Dead silence...
The light is dim...
The air is heavy, as if time has stopped for a moment.
Nakamura, with his sharp gaze:
"Irony... trying to imitate me?
Stupid."
Ryuichi, with a faint smile:
"No, I'm trying to understand you... to surpass you."
Nakamura rushes in!
[Moving at supersonic speed]
A roar of tainted mana rises... the ground shakes, the air is torn apart.
He slams his right fist into Ryuichi's face!
[Slow motion]
Ryuichi doesn't dodge... he tilts his head at a precise angle.
The punch passes the side of his cheek, scratching it, spilling blood.
but he remains standing.
Ryuichi (internally):
Shoulder angle... foot direction... his movement 0.2 seconds before the strike...
Nakamura's swift leg kick from the bottom!
Ryuichi stabilizes his right foot...
Raises the left...
He dodges the blow... and counters with a kick at the same angle, but... harder!
[Impact!]
Nakamura is pushed backward, his body slamming into the rock wall!
Nakamura (surprised, getting up):
"...you're really copying me..."
Ryuichi (breathing heavily):
"I'm learning from you, every second, every wound."
The battle rages on...
[Epic music begins...]
Blows come in like storms.
Every move from Nakamura is met with a move from Ryuichi.
But what distinguishes Ryuichi is not power, but precision.
He reads and parries, but doesn't dominate... yet.
A new technique from Nakamura:
"Black Spiral Fang"
[Dark spinning claw, spinning at superhuman speed, piercing the air]
Nakamura swoops in, his claws spinning like a tornado.
Aura screams in his mind:
"This technique is deadly! If you don't execute the counter-move accurately - it's all over!"
Ryuichi (closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them):
"You trust me, Aura?"
Aura (quietly):
"You... are hope now. Don't let them down."
Ryuichi...
[Analyze]
Attack entry angle: 43°
Rotational force: 280 Newtons
Impact time: 0.7 seconds
[Execution]
Ryuichi slips under Nakamura's strike.
spins on his heel quickly.
then jumps back, spins half a turn in the air-
and hits Nakamura in a blind spot behind the left third rib.
[Mana Explosion!]
[Nakamura screams]
[Black smoke flying]
But Nakamura... laughs!
Nakamura:
"Finally! I fought like a monster... just like I wanted!"
Then, he opens his arms, as if inviting Ryuichi straight to hell.
Ryuichi (breathing, stepping forward):
"If there's no escape from hell...
I will lead you to it."
The only sound that fills the horizon is the crackling of bones, the sound of feet hitting the ground, and the roar of burning mana...
Ryuichi is sweating, his chest rising and falling... his eyes follow Nakamura's movements with the utmost concentration.
Nakamura, eyes filled with rage, leaps toward him with a choreographed technique of kicks and punches.
Ryuichi (to himself, with a sigh):
"Right... spin... pivot... low kick... now a reverse punch..."
He hits Nakamura!
Ryuichi dodges it, but not without cost - a shoulder scratch, a blow to the flank, a fall to the knee... Then he gets up, and does it again. Movement after movement... like an imperfect mirror.
Nakamura (sarcastically):
"Is this what you think a fight is? Blind imitation?"
Then, with a savage grin, he raises his hand to the sky:
"Enough. I'm fed up. Let's end this nonsense!"
Mana gathers around him... the air trembles.
"Oblivion Maw: Erasure Fang"
Mana fangs form behind him like demonic jaws, stretching out from the shadows themselves.
Each fang pulsates with blackness as if it's sucking light from the universe.
Nakamura advances with terrifying speed... and the next strike? Not just to kill, but to erase.
Ryuichi (looking at her, his lips trembling... his body refusing to move):
"...it's the end?"
Then, for a moment... an inner voice leaps into his mind...
Aura (inwardly, as a desperate cry):
"Move!!!"
Ryuichi (quietly):
"...Analysis."
(He says it as one would say a password that opens a gateway to survival.)
In an instant, the hands of death stopped...
The strike froze...
The whole world turned into graphs, equations in the air.
predictions displayed before his eyes, mana analyzed at every angle.
The angle of the hit: 113°
Range: 1.3 meters
Weakness Point: The back gap caused by the full rotation of the jaw...
Then, in an illusionary motion, the fatal blow slows before his eyes...
Ryuichi bends his knee, tilts his body at an almost impossible angle.
and then executes an unbelievable dodge.
[The sound of mana rubbing against the wall behind him... a horrible explosion!]
Dust fills the arena, and Nakamura screams, thinking he's finished the battle.
But his voice is suddenly cut off...
**From amidst the smoke... Ryuichi emerges.
His right hand is burning with dark mana
- The same mana as Nakamura's.
Ryuichi (with his eyes flashing like nothing before):
"Devouring Pulse... Infinite Rend."
(Same technique!)
Hits!
[Direct hit to the vital point just below the left ribs - Nakamura's alternate heart site]
The echo echoes, walls crack.
Nakamura is hurled like a meteor, smashed into the wall with indescribable force...
He falls to the ground, kneeling, breathing heavily...
Nakamura (in a broken voice):
"...how...how...you..."
Nakamura (angrily, coughing up blood):
"Finish... him... now!"
The four remaining henchmen move - eyes glowing, weapons trembling in their hands - not out of fear... but shock at what they've just seen.
One henchman (in a whisper):
"That wasn't just dodging... he... used the leader's techniques."
Another (in dismay):
"But how? That's impossible... even we don't have the ability to execute it!"
They advance despite the hesitation... surrounding Ryuichi on all four sides.
But here, Ryuichi moves. Not with confusion or defense... but with incredible confidence.
His first move?
A quick step like a whirlwind, followed by a lightning leg spin... just like Nakamura's.
The kick hits the first in the neck, and he goes down without a sound.
The second attacks from behind - but Ryuichi abruptly reverses direction, the same move Nakamura used in his last fight with a rebel.
The third follower (retreating, trembling):
"He... he... he looks like the Commander... even in his eyes!"
The third attacks - Ryuichi responds with two crosses to the abdomen and shoulder, collapsing instantly.
The fourth follower (takes a step back and whispers):
"No way... it's like I'm fighting the leader himself."
Breathless... the henchmen hesitate, and some begin to retreat.
Ryuichi advances, his body wounded but not faltering... his eyes sharp as a sword...
Each step carries the weight of a leader, a shadow, Nakamura's brutality but with a new will...
Ryuichi (in a hushed voice, addressing them):
"I am not Nakamura...
But I fought his brutality... and I will use it to protect those I love."
In an instant, the last follower falls with a cry of pain...
Ryuichi stands alone, gasping... blood dripping from his arms... but standing.
A henchman (in a raspy voice):
"No... we're not done yet..."
The shadow returns to crawl. The followers, despite their wounds, return to the attack... their eyes glowing with blind loyalty and madness.
Ryuichi backs off a bit... then focuses.
He quickly dodges a side kick, spins at a sharp angle to block a punch to his head, and then responds with a quick downward kick followed by a spinning maneuver, the same technique he copied from Nakamura.
The air is filled with dust... the air is choppy from the intensity of the movement...
Ryuichi (inner voice, breathing heavily):
"No... my body is starting to collapse... but... I won't stop."
Elsewhere - kilometers away - inside a speeding taxi - night - the side roads are dark and empty
The streetlights pass quickly through the window... The rain lightly taps the glass... Inside the car, it's silent except for the sound of the car's engine and the beeps of Miku's phone.
Miku's cell phone (in a strained robotic voice):
"Warning: Ryuichi's target mana is critically low - Level: 8% - Bioactivity threatened."
Miku looks at the screen, her fingers trembling, her face pale and her eyes wide with worry.
Miku (in a hushed voice as she stares):
"No... not now... Hang in there, Ryuichi... just a few minutes and we'll be there."
Natsumi (squeezing Miku's hand):
"He'll be fine... won't he? Tell me he'll be fine..."
Miku (in a decisive tone but with a trembling voice):
"He's fighting now... but his body isn't designed to withstand that kind of pressure. Even Aura can't support all that analyzing..."
The driver turns to them for a moment.
The taxi driver (curiously):
"Are you guys being followed by the police or something? Mana? Analysis? You guys are from another world or what?"
Miku (sharply):
"Drive fast, if Ryuichi dies, the whole world will change for me."
The driver swallows, shifts into high gear, and the car zooms down the road at breakneck speed... the rain is getting heavier.
The camera pans out of the car, following it from above as it heads toward Ryuichi's bloody battle, the red mana warning light still flashing on the phone screen.
On the battlefield - in the pouring rain - the sounds of clashes echo in the middle of nowhere
Ryuichi staggers slightly... raindrops mingle with the blood on his face, his breath is ragged, his eyes glisten with fatigue, and his muscles tremble with exertion. Around him, four of Nakamura's henchmen move cautiously, exchanging glances with each other, shocked at Ryuichi's level.
Ryuichi (whispering to himself):
"My body... My body is unresponsive... my eyes don't focus... even the footsteps are blurry."
Aura (in her inner voice - garbled and scattered):
"Continuous analysis... 37% decrease in performance... Power redistribution... Copy systems will shut down in 10 seconds..."
Ryuichi opens his eyes with difficulty.
Ryuichi (in panic):
"What?! No... Aura, don't stop the technology, I need it now!"
Aura (in a faint, pulse-like voice):
"No choice... copying Nakamura's movements... An enormous burden on the processing unit... If you continue, I will shut down... completely."
At that moment, a henchman jumps in from behind, delivering a swift blow to Ryuichi's neck - Ryuichi narrowly avoids it, rolls to the ground, and then stands up again, leaning on his knee.
Ryuichi (breathing heavily):
"Shit... My movements are no longer perfect... I've lost my Nakamura style."
The sound of violent footsteps approaching...
Nakamura (in his brutal, angry voice):
"Are you done with your show?! Now I'll finish it myself."
Nakamura leaps with power, plummeting from the sky like a flaming meteor, delivering a massive blow from above... Ryuichi's consciousness at this moment is distracted, but he raises his arms with difficulty to block... He is thrown backward with a violent force, crashing into a shattered wall.
Ura (in a barely audible voice):
"Ryo... Chi... Time's up... copying... Stop now..."
Ryuichi's eyes widen, and inside his chest a sense of determination and need to survive rises up.
Ryuichi (slowly, as he stands up):
"Even if I lose the technique... even if my body fails me... I won't stop now..."
Ryuichi is panting, retreating step by step, dodging attacks left and right, but his body is failing him, slow reflexes, superficial injuries mounting on his body.
Ryuichi (breathing heavily, whispering to himself):
"Weak dodging... My body can't hold out much longer... Without the clones... I'm just a shadow..."
One of the henchmen gives him a lightning strike from behind, Ryuichi dodges it with difficulty, but his foot slips, he falls to the ground and then stands up heavily.
Ryuichi (angrily):
"Aura... please! Activate the technology... I need it now!"
Aura (in her digital voice - hesitant):
"Your request is denied... My energy is insufficient... If I activate the technique now at full power, I will run out in two minutes."
Ryuichi (yelling in agitation, his eyes glinting with determination):
"Then I'll finish them in two minutes!"
Aura (silence... then a faint electronic sigh):
Run the system:
Phantom Sync
Mirror Combat Mode
Loading...
100%.
"Final stage activated, remaining time:
Two minutes."
Suddenly, everything changes. Ryuichi's eyes blaze with blue light, his limbs tremble with gained strength, and his opponents' blows turn into data that crosses in front of his eyes.
An internal digital announcement:
"Analyzing movement: Complete. Attack trajectory: Known. Counter: Ready."
Ryuichi launches like an arrow, dodging three simultaneous attacks with the agility of a master assassin, returning blows in the same manner as Nakamura. The henchmen retreat in panic.
One henchman (stunned):
"That's not Ryuichi... that's Commander Nakamura!"
Ryuichi (in a firm voice, his steps heavy and strong):
"I'm no longer running away... this time I'm the one attacking."
He advances like a tornado, each blow with deadly precision, destabilizing his opponents one by one. But time is running out, fast.
A digital counter in his mind:
"01:15... 01:14..."
Suddenly, Nakamura appears behind him.
Nakamura (in an angry voice):
"Stop imitating me, bug!!!"
Ryuichi deftly dodges it, but his body begins to gradually collapse under the pressure, running out of time... and energy.
Three of the opponents retreat, trying to attack together. Ryuichi stands, lowers his center of gravity, concentrates... Then he pounces like a storm.
Counter: 01:28
Dust rises. One hits the wall. Another drops his weapon. A third kneels unconscious.
Ryuichi staggers a bit, hands shaking, but smiles confidently as he steps forward.
Ura (faintly):
"Number of opponents remaining: 1."
Ryuichi (wiping blood from his mouth):
"That's all you got, Nakamura?"
From behind the fog, Nakamura slowly emerges. His body radiates energy, and his eyes glow with anger.
Nakamura (calm voice filled with malice):
"You killed my followers... with my skills... you will pay the price..."
Ryuichi clenches his fist, and the counter continues to descend.
The counter: 01:00
Ryuichi (quietly):
"I have a minute left... that's all I need."
Silence before the storm. The final fight begins...
Counter: 00:59
Nakamura swoops in like a black tornado, mana's wavy whip striking the ground, splitting it open. Ryuichi narrowly avoids the final blast, his eardrums ringing from the sonic shock, but he doesn't stop.
Counter: 00:54
Vertical attack! Ryuichi blocks it with his forearm - the bones are screaming - and then responds with a side kick that he has literally copied from Nakamura's style of violent interference, pushing his opponent back, but he doesn't fall.
Nakamura (swallowing, sweating):
"Why am I... tired? Against an insect?"
Counter: 00:49
Ryuichi pounces, taking advantage of the moment of indecision, two strikes to the neck, then turns around to deliver a low kick to the legs. Nakamura narrowly avoids it, but loses his balance for a second.
Ura (in a weak, choppy voice):
"Na...Kamura... Point of imbalance. Now!"
Counter: 00:44
Ryuichi runs at a fast pace, leaps into the air, and tries to execute a finishing move, but Nakamura unleashes a tainted mana pressure wave that causes him to retreat.
Nakamura (screams):
"Enough futility!!!"
Counter: 00:40
Mana's sword forms in his hands, shimmering with black threads. He swings it in a bloody arc, almost tearing Ryuichi in half, but Ryuichi slips out from under the blow, leaving a trail of blood on the floor from a shoulder wound.
Ryuichi (breathing heavily):
"I won't... fall..."
Counter: 00:35
Nakamura accelerates again, hurling his mana-covered fist toward Ryuichi's face, but the latter uses a counter strike he had learned moments before, a reverse energy blast, the two bodies collide and an explosion sounds.
Counter: 00:30
They both sob. The ground around them is filled with craters, smoke, blood, and broken breaths.
Aura (in a very low voice):
"Warning... 30 seconds left..."
Ryuichi (whispering):
"We have to finish this."
Counter: 00:27
Nakamura lunges again, but his steps are heavier. Signs of exhaustion are beginning to invade his body, while Ryuichi stands up despite the tears in his muscles, smiling despite the pain.
Ryuichi (in a quiet voice):
"Even monsters... get tired."
Counter: 00:20
But Ryuichi stumbles, breathing heavily, his eyes wandering, the oscillations of the images in his head are weakening, the copies are no longer accurate, and the Devouring Pulse is no longer stable. Nakamura smirks as he steps forward.
Nakamura (in a smug voice):
"Your game is over, I'll show you a technique never seen before..."
He clenches his fist, and the mana around him begins to turn into a vortex of doom. Creaking sounds and grim noises fill the space.
"Abyss Howl: Crimson Dominion"
The sky around the battlefield turns red, as if the earth is bleeding. A devastating technique that melts the air and makes time itself seem heavy.
---
The counter: 00:10
Aura (in a panicked voice for the first time):
"Warning! 10 seconds left! The opponent is about to activate the knockout! Trajectory analysis... incomplete... Probability of survival: 3%!"
Ryuichi stares ahead, not having enough strength to activate the cloning technique again, knees trembling, voice fading...
---
Thought vibrations begin to intensify. Subtle mana lines gather in his brain. They pass through Aura's network.
---
Counter: 00:03
Aura glows for a moment. She realizes what he's thinking.
Aura (in an inner whisper, fascinated):
"Are you... trying to simulate...? Impossible, this isn't just a copy... it's..."
Counter: 00:02
Ryuichi screams: Ryuichi:
"Analysis!"
Everything freezes. Worlds of data appear around him. Every movement, every path, every vibration in Nakamura's energy... becomes clear. At the last moment...
Ryuichi disappears.
No sound. No movement. Only the air trembles. Nakamura opens his eyes in shock as he feels something behind him...
---
The meter: 00:01
Ryuichi appears behind Nakamura in a fighting stance identical to Ryoko's in his debut. Same stance. Same gleam in the eye. Same aura.
Aura's inner voice:
"This is...
The legacy of movement...
The flash of reflection."