The final stage of their fight has come, now all that is left is to find out the winner of this round.
Koruto dashes straight to Kazuki, his body lowered to Kazuki's chest height and his fist parallel to his waist.
'One strike is all I need to end this.' Koruto thinks to himself.
Kazuki follows suit hoping he still has the strength to counter whatever Koruto has planned.
Now a cm away from each other, they both let their arrows fly. Kazuki's arrow lands on Koruto's head while Koruto's arrow swings to Kazuki's chin.
It lands, levitate Kazuki to the sky.
"Damn! I lost once again dad." Kazuki mummers smashing onto the ground.
Kaito runs up to him to check whether his conscious or not. Sadly there is no sign of that happening.
"The winner is… Koruto Higuma!" Kaito announcers raising his hand.
As Kaito let's go of his hand, he walks out of the arena punting and into the hallway that leads to the classrooms.
On the other hand two teachers pick up Kazuki with one holding the legs and the other the feet.
As they leave Reiji stops them, asking the both of them to put his body right next to him. Asking no questions they place his body on the ground.
Faizan looks on as Kazuki lays on the ground without nothing but new gained respect of how much he has grown.
Tamia chuckles thinking how such a weak person wishes to be a ninja.
Kaito's colleagues bring out the board to reveal the next match. The numbers are 21 and 43.
Meanwhile walking down the hallway holding his head. Koruto keeps recalling if Kazuki had mastered Sei, would he be still fighting him now. "What a strong punch he gave me. The fact it was able to shake my brain is impressive. One day I wanna fight him at his strongest." A smile on his face.
What the hell? He wonders. The world around begins to spin, his body trembling with no explanation, he falls to his knee's and his eye lids twitch before they shut down.
Back to the training grounds the students wait patiently for number 21 and 43 to step up.
Minutes pass and Reiji could tell that the other students are becoming impatient. The reason why he waited so long was to see who his opponent is. In order for him to get information from Lia about him. Sorry for him nothing has gone as planned.
He exhales walking to the arena and explaining to Kaito he is number 21. Kaito informs everyone that Reiji is number 21 and now they are waiting for number 43.
"Outer - outer - outer my way let the king of music Haci-Hachi-Hachimura go past and become the king of this tournament."
He goes past the students with his massive height that you might presume his a giant. But, what is making the students put all their attention on him is that he his not wearing a shirt."
Climbing the stairs, each steps he takes he makes a beat that the students can not help but shake their heads.
Reiji and Hachimura stand face to face.
"Isn't still in the morning? Why ain't you wearing a shirt? And have I seen you class?" Reiji ask him.
"My name is Haci-Hachi-Hachimura from the FONCLAN and you ain't my friend tell you my reason for not wearing a shi-shi-shirt!"
"Okay. Then could you please stop singing it's annoying."
Hachimura smiles adding, "It's called ra-ra-rapping! And one day I will be recognized as the KING OF RAP all around the world! So you saying it's a-a-annoying doesn't matter!"
"Then good luck with that." Reiji smiling back at him.
They move a step back and Kaito swings his hand.
Both of them do the Rin and Hei sign simultaneously. Just as Reiji runs up to him, Hachimura quickly does the Toh, Kai, Jin and Retsu hand sign.
Surprised that Hachimura is able to do 6 hand signs, Reiji steps back holding his arms in a cross.
"S-s-sorry that won't help! That level of Hei is w-w-weak!"
He holds his mouth together similar to how a person about to kiss. Hachimura pulls in the air around him, which travels to his stomach making it look inflated like a balloon and looking on to Reiji who is stuck at edge, Hachimura let's the air escape. The air goes past him like shards of glass scratching every part it touches.
"And t-t-that is what I call Jūsei!"
Reiji screams out, not just in pain of the scratches in his body but the ringing ears he possible received from Hachimura's attack.
"See I-I-I told you, that level of Hei is to weak! When I do-do-do my Jūsei am able to go past the coat of Hei my opponent enveloped themselves with! And unfortunately your wa-wa-one was easy to do that is why your ears are damaged!" All smiles on Hachimura's face.
In this surge of pain an idea pops up in his head. As if using Sei was second nature to him. Reiji let's go of his ears, raising his hands up and does the Rin, Hei, Toh and he stops.
The students and teachers wonder what he plans to do. And in this moment of wondering Reiji does a sign that no students have seen. The hand sign he does is Sha, which he remembers it can heal ones injuries.
Hachimura tries to step back away notice the shocked expression on Kaito. However, Reiji follows after him and grabbing him on the shoulder.
Hachimura throws consecutive punches in order to push him away. Sorry for him Reiji continues to hold on to his shoulders like a dog locking on to it's target with it's teeth
Struggle all he wants he now knows what Reiji is planning is going to be the end of him. He feel his Sei being pulled out of him slowly and into Reiji's hands.
'Unbrelivable.' Kaito thinks to himself. He recalls when Reiji was learning Sei, he had no clue about hand signs seeing how he struggled to understand them.
'And yet he is able to use a hand sign that is only know by high ranking ninjas and medical ninjas.'
The only word that Kaito can think of to describe Reiji is a "Genius."
Each moment that passes Reiji can feel the Sei of Hachimura filling up inside him as well as the ringing in his ears disappearing completely.
Reiji let's go of Hachimura, moving a few steps back. Hachimura's skin fully turned pale, his body shaking vigorously like it's been struck by lightning and he falls down to the ground somehow still conscious.
With how long Reiji was pulling away Hachimura's Sei, Kaito easily tells there will be no way Hachimura will stand up.
"Winner is Reiji Kōshin." Kaito raising his hand.
After Kaito let's go of his hand he walks up to Lia and the sleeping Kazuki.
"Yea Prince you did it!" Cheerfully smiling she adds, "But, I have a few questions."
"Thanks." He sits down on the grass holding his head and breathing heavy.
"My pleasure Prince. Now tell me how did you know about that hand sign?"
Reiji looks to her in a confused expression.
"Don't act dumb. Tell me how did you know the hand sign that you defeated Hachimura with."
"Oh that." Scratching his head once more. "I don't know myself. I was desperate to beat him and it just happened."
Lia speechless that Reiji just did a hand sign he did not know about just cause of desperation.
"Damn Prince. If that so…" Her expression changes. "…If any high ranking ninja ask you how did it just say your father taught you. Hear me."
Reiji ask himself why would she say that. However, remembering that Lia comes from the Hein clan he has to trust what she says.
The white board rolls up once again in the arena revealing the next numbers. It is number 9 and 13.
Soars through the sky before crushing down on the arena and creating dust around him. The dust clears revealing a boy in a monk costume with no hair on his head.
"Well that fight was boring!! But, mine is sure to entertain all of you!!" His voice echoing as loud as the whole academy and his hands clapped together.
"My name is Yoshiro from the buddha clan!! Am 15 years old and am the former son of Master Ryūkishi Hein!!" A smile of honesty on his face.
Yoshiro scans the crowd of students, stopping at a particular person with a mask.
"Let's get this started Faizan!!" Calling him with his hands.
TBC.
NEXT CHAPTER: PRELUDE 14