Yamikuro wasn't sure if he had heard Yure correctly, but he went along with his assumption. The Yamikuro a month ago would've spoken out, but he didn't now.
Nonetheless, Yure had the power to call off every elite as he was put in command of them. It was even surprising to him that Seiji or Raien weren't given that position.
And if Yamikuro lost, they'd turn back and give up on Lucian. That was the agreement, even if this part wasn't said, anyone could tell that was the case.
Not being enemies, but rather people standing against each other for opposite world views, made it difficult to battle. Yure could've aimed for the head if he really wanted Yamikuro dead.
Yamikuro was just a kid in his eyes, who didn't understand the consequences he could bring with killing Lucian.
The world of the Graceless, the world of Resonants, also known as The Hideout, Graceless, Resonants- all of these had a history that created these opposing terms in the first place.
As far as history reached, these races didn't get along, and if Yamikuro were to kill the leader of Graceless without a clear reason, for the Graceless at least, then there'd be consequences far beyond what the two of them could imagine.
But what Yure didn't know was that Lucian Daichi, the leader of the Graceless, was waiting for Yamikuro. The battle was inevitable.
Yure's Ascension was still active and didn't seem to eat away at his Kishin. Perhaps that's what prompted Yure to drag out the fight, so Seiji and Raien could back him up.
The truth was, Yure didn't see himself as a strong fighter.
"How long are you going to stand there for, Asaki Yamikuro?" Yure asked with a slight tease in his voice, ignoring the hesitation in his mind.
No answer came back.
Yamikuro was trying to figure out Yure's Ascension; it couldn't have been something as simple as a time loop, considering the attacks that should've missed, landed, and dealt serious harm.
If only he could break the Ascension, but that wasn't possible. His Kishin did interrupt Yure's Ascension upon arrival, but he couldn't do that right now.
Even if he could, the Kishin had to be preserved for Lucian, whose power was beyond Yure without a doubt.
The shadows beneath them had shifted into just tiny areas, compared to the dark reflection of them stuck to the ground. The clouds had also moved to make room for the shining light right above Yamikuro and Yure.
If there were any clock towers around them, they would've rung, showcasing the time on the huge disk.
"Come at me. You're the Ascension owner, are you not?" Yamikuro finally said after staring into nothingness. He said it with such confidence that Yure was sure his secret was figured out.
This had to be a loop of continuous attacks, but why it reset, Yamikuro still wasn't sure of. But that's what he wanted to test out.
Yure leaped forward, his hand already drawn out in front of himself. He didn't say a word or give a warning, but Yamikuro didn't need those. He just jumped backwards, his feet sliding on the ground, dust flowing upwards.
Yamikuro had dodged the attack once again, keeping an eye out for the loop reset.
That's when it happened, he didn't feel his body move or a shift in the air, he just stood before Yure as if the attack had never happened.
But Yure seemed to be aware of all of this, just like Yamikuro was, except Yure took advantage of the loop while Yamikuro was stuck like prey.
There had to be a trick to the looping, but even with that encounter, he didn't figure it out. Yamikuro had told himself that the easiest way was to just kill Yure and move on, but as he stood, he doubted himself.
Was it even possible to hurt Yure in the Ascension?
'Have I even thought of attacking him with the intent of freeing myself?' Yamikuro asked himself, as if he were to get an answer back.
No. He hadn't tried attacking Yure, not once. Hope wasn't lost yet as Yamikuro raised his head to look at Yure once more, hinting that they were still equals in this battlefield, no guaranteed winner stood yet.
'Asaki Yamikuro... What are you thinking of?' Yure also asked in his head, but he didn't hope for an answer.
Yure didn't need answers to fulfill his questions; it took a second to calculate the possibilities of which Yamikuro would do next.
And that's when Yamikuro moved, his faint footsteps echoing in the street, where on Yure's left stood a brick fence, and on his right were one-story buildings.
Yure sensed Yamikuro's Kishin on his right, where he had run to, and swung his hand. If the punch landed, the loop would reset once more.
But Yure's stomach dropped when he didn't see anyone standing where he threw his fist. Yamikuro's Kishin appeared to his left this time, and Yure was kicked to the ground, sliding towards one of the one-story buildings.
As Yure was on the ground, he tried to figure out what had happened. Was that Yamikuro's Kensei? No, he didn't have one.
"I'm shocked, Asaki Yamikuro. You outsmarted me." Yure said confidently, despite falling apart on the inside.
Yamikuro towered over him, his hair casting a shadow over his eyes from the sun right above them.
"You want to know why, don't you, Yure." Yamikuro said in a slightly deeper voice, as if he had pierced through Yure's tough act.
Before Yure could give an answer, Yamikuro started explaining. He hadn't cared to hear what Yure's response would be.
"When I attacked you, I intentionally released more Kishin than usual, hoping you'd rely on sensing that, instead of trying to follow my quick Shintai speed with your eyes. However, when I got closer to you, I shut off most of my Kishin access, leaving just enough to be able to keep my heart beating. That's how I hid from you."
"I see," Yure responded, his tone and look remaining unchanged. However, a small smirk appeared on his face. "Only a fool would reveal secrets such as this in the climax of a battle."
"I've won already. I thought it'd give you some ease of mind if you knew how you lost." Yamikuro responded, seeming more talkative than before.
"That would be the case... However, you've got no real clue what my Ascension does, do you?"
Yamikuro's eyes shot open as Yure threw a rock his way as he got up from the ground. Out of instinct, Yamikuro dodged, weaved his head, but that would be his biggest mistake.
"Once again, you're stuck in my Ascension. And under no circumstances will I let you destroy what saved me."
Yamikuro froze when, in the blink of an eye, he stood before Yure holding a rock once again. The loop had reset.
Yamikuro had to act quickly; perhaps the secret of this Ascension was acting before Yure and not allowing him to make a move. Hence, why Yamikuro lunged forward, he couldn't let this fight get dragged out.
Yure followed Yamikuro with his eyes, who was slightly weaving to the right side of him. Yure threw the rock once again
'Has he figured out my secret?' Yure thought.
The two of them were going face-to-face, and anyone could've won this encounter; it was just a matter of who could outsmart whom.