Ryu didn't expect him to get used to his speed so quickly.
Whenever he got close, the mercenary would increase the gravity of the area then instantly release it, throwing Ryu off balance in the process.
This time he got in close, kneed Ryu in the stomach, flung him against the platform's wall and followed up with a straight left, creating a massive crater as Ryu narrowly sped out the way in a green blur.
"Okay, Mr... 'Bone In My Quesadilla' was it?" Ryu taunted between gasps, "Why don't you tell me a little more about how you got that ability of yours."
"It's Bone Cassidy," he grumbled metallically behind his helmet, "That's what they call me anyway. And even if I were to tell you, it won't change the outcome."
The alias was familiar, but Ryu didn't care to dwell on specifics like the names of his opponents.
"This is more than just old man strength," Ryu deduced to himself, "even found a way to fight with what I can assume is a crude use of his ability. He's clearly a seasoned combatant..."
Yuna had called it gravity manipulation, but Ryu had already recognised it, though only in theory.
He was trained to hone his centre of gravity under the school of Kishinryu, and through the meditation principle of naishin a theoretical level could be reached where one could expand the energy within themselves and forcefully exert their influence.
As far as Ryu knew, Bone Cassidy was not a kishinryu practitioner, so how could he wield it at such a level so casually? This as well as the cube and the Captain... what was the connection?
Bone Cassidy fired at him; Ryu instantly accelerated behind a pillar.
The bullets followed him, leading them to riddle the platform's seats with gaping holes. Ryu took note that he had adjusted to the instant change of his velocity.
His neural modification supercharged the mitochondria in his cells, giving him near instant acceleration. Though Cassidy was adapting at an alarming rate.
"It looks like you got in way over your head kid." Cassidy chuckled, he wasn't too satisfied however.
As he ambled towards the pillar he saw the edge of Ryu's pale, brown cloak on the ground and scoffed, but as he did he just about caught on to the new line that bisected the pillar near the top.
He instinctively stopped.
His gun arm suddenly became lighter, and when he looked down he saw what was left of it.
It was cut clean in half, the muzzle was gone, now heard as it clattered heavily on the ground somewhere in the station.
The red glow and smoke from the friction was already fading as he saw the subsequent cut on the floor just shy of his foot.
"You couldn't see it could you?" Ryu called out, "That's what I call Ryu's hypersonic dragon slash!"
Ryu had landed back down to his feet behind the pillar. He didn't make a sound.
The pretentious name of the attack matched the motif of his Paladin helmet. It was an attack that was possible due to his nigh instantaneous speed.
He intended to catch his leg, but now that his element of surprise had ceased he looked to employ a hit and run tactic.
He didn't care if it wasn't the most noble, it was sufficient until he could exploit an eventual weak spot.
"That sure was dangerous, I'll give you that one…" Cassidy jeered, "but that's as close as you'll ever get!"
Instantly, Cassidy dented the tiled floor, generating gravity five times more powerful than he had before.
He now stood inside a deep crater, as the station rumbled in response.
The atmosphere distorted around him like a shell while he intended to pin Ryu in his position behind the pillar.
"O-kay! Seems like you really do need to lay off the quesadillas there buddy." Ryu called out, but his voice was unstrained as it echoed throughout the tunnel, "good thing your destructive range isn't as big."
He was already behind a different pillar, this time in the centre platform and saw how Cassidy's gravitational influence stopped just short of it, deforming the iron tracks below.
"So he was holding back before," Ryu noted, "...No, he is still evolving. He sacrificed range for intensity, I have to end this now."
Ryu quickly appeared into the open and launched two more slashes in a somersault as Cassidy continued to channel gravity.
The slashes failed to reach him. Their trajectory drastically altered and cut into the side of the platform's edge below.
"So I can't get close and I can't attack from afar... then again, neither can you," Ryu summarised, "Looks to me like a stalemate, old man."
As if on cue, Cassidy slowly straightened up.
He took a shaky step towards the edge of the platform. Then another.
Each stride grew in confidence while breaking more of the tiling in a disproportionate manner.
"It appears..." Cassidy started, "that I'm getting the hang of this..."
He took a deep breath and the gravity lessened, but as it did its range of influence broadened.
The entire train station platform was now his domain.
He leaped on to the centre platform with the Green Paladin. The gravity held.
He was now entirely dependant on the neural modification to move regularly.
His muscles strained but he accepted his new predicament as he gripped his nagamaki in both hands.
Instinctively, he assumed his old kishinryu style, planting his feet and lowering his body.
Cassidy reached for the two swords on his back and assumed his own stance.
It wasn't one Ryu was familiar with but it left no obvious openings.
They stood three metres apart in anticipation.
There was an unspoken mutual understanding as they both knew the playing field had evened.
There was nowhere for Ryu to go except after the others down the tunnel, but that wasn't an option. They trusted him to follow through. And he will.
The rain pattered above them. Its monotony helped him to concentrate on his core. He visualised himself as a grounded immovable object, isolated yet firm. He felt the weight of his sword, his armour and his helmet. Though it was more like its energy, it was subtle yet distinct.
"Naishin..." Ryu remembered. The principle of rooting ones self and feeling ones own energy.
"Gaishin..." The principle of being in tune with your surroundings, sensing the energy in all things.
Those two differing practices created a deep divide in the ancient Temples of Tsugai.
Ryu was confronted with the irony of the situation; he despised the country's national religion, it had once torn him apart, however, he found solace in its teachings.
Ryu held the same primary stance in anticipation. The warm and subtle breeze on his face was from the dojo's balcony as it over looked the red and gold valley of Otsukimi Prefecture.
Wooden practice sword in hand, the fifteen elders that sat in a row to his left saw his unwavering concentration.
Ryu could sense the unease of the student opposite, he wore an identical black School of Kishinryu gi.
"Begin!"
It was over in an instant. Ryu brought the practice sword in an upwards arc and with a crack, his opponents weapon flew from his grasp.
They bowed to each other, then bowed to the observers.
"You are dismissed," an elder announced, "Takeshi Ryugetsu, stay."
He was a high ranking priest from Yamada Temple, as were the rest.
They intimidated the young Ryu with their icy cold stares, but he saw his sensei among them, he was the only one with a subtle gleam in his eyes.
"The warrior with greater balance will grasp victory with both hands," he announced ceremoniously, "just as your weapon finds perfect balance before the tsuba, so you should find your own..."
"Takeshi Ryugetsu," the elder continued, "your name proceeds you. Your talent in the Kishinryu style at such a young age has piqued the interest of many within the temple."
"This one is thankful for your kind words, elder." Ryu replied as he bowed once more. It was all rehearsed, from his speech pattern to the thirty-five degree bow.
"Before we officially grant you the last position within the Hoshikan's Shugo-tai, we would like to know... what has your spirit grasped from the Hoshigami Kyo?"
The teachings of the gods from the stars, it was the name of Tsugai's national religion but was also a literal definition of their faith.
As Ryu pondered, the notion resonated with him, he truly believed that he was on the path to enlightenment and that he was close to finding the true answer.
He turned to his sensei, he gave Ryu a cautious look. He had prepared him for the question prior to the examination and had warned Ryu to keep to the common response that everyone gave when asked.
"This one has grasped," Ryu began, "that the way of Naishin, is the road to enlightenment..." murmurs began to sound within the dojo, the elders looked pleased and nodded to each other in solidarity.
"But..." he hadn't finished and purposefully avoided the gaze of his sensei. "My spar ended as quickly as it did because, I also sensed the unease in my opponents sword. I believe... that Naishin in combination with Gaishin will lead to true enlightenment!" The murmurs came to a halt.
Ryu believed that he could ignite the unification of the two sects, to set aside their differences and walk the true path of the Hoshigami Kyo, just like the moon warrior of old. His sensei, however, discouraged this sentiment, even scalded him for thinking so, to Ryu's confusion.
"Surely if I bring this up to the elders..." He thought.
"Takeshi Ryugetsu!" an elder spat out his name like a curse, "What you have said before us, before the Hoshikan…?" He gestured towards the eldest and most senior priest to his right, wide eyes fixed on Ryu.
He stifled the urge to step back.
The Hoshikan was a frail, old man with a constant subtle grin, though it radiated no warmth. Ryu had only previously heard about him through other students, he could allegedly crush rocks in his open palm.
He was swallowed in a bright orange kimono with a broad red sash, dotted with constellations that Ryu recognised from his studies. He noticed his presence was slightly more pronounced than the others as he sat quietly on a broad, velvet pillow.
Ryu's forehead glistened, the perspiration glued his short black hair to is forehead. He realised he was sweating more now than he did during his level eight demonstration, but he didn't waver.
What he felt was real and he didn't want to deny himself any longer. He stood firmly in front of the elders.
"Takeshi Ryugetsu," the elder continued "You are to be exiled from the School of Kishinryu and excommunicated from Yamada Temple!"
A sinking feeling permeated through his body. He was ready for the potential consequences, but to be exiled... it was too drastic.
Ryu looked to his sensei. He turned his face away in shame.
"You are a disgrace to the Naishin sect of Hoshigami Kyo! Leave us at once!"
As the rain came back into focus, Ryu winced at the memory as a bead of sweat dripped down his face. He could still feel the regret and despair in that moment, despite now knowing the truth.
Bone Cassidy ran at Ryu and jumped. He was a tornado of blades as he spun and flipped in the air. Ryu narrowly sidestepped, circling around him as he saw the texture of Cassidy's blade.
A dishevelled, malnourished boy stared back, alone and afraid.
As Cassidy landed, he spun in place with an outstretched sword intended to cut Ryu's leg clean, but Ryu had already stepped back over it and planted his foot firmly.
Pressing forward, he thrusted at Ryu's head. It was deflected along with the subsequent attack that came from the right, then left, another thrust.
The reverberation of their blades rang throughout the platform, red sparks escaping from their collisions.
"Why am I leaning on this style now?" Ryu thought, but he already knew the answer.
It remained with him as he continued to practice kinshinryu in the streets of the village under the mountain.
It gave him comfort; it allowed him to relive the moments training with his peers.
Ryu slipped a wide swing from Cassidy and flipped his grip, concealing the blade along his upper arm and back. He built up energy into his right leg and accelerated in a single step.
As Cassidy was at the end of his swing, Ryu closed in on his neck. The move would have brought him shame once more.
Cassidy leaned and spun out of the sudden attack but Ryu anticipated as much as he followed his attacks momentum with a back kick.
The mercenary tumbled on to the ground before flipping to his feet. The gravity field faltered for a split second.
"Just when I thought I had figured you out." Cassidy grumbled. "Now you fight like someone of the same ilk. Like an assassin."
It was an astute observation, obvious to only the most skilled. Ryu became nothing more than a tool for the opposing Gaishin sect after his exile.
His affinity for the blade reached their ears and though he wasn't accepted into their temple, he was tasked to take out key figures from their opposition. He was given forbidden technology and weapons from overseas despite Tsugai's policies.
Now a part of the Paladin initiative, Ryu was utterly ashamed of his past. He kept most of it hidden behind an unassuming smile.
He liked to think that without his experiences, he wouldn't have been where he was now, yet the shame consumed him still.
He was brought back to a sleek, contemporary bedroom, washed in a dull red light. Several young, naked women dominated his peripheral vision before scrambling to keep their distance.
Light rain pattered on the floor to ceiling window on his right, the full moon was the only source of illumination, bleeding the autumn valley below.
The private living quarters of the Yamada Temple had undergone a westernized renovation, just like Ryu, it felt out of place.
The latest Naishin temple elder, Ryu's unassuming target, stared across the room at the veiled assassin from where he lay. Since Ryu had seen him last, he had gained weight and his eyes were wide in fear as he stared down the forbidden barrel of his firearm.
"The Naishin Sect shall prevail!" He exclaimed, he was now even deeper into the doctrine of the Sect than Ryu remembered, "We have an army at the ready to bring divine punishment to you blasphemers!"
"So they both had armies at the ready..." Ryu thought.
They were undoubtedly being funded by outside governments, Tsugai would become a war zone.
Ryu was in a bind. He didn't realise his former sensei was his target; the names of his victims were inconsequential to him, they only served to hinder his performance.
As he grappled with the dilemma he realised there was no way out. His indoctrination was strong; convincing him to disappear and lay low was not an option.
He saw the fear in the girl's eyes as a few clutched the temple's satin sheets. They were the same age he had been when he was excommunicated. It disgusted him, but they all stared at him as if he were the monster in the room.
"What have I become...?"
His sensei lunged at him, he had a concealed weapon in his night gown.
He cut Ryu's face, ripping the black cloth that had concealed him.
"Bang!"
Off balance, Ryu turned and squeezed the trigger instinctively.
Blood closed his right eye shut.
He then watched as his sensei crumpled to the ground, clutching his chest in disbelief.
The bare women screamed and backed away from the pooling blood.
"...You?" he managed, "my greatest failure has come to... claim my life. Ryu I'm..."
As the life drained from his lips, all he could do was watch. He had killed him with his own hands.
Ryu hated him. He hated that he had turned his back on him, he hated the elders who had easily cast him aside, and he hated Tsugai's sordid corruption.
But somehow, he now felt a part of himself had gone for good, what was left was a bitter, cold assassin who killed for survival and empathised with reprehensible pigs.
He was a product of Tsugai; he hated himself.
The now further traumatised third party in the room fearfully inched towards the exit, staring at the killer who now loomed over the lifeless body.
They then finally deemed it safe to dart out of the room and raise the alarm.
After retreating, he later ruminated on his sensei's incomplete final words; he struggled to interpret them.
He wondered if he was the failure, or was he admitting to failing him?
He would never come to know the true answer.
A dull light shone from above. The moon was full and it attempted to illuminate the station from the ceiling window behind a wisp of dark clouds.
Ryu couldn't use his hyper sonic slash nor cut Bone Cassidy's battle suit under his gravitational influence, but he didn't need to. Ever since Cassidy had used his power, Ryu could clearly sense his next move.
His gravity field was an extension of himself and it was meant to pin Ryu in place, yet he could still fight.
He couldn't help but think this was an incorrect use.
"I'll end it with this next attack" Ryu resolved.
His muscles were screaming to be relieved as his neural mod strained, working overtime.
He lowered his centre of gravity again, focusing everything into his legs. He closed his eyes in concentration as he read Bone Cassidy's energy.
It vibrated in a complex way he didn't understand, but he still felt it.
A gravitational signature?
He also felt the gravity from his armour, it was impossibly subtle and simple, yet ever present.
"Gaishin... the energy in all things," he pondered, "everything has mass, distorting space time to a certain degree..."
He was beginning to connect the dots.
"I only need to cut his body." Ryu decided.
Another theoretical technique, though extremely high level. It was beginning to look like the ancient Hoshigami Kyo teachings were real and based in gravity manipulation.
It was worth a shot.
Cassidy's gravitational signature spiked. He was about to attack.
Ryu launched at him but as he did, the gravity lifted and once again Ryu was off balance.
They sped past each other.
When Ryu looked back, his balance remained awkward, but this time it was different. He saw Bone Cassidy's back. He gripped his two swords but they were both mangled; they glowed as if they were just superheated.
It's state confused Ryu, did he compress his gravity into them?
But the fading glow acted as a trigger, igniting his own burning sensation that consumed his entire right side.
He fell to his knees and tried to stop his fall but he oddly landed on his own face.
Once on the ground, he could see Cassidy's boots stroll towards him, but there was an awkward green object in the foreground.
"Did I just... lose?"
"Not a fan of that move," Cassidy relented as he casually tossed the mangled metallic mess to the floor. "I can only do it once and those swords weren't cheap."
He continued to stroll towards him; he was going to finish him off.
It dawned on Ryu how alone he was, just like how he was after his excommunication, living hand to mouth on the streets.
It was the same even during his days as a tool for the Gaishin.
He came to realise the true answer:
Takeshi Ryugetsu was the failure...
"No!"
He refused to slip into despair; not at such a crucial moment.
The Peacekeeper Paladins gave him purpose, if he were to fall here and now his failure would spread to the team.
He just couldn't accept that.
Cassidy loomed over him. Ryu could feel a vague sense of disgust from above. It was followed by an unstable desire for blood, like a predator seconds before the pounce.
Just before Ryu could start to struggle to his feet, there was a loud shockwave that cascaded across the train station platform.
It was then followed by a metallic groan and the thud of a pair of feet that landed in front of him.
"You owe me one, greenie!"