Chapter 20: A Request, or a Question

"Let me demonstrate. The power of an ace."

Johan emanates an aura of a dignified and experienced combatant. The heavy pressure it gives out to those that are facing him is burdensome.

"Tch!"

As Kabuki was about to pluck another feather from his ornament, Johan already closed their distance in a flash, which he did so by releasing small amounts of shockwave with every step he took.

Johan's sunglass mask is a Unique type. The power of this mask varies, depending on the person wielding it. In plain view, the power of this mask is to generate shockwaves. But as said previously, the quality produced by the shockwaves and the control of its measure will depend on the user itself.

Johan was able to almost maximize the full potential of this mask despite his young age. For every valid hit, he can generate an output from a small-scale up to disastrous level of shockwaves, though the latter will cost him.

The only thing left for Johan to perfect his progress with his mask is the spontaneous control. Johan's movement is quite limited if someone is observant enough. It's because he can't just throw a barrage of attacks carelessly, since after all, it is pretty destructive not just towards the enemy but the use of shockwaves can also greatly affect him.

For example, Johan needs to calculate the continuous burst of tiny waves that he can produce with his feet while dodging attacks, because there are times he might overuse the shock at a certain point which can result in him hitting something he didn't really plan on hitting.

Johan managed to land a punch towards Kabuki who got blown away in a short distance by a small-scale shockwave produced by the hit. Before landing into the ground, a smoke appeared and cushioned Kabuki's fall, minimizing the damage he took.

Not letting up, Johan dashed towards him again with the help of small shockwaves being continuously produced in his footings. The smoke that is being used as a cushion by Kabuki then transformed into a drill and flew towards the rushing Johan.

Since he's currently being pushed forward by the force he is creating with his shockwaves, Johan puts his hand to the side and pushes the smoke away. As the smoke dissipates, a blue arrow comes flying towards him. As an unhesitating response, Johan slightly punched the space below him, causing him to gain an increased elevation which allowed him to evade the arrow.

Johan then spun himself in mid-air and kicked the space above him causing him to fall down immediately, but he managed to land on his two feet causing an impact to the ground where his feet and fists fell. As his gaze went back to Kabuki, he was now further away from him.

"Bah! Looks like he's getting more creative!" Kabuki exclaimed.

"We're not letting him outshine our creativeness now, right Kabuki?" Jetto's voice echoed as he was nowhere to be seen, except for some scattered smokes in the area.

As if acknowledging what Jetto just said, Kabuki plucked two feathers from his ornament.

"Red and Green!" As soon as Kabuki shouted those words, he began to sprint towards Johan.

"Ahah, Yellow it is!" Jetto stated as the smoke compressed and moved in a spiral direction, following Kabuki's path. A silent cough can be heard afterwards.

"Ah come on, you guys got another surprise? Not to mention you two are really good at working together." Johan commented as he was about to experience yet another unknown combination from the two. This time though, he knows that he cannot counter the projectiles and objects made by Kabuki's ornament.

The smoke splits into two, one on the left side and one on the right side. Johan squinted his eyes and remained in his position. He just has to make do with what's coming and believe in his capability to react accordingly.

He saw the red and green colored feathers converge in one, forming a yellow orb of unknown energy. Kabuki crushed the said orb with his hands, afterwards the numerous shards of the crushed yellow orb began to float and formed a needle-like shape which then got launched towards Johan in a comet-like trajectory.

Meanwhile, the two compressed smokes that are looming around Johan transformed itself into a hand that aimed to crush him. Johan then turned to the side and made a quick run towards a free area near Kabuki where he could also elude the incoming projectiles.

*cough* "Oh no you don't!"

As quickly as he ran, Jetto's smoke bolted towards the same direction of Johan's path and tried to grab the back yote of his [Swords] coat.

As a response, Johan kicked both of his feet to the ground and forcefully launched himself like a projectile towards Kabuki. Though Kabuki is prepared for him as he was already aiming a magenta colored bow at him which is a mixed power of both purple and red energy.

"This pain shall set you trembling!" Kabuki exclaimed.

Johan took a deep breath.

"HOOAH!"

"What th– Guwwwagh!"

As Johan released his breath, it formed a mid-sized quantity of shockwave that sent Kabuki flying, dispelling his arrow as soon as he let go of it, meanwhile it can be seen that Johan also injured himself as his mouth is currently bleeding. Not letting this chance go, Johan sets his sight into taking Kabuki out of the battle by sprinting towards him.

The smoke catches Johan as it swirls around his body like a snake.

"I'm tired of your meddling."

Johan sends out a shockwave as he forcefully bumped both of his fists, freeing himself in the process. He then turned around. "You know, casting this much smoke is bad for your health." Johan changed his direction and dashed towards the origin where the compressed smoke was forming. It was by then that the coughing started to become louder, meaning he's getting close to Jetto.

"Eh!? Why are you rushing towards me now!?"

The thick smoke started to move, but then Johan kicked the air and decompressed the built up smoke, revealing Jetto.

"Gwaaah! Your power is really a bane against mine, you know that?"

As soon as he finished his sentence, Johan then grabbed Jetto by the collar of his uniform.

"Can't transform? Or maybe you're only able to trudge the path that your smoke made?"

Jetto did not give him an answer, instead, his mask puffed out more smoke to oppose Johan, but then-

"Guess you're going first."

Johan swiftly puts Jetto out of commission by hitting the back of his neck with enough force. He then confiscated the smoke mask he is currently wearing.

"Jetto!" Kabuki shouted as he saw his comrade got taken out.

"You're not going to get me as well! I'll make you pay!" All of the feathers in Kabuki's ornament started to glow as each one of them started to float around his hands.

The multi-colored feather ornament as we can see has a wide variety of attacks and forms. The feathers can change to melee or range according to the user's will, and the effect of it depends on which color it represents. The plucked feathers will not vanish completely, it will be regenerated one by one by each passing hour. The colors can also be mixed and will concoct a new type of effect, by which in this case, it seems like everything is getting mixed up.

"BLACK!"

As Kabuki shouted, all the mixed feathers formed a massive dark orb of focused energy which has an intensity enough to produce a continuous significant quake in the surroundings. He then started to laugh like he already won.

"Hahaha! Behold this ultimate power! Everything will be blown away to shreds, not leaving even a speck of dust behind!"

"Wow really!? Are you seriously involving your ally with that?" Johan asked with disbelief.

"....." As expected, Kabuki went speechless. It seems that he was only getting carried by his emotions. He then tried to dismantle the orb, but it was already complete.

"Ugh! I can't- This thing is gonna explode! Get Jetto the hell out of here you [Swords]!"

After hearing this, Johan couldn't just possibly turn a blind eye. Even though they're enemies on different sides, they're still not as bad as someone that can kill people. With a bit of thinking, Johan realized something.

"So if it works like a bomb, does it mean it has a physical form?" He inquired.

"What do you care!?" Kabuki responded with an expected reply.

"I frickin care! Tell me, right now!"

"Tch! It has a physical form as far as I know!"

"As far as you-?" Johan massaged his temple. He then takes a deep breath.

"Ah, scratch it! Hold it right there!" Johan runs towards Kabuki who is currently holding a huge bomb.

"Wait! What are you trying to do!? You can't destroy it here, it will still explode!"

"I'm not destroying it!" Johan stops just below the orb and lifts it up like it's a wrecking ball. "Ouch! It's hot." He then bent his knees and charged his feet. The intensity that his footing is currently giving out is the same as the black orb, making the ground shake a bit more. Like a rocket, Johan then launched himself along with the black orb he was carrying.

The whole ground shook profoundly as soon as Johan jumped. He broke through the roof and is now currently at a high enough altitude. He then hurled the orb upwards with a powerful throw assisted by a mid-sized shockwave.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!" Johan also followed it up with a single powerful strike coming from his fists.

Everyone outside was able to witness the epic power move Johan just performed. The bomb then exploded far above those who were in the ground, while Johan got hit by a striking aftershock of the explosion, sending him to the ground with impact. Fortunately, he was as durable as a certain cellphone brand and managed to stand up still after that.

Kabuki was left speechless yet again. Afterwards, he felt a shock from the back of his head causing him to finally lose consciousness. Johan then confiscated his ornament and placed him beside Jetto.

"Phew. That was quite a practice." Johan stretched and leaned on a pillar for a while as his battle concluded.

Boom! Bam! Bam!

On the other side of the manor grounds, there is also an intense battle that is currently happening due to some heavy rumbling. The main perpetrator of the said rumbling is none other than an angry butler named Heinrich who is duking it out with the cute and athletic Fudo.

"Ah darn, as soon as I get close, he hits me with a violent push. Hey hey, fight like a real man dude!" Fudo can be seen waving his cudgels like a fan cheering for their idol, but in her case, it's more like mild irritation.

"I fight with what I think is the winning factor! In this case, I will exhaust all your options of attack!"

While the two are exchanging their harrowing thoughts for each other, the others are currently busy duking out as well. Kiyoto saw a familiar figure along the crowd of the opposing side. It was the sad mask whom he just swept the floor with on his first amnesia days.

Noticing him as well, the sad mask rushed Kiyoto, by which Kiyoto did so as well in response. As soon as the two clashed, sad mask began to miss every blow he threw towards Kiyoto as if someone was interfering with his senses. It was Chizue who was disrupting the sad mask's senses.

Chizue then alarmed Kiyoto about something.

"Kiyoto-kun, reserve your strength from now on. I think your awaited battle is finally here." Chizue's expression turned more serious as she sets her gaze from a man afar, seemingly grinning. The man then turned around and walked towards a room. It's as if he is inviting a certain someone.

"Can I leave this to you…" Kiyoto asked.

Chizue then responded in kind. "Of course. We'll hold this line for you and win."

As Kiyoto nodded, he charged through and ran towards the direction of the man. Chizue then mumbled: "Kiyoto-kun, please win. We believe in you." She then went back into assisting her team.

As soon as Kiyoto reached the room, what he saw there was a small empty space with another door leading below the said room. It was as if a door leading to a boss fight in a dungeon. Determined to finish things up, Kiyoto clenched his fist and entered the room, expecting an attack. Though it did not happen.

Inside the room was Juzo who was standing on the other side. The room is spacious enough for a grand battle to commence. Kiyoto slowly approached the middle of the room to get close to him. Juzo would then open his mouth and announced to him his will:

"Kiyoto, you've come! I've waited long enough for our rematch y'know! Though, as much as I want to start brawling, I would like you to answer something for me first. I'll take it as a first and final favor for you."

Kiyoto honored it by nodding once. Since he, as well, would like to ask Juzo something.

"Aight then." Juzo takes out his mask and wears it. "Kiyoto, answer me this…-"

"-can you get rid me off my chains completely?"

Kiyoto didn't know if it's a request or a question.