Ryuka: [Come at me.]

Wasting no time and heeding to Ryuka’s request, Totem Deliciano whipped his chains through the air, sending them flying down at Ryuka’s position. Ducking her head yet not moving an inch, Ryuka dodged the first chain while the second still approached her position. Leaping over it like she was playing with a skipping rope, Ryuka effectively dodged the second chain. Just as she did, the massive oni with green skin and dark blue hair whipped the chains back before thrusting them towards the oni girl much shorter than him again.

Totem: [There’s far more where that came from.]

As a flurry of chains ripped through the air, Ryuka’s spiky jet black hair swayed in the wind as she bobbed her head around, dodging the incoming attacks. As Totem’s speed increased, Ryuka’s dodges became less of a small movement and more of shifting her body as a whole to avoid the attacks.

Totem couldn’t help but laugh, as the girl who had spoken about how rank status did not matter was now stuck in a loop of dodging. An attack of her own was likely impossible to produce, as closing the distance between herself and the giant was far too great of a task.

Totem: [What’s wrong, Ryoma? I thought you had a lot more spunk than this? Where did all of that bravado go? I guess a first rank really is all talk after all!]

Grinning to show his massive fangs in opposition to her cold stare, Totem lifted the heavy, long chains over his shoulders, ready to crush Ryuka into a fine paste.

Totem: [Drop dead, greenhorn!]

The chains rattled in the wind, tearing through the wind as they rapidly approached Ryuka. Looking back up at them, Ryuka calmly lifted her sheathed sword to guard the attack. A loud ringing sounded out as the two met, causing a massive crater in the ground to be formed between the two oni.

Smiling back at Ryuka, Totem awaited the moment in which she would fall to her death. The chains had weighed nearly twenty thousand tons, enough to kill the strongest of oni under its weight. A weight only Totem and very few others were capable of using. Now that Ryuka was being crushed by nearly double due to both chains being held by her sheathed sword, it was only a matter of time until she merged with the ground.

While Ryuka’s katana kept the chains still, it was during this same moment that Totem had started to notice something.

Totem: [W-what?!]

Ryuka’s body… was not trembling. It did not shake nor did it fall under the weight of the chains. Surely she was bluffing, she had to be. To be forced under this much weight was enough to kill any animal on the planet, even the tougher kinds of demon beasts. Yet, here she stood, the odd Ryuka Ryoma who did not falter beneath its weight. Believing that she was just putting on a face to pretend that she was alright, Totem flung the chains back and swung them back down on her.

Totem: [I’ll call that bluff of yours, Ryoma!]

Ryuka did not move her hand in the slightest. She simply kept the sheathed sword high up in the air, protecting herself from the attack. A much larger crater was formed beneath her, yet she still did not struggle. Confused and annoyed, Totem swung the chains back and forth over and over again, smashing a larger crater into the earth below her. Changing it up, Totem tried to smash the hand that held the sword, only for the position of the sheathed katana to change as Ryuka moved her hand over. Slamming the chains down for a final time, Totem watched as the same result as always unfolded before his very eyes. The unmoving Ryoma, who blocked the attack and did not struggle, continued to glare at him.

Finally opening her mouth, she uttered a few words to the green, massive oni.

Ryuka: [... Is that it?]

A mass of veins started to appear on his forehead, causing Totem to take the right chain and swing it to the side, before throwing it towards Ryuka’s own. Should the attack land, Ryuka would not only be cleaved in half, but likely cease to exist as the size of the chains was roughly the same as her if not more. Shouting to her, Totem made his rage at this annoying child clear.

Totem: [Enough of your cocky attitude! You can’t block this one, brat!]

Looking to her side, Ryuka watched the chain get closer and closer, all while having a bored look on her face. Placing her sheathed katana to the side where the chain approached, Ryuka calmly readjusted herself. Once the chain was an inch away, it was then that she performed an action rather than blocking or dodging.

With only her sword in its scabbard, Ryuka smacked the chain away from herself, sending the end of it flying into the air as it was repelled. A look of pure shock rattled the angered expression on Totem’s face.

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Totem: [Wha–]

Once she finished repelling the chain, Ryuka looked back up at Totem with the same chilling glare as before. Refusing to believe that what was playing out before him was a reality, Totem whipped his left chain above his head and sent it back down at her.

Totem: [Die!]

Using the same strategy as before, Ryuka waited and waited, until the chain was close enough that she could smack it again with the scabbard. Hitting it into the air, Ryuka did not allow it to escape her this time. Surely, the chain would soon fall down onto her position. As it moved down, Ryuka lifted her right leg high into the air and smashed down at the chain, keeping it on the ground. As the earth was struck, the crater around her grew. Totem had believed this was due to the weight of the chains, given previous attacks, but this was not the case in the slightest. Ryuka’s foot, her bare foot wrapped only by the geta attached to it, was the culprit to the crater's increased size. Keeping the chain steady beneath her foot, Ryuka thrusted her right foot back and forced Totem, who held tightly onto the chain, to come to her. The green oni flew towards her, his face being greeted by the end of the scabbard, which Ryuka swung and pushed into his face once he was close. After sending Totem flying a few feet back, Ryuka continued to look back up at him. Angered by her arrogance, Totem whipped the right chain against the ground again, forming another crater and jumped into the air, throwing it at Ryuka from above.

The speed at which the chain flew towards her was far greater than Totem’s previous attacks, but Ryuka did not care in the slightest. Spinning in place, Ryuka kicked the chain with the back of her foot, sending it flying back up at the bulky oni. The chain started to wrap around his body, restricting his movements, before firmly slapping him in the face and causing his nose to bleed. He then crashed into the floor, creating a crater of his own and sending a mighty wind towards those who were nearby. Some had even gotten caught up in the gale and flew through the air themselves.

Undoing the chains that restricted him, Totem wiped off the blood under his nose and stood back up. Looking at the spot in front of him, he was now confused as to why Ryuka was no longer there. That was until a voice rang out from behind.

???: [Oi.]

Turning around frantically, Totem was able to see an oni with jet black hair standing a fair distance away, looking back up at him with a smile.

Ryuka: [Nice day.]

Stomping forward by a foot, the green oni looked down at her, frustrated by his lack of an understanding.

Totem: [What the hell is going on?! Regardless of how you look at it, Lord Nero assigned me with a far higher rank than you ever had! Even if you had stayed, you would have only been promoted to the second rank! You weren’t even close to a third, so why the hell are you able to keep up?!]

Crossing her arms while continuing to hold her katana, Ryuka made the reason clear.

Ryuka: [If we go off of ranks, obviously, you’re the better one here. Hell, I’d go as far to say that you’re definitely stronger than anyone else on Nero’s team that I know of. Maybe not Shimba, but other than him, you’re better than the rest. But that seems to be the end of your understanding. You’ve gotten strong with your own techniques, but you don’t understand anything about where strength comes from. When it comes to actual skill, I’m the better one here. Because even if you try and act all high and mighty–]

Swinging both chains from each side, trying to destroy Ryuka in the middle, Totem grew fed up with her speech as soon as he heard the oni girl praising herself.

Totem: [As if a first rank like you is better!]

Jumping straight through the air to avoid the attack, Ryuka swung her foot upwards and struck Totem directly under the chin. A thud echoed for each soldier around them to hear, while the mouth of the green oni spat out blood.

Totem: [Ghk!]

Landing back on the ground safely, Ryuka continued.

Ryuka: [--As I was trying to say, you’re a little too meatheaded with your training to beat me. There’s no peace, no love, nothing behind your muscles. It’s just pure ambition, and a pitch black ambition at that. You don’t have anyone you’re trying to protect, no one you intend to fight for and receive praise from. The only person you’re fighting for is keeping you around to do his dirty work, otherwise he’ll kill you on the spot if you run. That’s the difference between you and me. I don’t need to be afraid, because I’m the stronger one here.]

Rubbing his jaw after being struck, Totem grinded his teeth and bellowed at Ryuka.

Totem: [You think I’m afraid of a pipsqueak like you?!]

Ryuka: [Yeah. Helplessly so. See? Your legs are shaking.]

Looking down as soon as she pointed to his legs, Totem could see what she had said was true. His legs were indeed shaking, forcing him to smack the sides of his thighs in order to correct them.

Ryuka: [Get what I’m saying now, big guy? You’re not even worth the trouble. Unfortunately, there aren’t many others that could handle someone like you, so take some solace in that.]

Turning back to face her, Totem’s face could be seen carrying far more hatred than he had prior.

Totem: [You’re the same cocky Ryoma I remember seeing. No matter the scenario, you need to show off just how great you are until it bites you in the ass. Only this time you won’t be so lucky. I’ll make sure that your endless prattle stops here.]

Curling one of her black eyebrows, Ryuka gave a confused look at the towering soldier.

Ryuka: [Cocky? You don’t seem to get it, Totem. I’m not acting cocky because I’m proud of my skills. I’m acting confident because I already know I’m going to win.]

Totem: [Once again, a cocky little nothing.]

Ryuka looked over to her katana and widened her eyes. Shaking the sheathed blade, she looked back towards Totem in front of her and decided on what she would do.

Ryuka: [Tell you what, if you can make me pull out my sword during our fight, I’ll take you seriously.]

The green oni’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at her.

Totem: [Don’t go too far, Ryoma. You might just regret it.]

Placing the katana over her back and looping her arms around it, Ryuka crossed a leg over the other as she stood.

Ryuka: [I’m not going too far. Just like how I trust the lady I serve to get the job done, she’s placed her trust in me to finish my own. I can’t possibly lose now, so let’s at least up the stakes for you.]

Wrinkling his nose, Totem’s anger was practically boiling now.

Totem: [Up the stakes?! For me?!]

Ryuka: [You heard me. I’d be doing Lady Shiro a disservice if I fell here, so let’s make it worth your while and a whole lot easier for me to finish cleaning up the mess. If you can get me to take out my sword, I’ll start taking you seriously.]

Slamming her sheathed katana into the ground while holding the top of the hilt, Ryuka tilted her in a playful manner.

Ryuka: [Your timer starts now.]

Clutching his chains with immense strength, blood started to drip down both from his palms and the lips he bit down on. Staring back down at Ryuka, Totem uttered a single statement.

Totem: [Cocky little brat…]

Though she was still Ryuka Ryoma, a girl who was confident in her skills, the oni had changed from her original self of the past.