Hyobanshi was riding his horse with his small party. Itachi still had his eyes bandaged as he was wrapped tightly around Yasuke.

Arata was still frozen solid as a statue and tied to the back of Kiki’s horse.

Hyobanshi stared forward through the empty fields of grass.

The sun was low in the horizon, making the sky a beautiful painting of purple, pink, and orange with the white clouds moving ever so slowly across the canvas.

It was peaceful and quiet.

“How much longer?” Itachi asked.

“The next village should only be another hour away. But if you wish to stop now, that is fine by me.” Hyobanshi said.

As the sun was growing lower and lower, the sky was turning darker and darker.

The group continued riding their horses, but Hyobanshi came to a stop.

The others stopped as well.

“What is it Hyobanshi?” She asked.

Hyobanshi looked up at the night sky.

The black sky was beginning to change.

The darkness was starting to turn a deep and dark shade of red.

“What is that?” Yasuke asked as everyone drew their attention to the sky.

The group watched on as the red became stronger and stronger.

The world around them began to be soaked in a red hue.

A massive red light emerged, seeming to stare down at the world as Hyobanshi stared back into it.

Yasuke and Kiki both covered their eyes, the light too strong and bright for them.

Hyobanshi continued to stare unaffected.

Suddenly, something seemed to come from the red light.

Something racing downward to the ground.

Hyobanshi simply followed it with his eyes.

It was shaped like a person, but larger than any he had seen before.

The thing crashed onto the ground, yet didn’t cause any damage or any noise.

Hyobanshi kept his horse in place as he stared forward, waiting to see what the thing was.

A tall figure emerged from the darkness, the red hue covering everything making it hard to tell what color his skin was.

“What brings you here?” Hyobanshi asked.

The figure moved forward even more, allowing Hyobanshi to see their face.

The skin was a bright blue, with strange asymmetrical and uneven patterns of white and black lines covering his body.

“This world seems like a good fit.” Polarice spoke, staring at Hyobanshi with a smile.

Hyobanshi slowly got off of his horse as Yasuke and Kiki watched on.

Hyobanshi began to step closer, his hands both behind his back as he moved.

“I do not know what you speak, but I would appreciate if you moved out of our path.” Hyobanshi said.

Polarice’s head slightly tilted as he stared with madness in his miscolored eyes.

“What are you?” Polarice asked in his alien tongue.

Hyobanshi just stared back, unable to answer the question that he didn’t know or understand.

“Alright. I’m going to guess…” Hyobanshi started.

Polarice’s blades suddenly formed and appeared in his hands.

Hyobanshi continued to watch while his hands were still clasped behind his back.

He observed the blades the figure in front of him was holding.

A large sword with a black blade and thin red outline. The sword was larger than Hyobanshi’s own sword by a significant amount. His gaze then moved to the dagger. The same design but much smaller and faster.

Hyobanshi continued to stare at the blades.

“This world…will be ours…” Polarice spoke slowly.

“You speaking slow isn’t going to help me understand you. But it's quite obvious what you wish to do.” Hyobanshi replied.

His hand slowly reached out from his back and grabbed the hilt of his sword, very slowly and silently pulling it from the sheath.

“I do not wish to fight you, but I will if it means survival.” Hyobanshi said.

Polarice began to maniacally laugh.

Hyobanshi subtly looked upward, staring at the void of red and black that was overtaking the sky.

It seemed to be…alive.

Hyobanshi kept staring at the strange thing above him, trying to figure out what it could possibly be.

“You will be killed in a most glorious duel.” Polarice laughed in his tongue.

Hyobanshi’s attention was drawn back to him as he gripped his sword tighter. Hyobanshi held the sword out and lowered his body, his legs slightly bending to lower his center of gravity.

He stood in a traditional fighting stance, preparing for a duel with an unknown enemy.

“I suggest you leave before it is too late.” Hyobanshi said.

The world was completely soaked in red, the sun nowhere to be seen anymore.

Hyobanshi and Polarice continued to stand only a few feet away.

Polarice slowly lowered into his own fighting stance, a stance that Hyobanshi had never seen before.

Hyobanshi’s eyes squinted as he stared forward.

The two men were unmoving.

Neither was going to make the first move.

The first move, if unsuccessful, would mean defeat.

The first move, if successful, would mean victory.

Hyobanshi was observing Polarice, trying to figure out any weaknesses to the large frame.

Polarice was doing the same, looking over Hyobanshi as he licked his lips.

The two were solid statues, their minds running through every single possible strategy and counter strategy they could think of.

Hyobanshi and Polarice’s eyes were locked on each other.

The first one to look away was most certainly going to be killed before they could look back.

Neither of them even wanted to blink.

They kept their eyes open for as long as they possibly could.

Their bodies, despite growing sore and tense, refused to move by even the slightest inch.

Neither of them spoke.

Speaking would use too much of their brains and distract them from fighting.

Neither of them would loosen the grip of their weapons by even the slightest amount.

Any sign of weakness would be enough for the other person to pounce on.

Any sign of tiredness would be enough to lose the battle.

The two simply stood in silence, waiting to see who would move first.

But as the two men stood, the sun was beginning to rise.

The red light was being washed away, everything turning back to the normal color.

Hyobanshi was flooded with the warm sunlight, his half of the world being washed with the warmth.

But Polarice and his side of the world were still bathed in the hellish red and black.

A single line where the two sides met. A thin line of pure darkness seperating and combining the two worlds at the same time.

Hyobanshi took a deep breath inward as he felt the sunlight on his skin.

Then, he took a long breath out.

The breath out was enough movement for Polarice.

The weapons suddenly disappeared from his hands.

Polarice darted forward, running on his four limbs like a wild animal.

He jumped into the air, flying away from the red and black before being illuminated by the bright sunlight.

His skin was a painful shade of bright blue as his two blades suddenly formed in his hands once again.

Hyobanshi lifted his blade up just in time to block the strikes from Polarice.

Hyobanshi then pushed back with his sword, causing Polarice to slide across the dirt and grass, kicking it up into the air as he chuckled.

Polarice ran forward again as Hyobanshi went for his own slash.

Polarice suddenly darted to the side as if momentum meant nothing to him.

He then went to stab into Hyobanshi’s side, but Hyobanshi used the momentum of his swing to bring the sword around and hit Polarice’s blade away, sending it flying into the air.

Polarice only had his dagger left, slashing around with an animalistic pace as he kept chuckling.

Polarice lifted his leg and suddenly kicked Hyobanshi in the chest, sending him flying back.

Polarice caught his sword perfectly in his hand as Hyobanshi rolled backwards and straight back onto his feet. He began to walk forward again and stared at Polarice, waiting to see what he would do first before responding with his own plan.

Polarice charged forward and threw the dagger at a high speed towards Hyobanshi.

Hyobanshi was able to sidestep it with ease when Polarice tried to slash his sword down with all of his strength.

Hyobanshi blocked it and their blades were both above their heads as they locked eyes.

Hyobanshi stared into the eyes, one white and one black, with aggression.

Hyobanshi noticed one of Polarice’s hand move away from the sword. It went out as the dagger suddenly formed from what resembled shadows.

Hyobanshi’s eyes went wide as he barely jumped out of the way of a slash.

He gripped his sword tightly before slashing rapidly, creating a whirlwind of violence that Polarice struggled to keep up with and block.

Polarice was stumbling backwards before slipping and falling onto his back.

Hyobanshi held the point of his sword to Polarice’s neck, but Polarice just laughed.

Polarice grabbed dirt with his hand and threw it into the air, temporarily blinding Hyobanshi as he stumbled back.

Hyobanshi used one hand to rub his eyes clean of the dirt, but his ears could still hear Polarice moving.

He listened as intently as he could.

Then he heard the footsteps coming rapidly from behind.

He wildly and blindly slashed his sword as Polarice raced towards him.

Polarice only just missed the blade, having to bend backwards and go under the swing. As the sword passed over his face, he stuck his tongue out to lick the sharp and strong metal before laughing.

Hyobanshi finally got the dirt out of his eyes, able to see just as Polarice’s dagger was coming for his face.

Hyobanshi grabbed Polarice’s wrist and used the momentum to throw him over his body. Polarice went flipping over Hyobanshi, but landed on his feet.

Hyobanshi kept a hold of the wrist before twisting it violently to the side. Polarice dropped his dagger when Polarice kicked Hyobanshi’s sword out of his hand, causing it to fly and spin through the air.

Hyobanshi quickly did the same to Polarice, sending the sword flying before it suddenly disappeared in midair.

Polarice violently grabbed Hyobanshi’s other wrist.

The two men stood, each dominating one side as their faces were an inch away,

Neither of them spoke.

The fight was one of silence, aside from the sound of weapons and body parts colliding with each other.

Hyobanshi stared forward when Polarice suddenly pulled his head back.

Hyobanshi looked confused, but then Polarice suddenly whipped his head forward with a violent headbutt sending Hyobanshi flying backwards.

Hyobanshi’s skull was cracked open, blood pouring out from his forehead as he hit the ground with a loud thud.

Hyobanshi’s head was ringing as he struggled to stand.

Even after he got to his feet, he couldn’t stay upright for long.

He stumbled around aimlessly, struggling to see due to the bright sunlight.

Polarice grabbed Hyobanshi by the back of his neck and threw him back, crossing over the line that seperated their worlds.

Hyobanshi was cast completely in red light and darkness as he hit the ground.

He looked around, his head still violently ringing.

The red light was dimmer, allowing him to see more clearly without his head hurting.

He watched as Polarice walked through the sunlight, growing darker and darker before he was cast in red and black.

Hyobanshi got to his feet and looked around for his sword.

He couldn’t find it anywhere nearby, but he turned just as Polarice went for a punch to his head.

Hyobanshi got out of the way just in time, landing his own punch to the side of Polarice’s head.

It was like he punched a boulder, grabbing his hand afterwards, yet Polarice still stumbled from the force of the strike.

Hyobanshi held his hand and shook it around, squeezing it to keep blood flowing.

Polarice ran forward and threw his arm out like it had no control. Just a long arm flinging out towards Hyobanshi.

Hyobanshi ducked under it and grabbed Polarice by his waist, lifting him off the ground before arching backwards and slamming Polarice down on the back of his head and neck.

Polarice’s neck bent at a horrific angle, yet he got up like it was nothing.

Polarice went to boot Hyobanshi right in his chest, but Hyobanshi caught his foot. He suddenly punched down onto the knee, causing the leg to snap and bend the opposite direction of the way it should.

Polarice was still silent despite the pain filing his body.

Hyobanshi jumped up and spun in midair before hitting a kick right to Polarice’s face, causing him to fall backwards.

Polarice lifted his head and looked down at his broken leg. He reached down and grabbed it, forcefully snapping it back into place with his bare hands.

Hyobanshi was limping to the edge of the red light, looking out to see his sword almost hidden by the grass.

As he drew closer to the sunlight, his head began to hurt more and more. He turned around to see where Polarice was, but was suddenly punched in the chest and sent flying backwards.

Every strike that Polarice landed felt like a massive explosion, while Hyobanshi’s strikes felt more like being hit with a stick. It did hurt, but nowhere as much as Polarice’s attacks.

Hyobanshi just so happened to land right next to his sword, quickly reaching out to grab the hilt.

Polarice jumped high into the air and was racing down towards Hyobanshi, but Hyobanshi rolled out of the way.

Polarice’s legs smashed down into the ground, creating a small crater around him.

Polarice turned to look at Hyobanshi, but he couldn’t move towards him.

Polarice looked down at the ground.

His legs were buried a foot into the ground, the rock and dirt tightly squeezing his limbs.

Polarice struggled to break free when Hyobanshi stumbled around.

He couldn’t stand straight, and his head was still ringing painfully loud.

He clutched his temple, gritting his teeth as he tried to think in hopes that it would help.

Hyobanshi continued to stumble towards Polarice, lifting his sword into the air.

But then Hyobanshi froze.

The veins all across his body began to bulge.

His eyes stared with panic as Polarice watched on in confusion.

Hyobanshi’s blue eyes suddenly turned pure red.

Polarice now looked shocked and panicked.

He got his legs free just in time as Hyobanshi’s body, no longer under his control, slashed down with so much force that the ground split open. The slash created a small earthquake that split the ground in half.

Hyobanshi’s body was rapidly twitching as Polarice was walking backwards, as if retreating from fear and confusion.

Polarice’s blades reformed in his hands as Hyobanshi began to slash his sword at a frantic pace.

Polarice could only block out of instinct, every attack coming too quickly for his mind to think at all.

Polarice was only fighting to survive at this point as Hyobanshi’s body continued to slash and fight like a wild, starved animal.

Polarice fell backwards once again as Hyobanshi just wildly slammed his blade down over and over and over again like it was a massive hammer, trying to crush Polarice with the sharp metal.

Polarice lifted his blades up and made an X shape in order to block the strikes.

He looked up at the monster above him.

Hyobanshi’s body with the burning red eyes smashing down over and over and over.

Polarice drew his attention to The Red above him.

It stared back without emotion or thought.

They seemed to be communicating in silence.

Polarice closed his eyes.

Hyobanshi was blinded by pure rage that he didn’t take advantage. He just kept slashing down into the same spot being blocked over and over and over again.

Polarice’s eyes opened wide as his blades suddenly went outward just as Hyobanshi’s blade struck.

A shockwave fired out and sent Hyobanshi stumbling back but staying on his feet.

Polarice jumped from his back on the ground and landed on his feet.

Polarice swung his sword with force.

Hyobanshi was able to slash his own and block it, but the force created another shockwave that exploded out.

Every strike that either man threw had enough force to cause a small explosion of air in every direction, their bodies being rippled by the force.

Hyobanshi gritted his teeth as his red eyes began to glow even brighter.

Polarice pushed back with all of the strength and energy he had left.

The two men each swung their swords with all of the force and power that they had.

The shockwave created by the force of their blades meeting was that of a nuclear bomb, creating a violent gust of wind in every direction.

Kiki managed to create a magical shield just in time, preventing the group from being blown away as the wind raced around them with violent power.

The ground beneath Polarice and Hyobanshi was beginning to break even more.

The two men locked eyes and pulled their swords back again.

They paced around in a circle, locking eyes the entire time before they both slashed their swords again.

Once again, their blades met with an explosive shockwave.

The ground beneath them began to crack more and more with every strike.

The two men paced in a circle once more, locking their eyes with each other.

They both lunged again for another strike, yet the blades collided to send more violent air rushing out.

The ground was on the verge of shattering beneath them if one more hit like this occurred.

Their strikes were planet breaking as they once again paced around each other. The ground between them covered in cracks, forcefully being ripped apart by their conflict.

Polarice was the first to jump forward, but Hyobanshi didn’t.

Polarice lifted his sword into the air, but Hyobanshi’s eyes turned back to blue.

And within a single moment, a measurement of time too short that it would be impossible to describe, Hyobanshi’s blade slashed forward as his body went from rest to a blur in that same instant.

Hyobanshi’s body was suddenly on the other side of Polarice as a sonic boom accompanied him.

Hyobanshi was breathing hard as he stood, gripping his sword tightly.

His sword that had blood running down the curved steel.

Polarice gasped, his body also breathing heavy and hard breaths.

He looked down very slowly.

His abdomen had a massive cut, blood pouring out and running down his legs as he quickly fell to his knees.

Polarice dropped his two blades next to him as he struggled to breathe.

His body was growing weaker and weaker as he put his hand over the wound, feeling the blood wash over it.

Polarice only stared forward.

He was in the sunlight, a mere inch away from the red and black.

His hand reached out, passing over the line of darkness merging the two worlds.

His hand became bathed in red light as he lifted his head towards the sky.

He stared directly into The Red, which watched on as Polarice was dying.

It wasn’t doing anything but watching.

Hyobanshi walked over to Polarice, putting his hand on Polarice’s shoulder as he stood behind him.

Polarice tried to speak, but was unable to.

His throat was tight and tense, the words being trapped.

Blood however rushed up and began to ooze out between his lips, running down his chin.

Hyobanshi lifted his sword up, putting it on Polarice’s shoulder.

Polarice looked to his side at the blade extending past him.

His eyes locked with the reflection in the blood stained silver.

Polarice only shed a single tear as he stared at himself.

He turned his gaze back forward, looking into the red soaked world in front of him.

He could still feel the sunlight shining on him, but it was on the other side of his body.

He looked over again.

The sun was beginning to set over the horizon once again.

The two warriors had fought each other from sunrise to sunset.

And Hyobanshi was the victor.

Now all that needed to happen was for Hyobanshi to end Polarice’s life.

To seal his victory with a swift kill.

Polarice watched as the blade extending out began to lift into the air.

Polarice closed his eyes, as if accepting his fate.

Polarice was waiting for his death to come and free him.

Free him of his pain. His anger. His power.

But that freedom didn’t come.

Hyobanshi sheathed his sword, turned around, and walked away.

Polarice opened his eyes once he heard the footsteps walking away from him.

Polarice began to sob, falling forward to the ground.

As he should have landed on the ground, he was suddenly floating inside of The Red.

The Red floated away from the planet, leaving it undamaged as the world was becoming soaked in the natural darkness and moonlight rather than the hellish red hue.

Hyobanshi made his way back to his group.

Kiki and Yasuke looked at him. Yasuke looked confused, while Kiki just hugged him tightly.

“Why did you let him live?” Yasuke asked.

“I already won the fight. It would do nothing to end his life,” Hyobanshi replied.

“So you are a man of honor.” Kiki said softly.

Hyobanshi looked at her curiously as Yasuke sighed.

“I will not discuss this with you anymore.” Hyobanshi said as he grabbed his head.

Kiki put her hands on either of his temples as she began to whisper very quickly.

As she spoke, Hyobanshi let out a satisfied groan.

When she pulled her hands away, he rolled his head and neck around.

“Do you feel better?” Yasuke asked.

“I do. Now, we need to go with haste. We lost one day and I don’t intend on losing another.” Hyobanshi replied.

Everyone got back onto their horses and immediately began to race quickly across the empty fields.