The atmosphere was electric as Riku and Toru squared off in the center of the arena, their eyes locked in an unspoken rivalry. Both stood poised, prepared for a brawl—but neither of them moved immediately. The tension was palpable.
Toru, with his ever-present cocky grin, was the first to make a move. He lunged forward, his powerful Essence twisting into a shockwave of raw power. A flurry of punches and kicks followed, each one aimed at Riku's chest or head with deadly precision.
But Riku—his expression calm, almost detached—sidestepped with ease. His body seemed to flow effortlessly, dodging every hit by mere inches. Every time Toru's fist came close, Riku slipped past it, like he was reading the very intent behind the strikes. His footwork was immaculate.
Toru growled in frustration, "Quit playing around, Hayashi!" He spun in a quick roundhouse kick aimed at Riku's side, but the same thing happened—Riku's body bent, sliding out of the way as though he were part of the wind itself.
Riku smirked. "Come on, Toru. I thought you were supposed to be S Rank. Can't you even land one hit?"
Toru's eyes narrowed, his pride stung. He pushed harder, intensifying his attacks, trying to break Riku's defense, but still, it wasn't enough. Riku was there one moment, gone the next. Toru's attacks tore through the air, only to meet nothing but emptiness.
After a few more moments of this, Riku raised his hand, his voice cool. "Alright, let's make things a bit more interesting."
He closed his eyes for a split second before snapping his fingers.
Suddenly, two massive knights materialized beside him, their steel armor gleaming under the arena lights. They raised enormous swords, standing ready to strike. At the same time, a perfect clone of Riku formed beside him, mimicking his every movement.
The onlookers gasped in unison. They hadn't seen anything like this from Riku before.
Toru, taken aback, staggered back, his expression shifting from cocky to shocked. He was still the only one standing in the middle of the arena with Riku's two knights and a clone now in his face. The knights advanced first, swinging their massive swords in synchronized arcs. Toru barely managed to dodge one of the blows, but the force behind it left cracks in the ground.
"Wha—What the hell?!" Toru shouted, his usual bravado fading.
Riku didn't budge. "I've never used this before, so let's see how you handle it."
The knights attacked relentlessly, and Riku's clone mimicked every movement he made, attacking from different angles. Toru was forced on the defensive, his fists clashing against the knights' blades, but the force of their strikes sent him stumbling back.
Riku stood with a slight tilt of his head, watching calmly as Toru struggled. He didn't seem worried in the slightest. "It's impressive how long you've lasted… but," he said softly, "You're just not quite there yet."
Toru gritted his teeth and pushed forward with sheer power, taking down one of the knights after a minute of grueling combat. The second knight kept attacking, pushing him even further. Toru slammed his fist into the knight's chest, sending it flying, but that wasn't enough to deal with the clone—it moved too quickly, a perfect replica of Riku's movements, and Toru found himself tangled up in the clone's flurry of strikes.
In an exhausted huff, Toru shouted, "Damn it, I can't break through this!" His aura flared, and he gave everything he had left in one final burst of energy. The clone dissipated, but Toru was exhausted, barely managing to take down the second knight as well.
But it had taken him three minutes—a testament to the sheer difficulty of overcoming Riku's summoned creations. He stood, panting heavily, looking at the remnants of the knight's destroyed forms.
Meanwhile, the others were still battling on their own fronts.
Yumi and Kazuto had teamed up against Rei Tanaka, their combined strength keeping the lightning-wielder at bay. But it was clear that Rei was no slouch—he attacked with precision, lightning crackling off his body, each strike filled with the energy of a storm. Kazuto struggled to keep up with his power, though Yumi's healing Essence kept him standing strong.
Ayame Kuroda, having vanished into mist earlier, was now locked in a battle with Misora Kin, her Essence bending the Rift itself as she summoned a spectral force to block Misora's dual blades. Ayame's movements were fluid, almost hypnotic, while Misora seemed to be everywhere at once, her blades cutting through the air in deadly arcs.
Riku watched them all, a distant smile on his face as he noted how far they'd all come in the years since they'd last sparred. They were growing—every one of them.
Toru, panting from his struggle, turned to Riku, sweat dripping down his face. "You've… gotten too strong."
Riku shrugged, his clone fading as he approached Toru, letting him catch his breath. "It's just a little work with my Essence. You're not bad. Just need a bit more control."
Toru glared at him, but his tone was less harsh now. "I'll get stronger. Don't think I'll let you off easy next time, Hayashi."
Riku smirked. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
The battle raged on around them, but for a moment, it felt like time had stopped, a brief interlude before the next clash.
And Riku knew—this was just the beginning.