The arena had settled into a tense calm, the air still thick with the energy of the previous battles. Riku, his expression still as calm as ever, turned to the remaining fighters.
"We'll make it interesting this time," Riku said, looking around at the others. "How about a 2-on-2? Me and Yumi against Toru and Ayame."
Yumi, her cheeks tinged pink, was immediately caught off guard. "M-Me?" she stammered, a little flustered.
Riku smiled at her, trying to reassure her. "Yeah, just keep your guard up, and I'll handle the rest."
Yumi nodded, her blush still visible as she quickly readied herself.
Toru, standing opposite them, shot a challenging glance at Riku. "I hope you're not taking me lightly, Hayashi. I'll show you just how much stronger I've become."
Ayame, ever the enigma, looked at Riku without saying a word, her deep eyes studying him. "Let's see what you can do," she said in her quiet, mysterious tone.
Riku didn't respond immediately, instead taking a deep breath. He wasn't concerned about the match—he wasn't going to hold back, but he didn't want to exhaust himself either. He had a plan.
"Alright, let's make this a fair fight," Riku said, his calm voice carrying. He snapped his fingers again, summoning five knights and five clones of himself. The arena now seemed to hum with the sheer presence of his summoned creatures, the air rippling as they took their positions around him.
Yumi's eyes widened as she saw the amount of energy Riku was putting into the battle. "Whoa, five knights and five clones? Are you serious?" she whispered under her breath.
Riku glanced at her with a slight grin. "Just stay on your toes, okay? I'll handle the rest."
Toru, his eyes narrowing in disbelief, immediately launched himself toward the nearest knight, fists blazing with energy. Ayame, similarly, started to use her Essence, summoning spectral blades to attack the clones.
The battle was quick—too quick. Riku's clones and knights took the brunt of the attack, but the speed and power of Toru and Ayame's strikes were enough to overwhelm them. Within five minutes, all five clones and knights had been dismantled, leaving nothing but shards of shattered steel and faint traces of Essence in the air.
Riku stood, watching the battle unfold with a serene look on his face. He had no intention of losing, but it wasn't about that. He wanted to test their strengths, to see how far they'd come.
Just as Toru took down the last of the knights, Riku moved into the fray, his aura flaring as he engaged the duo. His movements were fluid, as graceful as they were powerful, and in no time, both Toru and Ayame found themselves struggling to keep up.
With a final flurry of punches and kicks, Riku incapacitated them both, leaving them on the ground panting and exhausted. Yumi, though surprised at first, had stayed by his side, helping to keep the pressure on.
As the dust settled, Riku stepped back, offering a hand to Yumi, who still had a faint blush on her face.
"Well done," Riku said simply, nodding to her.
Yumi looked up at him, her blush deepening. "I… I couldn't have done it without you."
Riku nodded. "You did well. You're stronger than you think."
Turning to Toru and Ayame, he gave them both a nod of respect. "You guys are pretty strong too. I'm impressed."
Toru, ever the proud one, simply huffed. "Hmph. Don't get ahead of yourself, Hayashi. I'll beat you next time."
Ayame, however, spoke softly. "Thanks. You're more impressive than I thought."
Yumi looked at Riku, then back to Toru and Ayame, and smiled. "Riku's right. You guys are both really strong."
Toru muttered something under his breath, clearly not happy about the compliment but unwilling to argue.
Riku gave them one last smile, his demeanor unchanged. "You've all got a lot of potential. Keep pushing yourselves." He glanced at Yumi, his tone softer. "And Yumi, keep growing. You're going to get even stronger."
With that, Riku turned to leave, though he noticed Toru still eyeing him with that mix of irritation and respect.
As he walked off the field with Yumi by his side, the others were left to catch their breath.
Despite the calm he radiated, Riku knew that these duels were just the beginning of something far bigger.