The following day, just as the sun reached its peak in the sky, Taiyo as well as two other young men made their way through the busy streets of Kaika Temple. On his way to accept Aimee's challenge from the day before, Taiyo as well as his close friends and former classmates made their way to the northwest training grounds. "She's not gonna get the better of you this time around," Said one of the young men in tow behind Taiyo. "It's not like Aimee hasn't improved herself, you know," replied the other. Yuori Jurameshi and Shiro Daima, the two young men who had joined him, had been friends with Taiyo ever since the three of them began to stand out amongst their peers during their early years at school. Together the three young men each had their own bones to pick with their rival Aimee, the woman who had constantly mocked and surpassed them during their youth. Yuori was a hot-headed Gensogan user with an affinity to stone and the ability to tepidly wield fire as well. He was a much shorter man than his friends, with short and bright red hair and a fair complexion covered in freckles, who could often be found encouraging Taiyo of his less-than-bright ideas. Shiro, who was just in-between Taiyo and Yuori in height, with mid-length blonde hair and striking blue eyes, was one of the few and more rare Shishogan Users amongst Kamikochi's young Sentoki, and was often much more level-headed. "Just remember, no matter what happens, you two stay out of it," Taiyo said to them as he trudged forward. "I'll never hear the end of it if we try to gang up on her," he added. "I have no qualms about not having to fight her," Shiro said as he cupped his hands behind his head casually. "Well if by some miracle she does win then I get to take her on next," Yuori chimed in enthusiastically.
The three of them could see Aimee waiting off in the distance as they approached the training grounds. Leaning against the wall just outside of the area, Aimee smirked as she watched them come closer. "Brought along your little buddies for back-up, did you?" Aimee asked tauntingly as she laughed to herself. "They're just here to watch you finally get knocked off your high horse," Taiyo responded as he walked right past her and onto the dirt field. Taiyo paused as he walked into the training grounds and looked around. Just around a dozen pairs of both students and teachers were engaged in active practice and scattered about the field. "Did she not reserve the training grounds for this?" Taiyo thought to himself, "What an amateur!" Before he could turn around to tell them they would need to find a new place to do their business, Aimee's voice belted out from behind him. "Alright everybody, clear out!" She yelled demandingly as all of the students and teachers turned their heads to see who had interrupted them. "We're taking over these training grounds for the afternoon, now move out!" Aimee continued to shout. "We?" Taiyo thought to himself as he looked at her in confusion, not realizing what she had done. He could hear the mumbles of the teachers and students as they passed by, "That's the Headmaster's Nephew, we better just go," said one of the younger teachers as she shooed the students out under the archway. Taiyo gritted his teeth in frustration once he realized Aimee had done all this on purpose. Taiyo would normally never be one to throw around his familial connections, but Aimee had inadvertently made it look like he was more than willing to do so.
Taiyo dropped his bag from his shoulders and cracked his knuckles before pulling each of his arms across his chest and stretching. Aimee cracked her neck and stretched her back a bit, and as Yuori and Shiro took their places along the inside wall, Taiyo and Aimee made their way to the center of the field. The two of them never broke eye contact as they met in the middle, ready to settle their score once and for all. "I hope those boys are able to carry an oaf like you home after I teach you your lesson," Aimee said to her opponent as her green eyes began to change and glow bright orange. "You should have brought along a friend or two, cause I'm not the one who's gonna need to be carried home, although I doubt you have any…" Taiyo responded as he matched her growing output of Ki with his own. Their aura's both fought and clashed in a violent swirl of red and orange that climbed far above the walls around them. Without so much as another word, the two of them both burst into action. They had simultaneously both delivered and dodged a blow. The air around them cracked and the ground behind each of them spit and ruptured as they both delivered a punch in the other's direction, just narrowly missing each other. Aimee and Taiyo locked eyes, both of their faces now painted with the ambition of battle. In an instant Aimee dropped down to the ground and delivered a sweeping kick with her leg, but Taiyo was fast enough to respond and managed to jump in time. As Aimee's leg swept below him, Taiyo pulled back his fist, and as he landed he struck the ground, cratering the dirt below their feet. A cloud of dust erupted from below as Aimee swiftly pulled her feet above her head and skilfully moved across the ground, hand over foot and away from Taiyo's blow.
As the dust cleared, Taiyo walked up the side of the small pit he had created in the ground and called out to his opponent. "Whats the matter? Am I faster than you thought I was?" He yelled across the field, only for Yuori and Shiro to start cheering him on in the background. Aimee gritted her teeth and furrowed her brow in anger before kicking off her sandals and tossing them to the side. "Tch, fast? Don't make me laugh," Aimee said to herself as she leaned forward and put her hands on the ground as if she was positioning herself to start a race. "Was that supposed to be intimidating or something? Kicking off your shoes like that?" Taiyo said with a laugh as he began to step forward toward his opponent once again, but before his foot had touched the ground, a flash of orange took over his field of vision.
Taiyo gasped as the air escaped his lungs. Faster than he could realize he had been pulled from his spot in the center of the field and thrown against the wall in-between where Shiro and Yuori stood. The impact sent his friends reeling off to the sides as the stone wall cracked and split behind him. Taiyo's eyes rolled back as the pain surged through his body, he was still unsure of what had even happened but as he rallied his strength and snapped forward he could see what had led to his current position. In the center of the field Aimee was still poised with her leg extended and surrounded by her orange aura, as well as a smile of satisfaction across her face. "How's that for fast?" Aimee muttered as she readied herself for another attack. Taiyo stepped forward once again and just like before, Aimee didn't hesitate in the slightest with her response. Once again she streaked across the field in a blur of orange toward her opponent, looking to catch him off guard one more time. But Taiyo was prepared. Like he was snatching an arrow from the air, Taiyo managed to side-step at the very last second and caught Aimee by the wrist as she tried to deliver a blow straight to his chest. Aimee stopped dead in her tracks and before she could counter, Taiyo's other fist had already come down across her arm and dragged her down, but before her body could hit the ground, she was met with a brutal knee to her gut which lifted her back into the air.
Aimee coughed and spurted as she floated above her opponents head. During certain moments of battle, time seemed to slow down, and as she tried to recover mid-air, she locked eyes with Taiyo who was filled with the rage and passion of battle from dealing such a divisive blow. Before she could begin to fall, Taiyo leapt from the ground with such force that the ground spit beneath his feet. Ascending toward his opponent with his fist raised and ready to finish their brawl. As Taiyo approached, Aimee's feet began to wrap in her aura, making and like she had stepped on the air itself, she used her invisible foothold to launch herself back in Taiyo's direction. "Air walking?! That's a high level technique!" Taiyo thought to himself in a panic as his opponent came sailing toward him. Aimee just narrowly slipped over his head and past him, but as she passed Aimee grabbed a hold of Taiyo's ankles and using the change in momentum, she violently launched him back down towards the ground.
Another cloud of dust and debris erupted as Taiyo's body slammed into the dirt below. Meanwhile a small crowd had begun to gather and peer in from outside the training grounds due to the unusual level of commotion coming from the two young Sentoki. As Aimee's feet landed skilfully back on the ground, she was given no time to rest or catch her breath. From behind the dust of the eruption Taiyo came bursting out with an unbridled rage. His red Ki poured from his eyes and body as he rushed forward and swung at Aimee wildly. Aimee quickly jumped back to escape Taiyo's brutish fit, but he had been pushed over the edge. Without any concern for his surroundings Taiyo pursued his opponent. The two of them moved around the training grounds at an incredible pace, each one of them leaving the ground broken and scarred each time their feet touched down. The murmurs of the crowd grew louder with concern as the onlookers continued to watch.
Already tired of the game of cat and mouse they had begun playing, Aimee decided she had enough of dodging Taiyo's wild blows and let herself slip into a similar kind of blind rage. She planted her feet into the ground and readied herself for the approaching barrage. As her Ki spilled out, Aimee let out a guttural cry before summoning all of her strength and going blow for blow with her opponent. Much like at the beginning of their brawl, Taiyo and Aimee's Ki climbed above their heads and clashed again and again, while below, the two young Sentoki traded devastating punches with each other. The sound of each impact rang out across the training grounds and into the streets. With each strike both Taiyo and Aimee became more bloodied and bruised. "They're gonna kill each other!" A woman shouted from the crowd as the voices of concern grew even louder once again. "H-hey guys… take it a bit easier okay…" Shiro said from the sideline, but it was of no use. The ground seemed to peel away from around the young fighters like it was as fragile as old paint in the wind. Blow after blow. Strike after strike, Aimee and Taiyo continued until the force of their onslaught began to make the ground tremble. Aimee and Taiyo both gritted their teeth and continued through the pain, each one of them partially blinded by the amount of blood that covered their eyes. In a final attempt to bring things to an end, their Ki flared once again as the two of them both rallied with a battlecry that came from the depths of their ambitions. "I won't lose to you!" The two of them shouted in unison as they each attempted to deliver the final blow, but before they could reach the end of their long awaited conclusion, a flash of purple appeared around the two of them and in an instant both of their stomachs dropped.
Before Taiyo and Aimee had realized what had happened, they had both found themselves colliding into each other. Each with the heavy weight of someone's hand on the back of their head. "You two are joking right?!" Bellowed Hiro's voice as he watched his Nephew and Aimee both fall backwards after he had cracked their skulls together. "Get up! Right. Now!" Hiro continued to yell, his voice booming out across the field almost as loud as the blows the two young Sentoki were trading just a moment ago. Taiyo and Aimee stumbled to their feet, each holding their heads in their hands and gasping for breath. Before either of them could begin to recover Hiro had grabbed the both by the neck and lifted them from their feet. The two of them sputtered and struggled, coughing up blood as they kicked their feet and clawed at Hiro's hands.
The air around the Headmaster grew dark as his deep purple aura began to spill out. The presence of his Ki was chilling. As a Nikugan user, Hiro was on an entirely different level and standing next to him as his aura poured out felt like standing next to an endless void of power. Taiyo and Aimee had stopped clamoring and pining at Hiro's grip. The two of them froze with fear as the ground around them began to tremble just from the release of his Ki. Behind them, even Shiro and Yuori had frozen in place. Neither of them dared to move a muscle and risk being caught. "When I let you two go… One of you better explain to me what this is all about!" Hiro bellowed once again, his voice now even louder than before.
The crowd around the training grounds had quickly dispersed upon Hiro's arrival. The teachers and Students knew better than to gawk and jeer while the Headmaster was discipling a Sentoki, let alone his Nephew. Taiyo and Aimee's feet hit the ground as they both took a sharp inhale before a bit of coughing ensued as they tried to catch their breath. It was only another moment later that Aime had dropped down to one knee and bowed her head to Hiro. "I'm sorry, Headmaster," Aimee squeaked out through a set of bloody coughs. "We were training, and things just got out of hand," She added, hoping Taiyo would be smart enough to follow suit. "Training? Are you k-kidding me? I came here to finally shut you up!" Taiyo said groggily as he rubbed his head, only for his eyes to shoot open a second later, after realizing what he had done. "As I'm sure the two of you know… Fighting like this amongst Sentoki is against the rules," said Hiro as he lorded over the both of them. "Not only have the two of you interrupted the classes that were supposed to occur here today. You've destroyed the training grounds and caused irreparable damage!" He continued. "Hiro it was-" Taiyo started to say, but he was immediately silenced by the crushing glare of his Uncle. "Shut up." Hiro growled. "Do you know why you haven't been assigned any real missions or duties since you graduated, Taiyo?" Hiro asked as he stepped in closer toward his Nephew and looked down at him. The words hit Taiyo like bricks, despite his over-confident attitude and tremendous potential. His lack of actual experience with missions was the biggest embarrassment for both him and his friends. "It isn't because of a lack of missions… It's because I've strictly prohibited it." Hiro whispered as he leaned in even closer. Taiyo's face scrunched in confusion, the blood on his skin beginning to dry and crack as he did. He had spent the past two years believing that Kamikochi was so at peace that there weren't many missions to go around in the first place, and that was the reason for his lackluster assignments. His Uncle had even re-affirmed that belief in the past.
"It's because you're unreliable…" Hiro said with his brow scrunched in anger. "You're overconfident. Hot-headed. And you don't understand the value of your fellow Sentoki! It ends now! And as for you Mrs. Rhall!" Hiro had finally turned his attention to Aimee who was still down on one knee and trying to regain her senses. Aimee lifted her head and her eyes widened in anticipation of her scolding. "After refusing an unprecedented number of mission offers, you were recently entrusted with a high priority mission that resumes tomorrow if I'm not mistaken?! Do you understand how utterly irresponsible it is to behave like this? How do you expect to complete your mission all battered and bruised?" Hiro roared as he now loomed over the young Sentoki woman. Aimee immediately dropped her forehead to the ground and bowed as much as she could, "I assure you I can complete my mission Sir!" she said, her voice cracking a bit and her hands beginning to tremble. Her knuckles still dripped blood as she panted and heaved, faced down in front of the Headmaster. Taiyo glanced at his rival next to him who had dropped to the ground. From where he stood he was able to see just a glimpse of Aimee's face, and he had never seen it struck with such fear.
Taiyo panted as the words his Uncle had said rattled around his head. "Unreliable?!" he thought to himself. "How the hell would he know if I've never been given a decent mission??" his mind screamed as he tried to keep his composure for the time being. As they began to breathe normally once again, Hiro had started to pace back and forth in front of them. "I need a single solution for two problem-causing Sentoki…" Hiro said as he scratched his chin. After a minute of thinking he finally paused and lifted his head. Staring directly at Shiro and Yuori who had tried to remain unseen but had clearly failed. "You two, come here!" Hiro called out to them as he waved them over, and the two nerve-striken young men began slowly making their way to the center of the field.
"I did actually have a mission I was going to assign to the three of you, but I think as punishment… I'll assign the mission to Just Yuori and Shiro instead…" Hiro said sternly as he glanced over toward his Nephew. Taiyo clenched his fist and tightened his jaw. "Go to the assignment office and get familiar with the details," Hiro said as he waved off Taiyo's friends. The two young men remained motionless and frozen, unsure of how to react to the fact that they had somehow been rewarded. "Go!" Hiro added as he looked at them with raised eyebrows and waved them away once again before turning back towards Taiyo and Aimee. "As for you two… I think I have a way to teach you both the lessons you need to learn… Get up," Hiro said at the end of his remark, making Aimee quickly jump to her feet. The two of them stood motionless, almost breathless as Hiro stepped forward and turned his head from side to side looking at each of the young Sentoki who had caused such an uproar. "You'll start by spending the rest of the day fixing and repairing the training grounds before you go and see the medics. And after that…" Hiro leaned in closer toward Aimee, his massive stature lording over her like a dark cloud. "You'll both prepare for Aimee's investigation mission that begins tomorrow…" He said in a cold and droning voice, almost as if he was trying to taunt someone.
Taiyo's face contorted with confusion. The words Hiro had said were the last thing he had expected his Uncle to say. "Okay, the cleaning up part makes sense for getting scolded… but did he just say I'd be going on Aimee's mission… like with her?!" Taiyo thought to himself as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Before he could try to understand what was occurring, Taiyo could feel something emanating from beside him. A visceral feeling took over his body as a soft orange glow filled the corner of his eyes. Taiyo slowly turned his head to see Aimee who appeared to be in more pain now than she had previously. He could tell she wasn't intentionally activating her Mesukio, for Nikugan users it was quite common for their Ki to show when they become enraged, but this was different… The fury that slowly poured from every inch of her body was terrifying, making Taiyo shudder as he glanced over in her direction. Her hair rose from her back and shoulders from the release of her Ki. She clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms and dripped with new blood. The dirt and debris pushed away from her feet as she stood in front of the Headmaster who still loomed over her, as if her quietly raging demeanor didn't phase him in the slightest.
"You… You can't be serious…" Aimee mumbled under her breath as her breathing grew erratic once again. "What was that you said, Mrs. Rhall?…" Hiro asked as he stepped closer and looked down at her, his face becoming even more serious than it was just a moment ago. Aimee quivered in frustration, unable to bring her eyes to meet his as he waited for her to speak up. "Wait… Uncle Hiro… there has to be something else we can do…" Taiyo tried to interject, seeing Aimee so stricken with anger made him uncomfortable in a way he couldn't explain. Hiro just closed his eyes and let out a strained sigh, "Taiyo… there are many moments where I let you cross the line… and you get to speak to me as your Uncle and not the Headmaster… This is not one of those moments…" Hiro said with a voice so threatening and a gaze so devious that it made Taiyo's skin crawl. His Uncle had only addressed him with such authority a handful of times in his life, but Taiyo knew better than to keep talking at that moment. "This is my decision, and it is final," Hiro said, finishing up his statements as his eyes once again looked toward Aimee, who had already begun walking away, her fists still clenched in anger. "Forgetting something, Mrs. Rhall?" Hiro called out to her. Aimee stopped in her tracks yet refused to turn around. She quickly used all of her strength to push a pile of rocks back into one of the craters that littered the field, leaving it haphazardly filled in. "He can take care of the rest…" She said before storming off without so much as another word.
"What just happened?" Taiyo said as he watched Aimee disappear from sight, leaving him alone with his Uncle in the tattered field. Behind him his Uncle let out a sigh as he walked up from behind and aggressively patted his Nephew on the back, making Taiyo cringe in pain. "Looks like you've got your work cut out for you," Hiro said with a sarcastic smile as he looked around the field, but Taiyo was unsure if it was really the clean-up job he was referring to, as he watched the spot where Aimee had disappeared from. "I've never seen her like that… that wasn't just anger…" Taiyo thought to himself as his Uncle walked away, leaving him alone with the mess and confusion of what had all transpired.