3rd Pov:
The air in the dimension was so heavy that the people on the other side observing it didn't look away or blink. Himari Azuma stood firmly at the edge of the crater she and Yuuki created after defeating Homare.
Remnants of their battle littered the area outside the crater, with trees either snapped halfway or completely uprooted.
Green leaves were carried through the wind to make way for the coming battle, like a natural janitor setting the stage for a grand finale.
Himari's hands were coated in a shallow layer of sweat as it trickled to the earth. Her breathing was uneven as the waves of adrenaline washed out of her body.
Yuuki was in a worse state, bruises and cuts covered his arm and chest, and his breathing was heavier and rapid. His shoulders slumped with exhaustion, a slight backlash from using that form.
Maia Azuma remained frozen like a statue, her posture relaxed and straight. The Vice-chief's eyes glanced between her mother and her little sister, waiting for someone to act as she slowly raised her hands, ready to use her ability at a moment's notice.
Fubuki Azuma watched her daughter, wanting to see if anything had changed since the last time she'd seen her.
So far, she could only see a slight change, something she found rather disappointing. In her own opinion, that slave was a hindrance to her daughter's potential.
She couldn't figure out how or why she would sacrifice the complete seal on her abilities with someone who would only hold her back and save her like everyone around her.
Sighing internally, she twirled her spear and got into a stance; the spear gleamed with a faint orange glow as Fubuki's natural power flowed through it.
"Stay out of this Maia, and do watch from that cliff" she ordered her eldest daughter while pointing at a nearby cliff that overlooks the battlefield.
"Yes, Mother" Maia nodded as she lowered her hands to her stomach and took a step back before large blue hands appeared under her and floated to her destination.
Yuuki brought Himari onto his back as she automatically grabbed his chain as the full power of their current form flowed through Yuuki's body, like a missing piece of the puzzle finally put together.
"Show me what you have learned, Himari" Fubuki said, releasing killing intent towards her youngest daughter.
"Yuuki, let us show her our full power" Himari said with a grin.
Yuuki glanced back and gave a slight grin of his own, "Right"
Both of them closed their eyes as a large tornado of energy spiralled up before dispelling, revealing Yuuki in the state he fought in with Homare.
Fubuki quietly analysed the form from a distance, "This is the form you used against Homare, Correct?" she asked rhetorically.
They didn't say anything as just a second later, a green tree leaf passed over Fubuki's vision and once it was gone, both slave and master were gone.
Fubuki didn't look in their direction as she closed her eyes and shifted her spear to block an attack aimed at her right rib.
Yuuki's fist connected with Fubuki's spear before swinging his leg at her open spot. Fubuki glanced at it once before flashing a palm to her side as it stopped the large leg in its tracks.
The force behind Yuuki's leg blow passed the Azuma mother, blowing her hair back slightly though her cold gaze never wavered.
Fubuki's hand gripped the slave's leg and threw him through a set of trees with Hiamri quickly leaping off before he could be thrown.
Just as she looked up, she caught her Mother's cold and dismissive gaze before she looked away and focused her attention on Yuuki, who staggered over a broken log.
With a flash of orange light, Yuuki blurred away and picked up Hiamri before skidding to a halt at the opposite side of the crater.
Lifting Hiamri to his shoulder, she climbed onto his back and gripped the chain as Yuuki's full strength returned.
Just as Yuuki felt the rush of power return, he narrowly dodged Fubuki's spear being thrown at terrifying speeds as it blew a wide path in its track and wiped anything in its way.
Himari glanced at the wide path of destruction created by her Mother's spear. She wiped the cold sweat trickling down her cheek before she felt Yuuki rapidly move, causing her to hold on tightly.
Yuuki bolted away as Fubuki came smashing down where he stood like a rocket, kicking up dust as the ground beneath her cracked.
Yuuki dug his clawed hands into the ground, leaving their mark as he skidded to a halt. Using the chance that she had no weapon, he blasted himself forward.
"Yuuki, stop!" Himari yelled, but her warning went in deaf ears as the slave kept going.
Fubuki narrowed her eyes slightly before she slowly lifted her hand and pointed her palm in the direction where she threw her spear.
Yuuki appeared in front of Fubuki before thrusting his fist towards her but she quickly raised her free arm to block.
The slave's fist connected with the Azuama mother, pushing her back and leaving a mark on her arm. Yuuki quickly kept up his assault as he appeared beside her, at her open area, and swung his leg at her side only for her to take the attack head-on.
Fubuki was launched away and pursed her lips from the pain but she managed to flip back and steady her breathing before landing gracefully on one knee, still keeping her hand extended.
Her gaze unwavering as she stared at the duo in front of her, "I'm slightly impressed slave, to take an attack from me and still keep going is no easy feat but that is only 3% of my full strength"
"If you truly want to know what strength really feels like, then I'll up the difficulty to 5%" Just as she said that, the air around her began to ripple and shift under the weight of her unleashing more power through her body.
The pressure from her power made Yuuki freeze momentarily before shaking her head and blasting forward in an orange blur.
Just as the slave was about to lift his arm to attack, a sparkle of light appeared in the distance as Himari widened her eyes.
"Retreat!" She pulled harshly on the chains, forcibly stopping his momentum.
Without questioning her orders he jumped away from the mother. Simultaneously, Fubuki's spear landed in her hand before she swung sharply cleanly slicing through rock and creating a long 'V' shape mark.
Fubuki coldly glanced over at them, noting the shaking in the slaves' hands as his eyes gazed at the destruction left behind by just one swing.
"Has fear gripped your body so easily?" she questioned, tilting her head slightly.
Yuuki's head snapped to the mother as he took one step back. Gritting his chattering teeth, he bashed his fist against his legs.
"Come on you stupid body, move" He mumbled.
He suddenly felt a sweet and soft hand on his head causing him to calm down and look to the source. Himari looked down at him with a warm and reassuring smile.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here with you" She said, her words calming the fear that had built up.
Yuuki blinked once before smiling, "Right! Sorry about that" he rubbed the back of his head.
"Now" she straightened and stared at her mother who remained watching them.
"We need to think of a way to last long enough for her to acknowledge me" Himari said.
"...Wait?... not win?" Yuuki questioned.
Himari didn't take her gaze off her mother, "Winning is impossible against my Mother, She's the chief of the 9th unit and I'm just a Vice-Chief, the difference between each title is large and varies but still a massive difference"
"...Shit" Yuuki commented dryly before he quickly vanished as Fubuki appeared beside him and swung her spear horizontally, creating a wide arc of wind that sliced through waves of trees.
"Do you always talk like a wife comforting their grieving husband?" She questioned, spinning her spear as she got into another stance, "I believe this is where this fight will end as you're boring me"
Fubuki swung her spear as it rapidly extended, her movements were precise and calm, like a flowing river instead of a certain monkey king.
Yuuki appeared in a clearing breathing heavily before his eyes widened. Acting quickly, he threw Himari away as Fubuki's elongated spear sliced through trees before it connected with Yuuki's side.
Himari managed to look in time to see Yuuki carried away through the forest before he was catapulted into the side of the cliff.
Maia remained motionless as the cliff shook from the slave slamming against it, she leaned forward slightly to see the slave's condition.
Rocks of various sizes peeled and dropped from where Yuuki crashed. Falling from the wall, Yuuki landed on his knees and hands, breathing heavily and back in his base slave state.
His body felt so numb that he didn't register that the bones in his left arm had shattered and his ribs had cracked.
His left arm hung limply, pressing the back of his hand against the floor without realising it, his mind fixed on how normal his arms were.
That was until a second later, when the pain shot through his body. His eyes widened before he screamed in pain.
Grabbing his arm, he felt that it throbbed with pain and worse pain with each movement or light touch.
Gritting his teeth, he staggered back to his feet while holding his arm. Squinting one eye, he attempted to move forward and meet back up with Himari before Fubuki found her.
He only took a step before he dropped to one knee, "Cmon... gotta move" she struggled out.
"I would remain there if I were you" A voice made him snap his lowered head to the voice ahead of him.
Fubuki walked calmly towards the slave with a natural sway in her hips. Yuuki tried to stand up straight but immediately returned to his original position.
"It's useless to keep fighting" She said stopping just 5 meters away before pointing her spear at him.
"A shattered arm, a broken rib, a damaged eye and severe bleeding from the broken arm and legs" Fubuki pointed out each injury she could identify.
Yuuki tried to rise once again but instead dropped to the ground, completely exhausted and too injured to move.
Yuuki's eyes finally closed as he returned to his human state. Fubuki stared down at the boy, waiting for some theatrical power-up but nothing happened.
Unsummoning her spear she crouched down and lifted him onto her back, she walked the unconscious boy back to her daughter, who began to rise.
Himari's eyes widened at the scene in front of her. Fubuki walked calmly towards her daughter with limp Yuuki on her back.
Slowly and gently, Fubuki lowered the slave to the ground as Himari rushed to his side and inspected his injuries.
"Now that we have no distractions, it's time to face me with your own strength" Fubuki said, walking several meters away and summoning her spear from a small portal of light.
Himari gritted her teeth and lowered Yuuki's head to the ground before transforming her arms into rocket launchers and firing 6 missiles.
Fubuki swung her spear horizontally, causing the missiles to explode and create a large smokescreen.
Fubuki looked around for her daughter before she tilted her head back as a small beam of plasma flew past her.
"You're too loud!" Fubuki yelled, slamming the blunt end of her spear into the ground, dispelling smoke and pushing Himari back.
Himari looked up after covering her face to find her Mother's hand in front of her face. Her face was grabbed and slammed into the ground before she was kicked into a boulder.
Quickly changing her ability with her phone, she changed her arm into a Gatling gun and fired at her mother.
Fubuki spun her spear in front of her, deflecting each bullet before vanishing. Himari, acting quickly, changed her ability and turned her arm into a shield.
Fubuki's spear slammed into Himari, sending the Azuma daughter rolling against the ground.
Staggering up, she felt the wet sensation of her blood flowing from her forehead, "Is this the amount of strength you could muster Himari, are you this pathetic?" Fubuki mocked.
Her eyes bore into her daughter as she readied herself to swing her spear at the ground to blow her daughter back, "It seems Kyouka is pathetic as well if she gave you the title of Vice-Chief instead of anyone else"
Himari's expression froze, the words her mother repeated in her mind.
'Kyouka is pathetic'
'Kyouka is pathetic'
'Kyouka is pathetic'
Like a broken record, it kept repeating in her mind to the first person who saw her for who she truly is instead of seeing her as a failure at everything she does.
That is something she will not tolerate, she may accept insults aimed at her since she got used to every insult thrown at her. But she will never allow an insult to be directed at one person who brought her victory and recognition.
The wind suddenly shifted strongly as a lime-green energy swelled around Himari with a second layer of energy outlining her body in gold, blowing her mother's hair back yet her expression remained cold but there was a distinctive note of intrigue.
Himari slowly rose as the energy rose in a pillar with blue markings appearing on her forehead and along her arms.
Her eyes snapped open revealing their pure golden glow.
Himari's expression and posture radiated intense killing intent as Fubuki shifted into a more focused stance, finally noting the threat she posed at her current level.
'Let's see where this takes you Himari'