The atmosphere shifted instantly. Dark, heavy clouds materialized out of nowhere, choking out the light above the alley. Thunder roared, shaking the nearby buildings, and a jagged bolt of yellow lightning descended from the heavens, striking Raien directly.
In the next moment, he took a single step and vanished from Blueblade's sight.
An Axiom...Now this will prove to be a challenge.
He could barely track the faint blur of ozone and light that was Raien moving at lightning speed.
But the threat wasn't just speed.
A soft, cold sensation touched the tip of his nose. A snowflake.
Blueblade shifted his attention to Yuki. She stood still, her breath visible in the sudden drop of temperature.
"Axiom: Blizzard Bloom."
The wind howled as a violent snowstorm erupted within the narrow alley. The walls frosted over in seconds, and the ground beneath them turned into a sheet of glacial ice.
Now this will be fun.
Raien struck first, a streak of yellow light darting around his former master. He moved faster than the eye could follow, striking from every angle. Blueblade was forced entirely on the defensive, his blade barely intercepting the lethal strikes, leaving his arms and chest covered in shallow cuts.
Yuki followed up instantly. Whenever Raien retreated to avoid a counterattack, she unleashed a wave of absolute zero cold. Frost crept up Blueblade's limbs, stiffening his muscles and slowing his reactions.
Further down the alley, Asahi shielded his eyes against the biting wind. He was blind to the battle, the blizzard turning the narrow passage into a wall of white noise and snow.
"It's time to finish this, Reiji," Raien declared, his voice booming over the thunder.
He approached Blueblade, who stood battered in the center of the storm. The swordsman was coated in a layer of frost mixed with fresh blood. His boots were encased in solid ice, rooting him to the spot. His hands trembled, his stamina draining with every second exposed to the supernatural cold.
Blueblade exhaled a long, warm breath that turned to mist.
"Yes... I suppose it is a good time to end this."
Blueblade raised his sword vertically, the tip pointing to the sky. The air around him suddenly grew heavy, not with pressure, but with a strange, overwhelming calm.
The snow that clung to his coat began to melt. The thick ice encasing his legs fractured, then shattered with a crisp burst, setting him free.
"Axiom: Endless Blue."
A pulse of azure light swept across the ground.
In an instant, the frozen asphalt vanished. Thousands of cornflowers bloomed rapidly from beneath his feet, their vibrant blue petals replacing the ice and snow. The blizzard didn't just stop; it was erased, replaced by a gentle, warm breeze.
"What? What is this?" Raien stammered, looking around in confusion. The dark clouds were gone, replaced by a clear, blue sky.
Before they could react, the cornflowers touched their feet, leaving them unable to move.
"This is…" Yuki whispered, frozen in place.
Blueblade moved through the field of flowers with gentle steps. He seemed to float above them, leaving the delicate petals unharmed as he approached Raien.
"This is my Axiom. What do you say?"
Frustrated, Raien struggled to break free but the flowers seemed like they didn't let him move at all.
"Miss me with the bullshit Reiji, undo this immediately!"
"So we can have a peaceful talk?"
"So I can put an end to you!" Raien yelled.
"In this case…I would rather keep it up."
A gentle breeze blew through their hair. Master and student stood face to face, surrounded by an endless sea of blue.
"Raien, you said you would avenge everyone from that day, correct?"
"Yes! The moment I free myself from these cursed flowers, I will have your head!"
"That means you are doing this for Genjiro... for Katsunari, Munenori, Masakado..."
Blueblade began to recite names. Not just a few, but hundreds.
Time passed and he still named every single fallen comrade.
"How…how do you even know them?"
Blueblade's expression was solemn looking at him with guilt in his eyes.
"Because these are the people I left to die. Even if I couldn't save them, the least I can do is honor their names."
Raien fell silent. The rage in his eyes flickered, replaced by a sudden wave of loss. He bit his lip, sweat mixing with the tears he refused to shed.
"That won't change anything! Knowing their names... it changes nothing!"
"I know."
Blueblade raised his sword but without any malice in his stance, only duty.
With a swift, clean motion, he slashed across Raien's chest.
Blood sprayed across the azure petals, Raien refusing to scream. His body began to glow, cracking into millions of shards of light that rose to the sky and faded away.
Raien was eliminated. Returned to Nexus.
Now, in that beautiful scenery, only Yuki and Blueblade remained.
He flicked his sword to the side, shaking off the blood, and turned towards her.
"It seems we are finally alone," Yuki said softly. Her body relaxed as she didn't even attempt to struggle against the flowers.
"Indeed."
"So, are you pleased? You finally told him what was on your mind."
Blueblade stopped in front of her.
"Yes. I am more than pleased. Besides clearing the air, I was able to relive a good memory. Both of you far surpassed my expectations."
"Impressed?" she asked with a smirk.
"I was more impressed by Raien than by you, honestly. I expected more from someone who has lived twice as long as I have," Blueblade teased, a faint smile touching his lips.
"You..." Yuki paused, then broke into laughter.
For a moment, they just laughed together, two old friends sharing a final joke in a field of memories. Then, the silence returned.
"When you return to Nexus, please take care of him. And while you are there... I would appreciate it if you could check on Sakura. See if she is doing fine."
"Geez, always so demanding. I already have my plate full with Kurenai, you know? Not to mention that when I began to hang out with Raien, he would only talk about how he will avenge everybody."
"Please, Yuki," Blueblade asked, his voice sincere.
Yuki looked at him for a moment, pretending to think about it.
"Sure. I will take care of little Sakura."
"Thank you, Shirayuki." Blueblade said, pleased.
"C'mon, you don't need to use my full name now."
Both looked at each other when Yuki was suddenly able to move again. Looking at her hands, a little surprised.
"Quite bold to lift the effect of the Axiom. How do you know I won't attack you now?"
"Because you are the only person I can trust, no matter what."
Just then, from behind Blueblade a gust of cold wind blew, pushing him in her embrace.
"Quite bold to push me into you. How do you know I won't attack you?" Blueblade whispered against her shoulder.
"You tease, I just wanted to hug you."
Blueblade returned the embrace, holding her tight for a few seconds before Yuki gently pulled away.
"I guess it's time for me to go back," she said, taking a step back and spreading her arms wide, leaving her chest exposed.
"Indeed. Although I find it very brave of you to open up so much to a blade."
"Well... that's only because it's your sword that will bring my end."
He paused, taken aback by her words.
"You really have a way with words."
The next second Blueblade bowed his head slightly and readied his sword.
One breath.
A single, perfect cut.
For a second, Yuki stood still, the motion so fast she didn't even realize it was over.
As she raised her head, she saw Blueblade already walking past her, his sword clicking softly into its sheath.
"See you in Nexus."
As the words left his mouth, a thin line appeared across her body. Blood gushed from the wound, but her expression remained peaceful.
Light began to engulf her rapidly, soon enough her body cracking in thousands of pieces, returning with the wind to Nexus.
The alley turned back to normal, Asahi running to Blueblade from the corner.
The hero looked terrible. His clothes were shredded, his skin covered in open cuts, blood dripping onto the asphalt. Yet, he raised a shaky hand to signal he was fine.
He is ok! Good, now we need to go to Sato and…
Asahi's thought was cut short as he saw Blueblade stumble, his legs giving out.
In a rush, Asahi caught him just before he hit the rough ground.
"I am sorry… little exis. But it seems that battle... spent me."
Blueblade breathed heavily, the exhaustion of fighting his friends finally taking its toll.
Looking down the narrow path, Asahi clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it.
"Let's go home, Blueblade."
Taking a moment to peek at his exis, Blueblade understood the frustration, but also the deep care in the boy's voice.
"Thank you, little exis."
Leaning on Asahi, the two walked slowly out of the alley.
Outside, Asahi glanced at the horizon. Towards the stadium, a thick cloud of black smoke was rising into the sky.
Sato, be careful.
From a nearby rooftop, a figure watched closely.
"Magnifique! Truly an impressive performance!"
Trickster stood perched on the edge of the building, clapping his gloved hands theatrically.
"What a great apéritif before the main dish."
He pulled an ornate pocket watch from his vest, checking the time.
"Oh my, I am going to be late for la pièce de résistance."
With a grin, he vanished from the rooftop, heading straight for the stadium.