"`[Gae Bolg]!!`"
The crimson tip of the demonic spear flared with a malevolent light as Cu Chulainn unleashed his trump card--a strike that defied causality, destined to find the heart of its target before it was even thrown.
SHING!
The spear tore through Rikuo's chest, but as the weapon passed, the boy's body rippled like shifting smoke. There was no resistance, no spray of blood--only a fading silhouette.
"A miss?"
Cu Chulainn's brow furrowed in disbelief. This was his "Ace," a strike that, once initiated, was supposed to be a guaranteed death sentence. How could it possibly fail to find its mark?
"It seems your spear..." Rikuo's voice echoed through the clearing, calm and mocking. "...failed to find my true body."
The pierced image dissolved completely into the air as Rikuo's voice seemed to drift from all directions at once.
"Hmpf. An illusion, then?" Cu Chulainn stood tall, his spear held at the ready as his expression turned serious.
"Behind you!"
Sensing the sudden shift in the air and the cold bite of a blade, Cu Chulainn spun with fluid, animalistic grace, his spear clashing against Rikuo's descending sword.
CLANG!
Sparks erupted as the two weapons collided. Now, at least, Cu Chulainn could see his opponent clearly.
"I see. That earlier trick was just a phantom."
"A slippery one, aren't you?"
The shifting, unstable aura surrounding Rikuo gave Cu Chulainn a clearer understanding of what he was facing.
"`[Kyouka Suigetsu]`... Mirror Flower, Water Moon."
"As long as you cannot find the real me, that Noble Phantasm of yours has no room to work its magic," Rikuo said softly as he pressed his blade against the shaft of the crimson spear.
It had been a gamble--a calculated risk. Rikuo had bet that Cu Chulainn's `[Gae Bolg]` required a clearly defined target to trigger its causal effect. Even if it possessed the property of a "guaranteed hit," it couldn't lock onto a target that didn't exist or was hidden behind a veil of uncertainty.
If you don't know where the enemy is, you can't exactly aim into the void.
That was the essence of `[Kyouka Suigetsu]`. Its purpose was to "deceive the strike," making the opponent believe they had found their mark when they had only struck a shadow. It was a game of truth and falsehood, a dance of shifting perceptions.
"Besides, as long as I stay close and keep you engaged in a melee, you won't have the chance to unleash it again, will you?"
"Hahaha!! Well played! Your understanding of the battlefield is impressive, kid."
Cu Chulainn let out a boisterous laugh, but his expression quickly darkened into one of intense focus.
"However... did you really think you could beat me in a contest of pure skill?!"
With a sharp, explosive movement, he swept his spear, knocking Rikuo's blade aside with terrifying speed.
WHOOSH!
By the time Rikuo could react, the spear was already whistling toward him.
But once again, there was no feeling of impact. Cu Chulainn's spear sliced through Rikuo's waist, only to pass through like it was cutting through a mirage. The silhouette wavered and blurred, mirroring the rippling surface of a disturbed lake.
`[Kyouka Suigetsu]`.
Just as its name suggested, unless Cu Chulainn could see through the illusion, he would never be able to land a decisive blow.
'Heh. But that doesn't mean there isn't a way...'
If active offense wasn't yielding results, Cu Chulainn had other ways to pin down his prey. He planted his feat and remained still, closing his eyes to filter out the visual deception and focusing every other sense on the world around him.
Whirr...
A faint change in air pressure. A ripple in the wind. The sound of a blade cutting through the atmosphere.
Cu Chulainn swung his spear with blinding speed, the shaft blocking the path of the incoming strike with unerring precision. In the same motion, he lunged forward, his free hand curling into a fist that shot toward the empty space ahead.
THWACK!
Rikuo gasped in surprise, jumping backward just in time to avoid the blow. As he retreated, his true form flickered back into existence.
"You caught on that quickly?"
"What terrifying battle instinct..."
Rikuo's expression was now one of genuine caution. Before his own attack could even land, Cu Chulainn had already identified his location and moved to intercept him. Such a depth of combat experience wasn't something a mere amateur could possess.
"Heh, it's not bad."
"I might not be able to tell where your 'body' is at every second, but once you commit to an attack, you have to manifest."
Transitioning from defense to offense was second nature to Cu Chulainn. He didn't need to find Rikuo; he just had to wait for Rikuo to come to him. The moment Rikuo struck, he would have to become "real," and in that split second, Cu Chulainn would be faster.
When it came to agility and reflex, the Lancer was in a league of his own.
'What a magnificent opponent...'
But instead of being intimidated, Rikuo found himself growing more exhilarated. This Spearman was stronger than any yokai he had ever faced. To fight such a man was a privilege.
SWISH!
CLANG!!
SHING! SHING!!
"Rikuo looks like he's on the back foot," Inuyasha's group noted from the sidelines, their eyes glued to the exchange.
"That guy with the spear is something else."
"His movements are incredibly precise, his footing is rock solid, and his offense is relentless. He doesn't leave a single opening."
"He's on a completely different level than someone like Bankotsu was..."
Inuyasha had a more direct appreciation for the threat. Even with Tessaiga in hand, he doubted he could keep up with that level of speed. His only option would be to use a broad-range `[Wind Scar]` just to force the man back.
"What's wrong, Kagome?"
"Nothing... I was just thinking. If these Heroic Spirits are legends from history, who could Lancer be? With that kind of skill, he has to be famous."
"How are we supposed to guess? He hasn't even told us his name."
"No, that 'Noble Phantasm' he shouted... I feel like I've heard it somewhere before."
"But it's definitely not from Japan. Argh! I can't remember my world history classes!" Kagome clutched her head, cursing her neglected studies. 'I'll have to look it up if I ever get the chance to go back.'
CLANG!
THUD!
SHN-T!!
Barely parrying a series of lethal thrusts, Rikuo didn't have a second to breathe. While `[Kyouka Suigetsu]` could help him avoid certain death, it didn't mean he was safe.
The Spearman's technique was overwhelming. Every move was practiced, every strike carried the weight of a thousand battles. Rikuo was fighting just to keep his head.
"Heh!"
"Don't just focus on defending! Come at me!"
"Surely the 'Lord of Pandemonium' has more than this?!"
Cu Chulainn pressed forward, step by unrelenting step, waiting for the counterattack that would never come.
"You're right... against an opponent like you, I have to be truly serious."
Suddenly, the air around Rikuo chilled. A spectral silhouette manifested behind him--a beautiful young girl in a snow-white kimono, her presence radiating a bone-chilling frost.
Rikuo's aura shifted instantly, his eyes glowing with a renewed, dangerous light.
"Oh?"
Sensing the sudden drop in temperature, Cu Chulainn instinctively leaped back, avoiding a sweep of Rikuo's blade that left a trail of glittering frost in the air. The path of the strike was instantly frozen solid, a bridge of ice suspended in the void.
"Interesting. And what exactly is this?"
That bone-deep cold was no illusion; it was a physical force. And the shift in Rikuo's appearance and the explosive surge in his power suggested he had just stepped into a completely different realm of strength.
Cu Chulainn had never seen anything like it.
Rikuo maintained a wicked, confident smirk as he spoke, his voice carrying a new weight.
"This is a technique unique to those of us who walk between worlds. It's called..."
"`[Matoi]`... Fear Fusion."
"Now, shall we begin Round Two?"