1 Confrontation

"Weakness."

Scintillating pillar like lightning light beams condensed and scissored across air so bright it created harsh sun spots in one's vision. The thunderous high pitched screeching was jarring to the ears as they tore through space as though slashing it.

Yet what was amazing was not this attack, but the... defense!

An open palm gently reached about creating soft rippling concentric ring waves that continuously inundated the air outward, in first small, then ever larger spans. These multiplying waves, like defensive battering rams, began knocking the lightning pillars about like they were caught in expanding circular spinning shields. The knocked lightning pillars flew in all directions destroying the earth as a cloud of dust rose from the ground.

"Your emotions have betrayed you. So fearful of imagined weakness that you would willingly bend for power; thus creating weakness."

As if in response, flames roared. A wave of crackling manic flames seemed to cover the skies for miles on end. The heat so intense that mini explosions from air combustion created a hell like atmosphere. As if controlled, these flames spun, then centered on the obscured tranquil figure standing proudly just beyond.

"You've," the figure continued unhurriedly, "in servile pursuit of this power———"

"NARU___!!!!!!" A man screamed amidst the fire his words hard to completely decipher over the rumbling blaze, but his fury spoke its own language as it seemed to stir the flames anew. Heat waves distorted and twisted this figures features, but hair as black as night and eyes as red as blood gave what little of him that could be seen an intimidating presence.

A great wave of heat passed over cracking the earth as the sky of flames bore down below on his enemy and hidden behind those flames the man followed quickly while smoothly and noiselessly unsheathing a blade with a black pommel.

Amidst the pressure from the descending fiery waves the dust cloud cleared, revealing the figure below. Golden wild shoulder length hair seemed to glow under the fire as it hid the figures face. A large snow white jacket with golden flames rising beneath was draped across this figures muscled shoulders with the empty arms lazily tossing to and fro in the wind. Beneath a tight fitting long sleeved white shirt that barely hid his corded wiry muscles was tucked into black military pants that hugged his calves. Above the shirt was a black flat jacket adorned with golden swirls on both sides of the shoulders which matched with the gold zipper down the middle completed the ensemble.

Though this figure's stance was relaxed, he stood with authority. In that relaxed bearing there was a peerless supremacy that was so palpable it needed no flourish or words.

An arm still outstretched, the figure indifferently raised his head to look above. A handsome face unmarred by any blemishes was viewed. It had an aristocratic king like appearance to it that along with his bearing spoke of long held power. Calm cerulean blue eyes as deep as the ocean peeked out of his golden mane seeming to pierce without; forming a stark contrast with the unfathomable blood red eyes soaring down from above. Yet, in truth, the figures cerulean blue eyes held no great secret power like his eerie counter part, but the tranquil feeling about them gave rise to make one doubt.

The air thrummed as the heavens seemed to spew out hell. Devastating arcs of flames from all directions swooped in seemingly set on turning their target into ash. The melting heat cascading down at this point was so hot that even breathing normally would feel like drinking lava, let alone being touched by it.

Just before the devastating flames impact, the figure below closed his palm. Unlike the outward circular rippling waves from before, concentric circles rippled into existence, then began to fold in at a dizzying pace while weaving inward, yet because of the sheer drastically increasing volume, also seeming to weave out while enlarging until condensing a gigantic golden spinning... swirl!

As though attracted by a magnet the chaotic flame storm pouring down like a titanic waterfall from everywhere began rushing towards the swirl uniformly tracing a circular path into it. Liquid pouring in a funnel would be an apt description as the fiery deluge turned as gentle as a stream being sucked into a vortex. The suction force in that swirl was so great that before too long the blazing inferno was snuffed clean like blowing out a candle.

"--only grown weaker." the golden haired figure finished seamlessly. His intonation fitting flawlessly with barely a transition even through the events that just occurred.

A blade coruscating with lightening seemed to materialize through the air. Condensed heavily, the sparks pulsated and shimmered rhythmically with a deadly snake like beauty. With astonishing speed the red eyed man, who's image still could not clearly be seen, blurred forward sword in a tight grip as he slashed vertically intent on halving his enemy.

Oddly, even as the sword tore down the golden haired figure seemed to do nothing as the sword, which would have split him from head to groan, seemed to faze through him. It was a trick of the eye. The golden haired man, with minute precision, had shifted left then back right into his original position so rapidly that the sword had passed through an afterimage less than a half, of a half, a beat before him.

Undeterred the red eyed Swordsman, like a bolt of lightning, moved rapidly forward with his left leg as his right lashed upward towards the enemies throat at a side angle! Then feeling a strong forearm block, in rapid succession he used the momentum from that strike to spin his right leg back hard to the ground as a kunai, out of nowhere, sprung into his left hand already piercing towards the targets heart while using that right leg to spring forward!

A hand suffused with power that refused all opposition shifted the kunai to the side while grabbing the man's hand and pulling him powerlessly forward like a rag-doll. Muscles seemed to bulge like steel wires under the golden haired man's white sleeved arm as corded veins trailed up it towards a closed fist rocketing forward. The man's jacket whipped back in the wind as he pushed forward on the balls of his feet driving his fist into the red eyed man's chest without mercy!

Bones seemed to shift and break as the fist landed devastatingly. The power behind it was astonishing as flesh seemed to give way to force. Aftershocks rang creating internal injuries that could not be sustained as blood and guts---

*POOF*

The clone burst in a great shower of smoke. Unsurprised, the golden haired figure straightened from his stance and looked indifferently in the distance towards an outcropping of trees.

There a man stood.

More than handsome, the man could only be called beautiful. A face that would cause maidens to riot with its smooth white skin, aquiline nose and perfect bone structure was seen. Silky hair as black as night reached towards the mans lower back seeming to blend with the majestic jet black long cloak that he wore.

This cloak was half woolen with high quality black soft faux-fur appearing only on the collar and wrist. It looked elegant and expensive yet the bottom carelessly trailed upon the ground. He wore a form-fitting red button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up tightly to his elbows and below that form-fitting black pants. Over the outfit, pieces of pitch black leather armour seemed to cover his body in certain areas. One piece of leather armour went over his broad shoulders trailing down and ending just above his stomach. Another piece went below two large loose black leather belts looped around his waist securing a black sheath to his back. It tightly encircled his hips stopping just above his upper thigh. The last piece was a pair of thin black leather arm-guards which rested on his forearm starting from the wrist of both his black leather gloved hands and ending below his elbow.

All of this was important, but what really drew your gaze was his eyes. The iris was blood red with three black tomoe evenly spaced within all encircling a black pupil. It gave a chilling sensation of sucking you in.

The air seemed to freeze as both figures looked at each other. A long silence descending as past memories seemed to shroud the area in an invisible fog. Neither moved and neither spoke for a long moment. Then...

"Kai!" a calm voice muttered.

And a fake illusory world seemed to shatter.