The shadow figure loomed over Temaki, aura thrumming with destructive power. Its massive form radiated suffocating darkness, energy crackling like a storm about to strike. Temaki froze, heart pounding, every instinct screaming to run—but there was nowhere to hide.
Then, from the corner of his vision, crimson light exploded. Akira's aura flared violently, flames dancing across her body like living fire. Blood—hers and the faint remnants from previous battles—glimmered across her skin, pulsing with Rank 15+ power she'd feasted to unlock. Her eyes burned brighter than the sun, filled with fury, resolve… and something Temaki had never imagined.
"Stay… behind me!" Akira roared, her voice echoing like thunder across the arena. With a swift motion, she drew a vial of blood from her belt—her own and fragments of power she'd harvested from her past kills—and slammed it to the ground. Flames erupted, swirling with energy she'd never accessed before, turning the battlefield into a blazing inferno.
Temaki's jaw dropped. "Akira… what the—"
The shadow lunged, faster than ever. Akira met it head-on, crimson fire and aura clashing violently with the dark energy. Sparks, blood, and flames intertwined, shaking the arena like it might collapse. Each strike she made was amplified by the blood she had feasted on—strength, speed, and lethal precision fused with pure emotion.
Temaki couldn't move, rooted in shock as he watched her fight—not just with skill, but with heart. Every strike, every movement, every ounce of her power was to protect him.
"You… you'd go this far for me?" he whispered, barely able to comprehend it. "She… she's… she's insane…"
Akira's eyes flicked to him for the briefest second, voice low and trembling beneath the roar of flames: "I… won't let you die. Not by anyone. Not today."
The shadow recoiled slightly, sensing the overwhelming surge of blood-fueled energy, its attacks staggering under the sheer force of Akira's power. But just as victory seemed within reach, the intruder stepped forward, violet aura pulsing—hesitant, conflicted, and vulnerable.
"I… can't just watch," she murmured, almost to herself. Temaki's eyes widened. The girl who had teased, tormented, and challenged him suddenly looked… human. She stepped into the battlefield, unsure if she should fight Akira—or side with her.
Akira's flames roared higher, aura flaring like a living inferno. Blood glimmered in the firelight, her Rank 15+ power surging beyond anything the arena had ever seen. Every strike of her blade sent shockwaves that forced the shadow back, inch by inch.
Temaki's heart pounded. "She… she'd literally burn everything… for me? After all this time… she's not just my partner?"
Before anyone could react further, the shadow screamed—a piercing, unnatural sound—and launched a devastating energy wave straight at Temaki, faster than his eyes could follow.
Akira's aura flared violently again, flames spiraling around him like a protective cage, and she lunged in a move so fast it blurred. Blade and blood-fueled fire collided with the wave, shattering it into a thousand sparks.
The arena fell silent for a heartbeat. Temaki, trembling, looked at her. "I… I didn't know you… you'd do that… for me."
Akira's crimson eyes met his, blazing, unyielding. "If you die… I'm coming with you."
Twist/Cliffhanger: As the smoke cleared, the shadow shifted—revealing not just one but two forms splitting from the energy pulse, doubling the threat. The intruder looked at Temaki, conflicted, and whispered, "We… might need to survive this… together."