Kijin was still chewing when his name echoed through the arena again.
"Next match! Yamata Kijin — BK Class — versus Raigen — AA Class!"
He froze.
Noodle halfway into his mouth.
"…Eh?"
Behind him, medics were still dragging injured students past.
Someone was crying.
Someone else had a broken arm.
Kijin slowly lowered his bowl.
"…Isn't this still training?"
No one answered.
Because everyone knew.
Training or not—people were getting wrecked out there.
He swallowed.
"…Why do I feel like I'm walking to my funeral?"
A hand grabbed his collar and yanked him upright.
Tsuramo.
Calm as always.
He looked at Kijin once.
"Good luck," he said flatly."Try not to die."
Kijin scowled. "You're supposed to encourage me, idiot!"
Tsuramo shrugged. "I am."
Then he shoved him toward the arena entrance.
From behind, Luna's voice rang out as she walked past, shadows swirling lightly around her boots.
"Hey, wind idiot."
Kijin turned.
Luna smirked.
"Win this, and the Yamata clan will stop pretending you're the embarrassing cousin."
Kijin's eyebrow twitched.
"…Oi."
But she wasn't wrong.
The Yamata clan.
Divided into four branches.
Storm, Serpent, Gale, and Mirage.
Each branch inherited fragments of the ancient Yamata bloodline.
But the true Yamata descendants—
—the main blood—
held overwhelming wind authority.
And Kijin?
Supposedly part of that main branch.
Supposedly.
Most people thought he was just noise and luck.
He sighed.
"…Why is everyone expecting something from me today…"
He took one step toward the arena.
And immediately felt weak.
His legs wobbled. "…Wait."
He leaned on the wall. "…Why am I dizzy?"
Tsuramo glanced back.
"You fought yesterday. Got electrocuted. Barely slept. Ate nothing but noodles."
Kijin blinked.
"…Oh."
Beat. "…So I'm fighting a thunder monster while malnourished?"
Tsuramo nodded. "Yes."
"…You people are trying to kill me."
The gate opened.
Light flooded in.
Crowd roaring.
Arena Floor
Raigen waited, sword resting on his shoulder, lightning crawling around him lazily.
He spotted Kijin entering.
Smirked. "So they're still sending Yamata leftovers?"
Crowd murmured.
Kijin's steps slowed.
Raigen continued.
"Your clan used to be feared."
Lightning cracked. "Now it's just four broken families pretending they're still strong."
The air shifted.
Even spectators leaned forward.
Kijin stopped walking.
His hair lifted slightly in the wind. "…Say that again."
Raigen smirked wider. "Yamata blood?"
He shrugged. "Looks watered down to me."
Something inside Kijin snapped.
His sword dropped to his side.
Wind surged violently across the arena.
His voice echoed. "WATERED DOWN?!"
The crowd flinched. Kijin pointed at Raigen.
"Listen here, thunder gym bro!"
Wind spiraled wildly around him.
"You insult my clan, my ancestors, my cousins who can't even control wind without sneezing—"
His aura flared.
"—AND ME?"
He cracked his neck.
Grinning now.
Dangerous. "Oh, now I HAVE to beat you."
Up in the stands—
Renji clutched Hikaru. "HE'S GOING TO GET KILLED!"
Hikaru nodded frantically.
Masakiro sighed. "…He's mad."
Luna smirked.
Tsuramo crossed his arms. "…Good."
Arena Floor
Raigen laughed. "Good. Fight angry."
Lightning exploded around him.
Bell rang.
Wind roared.
And Yamata Kijin charged forward—
—no longer scared.
Only pissed.
And the crowd leaned forward—
because now,
this fight mattered.
Yamata Kijin vs Raigen (Rematch)
The bell rang.
And thunder exploded.
Raigen vanished.
Lightning tore across the arena in a blinding flash, and Kijin barely raised his sword before impact came.
BOOM.
The strike hurled him across the field.
He rolled, slammed into stone, bounced, and skidded across the arena floor.
Pain burst through his ribs.
The crowd groaned.
"Again?!"
"He's getting destroyed!"
Kijin coughed, spitting blood.
"…Yeah," he muttered, dragging himself up, "…this feels familiar."
Raigen stalked forward slowly, lightning crackling with every step.
"You talk big," Raigen said, "but you fight small."
He raised his sword again.
Lightning rained down.
Kijin threw up wind barriers—
They shattered instantly.
Another blow slammed him into the ground.
CRACK.
His shoulder screamed.
Sword nearly slipped from his hand.
Up in the stands—
Renji hid his face."MAKE IT STOP!"
Hikaru nodded frantically.
Masakiro clenched his jaw.
Luna muttered, "Get up…"
Only Tsuramo remained calm.
Watching.
Calculating.
Arena Floor
Kijin lay on his back, chest heaving.
Vision blurring.
Everything hurt.
"…Man," he groaned, "…why is thunder always so personal?"
Raigen lifted his sword again. "This ends now."
Lightning gathered.
And for a second—
Kijin almost gave up.
Then—
A memory surfaced.
Nairo.
Bruised. Broken.
Still standing.
His shadow holding him upright.
And his words echoed. "You don't mock a king and walk away."
And Kijin realized something.
Nairo didn't win with strength.
He won with control.
He made Kurojin fight blind.
Fight inside his world.
Kijin's eyes widened slightly.
"…Oh."
Wind stirred.
Softly.
He stood slowly.
Raigen scoffed. "Still alive?"
But Kijin's expression changed.
Calm now.
Focused.
Wind began to move differently.
Not violently.
Quietly.
Dust lifted.
Air currents twisted.
Up in the stands—
Tsuramo's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…Good."
Raigen charged again.
Lightning burst forward—
—but suddenly his vision distorted.
Wind twisted dust, light, air pressure.
Mirages formed.
Ten Kijins stood before him.
Each one flickering.
Raigen swung.
Passed through one.
Then another.
And another.
"Cheap tricks!"
But his lightning blasts hit nothing.
Wind currents bent sound.
Bent movement.
Bent perception.
Kijin's voice echoed everywhere. "Can't hit what you can't see, thunderhead."
Raigen spun—
And Kijin appeared behind him.
Blade slashing.
Wind compressed.
"Yamata Wind Style—"
His sword vanished mid-swing.
Invisible.
"—Silent Heaven Cut!"
The compressed air blade struck.
Raigen's armor cracked.
Blood sprayed.
Raigen stumbled forward, stunned.
Shock filled the crowd.
"He hit him!"
"When did he—?!"
Raigen roared, lightning exploding outward wildly.
But now—
He couldn't see straight.
Wind pressure warped every direction.
Every step wrong.
Every strike missing.
Kijin moved inside the storm.
Breathing hard.
Body screaming.
But smiling.
"Lesson one," he panted.
Wind gathered for one last strike.
"Blind the idiot first."
He dashed forward.
Final attack.
"YAMATA STYLE—"
Wind screamed across the arena.
"—KING'S DESCENT!"
Invisible wind blades slammed into Raigen's chest.
Impact exploded.
Raigen flew backward.
Crashed.
Rolled.
And didn't stand.
Silence.
Then—
The bell rang.
"WINNER — YAMATA KIJIN!"
The arena erupted.
Chaos.
Students screaming.
Shock everywhere.
Up in the stands—
Renji jumped screaming."HE WON?!"
Hikaru hugged him."HE WON!"
Masakiro blinked in disbelief.
Luna smirked proudly.
Tsuramo simply turned away.
"…Told him."
Below—
Kijin stood swaying.
Sword shaking in his hand.
He looked at Raigen's unconscious body.
"…Yamata leftovers, huh?"
He spat blood.
Then raised his blade weakly toward the stands.
"WHO'S WATERED DOWN NOW?!"
Then—
His legs gave out.
And he collapsed.
Medics rushed in.
But this time—
The crowd wasn't pitying him.
They were cheering.
Because today—
The Yamata name roared again.
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