(Sword in low position, conserving energy for a long battle… That can’t be it. Then…)
A sword in a low position had the upsides of conserving arm strength and stamina.
It was not suited for attacking, but this technique meant for a short break in a battle was good in long battles.
But Ryuuga suffered serious wounds, and would be at a disadvantage the longer the battle went on.
There was one reason why he would do this despite going for a short battle, to recover even just a bit of the stamina and magic energy he lost with the previous attack.
“I’m not lettin’ you! I’m not lettin’ you lead anymore!!”
There was no need to let his opponent rest. He decided he would not be careless, so he should strive to win.
Therefore, Zaraki attacked to rob Ryuuga of time to rest and think about a plan.
“Orah! Orah! Orah!! Try to counterattack!! You weakling!!”
Zaraki attacked with punches enveloped in a gale and sharp slashes that created wind blades, without a second between attacks.
Ryuuga was dealing with them, but was slowly being pushed.
“At this rate Mister Ryuuga… We also need to join!!”
“Wait! He told us to leave it to him! He has an idea! If we interfere, we might ruin it!”
“But what if that is not the case…!?”
“…It’s all right, trust him. Yuugo believed in him. Ryuuga won’t lose!”
Ryuuga was in danger, but his eyes had life.
They were hot and sharp, like he was too focused to let any chance of winning get away.
He said he was weak, but people who could recognize their weakness were not weak.
His friends saw him fight before, and knew Yuugo believed in him, so they believed he would win and purposefully refrained from interfering. But as he tried to regain stamina and magic energy, the battle continued.
“Let’s end this! This is it!!”
Zaraki continued his intense attacks, and involved both arms in a stronger gale.
Tornadoes swirled in his arm, and his penetration power was boosted by his sharp claws. He yelled as he attacked with his left arm.
“Die! Ryuuga!!”
A thrust covered in a gale approached Ryuuga.
He managed to somehow deflect by twisting his body and using the momentum to execute a sweep, but Zaraki knew that would happen.
(Of course you’d move like that! But I still have my right arm!!)
Ryuuga had to use his body to its fullest and swing his katana to deflect this attack.
But Zaraki had his right arm, and since Ryuuga had to dodge the first attack with all he had, he could not do it again.
If he attacked Ryuuga’s unprotected back as he was turning with his right arm, it would be over.
It was going according to plan, so Zaraki yelled with a scornful smile, sure of his victory.
“This is it! Die you… Gogah!?”
A sharp pain suddenly ran through his stomach.
He felt his yell being cut off and replaced by the sound people made when they vomited, and he bent forward in pain.
He had no idea what happened, and when he looked down… he saw a hole in the ground and water gushing.
The water was the source of his pain… It was ejected with the force of a geyser and hit him in the stomach, and upon realizing this, he was surprised and thoughts raced through his mind.
(No way. No way no way no way. No way…!?)
Normal water magic should not cause that much damage.
This water had loong power. And only Ryuuga, the owner of the Loong King Fang, could do that.
Zaraki now realized Ryuuga’s true intentions. He pointed his katana low enough that it could touch the ground… but it was not to recover stamina, it was to send magic energy to the ground.
A stream was created underground, a trap was set, and Zaraki was led there as Ryuuga pretended to be pushed back.
And when his attention was fully on attacking to deal the final blow, Ryuuga released his attack and dealt a hard blow.
(This technique… This plan…!?)
It was a little different, but he remembered an attack through the ground that exploded on him once he let his guard down.
The one who made him taste an intense feeling of defeat… Yuugo, and the two consecutive flaming attacks. As Zaraki realized this, he heard Ryuuga’s voice.
“I told you, you’re the kind of idiot that falls for the same trick twice…!!”
(This is bad…!!)
Zaraki groaned with pain, and his eyes that stopped moving reflexively saw Ryuuga turn and use the momentum to swing his sword.
He created an air current with wind magic, and used it on his sword to boost its sharpness and speed to execute his attack.
Zaraki knew he had to dodge. He knew what Ryuuga was doing.
But he was unlucky, as he was facing the genuine strongest swordsman… who was free from all indecision.
There was no time to block. He would not be allowed to dodge.
The katana with lightning approached him and stretched right to his head.
Only a few seconds passed since the geyser. Ryuuga attacked the jewel in Zaraki’s head with everything he, and his friends had… and the bursting lightning split it in two and smashed it.
“Gah!? Ah, guah…! Ga, aa…!!”
“Zaraki… You got drunk on that power and looked down on everything around you. You couldn’t get rid of the conceit that you were superior to humans and could never lose. You focused only on strength, and didn’t realize your own weakness.”
The light flying from the broken jewel took form.
A bow and a naginata returned to their owners, and lastly, light was ejected into the air and revealed the sealed Raiha.
The Loong King Fang was sheathed, and Ryuuga caught the falling Raiha, before covering her naked body with his jacket.
He looked at the groaning Zaraki, and spoke to the half loong person who cried tears of blood.
“I didn’t beat you. You lost to Yuugo twice… and to my friends who never gave up. Not someone like you who throws around fake strength, but people who know true strength.
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