Chapter-61: Cyber FIght  

Ichigō lunged forward with terrifying speed, his blade arm slicing through the air with a high-pitched whine. The ground beneath him cracked under the force of his movement, a testament to the sheer power behind his attack. 

"Scatter!" Kuro barked, his voice snapping Reika and Xero into motion. 

Reika leaped to the side with fluid grace, landing nimbly behind a large tree. Xero, grinning wildly, swung his sword up to meet the incoming strike. The clash of metal on metal sent sparks flying, the impact reverberating through the forest like a gunshot. 

Ichigō's strength was monstrous. The force of his strike sent Xero skidding backward, his boots digging into the dirt to steady himself. "Not bad," Xero muttered, his grin widening despite the strain in his arms. "You're going to be fun." 

Kuro seized the opening, dashing forward with blinding speed. His blade flashed in the dim light as he aimed a precise strike at the cyborg's exposed flank. 

But Ichigō was faster. Without looking, he twisted his body, his other arm snapping upward to block Kuro's attack with a blade that had emerged from his forearm. "Predictable," he sneered. 

Kuro gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he disengaged and leaped back. His thoughts were a whirlwind of strategy and fragmented memories. James. Fire Fly. The past he'd buried for now was clawing its way to the surface, and now it stood before him in the form of this monstrous cyborg. 

Reika emerged from cover, her kunai flashing as she hurled it with pinpoint accuracy toward Ichigō's glowing eye. The cyborg's head jerked to the side, the blade grazing his cheek before embedding itself in a tree. 

"Cute," Ichigō said, his voice dripping with condescension. "But you'll need more than toys to stop me." 

As he spoke, his chest plate opened slightly, revealing a glowing core that began to hum ominously. Kuro's eyes widened in recognition. "Get back!" he shouted, his voice filled with urgency. 

But the warning came too late. Ichigō unleashed a pulse of energy that radiated outward, slamming into the surrounding area with enough force to uproot trees and send all three team members flying. 

Kuro hit the ground hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs. As he struggled to his feet, he saw Ichigō striding toward him, his blade arm glinting in the faint light. 

"This is just the beginning, James," Ichigō said, his voice cold and unyielding. "Let's see if you're still the fighter they once feared." 

Kuro's world slowed as he activated Slow Vision, the chaotic forest battlefield crystallizing into razor-sharp focus. The sound of his heartbeat thundered in his ears, steady and unyielding. Time stretched, the swift arc of Ichigō's blade becoming a crawling wave, its metallic edge catching the faint, fragmented light filtering through the canopy. 

Kuro's body responded instinctively, sidestepping with fluid precision just as the blade screamed past him, close enough to stir the air against his cheek. His feet barely touched the ground as he surged forward, closing the gap between them in a blink. 

With a sharp exhale, Kuro unleashed his Jeet Kune Do-inspired technique—a relentless flurry of rapid, electrified slaps aimed at Ichigō's shoulder joint. His strikes were calculated, each one targeting the critical connections between the cyborg's organic tissue and mechanical components. The first slap landed with a sharp crack, sending a jolt of blue energy surging through Ichigō's frame. 

The next strike came faster, then another, and another, each one accompanied by the crackling hiss of his Thunder Clap skill. Sparks flew from Ichigō's shoulder with every impact, illuminating Kuro's determined expression in brief, staccato bursts of light. 

Ichigō staggered back, his shoulder jerking unnaturally as the damage began to take its toll. The acrid scent of burning circuits filled the air, mingling with the damp, earthy smell of the forest. But instead of retreating, the cyborg's lips curled into a smile that sent a chill down Kuro's spine. 

"Not bad," Ichigō said, his voice carrying an unnerving mix of amusement and contempt, the synthetic modulation giving it a hollow, mechanical edge. "But this is far from over." 

The whir of servos and grinding metal filled the air as Ichigō's damaged shoulder shifted and clicked into place, the mechanisms recalibrating with unnatural speed. Red energy pulsed through the exposed wiring like veins pumping blood, sealing cracks and restoring motion. 

Kuro's eyes narrowed, his mind racing as he took a step back to reassess. He could feel his Thunder Clap's energy waning, the skill's brief burst of power leaving a faint tingling in his fingertips. 

Ichigō tilted his head, his glowing eyes locking onto Kuro with a predator's focus. "Impressive technique," he said, his blade-arm rising to point at Kuro. "But electricity alone won't save you." 

The cyborg lunged forward with a speed that defied logic, his blade splitting into segmented tendrils mid-strike. The metallic whips lashed out in every direction, forcing Kuro to twist and weave through the assault like a shadow in motion. Each tendril slammed into the forest floor, leaving deep gouges in the earth and sending debris flying. 

Kuro darted to the side, his body low as he slid beneath one of the lashing tendrils. He rolled to his feet in a seamless motion, only to find Ichigō already closing the distance. 

From behind, Xero's voice rang out. "Kuro! Duck!" 

Trusting his teammate without hesitation, Kuro dropped low just as Xero's massive blade came hurtling past him, its edge glowing with a fiery red hue. The sword collided with Ichigō's segmented tendrils, sparks flying in a dazzling explosion of light and sound. 

Ichigō staggered, his tendrils retracting as he turned to face Xero, who was already charging forward with reckless abandon. "You think that toy of yours can stop me?" the cyborg taunted, raising his other arm as it morphed into a plasma cannon. 

"Toy?" Xero bellowed, a grin splitting his face. "This is no toy—it's a dragon!" 

As the plasma cannon charged, Reika appeared from the shadows, her kunai gleaming with an eerie green light. She hurled it with deadly accuracy, the blade embedding itself into the cannon's charging port. The energy destabilized, sending a shockwave through Ichigō's arm and forcing him to abandon the weapon before it exploded. 

Kuro seized the moment, dashing forward and landing a powerful roundhouse kick to Ichigō's chest. The force of the blow sent the cyborg crashing into a tree, the trunk splintering under the impact. 

Ichigō rose slowly, his mechanical joints creaking as his systems struggled to compensate for the damage. His glowing eyes fixed on the trio, his smile replaced by a scowl. "You're more trouble than I expected," he admitted, his tone laced with frustration. 

Kuro stepped forward, his stance steady and unyielding. "You're not the first to underestimate us," he said, his voice calm but carrying an edge of defiance. 

Ichigō chuckled darkly, his glowing core pulsing brighter. "Good," he said, raising his blade-arm once more. "Let's see how far that confidence takes you." 

The forest seemed to hold its breath as the two prepared to clash again, the battle far from over.