Let Him Continue

Back at the central training grounds, the heavy rain drummed relentlessly against the wooden awning of the instructor's building. The old man who gave the introduction speech stood alone on the patio, hands folded behind his back, watching the water cascade from the roof.

From the pouring rain, an instructor stepped onto the patio, his boots squelching against the wooden planks.

"Sir Nakama, I have a report on Kurashi. He's...getting out of hand."

The old man didn't move a muscle, his expression unchanged by the news.

"How many?"

"Four, sir...All severely wounded. I'm afraid if this continues he'll—"

"Let him continue." Sir Nakama spoke over the instructor, his voice calm but filled with an undeniable weight. "Report to me again if anything else happens. But for now...let him be."

"But—"

Inside the forest, Kurashi pressed his back against a tree trunk, leaning out just enough to see. In front of him, two teams were locked in an intense battle. As the fight continued, both sides seemed to slow down, their movements slower with each passing moment.

Each step heavier.

Each punch weaker.

Until the last member of the losing team dropped to the ground.

Defeated

"Man that was rough," A boy with short brown hair muttered, his broad shoulders heavy with exhaustion. "I thought they had us there for a second."

"B-but we pulled through in the end." The girl next to him added, brushing damp strands of her dark-navy hair behind her ear. "That's all that matters, right?"

"Ugh, speak for yourself...My arms feel like they're about to fall off!" A girl resting at a nearby tree spoke up, letting out an exaggerated moan as she stretched. "I think I'll need at least a week to recover from this. Actually...make it two."

"Yeah?" The brown-haired boy smirked. "And what are you gonna do with all that time?"

The girl cracked a grin.

"Sleep...And snacks. Lots of snacks! Preferably the ones I don't have to move to get. And um..." The girl thought for a moment, scratching the top of her head. "Probably more sleep..."

The team laughed together at the girl's remark—a rare moment of relief in a tense situation.

But it didn't last.

A sudden blur of movement shattered the moment.

"Yuki, watch out!" The girl by the tree screamed, her voice full of panic.

Time slowed.

A cold glint of steel sliced through the rain, aimed straight for Yuki.

Yuki's droopy deep blue eyes widened, her fatigue overridden by a sudden burst of adrenaline. She took a step back just as the blade whistled past, missing her by just a hair.

Kurashi stood before them with empty eyes. The rain outlined his figure, but his expression remained unreadable in the blur.

She took a shaky step back, regrouping with her teammates.

"Are you okay?!" The broad-shouldered boy asked in worry.

Yuki's chest heaved, her fingers instinctively reaching up to her throat.

There was no blood.

No wound.

Yet she felt it.

The cold edge of the blade.

The intent behind the attack.

"I'm...fine," Yuki managed, her shaky voice barely above a whisper.

The broad-shouldered boy then looked up to Kurashi, his face twisted in fury.

"What the hell is your problem?! You could have killed her with that!"

Kurashi met his gaze blankly, showing no reaction to the accusation.

Silence fell.

Something was gnawing at Yuki—a sense of familiarity.

Her breath hitched when she realized, a sudden chill running down her spine.

"It's him..." Yuki thought to herself. "Kurashi...Kurashi Ito."

She had heard the stories about the Ito clan. The threat even one member alone could be.

And now, standing before her, calm and unfazed, was a boy who carried that very name.

She forced herself to meet his gaze.

"By any means..."

The team strained to hear him over the rain.

"Be the last one standing...By any means."

Kurashi lowered himself into a ready stance, tightening his grip on the katana.

Then, he dashed.

Yuki's panicked thoughts barely had time to register.

She raised her hand, trembling as her fingers extended. Shards of ice began to form at her will, launching them through the air toward Kurashi.

The ice split through the air with immense speed, forcing Kurashi to weave between them. Though it was inevitable that some shards would make contact, even the ones that struck him—cutting against his skin—didn't slow him down in the slightest.

Yuki's heart raced as she saw Kurashi bypass her attack, certain she was the main target.

But at the last moment, Kurashi turned his step, aiming straight for the other girl.

"Chie!" The broad-shouldered boy yelled out.

His attempt was cut short as the ground trembled.

A rock wall erupted between them, forcing Kurashi to step back.

Kurashi looked over to his side, the broad-shouldered boy's palms against the ground.

"So it's you..." Kurashi whispered.

He now had a new target.

Yuki didn't give him the chance to go on the offense, ice enveloping her left arm.

But she wasn't the only one attacking.

The others moved in at once, each one throwing themselves at him with desperate resolve.

The first boy swung with all his might, but Kurashi blocked the punch with the back of his forearm. The boy was open and Kurashi countered with a vicious back kick to his chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

Before the second boy could land a blow, Kurashi raised his left hand, palm outstretched. The boy froze mid-strike, his body locked in place. Slowly, Kurashi's fingers curled into a fist, and the boy gasped in pain as his insides began to collapse.

Yuki's panic spiked.

She couldn't just stand there.

That's when she finally unleashed her attack, a massive ice spike heading straight at Kurashi.

There was no way to escape.

No way to dodge.

Instead, he gripped his katana with both hands, the ice crashing into him like an avalanche. The sheer force pushed him back, but the momentum of Yuki's attack slowly faded. Kurashi held out for long enough, pressing his sword against the dulling attack—he cut through the ice like a hot knife through butter.

Then—an opening.

Chie launched herself into the air, her fist poised back to strike. With air swirling around her hand, she threw the punch directly to his jaw.

"Take this!" Chie yelled out as she closed in.

A huge gust of wind then flew right past his face as he leaned back.

But he was now off balance.

"Daigo!" Chie screamed out once more.

Daigo placed his palms on the ground, the earth beneath them beginning to shake.

Behind Kurashi, a jagged spike of stone shot up, aimed directly at his right wrist.

There was a crack upon the impact.

Kurashi's fingers spasmed, the katana slipping from his grip.

The katana slipped from his grip, clattering against the ground.

Kurashi was now defenseless.

They didn't let this opportunity go to waste.

Daigo was the first to charge in, his heavy footsteps pounding against the earth. He leaped into the air with a loaded punch, sending his fist down with intensity.

Seeing the attack, Kurashi jumped back in an instant, narrowly dodging as the ground cracked beneath the impact.

Before Kurashi could fully regain his footing, Chie was already on him. Cutting off his escape. she lunged in, sending a wind-enhanced punch toward him.

Her fist tore through the air, the impact sending him stumbling back.

With one knee braced against the ground, he pushed himself upright, raising his right arm out to the side.

Suddenly, the katana was no longer where it had fallen. And in the blink of an eye, the katana flew back into his grasp, his fingers wrapping tightly around the handle.

"The last one..." Kurashi whispered to himself.