Kairoji attempts to stab Double, but Double, still with his face in the floor, grabs Kairoji''s dagger with his right hand. Kairoji tries to pull the dagger away, but Double grips it tightly as his hands begin to bleed.


    Double quickly jumps up, and uses his left hand to uppercut Kairoji. The uppercut sends Kairoji off balance, but he quickly moves out of the way before Double can follow up.


    Smoke begins to form around Double''s body, and within the smoke is a bright white light. The smoke instantly vanishes, and before Kairoji''s eyes is Double, with his eyes still yellow, but blinking white every second.


    "He can still stand...was him laying on the ground a trap for me to get close? But something seems different about him. His eyes...why are they blinking white?" Kairoji remarked, a sense of concern coursing through his body.


    As Double''s jacket sleeves gradually lengthened, an ethereal glow of pure white emanated from them, casting an eerie luminescence in the void around. With each passing moment, the air thickened, as if laden with an invisible tension, and Double''s countenance twisted into a visage of unmistakable fury. As Kairoji peered ahead, a sense of déjà vu washed over him, a sensation tinged with an uncanny familiarity.


    ''He reminds me of Valor, that bastard. So composed now, but I sense within him nothing but a want for violence. At any moment, he could unleash hell upon me. This sensation... it''s deeply unsettling.'' Kairoji expressed.


    Double began to stride forward, his arm outstretched, pulsating with an overwhelming surge of aura. Despite the torrents of energy emanating from him, the TV static-like appearance of his aura remained unchanged. It was evident from his demeanor that Double was emotionally detached, devoid of any contemplation, his sole focus fixated on the annihilation of Kairoji.


    "Before...I wasn''t able to fight you to my heart''s content. Using shock waves took a huge toll on my body, but reinforcing my arms and legs with wind should allow me to kick your ass much easier." Double stated, his face bearing an emotionless, deranged look.


    "You understand that you''re skating on the edge, right? Continuing this fight will only bring you closer to stage three. You understand what that means right, if that happens, you''ll not only be out of this fight, but you won''t be the same. It seems you''ve developed your ability too, so this definitely will take you out quickly." Kairoji says.


    The Sakusei bestows diverse abilities upon its bearers, with each ability represented by a distinct color. However, not all Sakusei eyes grant awakening or power augmentation capabilities. Some compensate for this by endowing their bearers with inherently potent abilities. This nuanced system strikes a balance between raw potential and specialized prowess, offering a varied landscape of strategic choices and intricate interactions among those possessing Sakusei eyes.


    Kairoji is indeed correct in noting that a Sakusei ability would only accelerate essence burnout. However, what Kairoji fails to realize is that Double still isn''t using an ability. With the assistance of Sylphs, Double possesses the remarkable capability to alter the essence of his aura from its standard state to that of wind. This grants him the extraordinary power to actively manipulate the wind to further boost what his shock waves are capable of.


    ''There has been no shift in power; he''s exactly as strong as he was previously. What the hell is going on here?!'' Kairoji pondered, beads of sweat streaming down his face.


    As Kairoji is speaking, Double suddenly takes the wind from his arms and reinforces them into his legs. He flies forward towards Kairoji, leaving a gust of wind behind him.


    Double swung at Kairoji with precision, his right hand a blur in the air, yet Kairoji, nimble and alert, evaded each blow effortlessly. Seizing the moment, Kairoji lunged forward, aiming a swift stab with his dagger, but Double''s reflexes were keen. With a swift movement, Double seized Kairoji''s hand, halting the dagger''s advance. In a seamless motion, Double pulled Kairoji off balance, using his momentum to propel himself forward. In a fluid leap, Double vaulted atop Kairoji, delivering a decisive blow with his foot to the crown of Kairoji''s head.


    Kairoji''s head gets planted into the ground, and as he lifts his head up to look at Double. Double is already gone, and what''s left is a gust of wind. Double had already been out of sight, but Kairoji stays calm, believing that Double isn''t fast enough to catch him off guard.


    ''It''ll take a lot more practice, switching the reinforcement of wind between my arms and my legs is something I''d have to get used to." Double thinks to himself, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on Kairoji, a solemn expression etched across his face.


    As Double''s feet make contact with the ground, a confident grin creeps across Kairoji''s face, accompanied by the satisfying crack of his neck. With a surge of adrenaline, Kairoji charges towards Double, initiating a lightning-fast exchange of blows. He extends his right hand in an attempt to land a punch, but Double anticipates the move, skillfully weaving to the side. In a split second, Double retaliates with a swift left hook, striking Kairoji''s body with precision and force.


    Kairoji tries to turn his back and dash away from Double, but Double quickly does a haymaker with his right hand, shooting out four shock waves instantaneously. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ''Why hasn''t he hit essence burnout yet? This boy isn''t doing anything to even try and calm down his emotional quota. He''s truly just fighting and hoping he can last long enough, but even still..'' Kairoji thinks to himself.


    Kairoji realizes that trying to use long-range abilities won''t work against the speed of Double. Kairoji quickly tries to rush at Double again. Double quickly jumps to the sky, and does a simple flurry of jabs at Kairoji, raining shockwaves at him.


    "Jyu-Oh-Sei, Cyclone''s Wrath" Double says.


    Kairoji quickly out of fear for his life attempts to outrun the shock waves, but can only get so far as two of the shock waves land on his back. Kairoji gets up, and notices his vertebrae and ribs broken after facing such an attack.


    The void had been breaking more and more, but Kairoji knew that if he wanted to do any sort of damage, he''d have to gamble. Kairoji puts his right hand in the sky just like before, and his hands begin to flicker as he begins to generate a vortex made of lightning and fire again.


    ''If I manage to throw this, he''ll be compelled to evade it, granting me greater distance. This brat isn''t difficult to predict; all he possesses is speed and strength. By circumventing those attributes, victory is within reach.'' Kairoji thinks to himself.


    Kairoji unleashed the swirling vortex, a tempest of lightning and fire hurtling toward Double with a ferocity that seemed unmatched. Yet, despite the onslaught, Double''s expression remained stoic, betraying no hint of concern. As the vortex bore down upon him, Double seemed to vanish from Kairoji''s sight, leaving him momentarily bewildered.


    The cacophony of fury ebbed away, leaving behind an eerie silence broken only by Kairoji''s racing thoughts, consumed by the uncertainty of Double''s whereabouts.


    Then, without warning, Double materialized behind Kairoji in a flash, striking with blinding speed. A flurry of punches rained down upon Kairoji''s unprotected back, each blow exacting a toll in blood and agony. The wound, already severe from a previous assault, now seeped crimson more profusely, amplifying Kairoji''s pain to new depths.


    ''This is only the second clone, I can''t let this brat defeat me. If I lose here, it''ll only set me at more of a disadvantage. In terms of speed, the gap is too huge. He''s moving so fast that he''s completely invisible to me. I have to keep my eyes on him, if I don''t, then he''ll...'' Kairoji thinks to himself.


    Double wastes no time, before Kairoji can finish his thoughts. Double leaps up into the sky and begins placing a shockwave beneath his feet, keeping him in the sky.


    He gracefully balances on his left leg, while the other extends slightly forward, arms outstretched with fingers splayed like the swirling winds.


    Double begins to spin rapidly in mid-air, creating a whirlwind of motion around himself. Kairoji looks up, sweat pouring off of him, not knowing what to expect.


    "Jyu-Oh-Sei, Sonic Fist Blitz!" Double says.


    Double sends multiple shock waves made of wind surrounding Kairoji. Kairoji looks around himself, confused on why Double didn''t go for an attack.


    "What the hell? The shock waves he''s generated aren''t going away. He''s completely gone again, where is he?" Kairoji says.


    In a final, desperate bid to create some distance, Kairoji attempts to leap backward, only to be swiftly intercepted by Double, who emerges from one of the shock waves with a swift punch to the back of his head. Before Kairoji can even comprehend what has transpired, Double vaults into another shock wave, leaving him reeling in confusion.


    Kairoji rises to his feet, a sharp pang of pain slicing through his consciousness as he becomes aware of the blood trickling down the back of his head from Double''s vicious attack. Despite his efforts to fortify his aura and bolster specific regions of his body, it''s evident that his resilience could only mitigate Double''s onslaught to a limited extent. In truth, his body has endured a relentless barrage, and now, it''s only the sheer tenacity of his will that propels him forward, keeping his battered form in motion.


    "You''re about to die very soon, but Joki was right when he said that I caught on to what''s happening. This is a clone, and I''m only fighting half of your power. You''d be better off telling me where Kazu is, do something with your life before you die alone and weak." Double says.


    Kairoji''s eyes widen out of anger, and he attempts to attack Double, but he falls to the ground. The damage from Double had already taken its toll, Kairoji could keep moving, but the more he did, the worse the pain would get.


    "Listen to me, you''ve lost this fight. It doesn''t matter what you pull out, I bet you haven''t even realized how much the tables have turned have you?" Double says.


    "What are you..." Kairoji says.


    Double''s words prompted Kairoji to pause and reflect. As he did, he came to a stark realization—he had already reached stage three of essence burnout. So engrossed was he in the heat of battle that he hadn''t even taken a moment to acknowledge that he had pushed himself to the brink.


    "I see...those visions I saw of Valor in you. They weren''t just because of you, but I had been going well past my limit. Once again, I have fallen to my knees, and I am being looked down on by someone superior to me." Kairoji says.


    Double begins to reinforce only his left arm with wind, and he stares at Kairoji. The rapid blinking in his eyes begins to slow down.


    "You fought well, I really wonder who this Valor guy you keep speaking of is, but it''s too late to ask. You know, if I had to take a guess, maybe it''s a wild guess at that. I''d say that essence burnout is when you truly lose yourself. I fought a guy recently, and before he lost the fight, I noticed that he had slowly turned into a lunatic, burning himself out, and eventually his life was taken." Double muttered, his balance faltering, and a sense of weakness trembling through his knees.


    Without hesitation, Joki rushes in from outside the void to catch Double before he falls, as the void collapses completely.


    "About time, now then..." Joki says.


    Joki quickly pulls out his sword and attempts to cut Kairoji''s head off, but Double quickly stops him.


    "Joki...just let him live, there''s no point in killing him." Double says.


    "Are you crazy, why would I..." Joki says.


    "We don''t know where Kazu is! For all we know, killing him now will possibly only strengthen the original. He can''t even walk anymore, he''s reached his limit. We need to leave him, and quickly look for Kazu." Double says.


    "Damn, you got a good point for once. Alright, leave him here. Kazu''s most likely fighting the original as we speak, we have to act fast." Joki says.


    As the intense confrontation between Double and Kairoji draws to a close, the urgent matter of Kazu''s disappearance looms large. With tensions high, Double and Joki swiftly gather Reima and embark on a frantic search throughout the festival grounds, their determination driving them to scour every corner in hopes of locating Kazu.