A day after the intense battle between Deo and Shouya, the results were in—Shouya had won. The battle hall was packed with students waiting for their turn to fight. On the giant screen, names began flashing, matching fighters for the next round. It finally stopped on two names: Baraka vs Kazuki.
Kazuki sighed the moment he saw it.
"Why... Why did it have to be him? Of all people. Why not alex?" he muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, Baraka's face lit up with excitement.
"Hehe wow, I'm next huh? That's was fast" he said, In a rather stunned bug composed manner. Sukuna told him "You better go down there now. Everyone's waiting for you."
Levi gave him a thumbs-up. "Hey Baraka, do your best, Baraka!"
"I will." He replied with a smile.
As both fighters stepped into the arena, Tomoa stood between them.
"Are you both ready to fight?"
Both nodded.
Tomoa added, "Just don't kill each other," before stepping back and raising his hand.
"Begin!"
Immediately, Baraka summoned his massive rock hammer and swung at Kazuki. Kazuki leapt out of the way just in time, the hammer slamming into the ground and shaking the arena.
Kazuki quickly pulled out a pair of daggers from his pocket. Baraka charged again, hammer raised. Kazuki dodged each rapid and skillfull strike from baraka and was using his daggers to block and parry as fast as he could. Then, mid-dodge, he jumped high and began hurling spiritual shuriken down at Baraka.
Baraka gritted his teeth, struggling to keep up with Kazuki's overwhelming speed and rapid barrage "The hell? These attacks are fast.", baraka exclaimed. He used his stone-enhanced arms to deflect the attacks, that were causing explosions of energy all over the battle stage.
In the crowd, Kinto leaned toward Alex.
"Who do you think's gonna win this one?"
Alex shrugged, eyes focused. "Honestly... I'm not sure. Baraka's been friends with me since childhood, but Kazuki is my teammate that i find myself getting along with well now. Its hard to pick"
On opposite sides of the crowd, Serena shouted, "Let's go, Kazuki!" while Sukuna grinned and yelled, "Crush him, Baraka!"
Baraka hardened his fists using his stone abilities and began launching heavy punches at Kazuki, both kazuki and Baraka were blitzing round the place at incredible speeds. Kazuki with incredible skills was dodging and weaving baraka's fast paced blows as fast as possible. "Damn. Each blow from this guy could send buildings flying in seconds. It's either his attacks are well controlled, or this arena is tuff."
While both Kazuki were blitzing around the entire battle stage with kazuki dodging Baraka's deadly blows as fast as possible. Baraka wasted no time summoning his rock hammer. He summoned it again and charged, swinging with force that rattled the hall. Kazuki barely managed to dodge, causing the hammer to hit the ground and shake the entire arena.
"You've been dodging all my attacks like nothing, you're cool Kazuki." Baraka commented.
Kazuki, replied, "And you've got crazy strength. I'm surprised I've been able to dodge this whole time."
Kazuki suddenly began moving at blinding speed, circling around Baraka so fast that only gusts of wind marked his trail. "With my training with diablo and the fight I had in the battle of domains, I've gotten slightly faster than before. I should be almost twice my previous speed.", kazuki muttered to himself.
Kinto, watching intently, thought to himself "He's planning something."
Alex grined. "Hm, kazuki. What are you up too?"
Baraka growled. "Sorry, but speed ain't enough to beat me." He swung his hammer again, this caused a huge wave of wind to blast all over the arena, kazuki then proceeded to blitz towrds baraka with his two daggers held behind. Frustrated, Baraka hardened and enlarged his hands, preparing for a decisive smash.
As the stone fists lunged toward him, Kazuki flipped out of the way, and threw a flurry of daggers infused with energy. Baraka knocked them away—until Kazuki teleported, switching places with the dagger behind Baraka "Huh? How did you...." Baraka was in shock.
In a flash, Kazuki landed a crushing punch on Baraka's chest and then slammed him with a spiritual explosion. This caused a huge explosion in the room. As the explosion cleared, kazuki is pointing his dagger at Baraka's neck "Wow. I was right. This building is made from a strong material. Normally my spiritual explosion would wipe out a number of buildings even when controlled." He muttered to himself. He looked at Baraka "Hey, I win this fight. Okay?"
Tomoa raised his hand. "Kazuki wins!"
Kazuki stood up straight "I really wish I didn't have to fight at all. So much energy for just a 10 minute fight."
Back in the crowd, Kinto looked at Alex. "Was he holding back? I'm referring to kazuki."
Alex, still wide-eyed, replied, "I have no freaking clue." he continued to monologue to himself "His speed has increased. He's as sharp as usual, but even I know he's gotten stronger." Alex just grinned "Well play Kazuki."
Later that day, Alex and Kinto made their way to the infirmary to check on Deo. Inside the dim hospital room, they found him unconscious on the bed, body wrapped in bandages.
Kinto looked down, visibly upset. "I feel bad for him. The beating he got was brutal."
Alex clenched his fists. "I still can't believe he lost. With his speed, skill and power, he still got wasted.."
A memory flashed in Alex's mind—Shouya piercing Deo with relentless, needle-like spikes at rapid-fire speed. Blood blasting out of his body.
Snapping out of it, Alex muttered, "There's something... off about Shouya.". Kinto asked alex "What do you mean?" Alex replied slightly disturbed "I don't know, but there's something off about him. Like he's been disturbed."
Elsewhere, Shouya sat on his bed in a private room, his right arm wrapped in thick bandages. Kazu and Rin walked in.
"You okay buddy?" Kazu asked.
"My back hurts. Like i got hit by 12 trucks at once." Shouya groaned.
Rin explained "Don't move too much, remember you got hit hard by that kid. Not just that, but you lost it and nearly killed him. Your body still hurts from your use of energy and from the hits you suffered from the fight" Rin advised. "You need to rest."
"Did you take your medicine?" Kazu asked.
Shouya blinked. "...I forgot."
Rin sighed with her palm on her face. "Hopeless." She reached into her pocket. "Here, take this."
As Shouya reached for the pills, he suddenly clutched his head and groaned in pain. Rin panicked. "Shouya!?"
Kazu rushed to support him and laid him flat.
"Calm down, just breathe."
But then—his arm began to mutate, jagged spikes pushing through the skin. Kazu quickly forced the medication into Shouya's mouth, as huge tentacles then blast out from his legs. A few seconds later after kazu had given shouya the medicine, the spikes and tentacles slowly receded.
Meanwhile, on a rooftop overlooking the city, Kenji stood silently. Kazu appeared behind him.
"We need to talk, kenji!" Kazu said firmly.
Kenji barely turned. "What's the issue now?"
"It's Shouya. His condition is getting worse."
Kenji remained stoic. "He'll be fine. Just keep giving him his pills and his condition would be fine."
Kazu's eyes narrowed. "How can you say that? What are you planning with him?"
Kenji didn't answer.
Kazu stepped forward, voice rising. "Answer me, Kenji!"
Kenji finally turned to face him. "Shouya is just a weapon of war for the steel city, don't bother too much about him."
Kazu froze, eyes wide. "What…?"
Enraged, he drew his sword and lunged at kenji. Kenji stretched out his finger and stopped the blade with a single touch. "Don't be stupid kid. You're a hundred years from being able to attack me like that. Go too your room and rest. "
Kazu stared at him, trembling with rage.
"You're heartless... You're a damn scum." He gritted his teeth.
"If anything happens to Shouya... I swear, I will kill you."
Kenji had a stoic look on his face before turning to the moon light "The moon light is pretty, now I understand why sorata likes to stand on a spot and look at the sky like this."
END OF EPISODE