♊︎ 𝘔𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢 - 𝘎𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪'𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 [𝘈𝘜] ♊︎

[Season 6] Ep. 10 - Shadows Unleashed

As Shiro and Hitoyoshi parted ways after their encounter with Miasma, in another part of the forest, Kenshin found himself ensnared in a fierce battle against Sucker Punch. Despite facing the villain alone, he fought valiantly, grappling with the backlash of his own strength redirected by the sadistic foe who relished in his suffering.

- "Another Jet Punch? How original, hihihi," taunted Sucker Punch, effortlessly parrying Kenshin's blow with a smirk.

- "Will you ever stop yapping?!" Kenshin retorted, frustration creeping into his voice as fatigue began to set in.

Manami's marionette strings snaked around the villain's back, attempting to restrain him and create an opening for Kenshin. But Sucker Punch had absorbed so much energy that moving him proved as futile as shifting a mountain. In a bid to assist his friend, Kenichi extended his whiskers to ensnare Sucker Punch around the waist. Yet, their efforts yielded no progress – the villain remained immovable.

- "Seems we have some pests eager for a taste of their classmate's power. Stay put, kid, I'll deal with them," Sucker Punch sneered, addressing Kenshin before forcefully pushing him back.

- "NO! Manami, Kenichi! Get out of here!" Kenshin's cry echoed through the forest, a desperate plea for his classmates' safety.

In a flash, Sucker Punch darted among the trees, effortlessly slipping past the strings and whiskers attempting to ensnare him, resembling a supersonic viper, too swift to be followed. With lightning speed, he closed in and delivered a devastating blow to Manami's chin, rendering her unconscious with a single strike.

- "One down, who's next?" he proclaimed, his gaze fixed on a terrified Kenichi, poised to strike.

Fortunately, Kenichi's quirk instinctively activated, cocooning him in a colossal ball of hair just in time. Sucker Punch's punch sent him hurtling through the air, plowing through trees in his path. Shielded within the hairy sphere, Kenichi emerged unscathed but disoriented.

- "Drat! I should've gone all out from the start. No choice now but to finish what I've started," Sucker Punch declared, advancing toward Kenichi's landing site.

With a roar, Kenshin propelled himself toward Sucker Punch, channeling all his stored energy into a blistering charge to aid his friend.

- "You won't ignore me, I won't let you!" he bellowed, determination ringing in his voice."

Seizing the villain around the waist, Kenshin hurled him through a gauntlet of trees, each trunk splintering upon impact, before forcefully driving him into the ground, his grip unyielding to prevent any chance of recovery. Meanwhile, Riko, Kimino, and Noriaki watched on, their hearts pounding with a mix of fear and frustration, their desire to assist hindered by uncertainty. As Kenshin seemed on the brink of victory, their attention was abruptly diverted by a luminous column and a thunderous guitar riff echoing from deeper within the forest.

- "What's happening now? A distress signal?" Kenshin pondered aloud.

- "Looks like you're the one who should've kept an eye on me this time, kid," Sucker Punch jeered, pressing his palms against Kenshin's chest.

- "Look out! Inflate!" Noriaki's warning rang out just in time, prompting Kenshin to retreat as Sucker Punch discharged a surge of energy he had absorbed, unleashing an attack he named:

- "Return to Sender!"

The forceful blast flung Kenshin backward, his body hurtling through the air until he was abruptly caught by Noriaki, Riko, and Kimino, preventing a more disastrous impact. Though spared the full brunt of the explosion thanks to Noriaki's timely warning, Kenshin still felt rattled as he regained his footing.