“Again damnit!” Jin yelled out as he hit Kanashi over the head with the rolled up wad of newspaper in his hand like one would a dog. Of course when such a simple action was done by Jinen Lutece however it was like being hit over the head with a metal mallet, a visible lump appearing on Kanashis head next to the half dozen others already there.

  “Stop it damnit!” Kanashi yelped with tears in the corner of his eyes and he tried to shield his head from further damage. “It’s just a stupid picture, calm down!” Kicking at Jin he tried to push the man away but Jin easily as if dancing avoided each attack without even trying.

  “It’s not just a picture, Kanashi! It’s our declaration of war and I’m not gonna have it fall flat because of your ego- or lack there of!” Jin argued threatening to bring down the wad of newspapers once more which Kanashi flinched at. “This has to be perfect, and If I’m gonna take a picture I’m gonna take it right!”

  “Well what do you want then!?” Kanashi asked with a growl. “You keep giving me confusing instructions! "Be confident yet scared, look strong but weak, you need to taunt them but look candid” it’s all so nonsensical!”” He barked.

  “You need to be confusing! That’s the point of this all! You should make them fear you but feel enticed, like someone seeing a pretty ripe and plump fruit as colorful as a rainbow but not knowing if it’s toxic!” Jin said, throwing the wad of paper at Kanashi who barely dodged the thing which seemed to fly at him with the speed of an arrow head. “Now stick your hips out more!”

  “What kind of photo shoot is this to you!?” Kanashi screeched as he tried to make the pose to Jin's command.

  The two stood arguing in the middle of a mostly abandoned street in Shibuchi ward. The buildings around them with broken glass windows, cracked foundations and overgrown vines and weeds sprouting from fault lines and chips in the asphalt, concrete and pavement. The only signs of life being a few clumps of garbage bags, some rat nests like hordes of ‘treasure’ which must have belonged to a homeless person consisting mainly of odd trinkets and colorful trash. It was perfect according to Jin, and though Kanashi worried about being seen by someone, Jin had eased those worries. Without any effort at all to Kanashis absolute envy he cast a barrier around the ward, one which was imbued with a form of Clairvoyance to influence those who saw it to “walk away.” tickling their instincts to avoid the street for a reason they didn’t know but didn’t want to test either. Apparently if a Hachibuto saw it they’d be able to tell something was off but even a Joshin would fall for the barrier. The barrier which Jin cast so easily it was like taking a breath.

  Kanashi grit his teeth, barriers, to create a non physical construct, he couldn’t understand that. Jin had explained it was similar to a [shield] but a shield was easy to cast. You simply formed your aura into a square before you and reinforced it like you would your body. A barrier on the other hand was far too large and complex for that. Kanashi could change the attributes of his shield such as making it rubbery and malleable but again that was simple. He only imagined the shield being made of rubber, to bend and bounce and it became that. He could not however imagine making a full barrier, something which could form a dome around him or greater, imbued with effects and rules, something he didn’t need to constantly hold onto so it wouldn’t break. A shield was weak, with a force strong enough it would shatter and it needed constant attention. While a barrier was something you could either tie off and anchor to an object or point- or simply keep running in the back of your mind. A shield needed constant casting, constant attention, a barrier you could have running like a program in the back of your mind. As long as you fed it mana it worked, you could even cast other spells at the same time, something Kanashi had found near impossible for himself. Jin had told him it was like writing two different languages at the same time with both hands and it was an apt comparison though Kanashi had imagined it more like drawing two different shapes with your hands at the same time. It was doable- apparently, but difficult.

  Sighing Kanashi shook his head, one again reminded how low on the totem pole he was, it was nice to be strong for a moment in the subway station, to be feared. But now he was the weakest in the room again and with Jin here that gap only became more apparent.

  “What’re you shaking your head at!?” Jin barked to which Kanashi flinched.

  “Nothing, nothing!” He yelped, quickly striking the pose Jin had ordered, hips pushed out and chest puffed up. He had one hand on his hips and the other pulled up over his face to keep the sun out of his eyes. It looked ridiculous but Kanashi swallowed that thought down as Jin laughed to himself and raised the camera- wrapped around his neck up and took the picture.

  With a flash of light and a click the photo quickly began to come from the top of the camera and Jin pulled it out with a wave through the air. The color quickly formed; “There we go~” He hummed with a grin that made Kanashis spine tingle, and not in a good way.

  “So we’re done then?” Akatora asked as he came up from behind Jin. Despite being half a head taller it seemed that Akatora was the one looking up at Jin whenever their eyes met.

  “It’ll do.” Jin sighed, "Hopefully next time I get a better model that is.” He sneered, shooting Kanashi a glare which made a blood vessel burst in Kanashis nose to his shagreen.

  “L-look what you made me do!” He yelped as he began to catch the blood dripping from his nose into his cupped hand. “You bastard, why don’t you get over here and let me take a picture of you!?”

  “Because that’s not my job.” Jin shrugged, his attention already moved elsewhere, as if flipping a switch which made Kanashi grind his teeth.

  Though that didn’t last long as Kanashi paused, realizing something. What are we doing here? Looking around at the street he made sure to inspect every detail, the color of the weeds and vines, the way some buildings were slightly tilted and even the chipped paint. Tomorrow this street might not exist, tomorrow- the liberation would happen. He could see Jin and Akatora arguing out of the corner of his eyes but his ears seemed to ring with no noise, you could snap a finger next to his head and he’d heard nothing- in fact he’d probably feel the wind breaking instead. How could everyone be so calm? The world was ending right? In 2 years time- no less, in 16 months time the world would end if they didn’t do something, and this was the first step on that mission. Just thinking about it made Kanashis stomach tie into knots, the spear and the stone, piercing one with the other to get a single wish, to wish away the Horseman of the end who in the year 2500 would destroy the world. It was unbelievable but it was the truth. His knees felt weak as he thought about it, how much was riding on their shoulders, how much had been riding on his until then. But now even though that weight had been ripped from him its ghost still pushed down on his back. Here they were arguing over photos and hitting each other with paper. “How can we just act like nothing is happening?” He asked himself with a shudder.

  “Oi, Jin.” Kenji called out, the words bringing Kanashi back to reality he almost flinched in pain as the sound of the world filled his ears again. “Are we gonna do this or not?”

  “Oh man, you really do wanna get your ass kicked.” Jin laughed as he turned around, Kenji raised his brow and so did Kanashi. Were they going to fight? How would that work, Kanashi had spared with Jin before but he was Kanashi and this is Kenji. If they were trying to avoid bringing attention to them this would for sure right? Even if the barrier was able to block out the physical evidence, Kanashi doubted the same could be said about the blasts of aura.

  Kenji grinned so wide you’d think his cheeks would tear open as he strode forwards. Right hand wrapped around his Katana he began to draw it from the sheathe, his orange orange bursting forth made the ground tremble.

  “Wait- wait.” Jin said, waving his hand through the air to Kenji's disappointment. The swordsman let the Katana fall back to his side and restrained his aura. Crossing his arms over his chest his grin turned into an equally deep frown. “We need to set some ground rules first Kenji, we can’t just go around destroying this entire street now can we?” By Kenji's expression he seemed to have believed such a thing possible so Jin wagged his finger at him slowly. “First, no  destroying the environment, I can fix a dent in the floor or two but I don’t want to deal with you slicing buildings in half or crashing through windows. Second, I’m gonna stand right here and not move. I’ll defend but I won’t attack- if you land a single clean blow on me then you win.”

  “That’s not a fight that’s a game with no winner!” Kenji barked, a vein bursting on his brow.

  Jin frowned and ruffled his light blonde hair, his lip upturned he seemed to be in deep thought before shrugging with a sigh. "All right here, if you win we can destroy this entire city in a real fight- how about that?”

  Kenji grinned once more, his eyes upturned and slanted he let out a deep laugh. “Alright, deal.” His hand rubbed the Katanas sheath as he drew it, the silver colored blade overflowing with power.

  “Kanashi.” Jin said turning to the boy, “Watch this and pay close attention. I want you to learn from it.” Using a sweeping like motion with his hand he shooed Kanashi away who frowned but obeyed, walking backwards.

  “Learn what…” Kanashi muttered with a scowl, “How strong you are? Like I haven’t known that for long enough.” Walking to the side of Akatora he crossed his arms with a huff. “I didn’t think you’d want to watch this kinda thing.” He said, turning to Akatora with a raised brow.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “Of course I would, I haven’t seen either in actual combat yet. This will be interesting.” Akatora answered, not looking away from the two men ahead of them , watching the pair with his coal black eyes.

  “Is that so..” Kanashi muttered, nodding his head.

  Some two dozen meters down the street from where Kanashi and Akatora stood, Jin knelt down and pushed his finger gently into the asphalt road. As if made of mud the road gave way, digging half an inch or so down Jin drew a perfect circle around himself like you would in sand. “Okay then, this is my ‘zone’ I won’t leave it. We can begin when you make the first mo-”

  Kenji lunged at Jin, his Katana drawn and cocked back the blade was coiling with orange aura which writhed around it like garter snakes in a mating ritual.

  DUNG!

  The sound was like that of a car slamming into a brick wall at full speed, Jin threw his bare forearm up without haste and countered Kenji's Katana. Kanashi felt his skin prickle as he saw Jin push back against the sword with his flesh, only reinforcement stopping the blade from slicing his limb clean off. But Jin looked unbothered, like a mother car swatting away an annoying kitten. But the most shocking thing was that the attack which had enough power behind it to easily shatter all the surroundings windows didn't.

  “He wrapped his aura…” Akatora muttered. “I didn’t think he’d be able to do it.”

  “Wrapping his aura.” Kanashi asked, looking.

  Keeping his eyes on the pair of men, Akatora pointed a sausage thick finger at Kenji. “Pay attention to the way he manipulates his aura with his next attack.”

  Kanashi nodded, still not quite understanding and turned his attention back to the pair. Like Jin said he offered no counter attack, his parry was more than enough to throw Kenji back and leave him skidding across the road. A trail of faint smoke following Kenji's sandals. Springing forwards again Kenji raised his katana high with his right arm, corded muscle bundling against the flesh he brought the blade down.

  [亥の切: Inogiri!]

  Kenji's blade came down once more upon Jin who this time threw up his right leg, the two clashing once more there was that same metallic banging sound like a major collision followed by Kenjib ring thrown backwards onto his heels.

  “Did you catch it?” Akatora asked with a grin, his eyes still focused on the pair.

  “Yeah… I think so at least. It was like Kenji- wrapped his aura around himself?” That was the only way Kanashi could think to explain what he’d just seen. Kenji's aura instead of overflowing from his blade like it normally did instead became condensed and heavy, as if he’d literally wrapped it around the blade itself, like a serpent would a rod.

  “Why don’t you use a weapon?” Kenji asked with a frown as he cracked his neck to the side, his right arm rang out with a dull pain after already having been blocked twice. Something he couldn’t remember feeling in months, years? No decades! He grinned as his eyes grew so sharp they appeared as no more than slits.

  “Because it would only limit me.” Jin answered with a thin lipped smile,

  Kenji sprung forwards, yet so careful as to not shatter the ground as he usually would, he came upon Jin swinging the blade downwards with a hiss of air.

  [羅生門: Rashomon!]

  Yet once more and despite Kenji having imbued more aura then any previous of his attacks Jin blocked the blow with but a swat of his hand, the sound just the same before- perhaps a hint heavier Kenji was thrown backwards, coming to the ground a few meters away with a skid.

  “Damnit!” He growled, teeth bared. I need to use more power- but I don’t know if I can control it like this! Wrapping his aura was far from easy, like most things Kenji had only done so without much thought- only instinct. The sensation was strange, like trying to keep your arm flexed while throwing a punch. If he put even a sliver more strength into a swing the ‘knot’ might just rupture and the entire street crumble.

  “How is he doing it?” Kanashi asked, as he watched Kenji grind his teeth. He could see the ‘wrapping’ or the way it was ‘knotted’ around Kenji's blade but he couldn’t exactly figure out how such a thing was done, just imaging it made his head hurt. Like trying to tie your breath into a bow tie it seemed illogical- but most magic seemed that way.

  “It’s hard.” Akatora answered, shaking his head softly. “And this is why Jin wanted you to watch this, to see how difficult it is. You know how to suppress yourself already, the process is similar in concept but instead of bottling it up you wrap it around yourself.”

  Kanashi couldn’t help but sigh, suppression was already hard enough, he could manage it now without much thought but learning hadn’t been so easy. Like walking around with every muscle flexed and not being able to relax even if someone goosed you it was tiring. But how can you do anything else but bottle it up? You can only hold your breath or breathe, there’s no other option.

  “Did you play Grab ass in the school locker room?” Kanashi frowned at the name, not sure where this was going but Akatora continued. “When you take a towel and hit someone with it there’s not going to be much force behind it. But if you take that same towel, twist it up and wet the tip- you could leave welts on whoever the towel snaps. That’s what it’s like to wrap your aura. If you don’t- you’re wasting power which could be put into your attack. It’s good for showing off but not actual fighting.”

  Kanashi nodded his head with his lips drawn wide, not into a frown nor a grin, just a line. We didn’t call it grab ass but… Visualizing what Akatora had explained, Kanashi closed his eyes. The raging torrents of aura in his body being turned into a single clean stream took only an instant anymore. Calm and controlled he dropped his hand into that stream and pulled out the thick honey like liquid and tried to tie it. He tried to work or knead it but the liquid as thick as it was only slipped through his fingers back into the stream below with a splash. “I can’t do it.” He sighed after a few more tries.

  “Try to focus it on just your arm, not your whole body.”

  Looking at his arm, the light orange aura like vapor wisping off of it Kanashi tried to focus as hard as he could, so much so he thought he might burst a blood vessel. His aura felt more mailable now, but the moment he nearly got a single layer done it snapped and crumbled, like sheet metal drawn too tight. “No luck.” Kanashi shrugged, with a weak smile.

  Akatora nodded, “It might just be you don’t have enough aura, your mana pool isn’t anything to scoff at- but even I can only do it a few times before it starts to get drawn tight. For Kenji's first time he’s not doing too bad, but it looks like he’s close to reaching his limit. And Jin if I had to guess he might be able to do a thousand or more layers.”

  Kanashi only nodded his head solemnly, another time he was reminded of it. Just how many times do I have to be told I’m weak!? He screamed inside his head. Everyday, every hour, every moment, every opportunity! I can’t do anything can I? He felt a slight shock at his own feelings, he’d been frustrated by his weakness before but not to this extent, right now it felt almost as if- as if he was full of hunger, and anger. Why couldn’t he just be happy with himself? When had he ever been?

  Down the street Kenji and Jin continued their game, increasing his speed Kenji darted around the street like a fly you could not seem to swat. He bounced off of walls and cars, the ground had bits of smoke from where he leapt from it but every attack met the same conclusion.

  CLANG!

  Thrown backwards with enough force he had to flip backwards to land clearly on his feet. Kenji ground his teeth. His neck cracking to the side and shoulder ringing with pain he tried to force more aura into his arm, to make it stronger, to reinforce his blade more. At least that was the intention not the thought process. The idea of “aura control” had no place in his brain, his mental archive. It had always been so simple,he swung your sword and whatever he hit was destroyed. Nothing more, but that didn’t work anymore, his head growing heavy, blood building Kenji forced more into his arm and sword. Big power, small size! Is all that went through his brain, and his body- not his katana obeyed.

  Jin grinned widely, his arms spread out as if to accept a hug he laughed aloud, a deep thunderous laugh. “You’re amazing Kenji! A real one in ten million kind of man!” But even then, it was still not enough.

  Kenji ground his teeth more, so hard he thought they would shatter in his mouth. How long? Two minutes at most, how many swings? Hundreds, and they’d all been blocked. And that grin, it only made him want to unleash it all, to show Jin his true power. To turn the street they stood on into something which resembled the surface of the moon with massive cracks and craters. To slice down every single building to ribbons, to turn the clouds into wisps of air. More-more-more when had he ever felt so weak before? Hand wrapped around his Katana handle so tight he knew the same force could snap steel rods, raising his katana high he-

  “I surrender, you win.”

  Jin’s mouth gaped, and so did Kanashis, even Akatora seemed to grunt in surprise. Even Kenji felt the words alien on his tongue.

  “I can’t land a blow, not without breaking the rules… you win.” The words were like razor blades as they left Kenji's throat but he forced them out.

  “Are you satisfied?" Jin asked, hands in his pockets and shoulders slumped as if he had a reason to be upset.

  “No.” Kenji grumbled with crossed arms. “But I think I got something out of it…”

  “Humlity is always a sign of strength Kenji. Only idiots don’t admit it when they’re out classed.”

  Kanashi wanted to yell that that was something Jin had no right to say but he bit his tongue, the man had a way of making everyone angry somehow.

  “So I guess, in the end you do win.” Jin laughed, “But not the game! I mean you won the lesson!” He corrected hastily, not seeming to notice his correction made no sense at all.

  “What a brat.” Kanashi muttered not able to hold back any longer, though only Akatora heard as he lout a small chuckle a single huff of laughter.

  “I heard that!” Jin barked, spinning around to look at Kanashi- so maybe not, maybe they all heard it because for some reason everyone started to laugh.

  What a weird day it had been, and an even weirder ending, for all they knew they could all be dead tomorrow, yet here they laughed together like idiots.

  “But it’s fun.” Kanashi muttered to himself with a small smile.