Crackle!
Bang! ×N
The Electro ball ricocheted across the open field at tremendous speed, smashing through the elemental blocks obstructing its path. Every impact produced a deafening blast, and with all the elemental reactions erupting around it, the arena seemed completely cut off from the outside world, as though it had become some apocalyptic landscape.
The ball continued accelerating, rebounding between the surrounding walls like a streak of lightning. Every time it came back, the floating barrier under Ei's control caught it with perfect precision and launched it again. Even when it flew toward a dead angle, she would transform into a flash of lightning and instantly reposition herself to send it back!
"..."
Watching from the side, the Shogun could not help showing a trace of surprise. Her violet eyes followed Ei's speed and movements with complete focus. Fortunately, the one standing here was her. If it had been an ordinary person, they might already have lost track of Ei entirely, able to see only the occasional streak of lightning cutting from side to side and feel the cold wind tugging at their clothes.
As expected of Ei... Even in a game like this, she was no less formidable. It was as though she had entered a genuine combat state. Every movement was sharp and aggressive, and even the aura surrounding her carried that same intensity.
Yet for some reason, as the Shogun watched Ei playing so seriously in front of her, a gratified smile appeared on her face. Perhaps Ei was happy inside as well. That made sense. Her mother rarely came out at all and usually stayed at home handling documents. Letting her enjoy herself to her heart's content like this was probably a good thing.
Whoosh...
The Shogun raised a hand to press down the strands of hair blown loose by the wind, then glanced toward the steadily increasing score on the board ahead.
It had already reached twenty thousand points.
Bang!
Half a minute later, the final elemental block on the field was destroyed by the lightning ball. The arena shifted again, returning to its original state.
"Haa..."
Ei stopped moving, exhaled softly, then patted down the front of her kimono before leaving the field and walking over.
Clap, clap...
Seeing that, the Shogun raised her hands and applauded lightly.
"Forty thousand points. Not bad."
"Mm—less than I used to get, but still acceptable."
Ei folded her arms and studied the score already recorded on the board, murmuring softly.
"Maybe you're just a little rusty?"
The Shogun replied.
"...Or perhaps I'm getting old."
Ei shook her head.
"You're not~! How are you old? Don't talk about yourself like that."
The Shogun immediately complained with some dissatisfaction.
"...You don't think I'm old?"
Hearing that, Ei curved her lips into a beautiful smile and asked softly.
"Of course you're still young... A-At least in my eyes///"
The Shogun blushed and turned her gaze aside.
"Hehe... Such a sweet tongue. Still... hearing you say that does make me rather happy."
Ei smiled, then reached out and pulled her close, stroking her cheek in the manner of a mother. By now, Ei had already left behind the combat state from earlier. Her aura softened, the light in her eyes grew gentler, and she once again became the familiar maternal figure she usually was.
"Would you like to try?"
Ei glanced toward the open field beside them and suggested it.
"Me? I can, but I've never played before. There's no way I can beat you."
"It's fine... It's only a game. Enjoying yourself is what matters most. Besides, I'd like to see what you can do."
Ei said.
"...Haven't you already seen that before?"
The Shogun puffed out her cheeks and complained.
"Back then, your heart wasn't calm. Besides, I taught you personally. In my eyes, my daughter's martial skill should be no worse than mine. So... calm your heart and prove it again through this game."
Akitsu Yuugei tested reaction speed, movement speed, the amount of force used to control the barrier, control over elemental power, and several other abilities at once. It was well suited for everyday practice.
"Fine. I'll listen to you."
The Shogun glanced at the field, then exhaled softly and nodded.
"Mm... Go ahead."
Ei stepped aside and moved to where the Shogun had been standing before, beside the noticeboard. The view from there was the best.
The Shogun activated her elemental power and awakened the field once more. She tossed an elemental ball onto the barrier in front of her, casually adjusted its direction, and tested the feel of the controls. Then she shifted her feet back and forth in preparation, her body flashing rapidly several times before she finally nodded toward Ei.
Hum!
Ei started the game...
Just as before, a large array of elemental blocks appeared over the open field for her to strike. The Shogun transformed into lightning and repeatedly rebounded the elemental ball from her position, destroying the blocks before her one by one.
Throughout the entire process, Ei kept watching the direction of her movements...
Half a minute later—
The Shogun returned to Ei's side and instinctively glanced at the score.
Thirty-eight thousand.
"Haa... As expected, I didn't surpass you. I'm still not used to it."
She shrugged.
"That's already very good. You've never played before, yet on your first attempt you nearly matched my score. And after seeing my demonstration only once, you were able to reproduce my movements and speed almost perfectly. You truly are my daughter, Raiden Ei's daughter."
There was even a trace of pride in Ei's voice when she said that...
"...Don't praise me like that... It's embarrassing///"
The Shogun said with a blush.
"Pfft... All right, I won't."
Ei indulgently rubbed her head, then walked past her again.
"What are you doing now?"
The Shogun asked.
"Play a match against me."
"Huh? Here?"
She froze.
"That's right. But we'll do it using the rules of Akitsu Yuugei."
Ei folded her arms and gestured toward her.
"What if I beat you? Will you sulk?"
The Shogun asked.
"If you beat me, that would be the best outcome... Why would I sulk?"
Ei replied without the slightest concern.
"...Fine. Then how do we compete?"
Simply put, the two of them would stand on opposite sides of the field and activate it. Each would control a barrier and launch elemental balls toward the shared elemental blocks in the center.
Whoever destroyed more blocks would earn more points. Whenever the final block was destroyed, a new set would appear as long as time remained. Catching one of the opponent's balls would also award points, while failing to catch one would deduct points. Finally—
There was no limit to the number of balls.
"Do you understand the rules?"
Ei asked the Shogun standing opposite her.
"I understand. Do you?"
The Shogun asked in return.
"Of course."
Ei answered.
"Three, two, one... Begin!" ×2
Crackle! ×2
The two of them activated their elemental power at the exact same moment with perfect tacit coordination, awakening the field. Their barriers and the elemental blocks instantly appeared in the center in all kinds of shapes.
Each of them tossed an Electro ball onto her own barrier and launched it forward at the same time!
Bang! ×N
In an instant, the lightning balls from both sides rampaged through the elemental blocks in the center like two intertwining thunder dragons, producing deafening crashes!
Because the elemental blocks possessed different elemental properties, all kinds of reactions erupted throughout the process. Combined with the collisions between the two lightning balls, waves of elemental effects spread across the surroundings, creating a dazzling chaos.
Bang! ×N
In only a few seconds, most of the elemental blocks in the center had already been destroyed, revealing the two women on opposite sides. The moment the Shogun saw Ei's figure, she instantly flashed aside, caught the rebounding elemental ball, charged it, and fired it toward Ei's dead angle!
Crackle!
The lightning ball struck the wall along the edge and changed direction with each rebound, closing in on Ei from an angle.
"..."
The moment Ei had exchanged glances with the Shogun earlier, she had already understood what she intended to do. Her eyes smoothly tracked the lightning ball's trajectory as she fired her own from her barrier, striking the other ball with perfect precision!
Bang!
The thunderous radiance created by the collision sent both women's long hair flying. At that moment, the elemental blocks in the center reappeared, once again obstructing their view of one another.
"—!"
Watching her own elemental ball, the Shogun raised a hand and gathered a second lightning ball before firing it as well, increasing both the frequency and efficiency of her attacks.
Hearing multiple impacts from within the wall of blocks, Ei immediately understood what the Shogun had done. She launched a second lightning ball of her own!
Bang! ×N
The field descended into chaos. As time passed, more and more lightning balls appeared across the arena. Each woman controlled three, making six in total. They collided with one another, ambushed each other's dead angles, and moved so fast they were impossible to follow with the eye, let alone the two women constantly intercepting their attacks.
By now, both had transformed into streaks of lightning, flashing continuously across the left and right sides of the field. The number of lightning balls had already increased to eight. Even so, both scores continued to rise without a single dropped ball or any of the red penalty effects appearing.
However...
When both of their scores reached two hundred thousand, one of them suddenly dropped. For an instant, the number turned red.
It was a point deduction.
Hum...
Time was up.
The game ended.
"Haa... Haa..." ×2
After returning from their lightning forms, the two looked over the now-darkened field, caught their breath for a moment, and steadied themselves.
Both of them instinctively turned toward the scoreboard.
The one who had lost points was Ei.
"Haa... Shogun, well done. I lost."
Ei exhaled softly and walked over with a smile.
"...!"
The Shogun's eyes slowly widened, then lit up. A faint trace of delight appeared on her beautiful face.
"I... did well this time, didn't I? I didn't let you down?"
She looked up, took Ei's hand, and asked softly.
"Silly girl... I've never been disappointed in you."
Ei smiled at her words and gave her the same patient reassurance as always.