[The Third Ship: The Limit of Flesh]
The deck of the third EDEN ship was slick with more than just sea spray. Kojo was bleeding now badly. His breathing came in ragged, wet gasps, and his vision was starting to swim. No matter how fast he swung, no matter how many angles he covered, he couldn't get past the future sight.
Zen stood ten feet away, his white gloves still pristine, his expression one of bored pity.
Zen: "In my opinion you should give up, you are bleeding too much."
Kojo wiped a streak of crimson from his chin, his teeth stained red as he gripped his third sword tighter. "Huh bleeding?" He spat a glob of blood onto the wooden planks and gave a haunting, jagged smile. "This is nothing compared to what I have faced."
Zen's eyes narrowed, the boredom replaced by a flicker of irritation. "Is that true? Then I will kill in an instant."
Zen rushed towards Kojo with a speed that blurred the air. Kojo didn't see the movement, but his instincts screamed. He somehow blocked it, the impact of Zen's knuckle vibrating through his blades and into his bone marrow.
Kojo: "Get away!"
With a roar of effort, he pushed Zen back, creating a few feet of breathing room.
Kojo thinking in his mind: "What should I do? Think Kojo think. For now i need to drag the battle more."
He didn't wait for Zen to reset. He started running towards Zen and continuously attacking him. Kojo's blades became a frantic whirlwind. Zen could see the future, but as Kojo pushed his body beyond its limits, the commander was somewhat struggling to keep up with the speed. This was the moment Kojo knew he could do something—the future was certain, but the present was moving so fast Zen had to strain to react. He was continuously hitting him, and for the first time, some attacks by Kojo were leaving scratches on the Vice-Commander's uniform.
Zen thinking in his mind: "I have to push him back. Knuckle big blow!"
The punch landed like a cannonball, pushing Kojo back to the very edge of the ship.
Kojo: "So to defeat you i need speed that's well."
He stood shaking, his muscles screaming in protest.
Kojo thinking in his mind: "But I don't have much strength left. If i could know his weakness from the start... but for now i need to drag the battle more longer."
Kojo: "Three sword style: Hollow Dragon's Fang!"
The attack was quick. The attack was quick—a flash of steel that sought Zen's throat. Zen stopped it, catching the edges of the blades with his reinforced knuckles.
Zen: "What do you think? I will not be able to stop an attack like this?"
But Zen was struggling. The sheer pressure Kojo was exerting was starting to crack the deck beneath them. Zen gritted his teeth and roared.
Zen: "Consecutive big knuckle blows!"
Zen's attacks were heavy and quick. These attacks were damaging Kojo very badly, hitting him in the chest, the shoulders, and the gut. Finally, the barrage stopped. A thick cloud of dust and splinters covered the ship.
Zen stared into the smoke, waiting for a corpse to fall. Suddenly, he saw a demon stepping out of the dust.
It was Kojo. His coat was shredded, his skin was a map of old and new scars, but his eyes were glowing with a terrifying light.
Zen: "Ho—"
Kojo: "Not yet. I finally got the attack my grandpa used to use against enemies."
[Flashback: The Way of the Blade]
In the quiet of a bamboo grove years ago, a man stood with a wooden sword that felt heavier than iron.
Kojo's grandpa: "Kojo come here."
Kojo: "What happened grandpa Kenzin?"
Kenzin looked at his grandson with eyes that had seen a thousand wars. "There is a normal power passing through our family."
Kojo: "Huh what is that power?"
Kenzin: "Demon Flow!"
[The Present: The Awakening]
Kojo came back to the battlefield. He reached up and threw his tattered cloak aside. His abs and chest were a mesh of deep cuts and scars, showing off his history of survival to Zen.
Zen: "How can someone live with so many scars?"
Kojo: "Demon Flow."
Suddenly, the air around the ship began to vibrate. A thick, Purple Aura started gathering around Kojo, swirling like a dark storm. He remembered his grandfather's last lesson.
Kojo: "Demon's Flow?"
Kenzin: "Yes. Not everyone, but i was able to master it."
Kojo: "Why are you telling me this? And why now?"
Kenzin: "No, i thought it will come in handy in the future."
In the present, Kojo threw his head back and shouted out loud, his voice echoing across the entire fleet.
Kojo: "Thank you old man! Because of you I can protect my captain and friends!"
[The Second Ship: The "Weak" Spot]
While the Demon was awakening, the struggle on the second ship was taking a much more... painful turn.
Lemon: "What does Ato think? I can't fight her!"
Sora landed gracefully on the mast, looking down at the two boys. "Now shall we begin?"
Sora air jumped, kicking the atmosphere itself. From the air she made slashes that were almost invisible, sharp gusts of wind that acted like invisible swords. Lemon somehow dodged, his glasses nearly sliding off his face, but Faramis almost got hit, a gust of wind clipping his goggles.
Lemon: "Hakai Kokuhai: Gravity Rampage!"
He slammed his hand down, creating a localized gravity well. Suddenly, a strong force started pulling Sora towards Lemon, dragging her out of the sky. As she got close, Lemon prepared his finishing move.
Lemon: "Sorry young lady you have to—"
Suddenly, Lemon's face went from determination to absolute agony. He was feeling a sharp, blinding pain in his lower body. He looked down and saw that as she was being pulled in, Sora had mistakenly (or perhaps perfectly) kicked Lemon right on his balls.
Lemon immediately fell to the ship's deck, curling into a ball as his soul seemed to leave his body.
Faramis stood up and saw Lemon crying actual tears of pain.
Lemon: "It hurts..."
Faramis: "Idiot."
Lemon: "What can I do?! If she attacked me in my weak spot!"
Faramis: "When can you wake up?"
Lemon: "I still need time... but for Captain's sake I have to stand up."
Slowly, trembling like a leaf, Lemon stood up. He adjusted his glasses with a shaky hand, his face pale but determined.
Lemon: "This time I'm not letting you kick there!"
Sora threw her head back and laughed, the sound carrying over the waves. "Hahahaha! What a funny brat!"
[The Flagship: The Proposal]
On the main deck of the flagship, Ato was surrounded. Raiden, Rina, and Jiro stood in a triangle around him, their EDEN coats flapping in the rising wind.
Ato: "Before fighting... oi blader, where's Manjo?"
Raiden's forehead vein throbbed. "Idiot my name's not blader, my name is Raiden! She's unconscious. I made her unconscious for sometime."
Ato: "What are you going to do with her?"
Raiden crossed his massive arms, a smug, arrogant grin spreading across his face.
Raiden: "I'm going to marry her."
Ato's jaw hit the deck. His brain seemed to short-circuit as he processed the sheer absurdity of the statement.
Ato: "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"
The "Beast" wasn't just angry anymore. He was confused, disgusted, and ready to break every bone in Raiden's body.