The Promise of Tomorrow

Chapter 39

Deep within the shadows, a staff colliding with a shield could be heard in this dimension as well as footsteps. In this area, two fighters were going at each other for a friendly spar. There, Y/n was sparring with Shido who was wielding a shield and a mace with the latter wearing a proper battle attire of a knight while Y/n wore his usual punk outfit. Obviously enough, Y/n had the overall advantage in speed, being able to maneuver around Shido's swings like it was nothing while trying to hit Shido.

Despite the lack of mobility due to the heavy equipments Shido has, his hand speed was enough to block every single attack and even dared to fight back, causing Y/n to jump away. Just as when he was about to land, Shido slammed the mace, causing the ground beneath the former to shake, causing a disorientation on Y/n's footing and had barely blocked the next incoming attack from Shido's mace. 

Y/n's body was flung away, and he combined the sectioned staff and impaled it to the ground before standing on it. Clapping his hands, Y/n praised Shido's improvement. "I'm impressed! In such a small time frame, you were able to keep up with me!" he cheered as he got down on the ground. "Cut the crap, I know you're holding back on me. Why don't you get a little bit more serious," Shido told his friend, wanting to be challenged a little bit.

"Fine... Just don't cry if you get some boo boos that Tohka needs to treat," Y/n replied and jumped up, and went for a clawing motion. Shido noticed the wind shifting and raised his shield up to block the slicing wind that was oncoming his way. Y/n got down at the same time Shido deflected the hit, and grabbed the staff, dashing towards the latter's open spot.

Shido was then struck with the staff, and it had hit his diaphragm which caused his body to lurch down and was hit by the follow up strike to the face. His lips cracked, and there was some blood dripping down from them. "Now that's more like it from you," Shido muttered as he raised his guard up. Y/n immediately closed in, and went in to exchange hits with Shido who was now having a difficult time blocking the hits with the shield. Subconsciously, Shido was raising his shield up, as Y/n's attacks were all focused on his upper half. 

Seeing this opportunity, Y/n struck Shido on his ankle, and as the latter was on one knee, he jumped over Shido using the shield and was about to hit him with a downwards swinging motion. Luckily, Shido had grabbed ahold of the staff, and immediately knocked off Y/n away, his hold on his weapon slipping away as he was thrown far away from it. 

With great force, Shido threw the staff towards Y/n, as if the weapon was a spear aimed right at the target. In retaliation, Y/n kicked the staff upwards and the said object then took form. It was a mirror image of Y/n, but some of his hair had a red fiery tint. The copy then breathed out fire, threatening to engulf Shido if not for him placing the shield in front of him. 

As Shido blocked the flames, he then decided to plant the shield to the ground and used his Reiryoku to create a shield wall out of Reiryoku that encased him like a turtle in a shell. 'You keep surprising me. I never expected you had this much control. Well then,' Y/n thought as he summoned two fans, he then waved them in a circular motion, making the wind swirl alongside the fire. After a while, he then motioned a closing movement before spreading his arms wide, causing a tornado of fire. 

'Tch. I may have overdid it,' Y/n thought, and extinguished the flames to see the shield wall searing red hot. As he approached it, Y/n then leaned down. "Shidoooo? You alive?" he asked letting his guard down. As Y/n took a step closer, he heard the ground crack, and from below, Shido sprung up. The attack was well timed to disable Y/n from evading.