By now, the two had all but abandoned formal techniques. They countered each move as it came, their defenses and ripostes stripped down to their purest form.
Akaza sneered, crossed his arms before him, then snapped them outward!
A fierce force pierced the air with a ringing hum. The moment Tetsu no Sosuke's blade met it, his hands began to tremble, as though he might lose his grip at any moment.
Akaza lunged forward and pursued him with a flurry of punches, talking all the while. "How are you any different from us now? Why keep up this pointless struggle? What do you think you can change? You can't even beat me. That lord's power is beyond anything you can imagine. Even if you faced him, as you are now, you'd only die. Stop resisting. Give up being human. What is there about those inferior creatures worth clinging to?"
His fist tore through the air with a sudden boom!
Tetsu no Sosuke went flying. He twisted in midair to regain his balance and landed on both feet, but the force kept driving him backward.
Akaza came after him, dropping from above with a crushing punch.
Tetsu no Sosuke raised his blade to meet it, deftly channeling the blow through the steel, through his body, and into the ground.
Boom!
Gravel flew and dust billowed. Flames sprang from the nearby embers and roared skyward once more.
The punch drove Tetsu no Sosuke's feet into a deep crater. He looked up to find Akaza's face inches from his own!
"Because I don't want to become a monster like you."
Tetsu no Sosuke heaved Akaza into the air, then sent his blade flashing upward after him.
Akaza blocked with both hands. A sharp clang rang out, and sparks scattered.
Tetsu no Sosuke kept