Section 1: The Confrontation (Dialogue and Speed Test)
Time: Shortly after 7:00 PM.
Location: The old road leading to the Shadow Syndicate's secret base.
Kaori stood face-to-face with Hayate, covering the path Takuto had taken. Hayate's body was glowing with a Neon Yellow Aura (Electro Flash), while Kaori's Warm Pale Yellow Aura (Lightning Surge) was calmer and more stable.
Hayate: (With a mocking smile) "Sora is facing Hino. And you chose to face me, Ichinose? Is that the decision of a Leader, or the decision of a fool?"
Kaori: (With a taut face) "This is my duty. Even if you are the Amber Flash owner who relies on raw power, you won't be able to bypass my control. Our main objective is to save Aoi. I will stop you right here."
Hayate: "Control? Someone without an Eye Power thinks they can stop me? Hahaha! Don't you realize your own rules are restricting your power?"
Kaori: "It's not restricting power, it's maintaining it. The essence of the Stellar Flow is discipline."
Hayate stopped talking and moved instantly. The Electro Flash circled Kaori like a lightning bolt, aiming to strike her from the back.
Kaori: (In her mind) "So fast... a little faster than my Lightning Surge. But his movement pattern... it's too crude."
Kaori used her Kinetic Speed, moving forward about an inch, and neatly dodged Hayate's attack. Her reaction was so precise that Hayate missed her completely.
Hayate: (Surprised, then grinning) "Nice! But you're just defending. You don't have the Speed to attack!"
The battle began with a clash of Speed. Hayate continuously attacked Kaori with Pure Raw Speed, but Kaori sustained minimal damage thanks to her control and technique. Hayate changed his form into a spinning Lightning Bolt, attacking Kaori from various angles.
Kaori kept the Stellar Flow contained around her body like a defensive wall, Energy Saving by only moving half the distance needed to evade each of Hayate's projected attack paths. Every one of Hayate's attacks hit Kaori's Aura Field but lacked the Penetration to truly break through.
Kaori: (Taking calm, steady breaths between movements) "Your power is good, Hayate. But it is wasted. Every movement you make is crossing unnecessary distances!"
Hayate: (Angrily) "Shut up! Electro Flash! Maximum Velocity!"
Hayate used his Electro Flash at maximum acceleration. His movement became so fast that yellow streaks were left shimmering in the air. He tried to punch Kaori, his fist crackling with lightning.
Kaori: (In her mind) "This time... avoiding it is impossible. I have to stop him! Efficiency!"
Kaori concentrated all the power of her Lightning Surge into her right palm, waiting for the exact moment Hayate would enter her space. Effort and pain were visible on her face.
Kaori thrust her right palm forward, making contact with Hayate's shoulder at the very last moment before he fully landed the punch.
BOOM! Hayate's Maximum Velocity collided with Kaori's Concentrated Barrier. The explosion shook the entire surroundings.
Hayate was thrown backward and slammed into a large tree on the roadside. Kaori was also severely injured on her shoulder and dropped to one knee.
Hayate climbed down from the tree. His shoulder hurt slightly, but his eyes were filled with rage as he glared at Kaori.
Hayate: (Gritting his teeth) "You... How did you stop my maximum speed without an Eye Power!"
Kaori: (Struggling to breathe) "I told you... Discipline... and Control. I don't waste energy like you do. I only used the amount of energy needed to stop you!"
Hayate: "But you're injured! You can't fight back again! I'll kill you now and go after Takuto!"
Hayate concentrated his Electro Flash power for another attack. Kaori struggled to stand, her body trembling with pain. Her Aura was drastically depleted.
Kaori: (With eyes full of resolve) "Until my duty... is complete... I will not let you pass!"
Hayate smirked. Lightning sparked around him, and he lunged at Kaori.
Kaori: (Flinching and stepping back) "You! You still weren't going all out?"
Hayate: "Did you think you could beat me so easily... Didn't you know this isn't even the full extent of my power?"
Hayate: "Since that guy beat me last time, I can't afford to lose again, can I?" (Referring to Takuto).
Hayate: "That's why... I also..." Hayate's yellow lightning turned black.
Hayate: "...Power Up'd a little!"
💥 Section 2: The Pressure of the Black Flash and a Glimpse of the Past
Situation: Hayate, powered up with Black Lightning, attacked Kaori. Kaori faced him with a sense of duty but was severely injured and sent flying through the air.
Hayate's black lightning strike hit Kaori in the chest, propelling her through the air at lightning speed.
Kaori: (Screaming) "Agh..."
As Kaori tumbled through the air, the pain made her Consciousness fade. In that moment, her mind returned to precious memories from the past.
[FLASHBACK: The Amber Legacy]
(The scene shifts to the rest area of the Crimson Aegis team. A young, rigid Kaori is talking to her colleague, Akira (Electro Flash owner).)
Akira: (Smiling with golden-yellow eyes) "Kaori... you're so boring. You should loosen up a little on the rules and look at the beauty of this world. Have you ever looked at the night sky? There is Freedom there."
Kaori: "Freedom interferes with duty. We must protect, Akira."
Akira: "That's right, we protect. But we protect for happiness. If you don't have happiness, what are you protecting?"
Akira: "Come on... Wouldn't it be nice to just enjoy yourself sometimes?"
Kaori: "I don't have time to waste like that."
Akira: "You're so boring. Have you ever dated anyone? If you keep this up, you'll spend your life alone, you know."
Kaori: "I don't need something like 'love' right now."
Akira: "Well, whatever the case, one day you'll find it... the people you love."
(The scene shifts to a ruined battlefield during a mission. Akira is severely injured and collapsed, a victim of the Shadow Syndicate's attack.)
Akira: (Clutching Kaori's hand, energy flowing) "A little bit of this Electro Flash power... I'm giving it to you. Use it for your discipline and for good things. You... you must live... I want to see you happy."
Kaori: "Baka!! Shut up! I can still save you!"
Akira: "There's no time for me. Anyway, it's almost your birthday, right? Think of it as a present."
(Akira's Golden-Yellow Aura flowed into Kaori's body, and then he fell still after a final smile. Kaori wept in pain.)
💖 Section 3: The Awakening of the Violet Gauge (The New Eye)
As Kaori spun in the air, she felt the pain of the past, Akira's promise, and the hope of the present. She pictured Takuto, gazing at the night sky with Aoi... Though she had only watched from afar, that sight represented the 'Freedom' and 'Happiness' Akira had spoken of. Takuto was the one who was slowly opening her tightly constrained heart.
Kaori: (In her mind) "No... I can't afford to lose another precious moment of happiness! Takuto... Aoi... I want to see your smiles again."
As Kaori's emotions shifted from Duty to the Will to Protect, three powers within her body merged:
Kaori's Kinetic Control
Akira's Electro Flash Legacy
A sliver of Takuto's Phoenix Gaze power (Hope)
Kaori's right eye suddenly burst with intense light. Her iris turned a Bright Violet color, and tiny, precise circular Gauges appeared around the pupil. At the same time, a single strand of hair near her right temple changed to the Violet color.
Kaori suddenly stopped mid-air and gently landed on the ground. Her Violet Aura was more stable and powerful than before.
Hayate: (Shaken) "You... that's an Eye Power! How did you get it... It's impossible!"
Kaori: (Looking at Hayate with her Violet Gauge) "This is the power of Control, Hayate. No matter how fast your speed is, I can now precisely read every one of your movements... every wasted bit of energy."
In Kaori's Violet Gauge Eye, Hayate's Black Lightning movement patterns, Stellar Flow streams, and the weaknesses of every attack were clearly visible as numbers and red lines.
Hayate prepared to attack one last time in a fit of rage.
Hayate: "You can't stop me with a fake Eye Power like that! Die!"
Kaori stood calmly, waiting for the exact moment Hayate would initiate his Void Velocity. The Violet Gauge in her eye glowed like a countdown.
Section 4: The Control Wins
Situation: Kaori, using the Violet Gauge Eye, waited for the precise timing of Hayate's Black Amber Flash attack.
Hayate, full of fury, concentrated the Black Lightning and charged toward Kaori at maximum acceleration. His movement was more unstable and more destructive than ever.
Kaori stood still. In her Violet Gauge Eye, the Stellar Flow around Hayate's body was calculated as unstable, wasted energy.
Kaori: (In her mind) "His Speed is 1.5 times faster than my Kinetic Speed. But... the Stability of his Stellar Flow is only 0.3%. This Black Power is destroying him. I have only 0.3 seconds."
Kaori saw a split-second change in acceleration within Hayate's movement pattern. This was Hayate's weakness: the moment his Center of Gravity would destabilize due to the excessive use of power.
Hayate, wreathed in Black Lightning, arrived, aiming for a direct hit to Kaori's right chest.
Zero Timing:
Kaori moved at the exact time calculated by her Violet Gauge. She shifted one inch to the side, causing Hayate's punch to completely miss her body.
Kaori: (Concentrating the Violet Aura into her palm)
As Hayate's 100% attack completely missed, his body leaned forward due to Inertia. In that 0.1-second window, Kaori used her Kinetic Speed precisely, thrusting her palm forcefully into Hayate's Stellar Core (abdomen).
CRACKLE! BOOM!
Because Kaori's attack landed precisely when Hayate's movement was compromised, there was absolutely no defense.
The Black Lightning Aura around Hayate's body instantly collapsed, reverting to Neon Yellow. Hayate, his eyes wide, was thrown backward through the air and slammed hard onto the ground. His body was completely motionless.
Kaori fell to one knee. Her Violet Gauge Eye slowly faded, returning to its normal form. Her body was extremely exhausted from energy depletion and injuries.
Hayate: (Weakly from the ground) "Impossible... How could your Control... defeat my Pure Speed..."
Kaori: (Struggling to breathe through the pain) "Your Pure Speed... is Chaos. My Control... represents Accuracy. True power... doesn't require waste, Hayate."
Kaori: "Now who is the child?"
Hayate: "You!!"
Kaori used her last ounce of strength to bind the fallen Hayate. Her duty was complete.
Kaori: (Softly) "Akira... maybe I should try to find that 'freedom' you talked about."
Just then, the heat of flames and the sound of intense fighting began to approach the old road. It was clear that Sora had defeated Hino and was heading her way.
Kaori: "Takuto-kun, our part is finished. It's up to you now. Please save Aoi for sure."
After speaking, Kaori collapsed from exhaustion. She had cleared the way for Takuto but was completely immobilized.
Sora: "Kaori!! Hold on, I'm coming!"
Sora ran towards the fallen Kaori. Meanwhile, Takuto sprinted toward Toki's location.
[END OF CHAPTER 10]