"Watched enough?"
The question hung in the air as the silence dragged on, thick and unyielding.
"You want me to fish you out myself?" Kaiser sighed then turned to face the direction he spoke to.
"Hmm? Daisuke?"
The world seemed to still— then it exploded.
SHRIINN!
A sharp kusarigama split through the air and shot at Kaiser who seemed frozen from the attack only for him to tilt his head at the last minute— dodging it completely.
His sly grin returned as he held the weapon's chain and pulled on it.
Woosh!
Kuramoto's figure shot out from the darkness as he attacked with a dagger in his left hand. His target was clear— straight into Kaiser's mouth.
Kaiser's eyes glinted— not in fear but in excitement as he allowed the dagger to pass the space between his lips then— he clamped his teeth on it, forcefully stopping it in place.
Kuramoto's eyes rippled slightly in shock but he abandoned his dagger and delivered a heavy kick to Kaiser's side.
Boom!
The ground shattered beneath him as Kaiser was sent flying away before crashing into another building, sending dust billowing into the air.
'He's strong! Stronger than I expected but...' Kuramoto thought as he retrieved his kusarigama and unsheathed another dagger.
Through the dust, he could feel those eyes on him. Thirsty and hungry. Even though he knew this was going to be a tough fight, this was his chance to fight someone equally strong and peg Kaiser down. Two birds with one stone.
!!!
Suddenly, Kaiser's face appeared too close to him and he froze.
'H-how?'
Bang!
He received a foot to the chest and was sent flying as his ribs cracked slightly. He changed stance mid-flight and landed on the ground steadily.
'Monster!'
He thought as a small smile appeared on his face.
'I guess I can stop holding back!'
He thought as his eyes sharpened, narrowing into slits.
"Yes, stop holding back..." Kaiser's whisper startled him for a moment as his smile faltered.
'How did he know?'
...
Kaiser let out a low chuckle as he rolled his shoulders. He could tell that Kuramoto was strong. Perhaps the boy would have been the strongest Dormant Human on Earth. Sadly, he had reincarnated into this particular planet.
After receiving two of Kuramoto's attacks, Kaiser could tell that he wasn't using 100% of his muscles— a sign of holding back.
'Well, I can't blame him— I'm guilty of the same crime.'
But still, he loved Kuramoto's quiet arrogance and belief that he couldn't defeat him.
'However, if he thinks he can defeat me, he's a thousand lives too early. Well, let's exploit that.'
"Let's make a bet..." He said as his expression disappeared, leaving his face blank. "If I win, you take everything you saw to the grave and allow me to call you your first name. What do you think?"
Kuramoto looked back at the now unreadable eyes and straightened himself with confidence.
"And if I win, you work for me till I say otherwise."
"Bold and Amusing. I like that." Kaiser chuckled dryly, then thought 'However, you never had a chance.'
'Sacred Chalice: Oneness'
!!!
The world seemed to blur, sounds and lights dimmed and in that hazy stillness, Kaiser's presence vanished.
Kuramoto's eyes widened as he stared at Kaiser's approaching figure. He could see, hear, smell and feel his presence but his senses kept telling him Kaiser wasn't there.
Even as the spear moved closer to him, his body refused to move since it believed it was a bluff— an illusion.
Snap!
Clang!
At the moment of death, his body reacted and blocked the attack at the last minute— though he was pushed back.
Kaiser's eyes widened as he asked in a surprised tone.
"You broke through that?"
To anyone but himself, he looked genuinely suprised.
"Strange and effective nonetheless. But I can tell that you haven't fully mastered it." Kuramoto said calmly as he unsheathed a large odachi tied to his waist.
'Dream Blade: Aura'
Immediately he unsheathed the sword, it blazed to life with silver flames that wrapped around it tightly.
Kaiser's pupils narrowed into dots as he changed his stance, his legs spread apart while his spear was held parallel to his shoulders.
'Space thrust: Once'
Clang!
Their weapons clashed as sparks flew in the air— their strength now equally matched. They disengaged for a split second before clashing again and again— their weapons screeching as they ground against each other.
Kuramoto's techniques were cold and merciless. Sometimes he would sneakily use his kusarigama to attack his opponent's blind spot. His techniques always seemed to shift— sometimes soft, sometimes heavy, sometimes sharp and sometimes dull.
The way he seamlessly shifted between these forms made him a tough and unpredictable opponent.
Kaiser's techniques however were very annoying. He didn't use anything flashy but it was as if he could predict every move and counter them perfectly. His opponent's movements were like an open book to him. Even the deliberate feints were countered. His understanding of his opponents only increased the longer he fought.
Clang!
After clashing again, they separated and looked at each other— panting heavily.
"You're resilient. Damn." Kuramoto cursed, feeling exhaustion creeping up on him.
"You're unpredictable." Kaiser grinned softly, his body dripping with sweat.
"Still..." Kaiser's grin widened as he pointed at Kuramoto's breastplate. "I won."
Kuramoto looked down at the slight scratch on his armor and frowned. He had no memory of the spear connecting. So when had it happened?
Suddenly he remembered the strange technique he had used against the Ruin Alpha. That technique was really something.
"Fine. You won." He said calmly as he dismissed his weapons.
Without another word, he walked away but before disappearing into the darkness, he muttered.
"For now..."
Kaiser's eyes read the words that left Kuramoto's mouth at the last moment then his lips curled into a smile full of mischief.
'Letting him believe I scraped by... That's the key. He'll think I've shown my limit. How useful.'
Looking at the timer on his hand, he realized the training time was almost up.
'I guess it was a nice experience.'
Wasn't it... Kuramoto?