(Ryoto's pov)
Once again, Shadow Gid and Gid threw a punch at the same time, and just like many other times, it created a massive shockwave. As the fists met, the veins on my arms glowed more intensely and moved disgustingly. I also winced inwardly.
The twin duo exchanged blows for a while, and each exchange ended in a draw. I could see that Gid enjoyed himself. Otherwise, that battle-hungry grin that was so everpresent on his face gave mixed signals.
My Bankai, once activated, allows me to match anyone, no matter how strong, but it still has its limits. The limit here is me. I don't control the Shadow puppet, but I'm the one who provides it energy. I also feel all the damage it receives, but it is translated as if I was the one fighting. This means that Gid didn't feel much when they hit each other fists because of his durability, but I would, so I did. I wouldn't receive said damage but it could still hurt as hell.
After their last bout, Gid didn't make any moves and started laughing maniacally. I think he finally lost it.
"Hahahahahaha!!! Great! It's just great! Ryoto Yuuki, you are the only one who could push me so much by yourself! I, Gid Lucione Deviluke, recognize you as strong. Be proud of yourself. But as much fun as it was, it's time to end it."
As he was praying to me, his maniacal smile vanished, swapped with an indifferent expression. This alone screamed danger, and I pumped as much energy as possible into my Shadow puppet. It was the correct move, as Gid almost lazily put out both of his hands, and he started gathering a crazy amount of energy in front of him. His Shadow copied him perfectly, but I was feeling the drain, and I was on my last leg.
Then it happened.
Two powerful beams of energy were fired off, and they met halfway. They collided, creating an enormous explosion and destroying my Bankai in the process.
(3rd's pov)
Meanwhile, on the ship, there was unrest as the monitor showed a black screen.
"Did the camera break? If so, I can try fixing it. I'll even make it better!" Lala asked innocently and offered help.
"No, it shouldn't be broken. If the drone or, by any chance, only the camera is destroyed, I will be notified immediately. That's something different. I just don't know what."
"It's Ryoto's Bankai. Until it ends, nothing goes in, and nothing goes out. The drone probably got stuck in the shadows. When the Bankai ends, it'll return like nothing has ever happened."
"What is happening inside?" Alme asked Rin with big, curious eyes.
"I'm not exactly sure, but whatever happens, Lala's father will have his most difficult battle yet."
"And how long will they be in there?"
This time it was Mikado who asked her student.
"Either Ryoto or his opponent run out of their energy. These are the only two outcomes. Knowing Ryoto, he can keep this up for about 15 minutes. Usually, it would be longer, but Lala's father is so strong that any longer would be delusional. So, just like I said before, all we can do is wait."
Suddenly, Mikado's wristwatch started beeping. She checked it quickly, and there were traces of stress since it was an alarm that someone had teleported to her ship without authorization, which usually meant an attack. Seeing her school nurse in distress, Rin put her guard up for whatever was coming, but no one except for Lala, who smiled widely, saw the new arrival.
"Hey, mama!"
It was Sephie Michaela Deviluke, Queen of the planet Deviluke, Lala's mother, and of course, Gid's wife.
At her daughter's greeting, Sephie smiled behind her veil, which she always wore when in the presence of people who weren't her family or women.
"Hello, Lala. I would love to chat longer, but point me to your father before something happens."
As the queen said that, the image returned to the monitor.
(Ryoto's pov)
My Bankai was deactivated, and the space it created collapsed with it. The attack of both Gid and his doppelganger canceled each other as they had the exact same power output, but you could say I lost this exchange as it left me completely drained. As we stood, now back in the real world, I was barely standing and about to fall down, but the moment my body started going down, I transformed into my Byakko form so I wouldn't fall on my knees.
I dropped on all four of my limbs with a loud nose because of my weight in this form, although I doubted I would be able to do much more. I could feel my legs shaking, but I powered through and stood proudly.
"After all of this, you are still refusing to give up. You are really making it hard to hold back, you know? Then don't blame me for whatever is going to happen."
Gid started gathering energy again, and lightning started cracking around him. I had a bad feeling about it, but I wasn't going to back out, so I started manipulating wind and lightning. Everything around me was being moved roughly by the wind, and lightning started cracking around me in a similar way to Gid's. At the same time, I was growling and showing my teeth.
Our power met halfway between us and clearly distinguished our spaces. Normally, I would lose to Gid in this contest of power, but wind and lightning are mine to command. No matter how tired or near death I am, no one can take that away from me.
We stood like that in front of each other, wrestling for control. My form dwarfed Gid's even more than usual, but as usual, his power dwarfed mine. I am definitely more versatile than he is, but his raw power makes my versatility no problem for him.
The environment around us was being destroyed even more than it already was, but it didn't matter to us, as the only thing in our eyes was our opponent.
I believe it's important to mention that during this whole fight, both Gid and I didn't try to kill each other. If we did, both of us would be much more injured. I am a professional assassin. I was one of the best when I was active in Soul Society, and even against someone like Gid, I would be able to make him bleed, and if he bled, he could be killed. That wasn't the point of this fight. I'm not even sure what this fight was about. I just know that I refuse to kneel in front of Gid. It's probably the devil fruit's fault if I had to guess. Typically, it wouldn't matter, but in front of the Emperor, the Byakko inside of me refused to submit.
"Gid/Ryoto!!!"
The power struggle stopped as the both of us turned to the source of the voice.
"Ghh-! Sephie, what are you doing here?"
"Stopping you, obviously." Sephie said, and she certainly wasn't happy, and I didn't need Haki to know that. Her whole posture screamed 'you are in trouble'. She started with her hands on her hips until she changed it to put her arms under her boobs. Neither of these poses meant good news for Gid.
"I wasn't really trying to kill him. He wouldn't be standing here with us if I tried to, and you know it."
Gid tried to explain himself, but Sephie wasn't having that.
" 'Don't blame me for whatever is going to happen,' was it? And don't even try saying that you really didn't mean it because you definitely did! Do I need to remind you what happened last time you said that? You weren't even fighting. It was just a friendly competition, and you created a new canyon where a mountain once stood."
"I couldn't just let them think that I was just talk! My name was on the line!"
I feel like there is an interesting story there, but I wasn't focused on that. I was just enjoying how the most powerful man in the galaxy is handled by his wife. Additionally, because our fight was once again interrupted, I can say that I haven't lost to him even once, even though we have fought two times already.
I was probably looking incredibly smug right now because I certainly was feeling like that.
In the meantime, I reverted to my human form and managed to stand up.
"What is that look you have, Ryoto?"
Rin mimicked Sephie's pose, but years of experience allowed me to act quickly to avoid danger.
"Rin, honey, the love of my life! Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"
Rin's expression didn't change even a bit as I said my piece and made exaggerated movements. She even tapped her foot, which is not a good sign.
"So, care to explain why you fought Lala's father."
It's a trick question, but I don't know in which way. She either knows why I did that and just want to see if I tell the truth or doesn't know and wants to get me to say it.
What to do... What to do...
"I'm waiting."
It looks like thinking isn't a free action, so I did the most reasonable thing.
I blamed it on the other party.
"It's all Gid's fault."
"What!?"
It looks like I was heard by my father-in-law.
"Sorry, Gid, but it was either you or me, and I chose the better options. You are strong enough to take the blame for both of us or are you going to tell me that the strongest man in the Milky Way Galaxy can take responsibility for his actions?"
"Don't play on my feeling of superiority! You are right, but don't do that!"
"Ryoto..."
Rin warned me, and so I knew that my plan of getting Gid as a scapegoat had failed.
Before getting back to Earth, I was forced to listen to Rin's lecture about how I did something stupid without a good reason. I was sitting next to Gid, who was getting a similar lecture from his wife. Both of us felt a bond forming as we understood that we were not so different, he and I.
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END
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