"Ho, so you intend to trade blows with me head-on... how interesting!"
The armored warrior’s voice boomed with excitement as he watched Yugo level his sword at him. While Fee and the others watched with bated breath, the two combatants gathered their resolve and charged, their weapons ready to strike.
"Hraagh!"
"Hah!"
The hulking warrior brought his odachi down in a crushing overhead strike. Yugo met the blow, swinging his sword upward in a parry to intercept it. The shock of the impact made the air itself vibrate, the collision telling both men everything they needed to know about the other's strength.
"Guh...! It’s so heavy...!"
"To think you could block my strike! You have a fine arm on you!"
The armored warrior’s strike was every bit as devastating as his massive frame suggested. Unlike Ryuga’s technical bladework, this was a heavy, pulverizing blow that felt like it might crush Yugo where he stood. He barely managed to hold his ground as the warrior shouted his praise.
"Hah... Haa!"
"Hm?! Well done!"
Flooding his arms with magic power, Yugo deflected the odachi and stepped inside the warrior's reach, unleashing a horizontal slash. The armored warrior evaded the strike, putting distance between them before raising his weapon into a high stance.
"You're more capable than I gave you credit for. But let's see how you handle this!"
"Is that... water?"
Yugo watched with bated breath as water coalesced around the massive blade. Then, the armored warrior swung. A colossal blade of water surged forward, and Fee’s voice cracked the air as the projectile tore toward his brother.
"Brother, look out!"
"Ugh, oooooooh!?"
Reacting to his younger brother's cry, Yugo braced himself and caught the first watery blade with his own sword. However, his weapon—forged from micro-particle metal—hit its limit. With a sickening crack, the sword snapped and shattered into pieces. Yugo’s eyes went wide with shock as the warrior spoke.
"That was only the first! Now that you're unarmed, how do you plan to stop the next one?"
"Oh, crap!"
Panic surged behind Yugo’s mask. The warrior was already poised to fire again. He knew he needed to ditch the head-on approach and use his mobility to dodge, but just as he prepared to move, something caught his eye. He froze.
Did he stop? Has he given up? the warrior wondered.
Though he found the sudden stillness suspicious, the warrior didn't slow his assault. If this boy was the type to lose heart so easily, he would simply cut him down. Tightening his grip on the hilt, he unleashed the odachi.
"Chesutoooooooo!!"
A blade of water even more massive than the last, powerful enough to gouge the earth, hurtled toward Yugo. The onlookers held their breath, certain that Yugo was about to be cleaved in two. Instead, Yugo let out a long breath, a purple aura of magic power erupting from his body.
"Super Transformation...!"
"What?!"
The warrior stared in disbelief as Yugo stood his ground, the blade of water crashing against his new purple armor. Yugo didn't even flinch. Slowly, he began to close the distance, his arms held slightly out to his sides. The armored warrior felt a wave of pressure emanating from the boy, but he steeled himself and pressed the attack.
"You’d challenge my Strong Sword head-on? You’re either a complete idiot or you’re looking down on me!"
The warrior’s strikes were undeniably powerful—far beyond anything the average Luminous Academy student could hope to withstand. Even defensive magic would have been pulverized instantly. Yet Yugo continued to advance, taking the hits directly. The warrior was baffled by the reckless display... until he saw what was behind the boy.
Wait... children?! So that’s what he’s doing!
Several elementary students had been too slow to flee. Yugo must have realized it the moment he tried to dodge the first time. If he had moved, the water blade would have struck them instead.
Realization washed over the warrior. The boy wasn't being reckless; he was being a shield. Before he could process the thought, Yugo was right in front of him. In a reflex born of surprise, he swung his blade down with everything he had.
"Hrrrgh!"
He couldn't let the boy get any closer. An odachi had long reach, but if Yugo got inside his guard, it was over. But as the blade descended, Yugo brought his hands together, catching the edge between his palms.
"A blade catch?! You... you saw through my strike?!"
"I wouldn't say I saw through it perfectly. It's just that I've dealt with a swordsman who's much faster and sharper than you. I've had plenty of practice."
The warrior’s blade had more raw power than Ryuga’s, but it lacked the blinding speed and surgical precision Yugo had grown accustomed to. Having sparred with the Yamato prodigy so often, he had learned how to read a swordsman’s movements.
The warrior braced for the inevitable counterattack, but Yugo simply lowered the odachi he held between his hands. He looked the warrior in the eyes and made a quiet request.
"Let's stop this. I don't know why you're here, but we don't need to do this anymore."
"Do you mean to show me mercy?"
"That last strike didn't have any water behind it. You saw the kids behind me, didn't you?"
"........."
Yugo deactivated his armor, returning to his normal form. After glancing back at the children he had protected, he turned back to the warrior with a sincere look.
"You've caused a lot of trouble, but I can tell you're not a bad guy. Just stop. I really don't want to fight you."
"Hah... Hahaha... Hah-hah-hah-hah! A-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
A boisterous laugh erupted from the armored man. He slid his odachi back into its scabbard and reached up to remove his menpo mask, revealing his face.
"Ha-ha-ha! Even though I was holding back a bit, I've been soundly beaten!"
The man's face was rugged and weather-beaten, possessing a natural intensity. Yugo had always thought his own face was intimidating, but this man took it to another level.
"To have such skill and the character to show mercy... My daughter has certainly picked a fine man for herself!"
"Wait... daughter?"
Yugo’s brow furrowed. The reckless, impulsive personality, the water-based techniques... the pieces were starting to fall into place. Just as the warrior's identity dawned on him, a familiar voice called out.
"Yugo-dono! Are you safe!?"
"Ah, Sakura!"
Sakura came charging toward them, her face pale with worry. She skidded to a halt and bowed so deeply her forehead nearly hit the ground.
"I am terribly sorry! A member of my family has behaved with utter rudeness!"
"A member of your family? Does that mean he's...?"
"Yes. To my shame, he is my father..."
Yugo wasn't exactly surprised—it made too much sense—but he couldn't help a double-take as he looked at Sakura's father. The man grinned, his intimidating face lighting up with a boisterous laugh.
"Exactly! Since we're going to be family soon enough, let's let all this be water under the bridge and get along!"