After Urashin had explained the powers to Yamikuro, a woman named Algeda challenged him to a duel, with Yamikuro being a spectator.
The sun had risen to the tip of the trees' height, casting a dark shadow within the forest, where they were.
Algeda stood confidently before Urashin; she was almost unreadable beneath her smile and confidence.
There was no point in Yamikuro intervening; Urashin was clearly more skilled and could handle someone like her.
"You're still wearing the same outfit from those days; something tells me you haven't moved on either." Algeda teased Urashin.
Urashin didn't respond immediately, thinking about Yamikuro and how his perception of him could change, being from a bounty-hunting guild.
Urashin had heard about Yamikuro and his heroic actions, meaning they'd be the opposites of one another.
"What's there to move on from? Back when I first joined, I was Urashin, and I still am."
"Oh? Such big words, I could almost drop to my knees." Algeda responded, running her tongue across her lips.
Yamikuro couldn't tell if she was flirting or just being creepy. Both options seemed to apply, but her intention to fight Urashin led Yamikuro to suspect that something was amiss about her.
Algeda's long and thin fingers with painted nails hovered over something behind her silky cloak. Her eyes, however, were glued to Urashin's tired eyes.
"Yamikuro," Urashin said, almost as if he had completely ignored Algeda's words.
Yamikuro's eyes widened a little, looking at Urashin's back.
"Seikodo isn't only used for cutting; you'll experience its uses firsthand."
The grass beneath Urashin split apart, the blades violently swaying from right to left. It took a few seconds before a circle of grass was pushed away from around Urashin.
Urashin's hand, which had been in his left pocket, revealed his dark sunglasses. He calmly placed them on his face, protecting his eyes from possible hazards, while looking cool.
Yamikuro's hair was thrown around, but Urashin's thick and curly hair remained in place.
Algeda didn't move, like she was also spectating, trying to see what Urashin would do.
Urashin's cloak started to flow above, as the intensity of the windy force picked up. Even the ends of his black bandana were thrown around.
As soon as Algeda's finger twitched, as if she was going for an attack, Urashin's windy force exploded, sending the force towards her.
Algeda at first tried to hold her ground, throwing her hands before her, but that was of no help. Her body was thrown backwards, bouncing off the ground a few times, until eventually landing face-first into the ground.
"Seikodo can also be used to create a force; if you or she were any weaker, the force of my Seikodo could crush you."
Yamikuro stood frozen for a bit, as the wind stopped and the grass went back in its place. He stared at Algeda, then looked at Urashin again.
Urashin seemed to be way too harsh with her, but from the moment they met, Urashin's mood had shifted, and he was more aggressive. Yamikuro didn't know anything about their past, but why would Urashin make a flashy attack such as that one?
"So I can also do something like that?" Yamikuro eventually asked, still shocked by the variety of Seikodo.
"That's why I decided to take you in as my student; you'd lose to Lucian the moment you encounter him. I'm surprised you were even able to keep up with Hunters."
That humbled Yamikuro; he felt so far behind Urashin, doubting if he'd ever get to his level.
Urashin hadn't moved at all, but Algeda was already down, pushing her body up from the ground.
When she stood on her feet, she spat out dirt and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
She ran her tongue across her white front teeth, her eyes still glued to Urashin. Her creepy, flirtatious attitude remained, almost like she wanted Urashin to fight her.
"You didn't have to go all out like this, my dear."
Urashin once again didn't react, as if reacting would encourage her. That was most likely what she wanted.
From behind her purple, thin cloak, she took out two purple daggers that shone in the shadowy area. She handled them with care while also seeming experienced in handling the weapons.
"You still have them well, I assume, Urashin dear."
Urashin let out an exhausted sigh, reaching behind his cloak. Just like Algeda, Urashin also had daggers, but they were as black as a shadow, slightly chipped at the edges from the continuous battles he had been through with them.
"The Dagger Guild assigned us these weapons, but to think I'd have to cut down my once existing comrade."
"Oh? So you think that highly of me? You really know how to tease me." Algeda's smile returned as it once was.
Algeda moved fast, without a word, and was next to Urashin, already slashing her dagger.
Urashin reacted before she moved, his dagger clashing with hers, without moving his feet, just his arm.
"So fast..." Yamikuro said, after a few seconds of them already clashing.
The gap between Yamikuro and the two of them was huge. Even bigger than he could've imagined.
Algeda's quick movements were most likely tied to Shintai. Yamikuro was trying to tie the names he had remembered to the fight he saw.
Urashin threw Algeda before him, with just his dagger pushing onto hers.
However, Algeda didn't give up and charged at Urashin once again, her long hair flowing in the air.
They repeated that back-and-forth action a few more times, with Urashin only moving his right arm. His expression remained the same, and he didn't break a sweat, almost like he was in a whole different league.
Yamikuro couldn't help but wonder how dangerous Urashin would be if he went all out. Which also gave Yamikuro a sense of safety, being glad they weren't enemies.
"We have to get moving. There's a long trip ahead of us." Urashin suddenly said after they fought in complete silence.
The same force shot through Yamikuro's body from before. Was Urashin going to use another Seikodo attack?
Urashin took his first step forward, and Algeda seemed to have been stopped by an invisible wall. Her expression completely shifted, her pupils turned smaller, almost like she was afraid.
As Algeda was stopped by a wall, not being able to take another step, Urashin was behind her.
Without a sound or actually being able to see Urashin move, he stood behind Algeda. Both Yamikuro and Algeda froze, wondering when and how that happened.
Blood gushed out of Algeda's right shoulder, making her drop to her knees. She initially didn't say a word or react, but she held her palm over the wound, dropping her daggers.
Urashin placed his daggers back against his waist and faced Yamikuro.
"We have to go, Yamikuro."
Yamikuro nodded, trying to go back to his room to retrieve his funeral jacket, but Urashin stepped in front of the door, blocking his way.
"The sooner we leave, the better."
Yamikuro wanted to still get it, but obeyed Urashin. He clearly knew something Yamikuro didn't.
"Why..." Algeda whispered.
"Why do you act so almighty next to me?"
Urashin's eyes went to his left behind his sunglasses. He almost felt bad.
"I haven't sunk to a low-life criminal position. You need to move on."
With that, Yamikuro and Urashin took off, leaving Algeda alive in front of the motel, without any life-threatening wounds.
A journey beyond the capital of The Hideout for Yamikuro was about to begin.