Tigers Bite 1

He lifted his hand, blade held parallel to the ground. In an instant, Ryuuzume burst forth in a nimbus of as-yet unmatched light as its blade was clad in wind. The result was one of extraordinary scale as the revolving winds devoured the atmosphere around them, threatening to suck all the surrounding objects into its grasp. Layer upon layer of cutting gale coalesced, forming this single blade of air. A blade of a whirlwind, capable of slicing all in its path.

Yes, this was the Noble Art that had felled both the Crimson Princess and Raikiri.

"For a con-artist like you, Kusanagi is overkill. However, it would be just as distasteful were I to fail to slay you by not completing the task. Therefore, take this special favor gratefully—and die."

Having delivered his parting shot, Ouma swung, sending his greatest technique at the severely wounded Worst One.

I can't take this technique on…!

He had to avoid it, by any means necessary. He was concerned of course, by the meaning behind the 'gift' of Edelweiss' that Ouma had spoken of. Still, he chased it from his mind for now, ordering his body—still wracked with damage done by the impact—to flee the oncoming threat with all its might.

But he froze up again—just like before. His brain desperately appealed to his body to flee, but his flesh was frozen, unresponsive. Were his bodily functions disabled by the damage? That possibility arose first in his mind. But checking his wounds, he dismissed it—they was severe, yes, but not the point where he would be immobile.

Then, why? He couldn't understand. He couldn't understand. But at this rate he would take the blow squarely.

Kuh!

He had to think of something. But nothing came to his mind, the only part of his body that had not yet stopped, even as its gears churned at full speed. He was about to be swallowed whole by the titanic force of that wind blade—

"Tear 'em to shreds, Tora-Ou!"

A young man wielding a yellow spear interposed himself between the Worst One and the blade of compressed wind that threatened to slice him to smithereens just as it would anything else. Well-built and with eyes like a predator's, it was the Seven Stars Sword King, Yuudai Moroboshi.

With a cry that pierced the skies, he thrust the golden spear at the descending tornado. Golden light shot forth from the point of the spear, the radiance swiftly taking the shape of a tiger's head—jaws open and fangs bared. The golden tiger created of magic power seized the oncoming wind blade in its wide open maw, bit down—and Ouma's trump card, the Kusanagi that had so easily taken down the Crimson Princess and the Raikiri—first rate student knights in their own right—was literally torn to pieces. Split asunder down the middle by the tiger, the blade of wind dispersed and ultimately dissipated into nothingness.

"You 'kay, Kurogane?"

Moroboshi asked as he stood between the brothers as Ikki's shield.

"Mo, Moroboshi-san, why are you h—?"

"You forgot somethin', so I came to give it back to ya."

So saying, he tossed an object towards Ikki's chest—his student datapad.

"The doc said you were headin' back on yer own. I was just takin' it easy, following the road back to the hotel… and then somehow just stumbled on some outrageous sibling argument."

Moroboshi then turned from Ikki to Ouma.