The whistle was blown as the game stopped, Ashina winning the game. "Here are your winners: Ashina!" The crowd cheered as Tengoku dropped the flag. He brushed the feathers off of him, little holes and wounds leaking from his body. Shizukana walked over to him, helping him stay upright.
Kokkaku stopped attacking and let his arms fall to his side, sighing after all their intercations. "Nice, Joseph." He started to claw at his bone knuckles to start taking them off.
"Participants please take five minutes before we start the final game: Dodgeball!"
Matsumi ears perked up. "It's over? Dodgeball finally?!"
Kasaru let out a sigh of relief, he brushed his hair back which was now messy with sweat and some of his blood. It was finally time to put his plan in motion.
"Alright, I need all of you here."
He gestured his team to come over to him, wanting to make sure everyone was there in order for the ability to work at its highest level.
Raiden stood up and approached his side of the field. He had blood leaking out of his forehead, a wound received from Tengoku, began to quickly heal. He stood next to Kasaru as he slowly healed up his own body.
Yuki approached her side of the field, she had bruises on her face but no blood had been present, her head rattling from her previous fight with Shizukana.
Rai smirked as the celebration had commenced for his side winning. The King ecstatic to see the new generation. "One more game left. Let's see who pulls through."
"Alright, presuming that's everyone here I can begin now. By now with the addition of some adrenaline and that chocolate I gave you all earlier, your blood flow should have spiked to to a level I can work with." He twisted his hand and faced his palm down, pushing his hand forward as he cleared his throat.
"We accept our limitations and wish to become a vessel of strength." The veins in Kasarus arms once more became visible, his arm going red as he made a noise of uncomfort.
"We humbly ask for our souls to be linked as one, to become a transposition of one pillar. Soul Resonance!"
The redness in his arm faded as the group witnessed a visible red floating streak of blood coming off his body in all directions, going to them and attaching by the chest. He sighed and readjusted his posture.
"This is what I've been saving, for the time being we will now all be sharing one mana source which will be transmitted through my body, this isn't necessarily multiplication but more a division and addition of our mana reserves. I need to stress that even if this vastly expands our mana reserves beyond our current limits, if one of you start to drop too low you need to immediately sever the connection, otherwise we will all become just as exhausted as you are. The enemy team cannot see this connection so I don't think they'll know what we're doing."
The group could feel the power difference, it was like being hydrated by a refreshing jug of cold water after being dehydrated for a long time.
"With this, we will be somewhat synced in instincts and reaction as well. It won't be that strong though but enough to sense incoming danger for someone else."
Raiden thought of the advantages and disadvantages of this technique. "So essentially we are all linked now? I feel like there's a lot of ups and downs with it but at least we won't be fighting when it comes to dodgeball. We just gotta make sure we knock out the other enemy team."
"You're all transmitting your power and reflexes into me and I'm beaming it back to you in shared stronger portions. I'm a beacon more or less. It's integral that you don't get exhausted though, as I said." There didn't seem to be a set distance on the blood links at least.
The field transformed as the court came back, fresh and new as if the volleyball game never happened.
"I'll now explain the rules to you all. There are only two dodgeballs that will be issued out toward each team. Ashina won the last game they will have the right to throw first. Players must stay on their side of the court. If a player is hit with a ball by the opposite player then they are automatically eliminated. No exceptions. The last team standing is officially the winner! Players get to your sides now!"
Raiden cracked his knuckles and then his neck, he readied himself for the next match. He crouched down to the ground and waited for the match to start.
"I hope this goes without saying but try and not make it obvious I'm the vessel, if I get knocked out or disrupted it might stop all of our hearts. No pressure." Kasaru looked toward Yoshiwara's side, a bit nervous about this.
Raiden looked over at Kasaru and widened his eyes at Kasaru's words. "Stop our hearts? That's fucking crazy…"
"Don't worry about it to much it's a very low chance of that happening. Just keep me and yourselves safe and it wont be an issue." He tried smiling despite his doubts, he was currently transmitting the energy of his entire team, it felt like his entire body was buzzing.
"I'd strongly advise you all use your own self-strengthening techniques if you have any."
Matsumi finally stood up and walked over to his team after the past game. "I heard that right, right? We play dodgeball now!"
"Yeah..you heard the rules right? You good Matsumi?" Now that there was no combat, Tengoku could surely count on Matsumi.
"Only rules is don't pass the side and don't get hit!"
"Right..but aim the ball below the face. Last ones standing and we win!"
"Looks like they're planning something. Eh, don't matter." Matsumi put his hands behind his head and stood behind Tengoku.
Raiden eyed down the opposite team, he knew the costs of losing and what that could mean for his own status and Ashina's status with the schools. He held the ball in his hand, ready to move at the whistle at any given moment.