In the blink of an eye, Hakuto and Chantal vanish before Rika and Yuzu's eyes.
And then—WHOOSH! A thunderous blast erupts halfway between where the two had just been standing a second ago.
Their blades collide with such brutal force that even the shockwave from the impact is enough to knock the two Narkhalis sisters off their feet, sending them sprawling backward.
«Looks like you've improved a bit over these past six years. Maybe this time, I won't kick your ass as easily as I used to when we were kids,» Chantal says, her gaze sharp, though a playful smile tugs at her lips.
«You bet I have!» Hakuto snaps back with a shaky voice. «Those days when you beat me up from morning to night are long gone! I'll pay you back—with interest—for every bruise and broken bone, you damn bitch!»
Hakuto breaks the stalemate with a sudden dash, driving the sole of his foot straight into her stomach and launching her backward with explosive force. But Chantal flips mid-air with an acrobatic move and lands gracefully on her feet. Hakuto, however, is already closing in on her.
A horizontal slash from Hakuto's diamond sword, wreathed in flames, tears through the air. Chantal leaps high to dodge it, and the blade cleaves cleanly through the thick trunk of a nearby tree—like it was nothing.
...then, she dives straight at Hakuto, bringing her flaming sword down in a vicious arc—only for Hakuto to raise his left forearm just in time. It instantly hardens into that familiar diamond-like armor, stopping the blow with a loud clang.
Finally, both leap back at the same time, putting some distance between them and resetting the fight to square one.
Rika and Yuzu stare with wide, disbelieving eyes. They could only catch bits of that lightning-fast exchange, but it's more than enough to realize one thing—Hakuto is fighting for real. Way more seriously than when he faced Itzu.
«Big bro... you're amazing! You're actually strong!» Yuzu exclaims, her eyes sparkling and her whole face lit up with excitement from the intense battle.
«Y-Yeah...» Rika mutters, her voice trembling. For some reason, her cheeks are unusually red, her breathing ragged, her eyes teary and half-lidded. She feels something swelling inside her—a sensation she sadly knows all too well. Still standing, she crosses her legs and squeezes her thighs together—like she's holding in a full bladder. But that's not it. Her pussy throbs with heat, her panties soaked as if someone poured water over them.
Luckily for Rika, Yuzu doesn't seem to notice anything. If she had, she would've definitely started throwing her usual shameless, pervy remarks. But right now, she's too caught up in the fight to realize her sister's rising arousal.
~S-Stupid Hakuto...~ Rika murmurs to herself. ~I-If only you were always like this, instead of being a top-class pervert and a total idiot... maybe I wouldn't feel so ashamed about this. I hate you...!~
The white flames swirling around both fighters grow even more intense—blinding and fierce. The diamond armor that had only covered Hakuto's right arm now spreads to his left, climbing up to his upper chest. He's clearly exhausted, pushed to his limit from using so much power—he's never gone this far, not even during training with Shin. But even so, the thought of losing to Chantal again burns hotter than the fear of his body giving out.
Chantal, on the other hand, shows barely a hint of fatigue.
Gathering every bit of energy left in his body, Hakuto charges at Chantal in a lightning-fast burst—even faster than before. She immediately reacts, matching his pace.
Hakuto grips his sword with both hands as it grows larger—more diamonds sprout from the blade, making it twice as thick as before. While charging, he lifts the weapon high into the air, ready to strike Chantal with everything he's got. She mirrors him, preparing to clash head-on.
The impact is imminent—powerful enough to level the entire forest—when...
—BAM! BAM!
In a split second, two brutal hits land—an elbow crashes into Hakuto's chest, and a knee slams into Chantal's gut. Both are sent flying in opposite directions, crashing hard to the ground after soaring dozens of meters, dazed and in pain, blood spilling from their mouths.
They glance at each other—Hakuto is convinced it was a sneak attack from Chantal, and she's just as sure it came from him. But right between them, standing at the center of the path, is Shin— a lit cigarette dangling casually from his lips, an amused smirk playing on his face.
He took down both Hakuto and Chantal with his bare hands—one strike each. A display of raw strength that only Rika and Yuzu seem unable to believe.
«I know it's been a while since you two last saw each other, but as a show of affection and longing, this feels a bit... excessive,» Shin comments, glancing around at the flattened vegetation—the entire area shredded by the shockwaves from their attacks.
«Show of affection?! Don't give me that crap!» Hakuto shouts, struggling to his feet while leaning on his sword. «I know you're behind that witch showing up! I want answers! Why the hell did she transfer to our school?!»
«Don't say that, son—you'll hurt her feelings. If I remember right, the moment you said goodbye six years ago, you started bawling like a fountain.»
«I was crying from happiness, damn it!!!»
«Still holding a grudge just because she's always been stronger than you since you were kids? Come on, it's partly thanks to her that you've become who you are today.»
«I don't hate her out of jealousy—I hate her because she sent me to the hospital three damn times!»
«And you came out stronger every single time,» Shin teases with a smug grin. «Anyway, you'd better start getting along with Chantal—because as of today, she's moving in with us.»
«WHAT?!»
Rika and Yuzu shout in unison, echoing Hakuto's outburst—they clearly aren't happy about it either.