The Battle Begins! Herukyatto Versus Kuroba!! (70)

Lazuli was amazed at this new feat of power coming from Akasan. She got excited, dashing towards him.

Akasan was dead focused on the battle now.

Lazuli swung her Hellcat, expecting to get a clean blow, but Akasan seamlessly blocked with his Kuroba, and blew her away with pure brute force.

Lazuli slid back on the sand. *"What? His sword is heavier than mine now? Was that his solution? He's taking me lightly!"* she thought.

Lazuli spun her sword in the air a few times, then charged her energy tremendously.

Akasan calmly waited for her attack. *"Her energy reserves are bottomless... this will likely be a battle of stamina. I have to keep my mind together while I still can. Whatever this energy is doing to me, I can still hold on to a little bit of my sanity, but I have to focus on the fight. Or I'll lose everything!"*

Lazuli charged at Akasan, swinging her weapon again and again.

Akasan defended and then took a few swings himself.

Lazuli blocked them easily.

Akasan was constantly being forced to take steps backwards, while Lazuli fought aggressively.

After a series of attacks, Lazuli planted her weapon in the sand and then used it as leverage to fight using kicks.

Akasan didn't expect her to fight with her feet as well. He blocked her with the flat side of his blade. After kicking, Lazuli pulled the Hellcat back out of the sand and swung it straight down. "Hellfire Slash!!"

Blue fire coated her blade as it sliced through the air.

Akasan jumped to the side as the impact hit the sand. He saw the blue energy cut laterally through the ground all the way to the end of the island, stopping at the water.

Akasan's arm pulsed with energy. He quickly moved at Lazuli and switched to the offensive. He started slashing his sword at high speed. The force was now making Lazuli back up.

She was laughing while they fought. "Honestly... you're amazing!!" She swung back and the two clashed blades.

The spiritual pressure blew away all of the sand beneath them, exposing the bedrock. They were several meters deep in the sand. The two were pushing their blades against each other's.

Akasan's arm pulsed with energy, and he narrowly won the clash, sending Lazuli through a mountain of sand. He jumped back on top and waited for her return.

Lazuli leaped out of the sand and started catching her breath. She dashed forward again, and the two went back and forth for another five minutes, constantly trading blows.

Akasan's markings were slowly moving back to their original positions. The black-purple energy was running out, which meant that Akasan would be at a disadvantage again.

Lazuli noticed this and started fighting even more aggressively. She unleashed a furious combo of attacks with her Hellcat.

Akasan was cut a few times, he started bleeding from his arms and torso.

Lazuli spun around for the final blow. "Herukyatto: Blue Magma!!"

*FOOM!!*

 An explosion of blue lava erupted from the area as Lazuli brung down her blade.

Usagi gasped in horror as she watched the spectacle unfold. Most of the other demihumans started cheering.

Owl expected this outcome. *"It was only a matter of time. In a battle of endurance Lazuli will win every time. I might as well get my hawk back and... hm? What?! It-It can't be!"*

Through his hawk, Owl saw that the fight wasn't over just yet.

Lazuli and Akasan were in a clash, their weapons pressed against each other. There was dust from the sand in the air, and it was clouding Lazuli's vision of her opponent.

Lazuli was visibly confused. *"What's going on? I'm sure I connected... the blue magma should have reduced him to ash!!"* she thought.Then as the dust cleared her eyes widened at what she was seeing.

An aura of crimson red flames was surrounding Akasan.

As the blue lava dripped onto the flames, they dissolved as if the lava was water splashing onto a hot pan.

Lazuli couldn't believe it. "What is this? My blue magma is hotter than fire!!"

Akasan started pushing her back. His flames only grew stronger. His eyes and hair were bright crimson red. "This isn't just any fire. *My* flames can't be burned out!! HURRRAAAGGGHHH!!!"

Akasan's crimson fire aura became enormous. The tables have turned. Lazuli was now the one being pushed back.

But in Lazuli's thoughts, she could only admire her opponent. *"This man... is truly, amazing!! His determination, his will, the very nature of his soul, I can feel it!! This fire comes from a person who has been blessed by this world!!! Unreal!!"*

Akasan wound himself up, preparing to strike.

Lazuli was stunned from the crimson fire's burn.

"Kuroba: Burning Crimson Zephyr!!" Akasan struck Lazuli's Hellcat with all of his aura. She yelled out in what sounded like pained pleasure as the force from Akasan's sword generated the wind power of a hundred tornadoes. The force pushed her away along with all of the sand on the entire beach, which spanned a distance of nearly a hundred kilometers, as a wave of crimson fire mixed in with the impact.

The wind rushed through the demihumans' settlements, blowing people away, knocking trees over, and crushing even solid rock.

Balta stepped up in front of everyone. "Dragon Barrier!!"

A bright green translucent wall with a pattern that looked like scales protected everyone from Akasan's deadly attack. But the crimson flames mixed into the wind proved to be quite the challenge for Balta to offset. He was starting to get pushed back as his barrier started to shrink.

"Balta!! Keep pushing!!"

"Yeah!! You can do it!!"

"Don't let a little wind stop you!!"

The demihumans began cheering Balta on with words of encouragement.

Balta grit his teeth as green aura charged from his body. He let out a loud grunt, and his barrier increased back to full size, fully blocking the effects of the wind.

Meanwhile, Lazuli was hit with the full force of the flaming wind. She was sent to the other side of the island where she finally hit a large rock and fell unconscious.

Everyone that was watching was left speechless.

The mark in the sand that was affected by Akasan's attack was at least fifty miles long.

Lazuli couldn't even be seen from where they were.

Akasan's sword reverted to its original form before disappearing. He fell to one knee, out of breath.

Owl didn't even know what he'd just witnessed. Was it even real? Could someone have messed around with his hawk? No, not at all. *"A human... beat, Lazuli? Lazuli... lost? This guy... he's actually for real..."*

The hawk that Owl sent out flew away from the treetops and back through the cave.

The battle was over.

--

A few hours later Lazuli found herself waking up on a cot. She looked around then realized that she was in a tent near her throne. She came out and saw Akasan being surrounded by the other demihumans, who were fawning over him and asking a bunch of questions. She walked up to Akasan and tapped him on the shoulder.

Akasan turned around. "Oh you're up! I hope you're feeling okay. You hit your head pretty hard. Sorry about that."

Lazuli was surprised. "A human apologized to me..." she thought. Now that she got a good up-close look at Akasan's face, she caught herself thinking, *"He's actually sorta cute... wait! No, that's not what I should be thinking about!!"*

Lazuli turned her face in embarrassment. "I-I'll help you."

Akasan frowned. "What?"

Lazuli blushed harder. "I said I'll help you! Don't make me say it again. A deal's a deal."

Akasan's eyebrows raised, then he started grinning. "I'm looking forward to your support, Lazuli."

Usagi walked over afterwards. "How much longer are we staying?" she asked Akasan.

"Not much longer. We have to get moving. It's already afternoon. I want to reach Diamond City as soon as possible."

Usagi nodded.

Akasan started walking back towards the cave with Usagi following.

Balta walked up to Lazuli. "If you're going with them, who's going to lead us?"

Lazuli raised her eyebrows at the question. She seemed to think on it for a second, then patted him on the shoulder. "You can do that. There! Problem solved!"

Balta stood there with his mouth gaping open.

And with that, Lazuli walked off after Akasan and Usagi, joining their team.