Chapter 30: The Battle

Shizuo gritted his teeth as Nobume's blade crashed against his forearm, sparks flying from the contact. Each strike came faster and more precise, her face as unreadable as ever. Despite her calm facade, Shizuo could sense the frustration building in her attacks. She was pushing herself to the limit, but she was learning that brute force alone wasn't enough to take him down.

Nobume lunged again, this time aiming low for his legs. Shizuo sidestepped, his heavy footfalls cracking the pavement as he dodged with an agility that belied his size. He ripped a street sign from the ground, swinging it like a club. Metal clanged against her katana with a deafening sound, reverberating through the empty street.

"You're good," Shizuo muttered, his breath coming hard but steady. "But I'm not someone you can take down so easily."

Nobume's expression remained cold, but her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Without a word, she darted forward, faster than before. Shizuo swung the sign at her, but she ducked beneath it, sliding past him with the grace of a panther. Her katana lashed out at his side, forcing him to twist away. The blade grazed his shirt but didn't break skin.

He swung again, this time faster, with more force. The street sign connected with her blade, knocking her back a step. Shizuo pressed his advantage, charging forward and bringing the sign down like a hammer. Nobume blocked it just in time, but the impact sent a shockwave up her arms, her knees buckling slightly under the strain.

For the first time, Shizuo saw a flicker of surprise in her eyes. Good, he thought. She's starting to feel it.

The alley echoed with the sounds of their clash—metal against metal, the heavy thud of Shizuo's movements, the sharp swish of Nobume's swift strikes. She attacked with renewed intensity, her katana flashing in the dim light, but Shizuo blocked each blow, his brute strength making it impossible for her to land a decisive hit.

With a grunt, Shizuo brought the street sign down again, this time aiming for her torso. Nobume leapt back, her footwork flawless as she avoided the strike, but Shizuo was relentless. He swung again, faster this time, forcing her to go on the defensive. Each blow pushed her farther back down the street, until her back was nearly against the alley wall.

"What's the matter?" Shizuo growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Not so easy when you can't rely on speed alone, huh?"

Nobume's eyes flashed with irritation. In one fluid motion, she spun her katana in a tight arc, aiming for his midsection. Shizuo caught the blade with his forearm, the impact sending a jolt of pain up his arm, but he held firm. With a snarl, he yanked the sword from her grasp and tossed it aside.

For the first time, she was weaponless.

But Nobume didn't hesitate. Without missing a beat, she lunged forward, her hand moving to her waist. From her belt, she drew a smaller, concealed blade, slashing at him with expert precision.

Shizuo blocked her with his arm again, but this time, the blade sliced through his sleeve, leaving a shallow cut on his skin. He barely flinched, but the sting of the wound made him grit his teeth.

"You're persistent," Shizuo muttered, shaking off the pain. "I'll give you that."

Nobume's breathing had quickened now, her chest rising and falling with the effort. Despite her calm expression, Shizuo could see the strain in her movements. She was fast, but her attacks were becoming more erratic, her precision faltering as fatigue set in.

Shizuo pressed forward, his fists clenched. He swung at her again, forcing her to dodge and retreat, her smaller blade barely keeping him at bay. The fight had become a battle of endurance, and Shizuo knew he had the upper hand.

He lunged at her, throwing a powerful punch. She ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow, but as she tried to counter, Shizuo caught her wrist. His grip was like a vice, and for a moment, they were locked in place—her speed against his strength.

"I've had enough of this," Shizuo growled, yanking her toward him with bone-jarring force. Nobume stumbled forward, her cold facade cracking as she struggled to regain her balance. Before she could react, Shizuo delivered a brutal punch to her midsection, sending her flying back into the alley wall.

She hit the ground hard, her breath knocked from her lungs, but she didn't cry out. Instead, she rolled to her feet, her body moving on instinct. Even now, after taking a hit that would've knocked most people unconscious, Nobume refused to give up.

Shizuo's eyes narrowed, watching as she staggered to her feet, her legs shaking beneath her. "You should've walked away when you had the chance," he said coldly, stepping toward her.

But Nobume wasn't done. With trembling hands, she reached into her coat, pulling out a small device—a trigger.

Shizuo's gaze flicked to the object, his brow furrowing. "What the hell is that?"

Nobume didn't respond. With a press of the button, a series of explosions echoed from the distance. Shizuo's heart dropped as he recognized the direction.

"Tom..."

Without a second thought, Shizuo turned his back on Nobume and sprinted toward the sound of the explosions. His heart pounded in his chest as he raced through the empty streets, his mind filled with dread. He didn't know what Nobume had done, but he knew one thing for sure—Tom was in danger.

Behind him, Nobume staggered to her feet, watching him go. She didn't follow. Her mission had been completed. Shizuo Heiwajima had been distracted.

Back at Tom's Office

Reiji grunted as he blocked another slash with his flaming gloves. His breath was ragged, his flames flickering but still strong. Three assassins were already down, but more kept flooding into the room, their faces hidden beneath dark hoods. Tom stood behind the desk, gripping its edge tightly, his knuckles white as he watched the chaos unfold before him.

Reiji's heart raced as he fought to keep the assassins at bay. He dodged another strike, retaliating with a flame-enhanced punch that sent one of the attackers crashing into the wall. But there were too many. Even with the power of the Dying Will Flame, the sheer number of attackers was overwhelming.

Just as Reiji knocked another assailant back, a familiar voice rang out from behind.

"Seriously? I leave you for five minutes and you're already surrounded?"

Reiji turned to see Chuuya standing in the doorway, arms crossed, his usual smirk plastered across his face.

"I came here to check in on your little chat with Shizuo," Chuuya continued, stepping into the room, "only to find you in the middle of a damn warzone."

Reiji let out a breath of relief. "Better late than never."

Chuuya cracked his knuckles as the Storm Ring on his finger flared to life. The red flames surrounded him in an instant, their crackling energy filling the room. "Guess I'll have to clean up your mess, huh?"

Without waiting for a response, Chuuya launched himself into the fray. The gravity around him shifted as he used his abilities to manipulate the battlefield. In an instant, two of the assassins were pinned to the ground by an invisible force, unable to move under the weight of Chuuya's gravity.

The other assassins hesitated, but Chuuya didn't give them time to recover. With a flick of his wrist, he flung one of them into the air, increasing the gravity mid-flight to send them crashing into the floor with a sickening thud.

Reiji watched in awe as Chuuya continued his onslaught, using his gravity powers with deadly precision. He sent another assassin flying into the wall, the impact shaking the room.

Every now and then, the Storm Ring flared, boosting Chuuya's abilities even further. His attacks became faster, more powerful, the storm flames swirling around him like a tempest. With a final surge of power, he slammed two assassins into each other, their bodies collapsing to the ground in a heap.

"You should've called me sooner," Chuuya remarked, wiping the sweat from his brow. "These guys are nothing."

Reiji deflected another blow, nodding. "Thanks for the assist."

The last assassin fell to the ground with a heavy thud, the room falling silent once more. Reiji turned to Tom, who stood frozen, eyes wide with shock. "We need to get you out of here—now."

But before they could move, the sound of something massive approaching filled the air. Through the shattered windows, Reiji saw shadows moving—larger than the assassins, more dangerous.

A new threat was coming, and they were running out of time.