Strong, intrusive winds blew south; flinging around strands of the Kage’s oily, black hair as the situation tightened.
Hayame’s brown eyes stared down the intruder, they were deep and dense like an endless well.
“Hayame!” Hyoban’s hissing grew louder; more extensive… it became distorted and evolved into a disfigured cry for challenge as his eyes struck wide, much like the grin that exposed two noticeably large canines on the top set of his teeth.
Kazuki leaned in with his fist, only to be met halfway by the same shield again.
“We have to get him out of there!” he turned to the elder.
“Kazuki… there is nothing we can do whilst he has trapped himself in there, and is in the zone” his vision remained locked on the invader.
“What are you talking about?”
“…The ‘Zone’ is a state in which one can enter in order to utilize their body to its maximum potential, and this is unlocked when their mental prowess exceeds ninety percent”
“Mental strength is accumulated when emotional activity begins to kick off, progressively building up within the individual” The Kage continues to explain, his monotone speech solidifying into Kazuki’s mind.
“Many including yourself are no match for Hyoban in his standard form, let alone when he’s in the zone - it is accountable for his immeasurable speed and acrobatics, even masters of sensory techniques like Konohuro miserably fail to capture him.”
“Hayame!” The desperate individual could no longer resist himself from engaging and propelled his athletic stature into the air, executing a front-flip with a rod wrapped by a palm on each hand.
The Kage remained harmonious and lifted his right arm in defence as the metal poles struck his shield of sand; the impact forced a robust shockwave outwards that sent Kazuki into the distance.
Portions of sand ripped across the battlefield as the influence of steel bars continued pressuring the defences, they grew fiercer with each individual hit, forcing Hayame to make steps backwards in safety.
A tenacious expression was imprinted on the Kage’s face as he persisted with keeping the shield up.
This isn’t good --- I did not foresee the arrival of someone---something like Hyoban --- I’m forced to do this Hayame lowered his defences and thrust himself into a backflip, hands clenched mid-air.
Silence occupied the tense region as Hayame softened the landing by clawing at the ground; his hat took off into the empty sky as his hair collapsed into position – it had morphed into a snow-white mane.
Sage mode
“Ahh! It appears we’re finally getting serious, eh? – Didn’t think you’d go this far” Hyoban mocked from afar.
Hayame clenched his hands once more as a metal chain was exported from his back and ripped through the air directly at the hands of the intruder.
A loud ‘cling’ rang as the pole in Hyoban’s left hand was shattered in two pieces and aimlessly flung away.
“Alright, alright” The boy shook his left hand in pain and tugged on his cloak as the chain recalled back to its owner.
His toned build was exposed to the sun’s tarnishing beams – the figures 0021 were projected on his torso, drawing from ribs to abdomen.
Just as I remember him Hayame sharpened his eyes at the target.
Light clouds of dust rippled across the ground as Hyoban enrolled a light jog in an oval formation towards the Kage, his speed increased with every other step.
Multiple chains began escaping Hayame’s back in an attempt to take out the incoming rival, they fired in unison, exerting the host forward due to its sheer power.
Footsteps quickly evolved to nothing but remaining dust particles on the field - what were once light taps on soil transformed to silence and fear.
The offense proved ineffective as the immeasurable speed could not be tamed by the chains, leaving their steel faces deep into the dry land.
Hayame’s heart paused in terror; his eyes widened and met the emerald gaze of horror a few centimetres away.
There was only enough time for a single drop of sweat to kiss the ground before reality became a distant memory.
“W—Where am I?”
The Kage formlessly tumbled through a pool of darkness, it was cold, silent and infinitely empty in all directions.
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