Rooftop Duel

It was now dusk. High-rise buildings lined ARC City, their staggered forms casting long shadows under the setting sun. The shadows stretched like giant beasts, poised to devour the entire city.

On a rooftop, unnoticed by anyone below, blades sliced through the golden hues of the sunset. The clash of swords shattered the evening wind, their edges colliding in bursts of interwoven white light.

Sparks flared for brief moments before vanishing into the air. The katanas separated, only to change angles in their wielders' hands. Then, they struck again—fast and precise—each attack coming from an unexpected angle.

Clang—

Clang—

The rooftop felt like a scorching furnace. It was as if an experienced blacksmith stood there, hammer in hand, striking the blades over and over. The crisp sound of metal on metal filled the air, each strike carrying the weight of life and death.

There wasn't much space to stand on the rooftop. In this relentless exchange of blows, they weren't just competing in strength but also in technique.

Ren's stamina and reaction speed managed to keep up. But without formal training, his use of Himeko's sword skills was superficial at best. The techniques were there, but his application lacked depth.

In contrast, Raiden Mei wielded the long-inherited Hokushin Itto-ryu. Her almost suicidal attacks, precise and unrelenting, gradually pushed Ren onto the defensive.

Fighting with all your might wasn't enough to win a duel. Unless you could completely overwhelm your opponent, you always had to stay alert for the unexpected.

Mei's strikes were as fast as lightning. Amid the flurry of blade flashes, she completely restricted Ren's movements. Then, with precision and finality, her katana came slicing down.

"You lose."

"No."

Their eyes locked. The two stood inches apart. Beneath Ren's half-mask, a crazed smile emerged.

"You lose."

Ren had turned his katana sideways, attempting to block Mei's attack. But Mei's expression shifted the moment her blade struck true. Ren hadn't planned on blocking her at all. In fact, he had even let go of his katana, making Mei feel as if she were cutting through cotton.

The momentum of the strike continued downward, cutting through [Kalpas]'s shoulder. Blood splattered across the rooftop. Ren's smile only grew wider.

Bang—

A heavy punch slammed into Mei's abdomen. Before she could recover, Ren delivered another brutal headbutt.

Her head rang as she collapsed to the ground. The katana slipped from her grasp and flew several meters before clattering to the ground. Though Ren's injury seemed more serious, he was clearly the victor.

"Technique alone cannot overcome the difference in our combat abilities, Herrsch…" Ren muttered, then cursed. "Shoot, I almost repeated Kalpas's lines."

"Despicable!" Mei finally found her voice after a long pause. Her light purple eyes burned with fury. In that moment, all she wanted was to tear this guy—who had used such underhanded tricks—into pieces.

"Hmm? You don't accept your defeat?"

Mei didn't speak, but her expression spoke volumes. She couldn't accept the outcome. For the past half-month, she had trained tirelessly, day and night. To lose because of her own carelessness was something she wasn't ready to accept.

Click—

With a light tap of his foot, Ren sent the katana he had stolen from Mei falling into his hands. He flicked his wrist, driving the blade into the cement floor in front of her.

"If you're not convinced, I'll give you another chance," he said, his tone mocking. "If you win, you can take the katana back. If you lose, you'll agree to one of my conditions."

Raiden Mei was silent for a few moments, her gaze fixed on the katana. Finally, she gripped its hilt. She took a deep breath and yanked the katana out of the floor.

As the familiar weapon returned to her hand, Mei couldn't ignore the sense of humiliation that surged within her. It wasn't her who had taken it back—it had been handed to her by Ren. But now that the opportunity had presented itself again, she swore she wouldn't let it slip away.

Barehanded, Ren faced Mei once more. This time, his stance and fighting style were pure Kalpas.

"Come! Let me see your resolve!" Ren yelled arrogantly. He didn't even bother to defend himself, launching into his attack immediately.

His speed was incredible—faster than when he had used the katana. Mei gripped her weapon tightly and swung it quickly, hoping to force Ren into dodging. Only then could she use the katana's advantage to suppress him.

But Mei didn't know that injuries only made Kalpas more crazed. As her blade struck, Ren used his palm to slightly lessen the impact. As long as it wasn't a fatal wound, he could take it.

Raiden Mei had never encountered a fighting style like this. Exchanging injuries was incredibly disadvantageous for her, but she had no choice but to create some distance. What she didn't realize was that, once she started avoiding him, she was falling right into Kalpas's attack rhythm.

Bang—

Thwack—

Fists collided with her body, and blood splattered across her katana. After the final impact, only one person was left standing.

"Is this your resolve, Raiden Mei?"

Mei, who had been sent flying, gritted her teeth. She wanted to stand, but the pain coursing through her body made her tremble.

The physical injuries were nothing compared to the mental ones. If she had blamed Ren's previous victory on his underhanded tricks, she couldn't do the same now. Even with the advantage of her weapon, she had lost miserably. What had all her training been for?

"I can't…"

"Wait!! We can talk this over." Ren was suddenly startled and quickly interrupted Mei's murmured words.

With a bitter smile, Mei looked up, her eyes locking onto Ren.

"I admit you've won, but I would never allow you to humiliate me."

Humiliate you, my butt. I'm just afraid of you inputting the password.

"Raiden Mei, I didn't call you here to see your weak appearance. You haven't forgotten the message, have you?"

After Ren's reminder, Raiden Mei suddenly came back to her senses. She had come for Kiana. The message that Ren had sent her had said that Kiana would soon be facing a life or death crisis.

She didn't think about whether or not she was able to help anymore. Kiana's safety was her top priority.

"Do you know where Kiana is?" She asked quickly.

"Of course, we've been looking for you, for her sake."

Hearing Ren's words, Mei immediately noticed the key word. "We?"

"Yes, we. We're an organization formed by the survivors that Kiana rescued. Among us, there are those who were attacked by Honkai, those who were persecuted by Schicksal, and even those who were abandoned by society before being saved by her."

"Each of us has received her kindness, and we've gathered together, secretly protecting her, dedicating our lives to Ms. Kiana." Ren seriously explained his organization, even taking off his mask.

Mei looked at the unfamiliar young man, and didn't speak. She didn't believe his words immediately, but at least from Ren's actions, they didn't have any malice toward Kiana.

"Okay, what do you need from me? But, before that, I need to know where Kiana is."