Shinkaidan Mansion—-
Seshina was busy vacuuming the living room floor and cleaning the walls. Emerald and Emeru both watched as she hummed to herself, almost in a trance.
"So, Nyugawa has his own personal maid now?" Emerald taunted. "Some things never change, do they?"
"Brother!" Emeru hissed. "Be nice!"
"No."
Seshina stopped, looking at the two. "Are you both real-life slimes? Wow! Your kind is so rare, I never knew Omariro had two of you as pets!"
She immediately rushed over to examine them as Emerald growled. "I'm no pet, you idiotic woman! As soon as I break free of this cage, I will have Nyugawa's head on a pike!"
"He's a bit cranky right now," Emeru admitted. "Are Mr. Omariro and the others okay?"
"They should be," Seshina replied. "The kids are very capable for their age. And Omariro, of course, he's Omariro. Kitakyushu will be challenging, but if anyone can do it, they can."
"Your confidence is naïve," Emerald taunted. "But I'd expect nothing less from a human. The man's walking into a death trap. Those monsters will have his head."
Emeru turned towards him. "Shhh! No badmouthing the group! You're a part of it, now!"
"It's not mere talk. It's the reality. Kitakyushu has become much harder than it has in the past several decades. Master's strength is growing."
"You mean…?"
"Yes. The time is nigh, sister."
Emeru's face became haunted as Seshina eyed them, confused. "Hmm? Is something the matter?"
Emerald sank back in his cage. "Run, Nyugawa. While you still can."
Meanwhile—-
Back in the Kitakyushu Dungeon, Han and Baruto were sitting next to each other, with the latter drifting in and out of consciousness.
"They've been inside a while," Han noted. "You think we should go check on them?"
"Life's too short," Baruto muttered.
"Huh?"
"Gotta live in the moment. They'll come back. Or they won't. Either way, it's not our concern."
"But…they're our friends?"
"Right you are," Baruto agreed. "And that's exactly why we should stay here and do nothing. Because that's what friends do."
Han facepalmed his forehead. "How DID you last this long…?"
"By doing nothing."
The two remained sitting in awkward silence for a few more minutes, when suddenly, the cottage collapsed into pieces.
"What the hell—-?"
All at once, Zaria, Shino, and Bakuō's bodies went flying, landing in the center of the platform. A tall figure stepped free of the rubble, cracking his neck.
"Ah. I haven't experienced combat in a while. That Kaidanchō was a great bout. Let's see how you children stack up."
Han helped Zaria up, while Baruto casually Bakuō picked up his two siblings.
"What's going on?" Han asked.
"What's going on is your friends must be taught a little lesson in pain," Rui interrupted. "Care to join, young one?"
Rui's robe fell to the ground, revealing a tall, skinny, hunched back figure with no hair. His eyes were barely open, and he had his hands behind his back.
Zaria immediately got into a fighting stance, pointing her spear at Rui. Shino aimed his fingers at him, while Bakuō cowered behind his sister.
"Can someone please catch me up?" Han blurted out.
"No time, damnit!" Zaria shot back. "Just stay back and don't get in the way!"
Baruto yawned. "This guy seems…familiar. Funny."
Shino punched his arm. "Stop daydreaming and lock in! We've already faced this guy before, remember?"
Rui scanned the group. "Hmm. Let us see which of you is the biggest problem."
His eyes locked onto Zaria. "You."
He quickly appeared in front of Zaria, but she smacked him back with her spear, sending him flying.
"Wait, Zaria, no!" Shino warned. "If you hit him, he'll—-!"
〈Domain Effect: Changeling Mimicry. *Rui* can change into any opponent who has struck him, and has full replication of their *Skillset.*〉
Rui's body shifted until he was a staggering reflection of Zaria, down to even the same voice. Zaria jumped back, nearly dropping her spear. "What the hell?"
Rui held out his hand. "Jugen-Tōshi: Cursed Spear."
He jabbed at Zaria, unleashing a burst of dark energy at her, but she quickly blocked with her spear. "What? How can you do that move? I haven't even mastered that crap!"
Rui used the power in his legs to jump forward, kicking Zaria in the face. Zaria spat out blood and retaliated with a kick of her own, but Rui met it with his thigh.
The two delivered a barrage of kicks to one another, matching each other pace for pace. Shino got onto one knee, aiming her finger like a gun.
"Bet you haven't seen this move," Shino muttered. "Jugen-Metsusha: Chōdan!"
Rui turned around, just as a large vector bounced across the ground and headed for his arm. He narrowly avoided it, watching as it erased the ground beneath him.
"The girl's improved," Rui noted. "As expected of a Kaitansha."
Zaria bashed Rui in the face with her spear, but he caught it, yanking it out of her arm and kicking her back. Shino fired more vectors, all of which Rui dodged.
"Come on, boys!" Shino demanded, looking at Han, Baruto, and Bakuō. "Why are you letting us girls do all the work?"
"I'm tired," Baruto shrugged.
"I'm scared!" Bakuō exclaimed.
"I'm weak…" Han admitted.
"Ridiculous! Baruto, do something!"
Baruto yawned. "Jugen-Tōshi: Retsudan Senmetsu no Sūken."
Rui watched as a greatsword formed in Baruto's hands. "Hmm. A spear versus a claymore. That may not be fair."
With a casual stride, Baruto rushed forward and sliced at Rui, who countered with his spear. The spear got slashed in half in the process, causing Rui to jump up and swing a kick at Baruto.
"Jugen-Tōshi: Ansa Kyojin."
Baruto's sword grew, withstanding Rui's kick.
"No fighting intent within you, boy," Rui realized. "Yet you're able to keep up. How is that?"
"I need a nap," Baruto replied. "Let's finish this quickly."
Rui shifted into Baruto's body. "Yes, let's. Jugen-Tōshi: Ansa Kyojin!"
A large greatsword formed in Rui's hand, and the two fighters swung their blades at each other, creating a shockwave that sent the others flying back. Rui stabbed the ground near Baruto's foot, but Baruto used his blade to vault himself into the air, aiming a spinning slash at Rui's back.
Rui held his blade behind him, blocking without even looking. Baruto didn't miss a beat and landed on the ground, throwing his sword at Rui with enough force to cause wind ripples, but Rui vaulted over it as Baruto's blade returned to him.
"Whoa," Zaria gasped. "Baruto's…actually holding his own?"
"Show off!" Shino pouted.
Baruto grabbed his blade and blocked another strike from Rui, who jumped back, attempting to pierce Baruto through the gut, but the latter sidestepped, using his blade to keep himself anchored.
Shino fired more vectors, one of which erased Rui's blade and allowed Baruto to use the handle of his blade to whack Rui in the face. Rui barely even flinched, and when Baruto followed up, Rui caught the blade in his hand.
"Ahh," Rui chuckled. "So your physical buff is in your shoulders, not the legs like the girl."
"Correct," Baruto confirmed. "It's how I swing my blade."
"Well, I'll take that!"
Rui used his shoulders to pull the blade out of Baruto's arms, who barely even reacted as Rui tripped him with his own weapon.
Zaria charged at Rui, but Rui's blade kept her at bay. Shino kept firing vectors at Rui, keeping him on the edge, while Han and Bakuō both watched.
"G—go, team!" Bakuō cheered.
With a sharp slash, Rui formed a burst of wind that pushed everyone back, leaving only Bakuō and Han standing there.
"Huh," Rui commented. "Now what's this? Not going to join the duel?"
Bakuō got to the ground, cowering. "Please don't hurt us!"
Han looked at him, confused. "Dude, you still have powers! I'm the actual weak one here!"
Rui grabbed Han's arm, and Han reflexively punched him in the face. The man laughed, blocking Han's next strike with ease.
"Huh," Rui said, stunned. "You don't have any Jugen. But…how are you a Kaitansha?"
Han tried to form his cube, but nothing happened. "Come on! Why do this at the worst possible time?"
Rui rubbed his chin. "No, there's something deeper at play here. It's as if…your power is elsewhere."
"Elsewhere?"
"No matter. We'll just have to draw whatever's left out of you, no?"
He lifted Han by the head. "After all, I've never tried out Kōbisha before."
Bakuō stood up, biting his nails before taking a deep breath. "Jugen-Henshōsha: Kōya Funnu no Jūgyū!"
The boy turned into a large bison, charging at Rui at full speed and headbutting the Mujinsha hard enough to stagger him. Han dropped to the ground, tumbling.
"Wait, if you could do that the whole time, why were YOU the one hiding?"
Bakuō used his foot to scrape the ground before rushing towards Rui, who shifted into Bakuō. "Jugen-Henshōsha: Kōya Funnu no Jūgyū."
Rui shifted into a bison just like Bakuō, and the two rammed into each other at the same time. With grunts and huffs, the two went back and forth, swinging their horns at each other.
Bakuō hit Rui hard enough to draw blood, but the latter eventually trapped Bakuō between his horns and tossed him aside.
The kids regrouped, with everyone but Han tired and exhausted. Rui shifted back into his normal form, a calm look on his face.
"Well?" Rui questioned. "Your goal is to capture me, no? So capture me!"
"Do we even have a chance at getting this guy?" Shino wondered. "Everything we do, he just matches!"
Zaria turned to Han. "Well, one of us has a class built around trapping, but he's standing here like he's a liability!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't know my Jugen would just disappear!" Han shot back. "What am I supposed to do, beg until it comes back?"
Baruto stepped forward. "Let's just strike until one of us goes down."
"That's such a stupid plan," Shino shot down. "I'll target his limbs. Guys, you wear him down. We just need him alive, not in one piece."
"Right!"
Zaria lunged at Rui, who sighed. "This again? I tire of this repetitive bout."
She tackled him to the ground, wrestling with the Mujinsha as he tossed her aside. Baruto, riding on Bakuō's back, delivered a powerful slash to his chest, dropping him to the ground. Rui backhanded the two, knocking them to the floor.
Shino fired a barrage of vectors, keeping Rui on his toes as he dodged them, but Zaria appeared behind him, jabbing at him with her spear.
"Can't you show any manners to an old man?" Rui mocked. "Surprise attacks are just so rude!"
Baruto got back up, attacking at the same time as Zaria. Rui lifted both his arms, catching their weapons in the palm of his hands. "Hmph."
Bakuō charged at Rui, forcing him to push the others aside and brace himself as the bison rammed through him, flipping him over.
"Now, Shino!" Zaria shouted.
Shino got into position.
"Jugen-Metsusha: Chōdan!"
Shino fired a strong vector that bounced across the ground, ricocheting from Rui's right arm to his left leg, and finally taking off both arms at the shoulder. Rui fell to the ground.
"Impossible! Me, defeated?"
The group surrounded him.
"Normally, Han would be the one to restrain him," Zaria pointed out. "But since Han is useless, uh, Baruto, could you carry him on your back?"
"Sure," Baruto shrugged, picking the crippled Changling up.
"My honor has been tainted," Rui moaned. "Losing, to human children of all. The others will never accept this."
"Well, that's too bad!" Shino replied. "Now, floor, let us go!"
〈Challenge Complete.〉
〈Results 2/3 Processed. Waiting...〉
"Results?" Zaria read. "What results?"
"M—maybe we have to wait for everyone else?" Bakuō proposed. "A ton of us did come in here, I hope they're ok!"
Rui watched the UI with a smirk, and unbeknownst to everyone, a small holographic cube hovered high in the air, pulsing.
"All according to plan," Rui whispered. "How amusing."
For a moment, Han caught a glimpse of the cube, but it disappeared as fast as it came.
"…Huh?"
—-