While he has been enrolled since his birth in Darkeas, the school of supervillains, Uchiri Nanaya ends up by mistake in Aitori ... the school of the Magical Girls.
Nanaya listened to his friends leave on the other side of the wall. They would be able to escape. He just had to make sure they got off the ship safe and sound. And for that, he had to keep Lord and Static here. They were surely the two most dangerous, even if Lord didn't seem to have any offensive power. If he did not hesitate to cover Static again and again with ice to block him, Nanaya did not dare to use his power against the master of the place. He couldn't do that. Since Lord couldn't retaliate with equal power, he could kill him.
The adult cracked a smile. He turned his back on him and walked over to the katana rack to pick up one of the weapons.
"You're more predictable than I would have thought," he scoffed, "Static, stay."
The man froze, raising an eyebrow.
"He won't let you pursue his comrades," Lord guessed, "just as he won't use his power against me. You want to fight on equal terms, right kid? So come on, take one."
He pointed to the remaining three sabers, but Nanaya didn't move. He wasn't stupid enough to trust him. The man was holding one of the blades. He would attack him immediately within reach.
The magical raised a hand. He no longer had to focus his power on the bodyguard. His arm became covered in ice despite the worried pleas from Hyokko. From his frozen palm detached a blade of ice. He had created it strong enough to withstand a fight. Lord's smile widened.
"It's true then," he continued, "you want to fight as equals. Poor unconscious. I would be surprised if your father was the one who taught you that. Do you wish to spare me? You know you can't save everyone!"
"...I can at least try," the teenager muttered.
They both posted themselves, ready to attack. Static stood still, watching them impassively. Hyokko stirred in panic, while keeping a distance so as not to disturb his human.
Lord and Nanaya circled around for a moment, each studying the other's movements and trying to find a loophole. The adult threw several feints at Nanaya, with no intention of hitting him, to push him to attack first. Nanaya remained calm, despite his anger and the concern he felt for his friends. Lord was older than him, more experienced. But he could do it.
The alarm sounded in the ship. It was then that Lord decided to attack first, deeming Nanaya distracted by the sound. Nanaya didn't have time to worry more. He parried the blow and ducked to the side, wincing as he felt his body sway. He had lost a lot of blood when Lord ripped off his prosthesis. He felt slightly dizzy. He had to stay careful and focused. This weakness could be fatal to him.
Lord continued his assault, trying to drain the energy of his young adversary. Nanaya tried to dodge rather than parry but the mobster was too fast. He seemed to barely feel the pain of his pierced hand. Nanaya tried to ignore the tightness in his face and the headache it caused but the blood continued to flow, exhausting him and slowing him reflexes.
Lord noticed. More robust, he launched an attack that forced the youngest to his knees. Nanaya couldn't resist and fell, then rolled out of reach. Lord inflicted a slight wound on his shoulder when he tried to get up. The magical recoiled sharply, biting his lip in fury. He was, however, able to avoid a more dangerous blow and got to his feet.
He felt more and more tired and tried to catch his breath. He couldn't help but think it was appalling that such a hateful man was such a good fighter. Capitalizing on the brief moment when Lord wiped his bloody hand, Nanaya lunged and touched him in the right arm. The adult screamed in rage as he felt the blade of ice slash his muscle. Then looking barely affected, which seemed hardly believable, he raised his katana.
"Atagi Yoken." he said clearly.
He lunged forward but one of his hands dropped his weapon to grab the younger man's arm. Nanaya cried out in surprise and pain.
As the wounds on Lord's hand and arm closed, the exact same wounds opened on the magical.
Nanaya had no idea of Lord's true abilities. Atagi Yoken was one of his men. He had the ability to transfer his wounds onto anyone he touched. And that was exactly what Lord had just done.
Nanaya gritted his teeth. The adult smiled and swooped down on him again brandishing his katana. Nanaya parried with all his might as the blood from his hand mingled with the ice that was his weapon. The pain crept up his left arm all the way to his shoulder. Lord harassed him like a fury. Smiling, he attacked relentlessly, without giving him time to catch his breath.
Nanaya suddenly felt anger overtake him. This man had hurt his friends. And he acted like he was offended. He gripped his blade tightly with both hands and was finally the first to attack, swinging his weapon in a sweeping spiral that Lord narrowly avoided. Only his tie was cut clean. Nanaya repeated his gesture. This time, he narrowly missed hurting him badly, cutting his belt. Then, with a backward movement, split his shirt.
Surprised by this sudden reversal, Lord parried with difficulty, until the ship suddenly began to rock violently. The adult fell backwards and Nanaya crashed into him. Both had completely lost their balance and let go of their weapons. Nanaya's had slipped too far due to its composition, but the katana was just a meter away.
They got up in one motion, pushing each other away. Lord threw himself on his weapon and turned quickly to prevent Nanaya from reaching his.
"N-Nana-chan!!!" Hyokko exclaimed.
The teenager gritted his teeth. The blade had sunk into his stomach. But Lord wasn't far from it either. Unable to recover his sword, the magical had tried to create another. He didn't have time to finish it but he was able to cover his arm with frost before forming a blade like it came straight out of his hand. It was deeply planted in the shoulder of the adult.
"Heh," Lord hissed through his teeth, "looks like a draw huh. But your "friends" must have gotten caught by now. So ultimately you lost."
Nanaya winced in pain. He felt his head spinning. But he refused to believe in this version. He had promised. He glanced at the bay window. The sight of the underwater world made him shiver, but he managed to smile.
"No," he breathed, "not yet..."
He jerked his head back for a second before banging it hard against the adult's. Lord jerked back, crying out as the ice fell from his shoulder. His cry mingled with Nanaya's as the Katana's blade retreated as well. But the magical gritted his teeth and didn't waste a second. He called Hyokko who flew up to him, before dropping to his knees. When his hand touched the ground, a shower of ice spikes shot out in all directions. Static broke free from his ice shackles and grabbed his boss to pull him away, but he wasn't the target. Spikes pierced the glass, bisecting it as if it were a sheet of paper, in several places, before disappearing completely, letting water infiltrate in large quantities. While Static was able to narrowly reach the door and escape with Lord down the hallway, Nanaya was caught in the current and swept into the ocean.
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