Taro and Mexus stood facing each other, the air between them thick with unspoken words. No greetings, no taunts—only the unspoken truth that pulsed in their veins: they were here to test each other, to push their limits in a clash that would redefine their bond. Win or lose, the relationship they'd forged through sweat and sacrifice would never be the same.
The tension hung palpable, a living force that pressed against the dreamscape's edges, yet it only stoked their excitement. Their eyes locked, green and steely, each reflecting a hunger for this moment. No more delays. With a synchronized motion, both drew their Reibones, the blades humming with latent power.
"Let's do this," they said in unison, voices overlapping like a thunderclap.
The clash began not with a roar, but with surgical precision. Taro wove every lesson from Toei into his stance—perfect footwork, razor-sharp feints, his Reibone dancing like an extension of his soul. He fought like a master swordsman, each move a testament to his growth.
Mexus parried with effortless grace, a hint of pride flickering in his eyes. "You've been paying attention," he said, his voice warm before hardening. "But a Drenor's power isn't in technique. It's in intent."
Taro smirked, undeterred. "Don't worry—I've got more than technique to show you."
Their Reibones clashed again, steel singing as sparks erupted. The ground beneath them shuddered, a massive crater forming with each strike. Three opposing directional slashes followed, each blow deepening the scar in the earth, the dreamscape groaning under the strain. An array of attacks ensued—slashes, thrusts, and counters—until Taro feinted, using the momentum to launch a powerful kick. Mexus parried with a flick of his wrist, throwing Taro's balance off, but Taro was swift, snatching Mexus's Reibone mid-swing. With a deft twist, he leveled the ground where Mexus stood, a smokescreen billowing as dust and debris filled the air.
From the left, a massive green blast erupted, its energy crackling. Mexus sliced through it just in time, the blade's edge glowing with effort—perhaps a fraction too slow. Before he could recover, Taro's Reibone unleashed a wide-range blast, its force leveling distant mountains into rubble, the horizon trembling under the assault.
As the smoke cleared, Mexus emerged, hand outstretched, minor bruises marring his skin. A smirk played on his lips. "I'll admit, if I hadn't thrown up a defensive barrier, I'd be in worse shape."
Taro grinned, a flicker of disappointment in his tone. "Well, I'm a bit let down that's all it did."
Mexus's smirk widened. "Then how about you come at me with everything you've got?"
Taro's grin turned maniacal, his green eyes blazing. "You got it!" He charged, the dreamscape quaking with his resolve.
As Mexus rushed forward, Taro thrust out his hand. The space before Mexus's blade shimmered and fractured, a hair-thin cut appearing on Mexus's cheek—not from steel, but from a tear in reality itself. Mexus stumbled back, his mind racing. "What the hell was that? I didn't see him move his Reibone?"
Taro gripped his Reibone, unleashing a barrage of green-energy slashes. Mexus braced himself, shocked to find no damage on his body. "What's going on?" he muttered. Then Taro closed his eyes, a bold move that drew a smirk from Mexus.
"Not the best idea to close your eyes against me," Mexus taunted, zooming forward with a massive area-of-effect attack. Flames roared, incinerating rocks, mountains, trees, and rivers in a sweeping inferno that scarred the dreamscape.
As the blaze subsided, Taro stood unscathed—no scratches, no bruises. He opened his eyes, a strange, potent green aura surging around him. "Hehehe…"
Mexus's gaze snapped to his side, where a tear in space-time flickered. Undeterred, he raised his defenses, eyes widening as a barrage of slashes erupted. The attack tore into his body, leaving crimson streaks and blood pooling on the ground, the surrounding terrain shredded in the chaos.
"I see," Mexus said, lowering his guard, his voice steady despite the wounds. "Spatial Rend and pocket dimensions. You create microscopic tears on your opponent's body or Reibone, storing attacks in small pocket dimensions to unleash later. Impressive, Taro."
Taro smiled, pride mingling with respect. "As witty as ever, I see. No outsmarting a Drenor. But don't you think you're forgetting something?"
Mexus raised a brow, then his expression shifted. A spatial tear opened, and the same AOE explosion Mexus had launched earlier roared back, amplified to a monstrous scale. The ground shattered, forests vanished, and the dreamscape was reduced to a wasteland of ash and ruin.
"You got me good, kid," Mexus rasped, leaning on his Reibone for support. "I might not win…"
Taro smirked, but Mexus's devious smile returned. "Well… at least not in this state."
Taro's grin faltered as Mexus gripped his Reibone tightly and shouted, "Koji no Jotai, Kogane no Ken!" A blinding golden light erupted, flooding the dreamscape with radiant power. Mexus's aura transformed, his clothes shimmering in gold, most bruises fading as if erased by divine will.
Taro's frown melted into awe. "I finally forced you to draw it out. Now I'm on the same level as a Drenor's Koji no Jotai."
"Same level?" A voice echoed from behind him. Taro spun, jabbing with his Reibone, but Mexus reappeared at his front, seizing Taro's wrist with iron strength. Stunned, Taro swung again, only for Mexus to catch his wrist once more.
Mexus raised a single finger, a small golden energy ball forming at its tip, stopping just shy of Taro's forehead. *BOOM!* The explosion rocked the dreamscape, a massive blast that sent Taro reeling, his body battered as if he'd faced Mexus's initial form anew.
Taro panted, collapsing to his knees. "Huff… huff… Ugh, I didn't see that coming. God, that power… I might not have energy to heal. But you do."
Mexus chuckled, his golden aura flaring overwhelmingly. "Oh, you want to try energy theft on me?" The intensity forced Taro to stagger, barely standing against the radiant pressure. "Ugh, this energy—it's too intense. I can't steal it."
Mexus smiled. "What's wrong, Taro? Not gonna—" He slashed the air, dispersing something unseen. "Trying to lay spatial tears on my body, huh? I destroyed them before they could take effect."
"Th-That's not possible," Taro gasped.
Mexus chuckled darkly. "It sure seemed possible, especially since I just did it."
Taro grunted, struggling to rise. "Also, I never got to pay you back for those attacks earlier. You can have some back." Hundreds—perhaps thousands—of tiny golden energy balls materialized, raining down. Taro's instincts screamed, his heightened senses, speed, and precognition kicking in as he dodged in a blur.
In slow motion, he evaded one, only for another to spawn directly in front. The impact triggered a chain reaction, a barrage of explosions engulfing him. As the dust settled, Taro knelt, hands braced on his Reibone, his body trembling. *Goddamn it, I don't even have an ounce of energy left. I only have one thing left to do.*
"So, Taro, do you concede?" Mexus asked, smirking.
With his last shred of strength, Taro rose, voice raw with defiance. "I'm not pushing this any longer!" He levitated slowly, drawing energy from the dreamscape itself, channeling it into his Reibone for an ultimate blast.
Mexus's expression turned grave. "Uh-oh." He raised his Reibone, charging a concentrated golden blast.
All the absorbed energy coalesced as Taro roared, "Dreamscape… Slaaaash!!!!!!!" An enormous slash erupted, its size rivaling a country, a wave of green fury tearing through the realm.
Mexus unleashed his blast, a slimmer, focused beam of gold. The two forces collided, a back-and-forth struggle for dominance, the dreamscape trembling as student and master vied for supremacy. The stakes—their dynamic, Taro's worth—hung in the balance.
Suddenly, a blinding flash engulfed everything. When it faded, Taro stood before Mexus on the scarred ground, his voice low and serious. "Mexus, I wanted to prove I was worth saving. I know you made it seem like I helped you regain your body and reach the dreamscape, but… it was so you could teach me—show me people, happiness, joy, defeat, and so much more. Without you, I'd still see the world through a lens of hatred, blind to a place as magnificent as this dreamscape. When I said I'd kill you, I meant me—I wanted to kill the weak me, the old self I couldn't let go of. Especially after Fistman defeated me, it felt like I'd lost everything despite my efforts… Mexus, I just wanted to prove to you… that I was worth…" He collapsed mid-sentence, "…the saving."
Mexus caught him, his golden aura softening. "Taro, you were always worth it. You're the kind of student any teacher would be proud of. Losing a fight or two doesn't change that. Look how strong you've grown in just 30 days. Taro, you're the best student I could ask for… even… a friend."
Taro's eyes fluttered, a faint smile breaking through his exhaustion as the dreamscape hummed with a new, quiet peace.