Yuichi steadied his breathing, the familiar burn of reiryoku flaring through his veins as he forced himself to his feet. The room he shared with Mei, Hui, and Byakuya felt momentarily secure, a brief sanctuary amid the chaos, but he knew it wouldn’t last. After gathering his energy, he glanced over to Mei, her gaze unwavering.
"Give it ten minutes before you try to leave the room," he instructed, voice steady despite the weariness seeping through him.
Mei inclined her head slightly, acknowledging his words with a look of understanding. Hui stood nearby, prepared but with a shadow of concern in her eyes, while Byakuya’s gaze held a silent, reserved intensity, one that reminded Yuichi that the young heir was no stranger to danger himself. He offered a quick nod to each of them before slipping out the door.
The air outside felt cold and unnaturally still, a sharp contrast to the tension pulsing through Yuichi’s body. Without wasting any time, he launched himself into a rapid Shunpo, the landscape blurring around him as he put as much distance as he could between himself and the hidden room. His plan was straightforward: draw the attention of as many attackers as possible and keep them away from Mei, Hui, and Byakuya.
It didn’t take long. Just moments after he began his high-speed movements, he felt their reiatsu honing in on him, tightening like a net being cast over his position. In seconds, the silence of the mansion was broken by a flurry of footsteps and the murmur of voices echoing through the halls. Yuichi barely had time to draw his blade before he found himself encircled by twenty attackers, each one clad in the same dark purple that marked their allegiance.
"Well, that didn’t take long," he muttered, scanning the faces of his opponents. Their expressions were impassive, their eyes trained on him with lethal intent. Yuichi could feel the weight of their focus, the pressure of so many enemies converging on him at once.
Seeing no clear way out, he decided to play his next card. Gathering his reiryoku, he quickly executed a spell of his own creation, chanting softly under his breath even as he avoided the full incantation for speed. A burst of blinding white light erupted from him, scattering through the crowd like a sudden flash of lightning. He didn’t have time to see how many were affected—only that it was enough to create an opening.
Taking advantage of their momentary disorientation, Yuichi launched himself into a swift dash, vaulting over two stunned attackers. However, not all of them had been affected by his trick. A blade sliced through the air, and he barely had time to turn as it nicked his arm, leaving a shallow but stinging cut. Gritting his teeth, he pushed through, activating his Ash Mirage kidō to shroud himself in invisibility. He darted away, the ash cloaking his movements and momentarily obscuring him from sight.
The pursuit continued, relentless and unforgiving. He couldn’t afford to rely solely on stealth—he needed to be seen, to keep drawing more of them away from the others. So he moved strategically, weaving in and out of the shadows, using his Ash Mirage sparingly to conserve his reiryoku while still ensuring he kept the attackers' attention. Every time he reappeared, he threw in small distractions—flashes of kidō, sounds of clashing steel against the walls—anything to create the illusion of multiple escape attempts and make it difficult for them to pinpoint his true location.
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After repeating his tactics several times, he could sense that his plan was working. In the process of his feigned escapes, he had managed to draw in even more attackers, their reiatsu closing in from all directions. Now, thirty-two of the remaining fifty-five enemies were concentrated around him, a force formidable enough to overwhelm him with sheer numbers alone. He’d bought some breathing room for Mei and the others, but now he had to find a way to survive.
One of the enemies, clearly a leader by his commanding presence, stepped forward, his gaze cool and assessing. He smirked as he looked at Yuichi, who was breathing heavily, cuts and bruises scattered across his arms and legs from the repeated encounters.
"Cornered, aren’t we?" the leader said, his voice carrying an unsettling calm. "You should just surrender. It’ll be easier for you that way."
Yuichi let out a low chuckle, though the exhaustion in his eyes was evident. "Surrender? Now that’s a tempting offer. I take it you won’t be making any last-minute deals with me?" he asked, sarcasm thick in his voice as he gave the leader a sidelong look. "Because I’d probably take it this time."
The leader’s smirk deepened, and he snapped his fingers. Two of his subordinates stepped forward, knives drawn, and in a synchronized motion, they threw them toward Yuichi. Reacting on instinct, Yuichi managed to twist his body, dodging the first knife, but his focus wavered for a split second, and the second knife buried itself into his leg with a sickening crunch. Pain radiated through his limb, sharp and unyielding, but he forced himself not to cry out.
The leader approached, his steps unhurried as he closed the distance between them. Without a word, he reached down, his gloved hand gripping the knife’s handle. He twisted it cruelly, sending another wave of agony through Yuichi’s leg. The sensation was unbearable, but Yuichi clenched his teeth, his face a mask of defiance.
The leader leaned in, his voice a low murmur. "You should have taken that offer when you had the chance. Now, I think we’ll enjoy this a bit more."
Yuichi met his gaze with unwavering resolve, even as the pain threatened to steal his consciousness. "You think… this is enough to stop me?" he rasped, forcing a smirk. "I’ve been through worse."
The leader chuckled darkly, withdrawing the knife and allowing blood to trickle freely from the wound. "You’re resilient, I’ll give you that. But you’re outmatched and outnumbered. Any last words?"
Ignoring the throbbing pain, Yuichi glanced around, noting the positions of the remaining attackers. Despite the dire situation, his mind raced, calculating his next move. The odds were slim, but he’d faced worse.
He pushed himself up, balancing precariously on his good leg. "Just one thing," he said, his voice laced with defiance. "You’re making a mistake underestimating me."
With that, he unleashed another burst of kidō, this time without holding back. “Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!” he shouted, directing the spell toward the leader, six rods of golden light materializing and slamming into him, pinning him in place. The leader’s expression twisted in shock and anger as he struggled against the spell.
The others moved quickly, some going to free their leader while the rest turned their focus back to Yuichi. But the brief distraction was enough. Summoning every ounce of his remaining strength, he called on the latent reiryoku in his body and unleashed it in a final, desperate strike.
“Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!” he roared, releasing a surge of blue flame directly at the cluster of enemies. The blast consumed them, the corridor illuminated by the blinding, fiery light. Those nearest to him were thrown back, cries of pain filling the air as they fell to the ground, scorched and disoriented.
Panting heavily, Yuichi staggered back, barely able to stand as his vision blurred. He’d bought himself a few precious seconds, but he knew he was at his limit. The pain in his leg was becoming unbearable.
But as the smoke cleared, he saw that the attackers were still coming, relentless and undeterred. Their leader had managed to break free from the Bakudō, his expression twisted with fury as he advanced, his blade glinting ominously in the dim light.
Yuichi gripped his own zanpakutō tightly, his vision narrowing as he prepared for what might be his final stand. Blood dripped steadily from his wounds, and his body trembled with exhaustion, but his spirit remained unbroken.
The leader sneered, raising his sword as he closed in. "You’ve fought well," he said mockingly, "but this is the end."
Just as he brought his sword down, Yuichi shifted his stance, ready to defend himself one last time. But before the blade could reach him, a sudden surge of cold energy swept through the corridor, freezing the air and causing the attackers to halt in surprise.
In the blink of an eye, Mei and Hui appeared behind the attackers, their reiatsu blazing.