Dachi spoke from the observer room, "Kenji fell. Two left."
Kenji's gaze dropped. The medicine that he had fought for. The food and the snacks. No longer needed. His shoulders sagged as his lungs had nothing left.
What do I fight for…
"Leave," Akuma smirked.
Kenji's chest stiffened. The faces of those who forever stood behind in that village. The Shroud had taken everything. He curled his fingers into the sand and tightened his jaw.
Kenji stared up, "Again."
Akuma paused before stepping back, "Tch, Stubborn huh?"
No reply. Kenji got on both feet and lowered his body. The exact pose of Akuma. His breath drifted in the air as he felt less weight.
Akuma raised his eyebrow, almost amused as he spoke, "Let's end this quick."
Dachi raised his arm, "Round 2...Fight!"
Kenji circled around Akuma. Observing. Akuma was already half meter before his face. His leg swung. Kenji caught it first and drew away. Akuma pivoted. He followed up with his leg already straightened. Swept beneath Kenji. Without thinking, Kenji's feet recoiled off the ground. But Akuma didn't stop.
A fist hissed and pierced through air to find Kenji's face.
His brows shot up. Kenji snapped his body down and dashed behind Akuma. Kenji gazed up, open back. He lunged forward with his chalk palm spread wide.
"THUUD!" Kenji's jaw dropped. All air left his lungs as he folded at the abs. Akuma's leg collided with the liver. Two furrows carved where Kenji's feet dragged through sand.
His palm pressed to his side. The same spot where the earlier kick landed. Mouth opened but nothing came in. Akuma's fist already closed the gap to his face.
Cold grew on his back.
Kenji threw himself behind as he bit off the burning abs. Akuma's punch landed on both of his forearms. Twisted his wrist. Kenji's guard broke as he dug in between.
Kenji drew back before the knuckles found his face. Akuma closed the gap. Kenji jolted both hands up to his head, leaving his ribs open. Akuma's fist found the same spot. Kenji's liver jerked again before the impact rested on his bones.
Kenji arched to the front. His eyes blurred as his lungs forgot what to do. He looked up. The world snapped to the left instantly. His feet followed and trembled. Akuma approached with a smirk on his face, completely amused.
Elbow tucked in. Kenji's body bounced to the right as Akuma's leg landed. This strength. Kenji dashed back. He knew blocking didn't work. But knowing couldn't save him now. Akuma had already caught up to him.
Kenji raised his left leg up. His guard folded inward. "THUUUD!" White pain ran from thigh to elbow. Kenji flung aside. Akuma withdrew his right leg. He jumped and spun back.
Kenji's eyes widened. Too late.
"BAM!"
His back recoiled behind. Akuma's foot pierced through the gap between both of Kenji's arms. Collided his chest. Kenji skidded back and got down on his knee. Mouth gasped for air. Drowned in land as his lungs forgot what to do. Sweat rolled down his chin and escaped to the sand.
Kenji snapped his gaze up. Akuma stood with hands in pocket. Kenji's brows dropped and dug his fingers into the ground.
Three marks he needed. He must stand up. His face muscles gave out as he turned back to Akuma. Revenge. Kenji dragged himself up on his feet, unhurried.
Kenji remained silent. Body lowered down as the arms hovered to the front. Akuma stood with his shoulders rested. Blinked. Kenji's already one meter in front of him. His chest stiffened. He jumped back with his leg extended straight. Kenji whirled through it. His palm spread and swung to Akuma.
"BAM!"Five fingers printed clearly on Akuma's black plain shirt.
He dashed back. A gasp escaped his mouth as he gazed at his left rib. The heck?! He looked up. Kenji already lunged at him with his face stilled. Arm curled. This thing… Akuma's eyelids shot up instantly as he jumped far back. He inhaled hard. Akuma paused at Kenji for two seconds before shifting down the chalk mark. Veins grew on his fists and spread up to neck.
Akuma smirked, "Lucky one?"
Kenji dashed left and right to Akuma, "You thought so?"
Akuma's brows frowned deep as his eyes followed Kenji, "I see you!" Akuma whirled his hip. Leg swung. His kick went to air as dust clouded up beneath him. He gazed down. Kenji already slid through his feet to his back. He snapped behind.
"BAM!"
Kenji already stood afar, staring at him through the shoulder. Akuma's attention turned to his back. Another clean one. Would have died twice in actual war. Two marks on critical spots. Nerves grew visibly on his face as both of his pupils shifted from brown to faint red.
He stared at Kenji. Unhurried.
Kenji flinched. A faint red flame spread across Akuma's skin. Chest thundered. Tension grew on his shoulders as he tightened his fingers. Kenji stepped back.
Akuma lifted his foot and tilted his head. His neck cracked once. Twice.
Kenji waited. Betting on his reflexes. Akuma appeared with his fist already extended. Kenji's guard shot up as he locked his jaw. Nothing came. He looked through the gap between forearms. Akuma stood ten centimeters in front. He didn't punch?
Kenji glanced down Akuma's hip. Red flame kept growing at the curled fist. He snapped his guard down to abs and raised his leg. Akuma hadn't hit yet. Kenji's heart stopped as he found his face was open free.
Smirked.
"POW!" The knuckles drove straight to the cheekbones. Red flame exploded on impact. The ground rumbled with the sand hurled up in a perfect ring.
The world blurred and whirled. Kenji landed but didn't stop. He bounced three times and skidded on the ground a meter before finally stopping. The air thickened.
Hot steam curled off the knuckles. Akuma straightened and stared at the grey in dust. Unmoving. He smirked and turned away.
Pitch black. Kenji found himself in a complete void. He dragged any of his body but none followed. His pulse was slow. Pain. He noticed it was gone somehow. The battle ended?
Dachi counted down from the room, "10…9…8"
Kenji's heart pounded. The world brightened as he lifted his eyelids up. Blood puddled beneath his face. Lips were torn and his nose couldn't stop bleeding.
"7…"
He tightened his arms but only his fingers slightly moved. Come on… Kenji forced any of his body to move. They all betrayed.
"6…5…4"
Get…up. He dragged himself. Tears rolled to sand and merged with the crimson.
"3…"
The faces hit him. The warmth of the place he called home. Shattered. His face grimaced as the crimson vessels grew on the white of his eyes. Blurry.
"2…"
His limbs started moving as faint golden light grew across his skin. Tears kept falling. He crawled and got on his knees. Father, mother…Riku.
"1…"
Akuma felt something. His face shifted from smirk to frown. He turned back. Behind the thick dust, a grey figure stood firm. A sharp gasp left Akuma's mouth as he tightened his fists, "The hell are you!?"
Dust faded. Face full of red stains and bruises. He pushed himself forward.
Commander Dachi straightened his back on the seat. He adjusted the glasses, "Last round…Fight!" Akuma lowered his body and leaned toward Kenji.
"Damn you…"
"DAMN YOU, STUBBORN."
He drove to Kenji with both hands burning in crimson flames. The ground rumbled each footfall. Kenji didn't flinch and continued stepping to Akuma. Somehow, he felt weightless under the incoming pressure from Akuma.
Akuma reached Kenji. Arm shot straight to the face. The flame roared and burnt larger as it thrust.
"DIE!"
Kenji stilled. Unfazed. He leaned closer to it.
"KRUUNK!" Red flame exploded at his chest. Wooden walls fractured as the dust ring hit. The front door slammed open. Kenji flew and broke through out of the arena. The world shut to pitch blackness and his ears rang.
Akuma withdrew his fist. Exhaled hard as the flame faded. He looked again before walking away.
Done.