Chapter 16: Reno Vs Owari Fool (Perspective: Reno)

Owari and I charge at each other. I duck below his horizontal slash and cover my fist with flames, Owari steps back, avoiding my uppercut. I quickly create a blade of fire from my hand and swipe horizontally.

Owari remains still as my fire blade approaches. However, it never reaches him and my fire blade completely dissipates. He absorbed the thermal energy.

I manifest two short blades into my hands. It has been a long time since I fought with these. I charge and swipe but my arm feels unusually heavy. Owari easily dodges my attack. “URGHHH!!” In a blink of an eye a cut wound appears along my abdomen. I jump back and cauterise the wound with my flames, grinding my teeth to bare the pain.

“So my flames are all but useless with that energy absorption.” This is going to be a pain.

“The number of applications that my power grants me are almost limitless, and having personally existed longer than even the Origin, I have more battle experience than you can even dream of.” Owari smiles as he takes out a small open can. “I can even use the kinetic energy like this.” Owari throws the can's contents into the air.

Long nails? Kinetic energy? Shit is he going to? Before I can react the floating nails all fly at me like bullets. “URGGHHHHHHHHHHAAAA!!” I scream whilst covering my vitals with my arms against the onslaught of nails. He transferred kinetic energy to launch them at high speed.

I gaze at my wound infested body that is littered with nails. I cover my entire body in flames, the heat slowly melts and dislodges all the nails. Owari suddenly appears right in front of me. He's also using kinetic energy to increase his speed. I use the flames at my feet like jet packs and escape his slash into the air.

Owari throws more nails into the air, but this time I'm prepared. I create a dense fire wall that doesn't let the nails through it. “URGHHH!!” I feel a heavy impact on my back. The nails were just a distraction. He used the fire wall that obstructed my view to sneak into my blind spot. The flames I'm using to hover myself into the air dissipate and we fall to the ground. “UURGGHHHHAAAA!!” I yelp in agony. Owari used my body as a cushion for the fall.

“It's over,” He states whilst drawing his blade, still on top of me.

I can't move. I'm paralysed! I notice the hand he's using to hold me. He's draining all kinetic energy from me. Before the energy drain only slowed me down, but now it's completely paralysing me. It must be because he's in direct contact with me unlike before.

“Die!!” The blade shoots towards my heart. I try and re-cover my body in flames. Owari suddenly jumps back stopping his attack prematurely.

I succeeded? But wasn't he draining my energy? How come I was able to create my flames. Wait, he was draining my kinetic energy. Does that mean? He can only absorb one type of energy at any given time!!

Owari's face turns more serious, it looks like he realises I'm onto him. I charge at Owari with my twin blades. My attacking arm slows down as I slice at him. Right now he's draining kinetic. I expand my flames from my body.

“ARRGGHH!!” Owari yelps as my fire burns his body. After a moment the flames quickly snuff out.

As I thought. His power isn't as perfect as we assumed. I smile to myself, I've finally found a way to counter-attack.

Owari quickly regains his calm and completely disappears from my eyes. This isn't due to quick movement. I refocus my senses and concentrate.

Ching! Ching!! - I guard his invisible slices twice with my twin blades. He's using light energy to make himself invisible. But you've chosen the wrong opponent for that trick. Your body temperature gives you away.

Ching! Ching! Ching!! - Owari continuously changes the angle of his strikes. Does he think I blocked them by luck? I expand my flames all around myself. Owari jumps back and cancels his invisibility realising it's useless.

“You are truly a worthy adversary,” Owari states, “I can see why my master wished for me to hold you here.”

Well yeah, to Disturb I'd be his natural enemy.

Owari charges at me again, with my body still coated in flames I jet towards him. I swipe with one of my blades, Owari side steps and swings his katana. - Ching! - I block it with my other blade. As I try to attack with my free blade, Owari takes a deep breath and….

“GGRRAAAAHHHHHH!!!”

“ARRRGGHHHH!!” Owari's loud yelp forces me back and onto the ground, I feel blood drip out my ear. Sound energy?

As I try to get back up, which with a ruptured ear isn't so easy. I notice a huge ball of compressed air flying to me at high speed.

BOOM!!

“ARRRGGHHHH!!” The sudden explosion forces my body through the air and slams me into a side wall.

Cough! Cough! - The impact forces air out of my lungs.

He used wind energy to combust my flame coat beyond my control. He has correctly identified this technique's weakness.

I quickly force my flames back under control. Owari throws another air ball, I shoot a fireball before it can reach me.

Boom!! - The explosion forces both of us skidding along the floor.

I use my flames as jets as Owari creates a mini hurricane with his extended arm as the epicentre. I take to the skies to avoid the attack, Owari redirects the hurricane as I increase my speed to prevent it catching me. I evade the vertical swipe from the hurricane and quickly conjure a fireball and throw it at his extended arm.

“URGGHHHAAAA!!” Owari grunts as he disengages the hurricane a fraction of a second before it could combust my fireball directly onto his arm. But even if he avoided the combustion he still took the fireball directly to his arm. His flesh is horribly burnt before he gets the chance to absorb the heat.

“It seems your power has several weaknesses, Owari. You can only use one type of energy at once, and it appears you're also unable to absorb and release energy simultaneously.” That's why he couldn't do anything just now. It's only logical really, just like how you can't breathe in and out at the same time. This means when he attacks with an energy is when he is most vulnerable.

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“Well spotted, but don't think that guarantees you victory. Knowing it's possible to beat someone, and actually doing it, are two separate matters.” Owari replies confidently.

So much for my plan of unnerving him with voicing his weaknesses.

Owari and I charge at each other again.

Ching! Ching! - My twin blades collide with Owari's two katanas.

“URRRGHHH!!” I'm kicked in the stomach around the area I was previous slashed and fly back, skidding several metres. His use of Kinetic energy makes this really difficult, I didn't even see that last attack. But it's not like I'm the only one hurt. Owari's barefoot bleeds from the burn he got from attacking my flame coated body.

Owari, not bothered by his wounds, shoots a bolt of lighting from his hand, I shoot a stream of fire to counter it. - Boom! - The attacks cancel each other out.

Owari throws and shoots more nails through the air I swiftly dodge to the side. My flame coat isn't strong enough to melt them before they reach me. I use one of my twin blades as a base and create a long fire sword and swing it. Owari disappears from sight before it can reach him. It's not light energy, this time he's moving fast.

Ching! - I block the incoming blade from my blind spot. He has a habit of attacking my back. Using my prior knowledge of the battle I had predicted where he would strike and defended accordingly. Owari opens his eyes in disbelief as I swing my flame sword around. Owari instantly adjusts himself and absorbs the flames, but I quickly lunge forward. He can absorb the flames but not my actual blade. Right now he can't absorb kinetic energy, this is my chance.

“URRRGGHHHHHHAAAA!!” He yelps in agony as I dig my blade into him, I was aiming for his heart but he had reacted quick enough to avoid a lethal blow. One of Owari's katanas falls to the ground and he clenches his fist.

“URGHHH!!” He punches me with electric energy running through his fist, throwing me to the ground. I struggle to my feet that are shaking from the electrocution as Owari pulls out the blade impaling him and throws it to the ground before burning his wound to stop the bleeding.

“I haven't been this cornered since that time at Honnō-ji, ha-ha-ha.” Owari laughs, “My blood boils from the excitement of having such an opponent!!” Owari points his blade at me and suddenly disappears from sight.

“HUUURGGHHHHHHAA!!” I screech in pain as I gaze at Owari's katana that is impaled in my shoulder.

He lunged straight at me using kinetic energy!! “ARRRGGHHHHHAAAA!!!” I yelp as electricity is run through the blade. I try to pull away, but Owari just follows me, leaving the sword lodged into me. I gather the full intensity of my flames and surround myself, but the electric attack stops in favour of absorbing my flames. Grinding my teeth and baring the pain, I quickly shorten the distance between Owari and myself despite this pushing the katana further into me.

“Urghhh!!” I kick Owari with all the power I can muster. The impact forces Owari back and the katana he's still holding is pulled out of my shoulder. Fresh blood pours out of the hole in my shoulder, which I quickly cauterise as Owari regains his footing and points his blade at me again. I quickly dive to one side and avoid another potential stabbing as Owari slices thin air. I shoot a fireball to prevent him getting the chance to use it again. Owari, likewise, absorbs it.

“Reaper Technique: Stone Storm!!” I quickly use the chance to create a huge quantity of stones and launch them at Owari. In quick succession I shoot several fireballs. With these mixed attacks his energy absorption is useless. However, Owari quickly disappears from sight once again. As I thought, he's countering with kinetic energy. Seeing through his next move I quickly manifest another flame sword around one of my twin blades and stab it directly behind me.

“GGGGGGAAAAHHHH!!” Owari screams horribly as the fire blade burns into him, his own katana is a mere inch from my neck.

Only just made it. A fraction of a second later and I would've been decapitated.

I quickly try to increase my flame sword's intense heat, but I'm too slow, Owari absorbs the blade as he staggers along with his shaking legs. I charge at the half dead looking samurai when his body suddenly glows.

“Urghh!!” An intense shockwave from Owari forces me back. What is that?

“Ha-ha-ha,” Owari laughs weakly, but his smile shows an intense excitement. “I really can't hold myself back any longer. Not with someone so strong as my opponent. This area of the Crusader is designed to take some punishment, so it should be fine. The most dangerous type of energy I have at my disposal. Nuclear.”

Owari covers his entire body with nuclear energy giving him a dangerous glow. This is bad. I manifest an intense flame coat that is ten times denser than my normal one. Any less than this and the radiation will slaughter me. Owari smiles in anticipation as we both glare at one another before charging again.

Boom boom boom boom boom!! - explosions litter the room every time our attack's connect. Our colliding fists create an extra big explosion knocking both of us to opposite sides of the room. I grab my fallen twin sword and coat them both with my flames, as Owari coats his katanas with nuclear energy.

I slice horizontally with one of my twin blades, Owari ducks and tries to slice at my legs with his katana. Using my flames I somersault over him and quickly turn and swing my other twin blade, which meets Owari's katana. - Boom!! - My dense flames protect me from the explosion, but the sudden jolt it causes still reverberates through my body. I've gotta hang tough, Owari must be suffering from the explosions just as much as I am.

Owari jumps back and launches a huge ball of nuclear energy. I counter with a fireball. - Boom!!! - The resulting explosion fills the room with more light than even the sun could produce. I instinctively close my eyes and jump back as I feel Owari's presence diving towards me.

I create a huge flame wave and release it at Owari, who nimbly jumps into the air and throws another nuclear ball at my flame wave. I jump into the air also. - Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!! - The mixed attacks turns the floor into a sea of explosions. Owari and I fly at each other at mach speed our covered fists heavily collide - BOOOOOM!!

“”URGGHHHH!!”” We're both smashed against opposite walls from the resulting explosion before falling to the ground. This fight has been one huge firework festival.

“”Hah hah hah!!”” Our breathing is ragged from the intense fight. I'm at my limit.

“Ha-ha-ha,” Owari smiles happily.

What a battle maniac.

“Looks like we're both out of steam. The next attack will be the last for both of us.” He proclaims.

I gather all the power into my flames as I fix my gaze on my adversary. Who creates a huge nuclear orb over his head. “THIS IS THE END RENO CERBERUS!! NUCLEAR MELTDOWN!!” Owari shouts as the orb expands and starts to cover the entire battlefield.

I cover myself with as much flame coating as I can and jet into the nuclear energy. The flaming jets at my feet increase my speed to the absolute limit. - BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! - The heavy explosions assault my body as I entrust my life entirely to my flame coat. I use the explosions as added propulsion increasing my speed even further until I reach the nuclear meltdown's epicentre where Owari stands. He opens his eyes in shock as I fly at him like a bullet with a trail of explosions directly behind me. “You're right, it is the end!! Now absorb this!!”

“URRGGHHHAAAA!!!” I slam my flame coated fist through the nuclear meltdown into Owari, who is further smashed by the explosion trail. Owari is forced along the ground with a horrible noise from his skidding body. The nuclear power dissipates symbolising its user's loss. “Well done.” Owari congratulates weakly before losing conscientiousness.

I dissipate my flames as I walk over to Owari's fallen body and attach the black collar. Owari's existence is quickly transported out of this plain. That deals with the last of the Hex Class.

I start walking towards the room that Yuichi Shiro and Alicia-san entered. But my legs give out and I fall face first to the ground.

“Damn it...” I curse weakly.

Both Disturb and Cocytus still remain. Yuichi Shiro and Alicia-san maybe able to handle Disturb, but Cocytus who is on par with Tartarus-sama, is another matter entirely. If I could join them we would stand a chance. But that last battle has worn me out.

Tears flow out of my eyes from the frustration at my own weakness. “DAMN IT!!!”

Was it impossible for us to win on our own after all? I shed further tears as I worry about the hopelessness my weakness has brought upon us.