We're All Fucking Bros

"Looks like you've misunderstood something. Let me clear it up first."

Ryu Ishigori held up his index finger.

"I'm not with that puking woman. You're the challengers here."

Still in midair, Hajime Kashimo swung his electrified staff and drove it into the building beside him.

The staff tore through everything it touched under the force of his momentum, giving Hajime Kashimo enough resistance to finally bring himself to a stop.

"Your sneak attack failed, and you're still talking big?"

"No, no, no."

Ryu Ishigori wagged his finger.

"That wasn't a sneak attack. Just a little greeting before the main course. If you can't even handle an attack like that, you don't deserve a seat at my table."

"Arrogant bastard."

At those words, electricity flickered at the corners of Hajime Kashimo's eyes. He stamped down hard and launched himself forward like a thunderbolt.

"That's more like it!"

Gripping the cannon opening atop his head with both hands, Ryu Ishigori shouted as an even stronger Cursed Energy Cannon began to charge.

Boom!

A stream of blue light blasted out.

As lightning leaped rapidly across the buildings, the surging blue beam suddenly split apart in midair, becoming countless thin streaks of light that rained down over Hajime Kashimo's path.

"Heh. Cheap tricks."

Hajime Kashimo smashed the window beneath his feet, twisted, and slipped straight into the building, using it both to shelter himself from the attack and hide his movements.

Countless cursed energy shells rained down, instantly riddling the building, a monument to human civilization, with holes.

Where did he go?

Ryu Ishigori stared intently toward the building, but Hajime Kashimo was nowhere to be seen.

"Above you, moron."

The voice came from overhead. Ryu Ishigori looked up to find Hajime Kashimo above him, though he had no idea when he had gotten there.

The staff, wrapped in cursed energy, came crashing down. Ryu Ishigori raised both arms to block, and the tremendous force instantly shattered the rooftop beneath his feet.

"Now that's sweet."

Seeing him block the blow, Hajime Kashimo offered some praise of his own.

"You're not bad yourself. Pretty tough body you've got."

He had taken a fully charged staff strike head-on with his arms, and his skin had only reddened slightly. No wonder Kenjaku had called him the man with the highest cursed energy output among the Culling Game's Players.

The two fell along with the shattered rooftop, never pausing their exchange of blows.

Hajime Kashimo whipped out a leg, driving a cursed energy-enhanced kick hard into Ryu Ishigori's abdomen.

Ryu Ishigori was sent flying backward, smashing through several collapsing walls along the way.

But he hadn't been idle either. Even as Hajime Kashimo sent him flying, blue light flared atop his head again.

Inside the building's confined space, Ryu Ishigori's Cursed Energy Cannon had concrete spatial reference points, further increasing its power.

The ferocious Cursed Energy Cannon blasted out. Hajime Kashimo tried to repeat his earlier maneuver and split it with his staff, but he had misjudged its power this time.

Rather than cutting into the Cursed Energy Cannon, the staff he swung into it was knocked away by the blue light.

His strike had failed, and there was no time to dodge. Hajime Kashimo could only muster all his cursed energy to defend himself.

Boom!

He was blasted straight out of the building. After taking a Cursed Energy Cannon head-on, Hajime Kashimo looked battered and grimy, a burning sensation spreading all over his body.

The building collapsed during their battle, and Ryu Ishigori emerged from the rubble.

"Well? My cursed energy's pretty good, right?"

Hajime Kashimo wiped his face and, for once, didn't argue.

"Not bad. You've got some moves."

"Oh, right. From what you said earlier, you seem to know me?"

He had been so absorbed in the battle that it had slipped his mind. Now that their exchange had helped him calm down a little, Ryu Ishigori finally remembered that Hajime Kashimo seemed to have called him by name.

Hajime Kashimo said,

"That's right. I'm from four hundred years ago too."

"Oh? Didn't think I'd meet another strong fighter from my own era in the modern world."

Ryu Ishigori looked surprised at first. Then, like someone meeting a fellow villager in a foreign land, he excitedly threw an arm around Hajime Kashimo's shoulders.

"Hey, you should've said so sooner! So I'm not the only relic from four hundred years ago."

Despite having all the knowledge of the modern world in their minds, sorcerers accustomed to life in ancient times inevitably felt out of place amid everything around them.

Having someone from their own era appear beside them at a time like this would bring any normal person a little comfort.

But Ryu Ishigori was also puzzled. With strength like that, and coming from the same era, this man should have been someone he recognized.

The very reason Ryu Ishigori had chosen to cooperate with Kenjaku was that he had found his own era boring, having never met anyone strong enough to match him.

He studied the man's face curiously, but still couldn't identify him.

Could it be that he hasn't restored his original appearance?

So he asked,

"By the way, bro, what's your name?"

Hajime Kashimo paused, then immediately understood.

It was no wonder Ryu Ishigori didn't recognize him. Though they had lived in the same era, Hajime Kashimo had died before they ever had a chance to meet.

It was perfectly natural that he couldn't identify him.

There was no need to hide it, so Hajime Kashimo answered plainly,

"Hajime Kashimo."

"What? Bro, you're that Hajime Kashimo!"

Ryu Ishigori was stunned, as though he had heard something impossible.

Even living as far away as the Mutsu region, he had long since heard of Hajime Kashimo's great fame.

Unfortunately, just when Ryu Ishigori had wanted to pay him a visit, he had received word that this god of lightning had passed away.

Never getting the chance to test himself against the god of lightning from his own era had been one of Ryu Ishigori's regrets four hundred years ago.

Seeing him so excited, even the usually self-willed god of lightning felt a little awkward.

"It wasn't that big a deal. Nothing special."

Ryu Ishigori protested,

"How can you say that? I grew up hearing stories about you! They said you defeated countless powerful fighters from our era, and nobody could stand against you. I'd always wanted you to teach me a thing or two, but sadly, you'd already passed away by then. I only wished I'd been born a few decades earlier."

At that, overcome with genuine emotion, Ryu Ishigori even began pounding his chest in regret.

"Hey, easy, easy. You're getting way too worked up, bro."

Looking at him, Hajime Kashimo didn't quite know what to do. He offered some reassurance.

"Well, here's your chance, isn't it?"

Ryu Ishigori froze, then caught on.

That's right. They had both chosen rebirth through incarnation, and both their bodies were in peak condition. Could there be a better opportunity?

"For real, Kashimo, bro?"

"You've already called me your brother. What else is there to say? Of course I'll give you what you want."

"Oh, man, Kashimo, bro. You're a real one."

"Hey, we're all fucking bros."

They readied themselves and faced each other once more.