footwork didn't appear fast, but the distance between them vanished in an instant.
Her blade expanded in his vision like a piercing beam. His eyes stung from its speed.
Something's locked onto me. I can't dodge. Even with chakra control, I can't avoid this.
Step One—Supersonic.
Step Two—No Distance.
Step Three—Absolute Blade!
He gritted his teeth and blocked the first thrust with all his might—but he could already feel it:
He had nothing left for the second and third.
Do I open the Sixth Gate? But without Grandma Mito to monitor me... one misstep and it's over.
But then—
Before he could decide—
A sudden flash of light streaked across the platform.
Faster than Asuka's thrust.
Its target wasn't Hoshiyomi—but Shirasagi.
Her blade was struck mid-technique, knocked clean from her hands.
Asuka's body staggered, her ultimate technique broken. She fell to her knees, coughing up blood.
The danger passed.
Hoshiyomi exhaled deeply, relief flooding his chest. No need for the Sixth Gate.
Then he turned—to see who had saved him.
And there he stood: the Leader of the Land of Iron, now standing at the edge of the platform.
Only someone of his caliber could've intervened at such speed, with such precision, and halted the Divine Bird's Triple Thrust without harming either duelist.
Hoshiyomi stepped forward, ready to offer his thanks.
But the leader didn't even glance his way.
His eyes were fixed solely on Asuka, face filled with concern as he gently lifted her into his arms.
Author's Notes:
Seeing that description, many readers probably already know: the prototype for this Divine Bird's Three-Stage Thrust is Okita Souji's Mumyo Sandan-Zuki. Even Kitada Asuka's character design drew inspiration from it, though her appearance and character highlights were definitely toned down. Otherwise, she'd be set to become the female lead, and I still don't like adding original female leads to fanfiction.