Chihiro Rokuhira vs. Hiyuki Kagari is a battle between Chihiro Rokuhira and Hiyuki Kagari.
Upon locating Chihiro, Hiyuki immediately engages him in Tafuku's battle dimension, aiming to confiscate his blade for the Kamunabi. Chihiro does not desire to fight the Kamunabi but refuses to hand over Enten, though following his duel with Sojo his mind still grapples with the thought of people like Sojo wielding the blades, and whether he may one day become just like them.
Prologue[]
On the 1st of November, while investigating a Yakuza base in search of connections to the Sazanami Clan, Chihiro encounters Hakuri Sazanami on the upper floors of an apartment building, who had been captured by the group. After learning of his lineage, Chihiro decides to ally with Hakuri, whose aim is to destroy the Rakuzaichi auction his family runs.
The two enter a lift, where Hakuri explains his opposition to the morally decrepit auction and asks about Chihiro’s motives. Chihiro explains one of the Enchanted Blades Shinuchi is slated for auction, and he wouldn’t be able to bear allowing an Enchanted Blade to cause massacres and bloodshed, the memory of Sojo’s actions still fresh in his mind. Shiba then calls Chihiro, having wiped out a separate Yakuza base, telling him of Azami’s info that the Kamunabi had sent Hiyuki Kagari to pursue him eight days ago, who wields the Flame Bone of the Starving, which wields power on par with the Enchanted Blades.
Acknowledging the urgency, Chihiro ends the call and tells Hakuri that they need to hurry back to somewhere safe as he was being chased. The lift then reaches the ground floor, but the room is near-empty, with only Hiyuki Kagari standing to face them and her colleague Tafuku Mihara standing by to the side. Hiyuki readies her sorcery, calling for Rikuo to give her a Hand, bones emerging from the ground beside her and forming a flaming fist encasing her right arm, belching large volumes of smoke.
Battle[]
Hiyuki standing with Flame Bone active
Hiyuki issues an ultimatum to Chihiro to give up his Enchanted Blade if he wishes to avoid a fight. As Hakuri recognises Chihiro holds one of the Blades, Chihiro scans the room, recognising it is different from the populated one he had entered earlier and surmising Tafuku is responsible. Tafuku confirms his belief, stating the room they are in can be compared to a ‘holy sumo ring’ separate from the regular world, which will only disappear until the ‘match’ is considered over.
Chihiro turns back to Hiyuki and replies he has no intention to fight the Kamunabi, but Hiyuki interrupts him by dashing over and launching her flaming fist at his face, Chihiro swiftly drawing Enten in surprise to parry. Hiyuki counters Chihiro’s statement by declaring they had a reason to fight him; namely, to take away his Blade. As Hiyuki applies more force to her attack, Chihiro uses Aka in an attempt to absorb the attack, just as Hiyuki blasts him into the wall behind him, the wall shattering into pieces and Chihiro himself left slightly singed despite his use of Aka.
As Chihiro mentally notes how immense Flame Bone’s spirit energy is, Hiyuki is mildly surprised Chihiro blocked the attack and asks about Cloud Gouger’s location. Chihiro responds that he broke it, to Hiyuki’s surprise, though Tafuku is skeptical of his claim.
Chihiro once again repeats his message that he has no wish to oppose the Kamunabi. Reading his intention as having ‘noble beliefs’, Hiyuki voices her disregard for him, stating that weapons of vast strength like the Enchanted Blades should not be kept in the hands of individuals, but instead under the government, specifically the Kamunabi’s control for the nation’s benefit. She calls for Rikuo to use Ribs, flaming ribs extending from the ground to swipe at Chihiro, who jumps out of the way.
Hakuri takes a hit on behalf of Chihiro
Hiyuki also leaps into the air, bringing up how Kazane Machi had lost his right shoulder and many of his comrades, and such tragedies would continue to occur so long as Enchanted Blades were outside the hands of the Kamunabi. Such comments resonate with Chihiro’s memory of Sojo’s actions, and as the thoughts of whether he will ever turn out that way pile up within him he is barely able to block Hiyuki’s follow-up attack.
From his position in the elevator, Hakuri notices Chihiro’s hesitation as the two combatants fall to the ground and recognises Chihiro’s internal conflict. Wanting to support him in any way possible and seeing Hiyuki prepare another punch, Hakuri rushes in between the two, taking Hiyuki’s punch directly to his face.
Chihiro is shocked at Hakuri’s action and Tafuku winces to the side at the damage dealt. Hakuri is sent flying to the side, but even through his bloodied face he croaks out to Chihiro, saying while he doesn’t fully understand the circumstances regarding the Enchanted Blades and who should wield them, all he needs to know is that Chihiro saved him using one, both against the Yakuza and against Sojo.
Hakuri’s comment causes Chihiro to view him in a new light, and to the side, Tafuku is impressed by Chihiro’s feats and apparent bravery, but Hiyuki quickly shushes him. Hakuri is adamant that Chihiro’s sword suits him, and urges him to focus on battling so they could move on and concentrate on recovering Shinuchi.
Tafuku observes Chihiro is after Shinuchi while Hiyuki considers it further reason to eliminate Chihiro’s threat. While Hakuri lies on the verge of unconsciousness, Hiyuki once again tells Chihiro to cooperate and hand over his Enchanted Blade. She explains that Tafuku’s sorcery guarantees the situation is inescapable, and tells Chihiro if he refuses to cooperate he will be killed in order to sever his Lifelong Contract with Enten, dying as a traitor to the nation.
Chihiro's determination reignites
Abruptly Hiyuki’s tone shifts as she remarks she despises fighting people while they are weak and demands Chihiro show off the skills he had used to defeat Sojo in their bout, ordering him to stop holding back. Chihiro internally reconciles the Enchanted Blades’ danger within his head with their limitless potential; for good or for ill, knowledge Hakuri had helped him realise. With a newfound determination which Hiyuki and Tafuku pick up on, Chihiro internally states he will not hand over the Enchanted Blades to anyone else and activates Nishiki, readying himself to fight.
Seeing Chihiro dash off, Hiyuki shouts for Ribs again from Rikuo, this time encasing her in a protective flaming barrier. As the ribs writhe, Chihiro is forced to dash around the ironclad defence, before spotting an opening within the flaming construct. From his position, Tafuku sees Chihiro identify the supposed weakness, but knows it is a trap. When Chihiro swoops in, Hiyuki easily reacts to him despite his speed and catches his blade by the flat sides, ribs dissipating in an instant. Tafuku is initially ecstatic, but he and Hiyuki immediately realise the blade was his wakizashi and Chihiro had also caught onto Hiyuki’s plan.
Hiyuki deliberately takes Chihiro's attack
Chihiro, having let go of his wakizashi, speeds behind Hiyuki with Enten raised. Tafuku urgently yells for Hiyuki to watch out and Hiyuki spots the attack, but rather than dodge her expression turns irate and she takes the hit, her refusal to dodge despite being fully capable of doing so surprising both Chihiro and Tafuku.
In truth, Chihiro had hit her with the flat of his blade, and while Hiyuki was bleeding from her forehead she was otherwise unfazed, tapping the flat of Enten with a murderous gaze. Hiyuki then summoned a flaming fist to the side of Chihiro’s head and yelled for him to die as she launched it at him, the resulting explosion devastating the ground.
Chihiro dodges away using his speed as Hiyuki shouts at him to quit fighting while holding back, telling him she was fully prepared to kill him and was incensed he had hit her with the dull side of his sword. The smoke clears and the other three occupants of the room all see Hiyuki’s crazed expression as her battle frenzy comes to the forefront, Hiyuki shouting she couldn’t derive satisfaction from their bout if her life wasn’t at risk, voicing her dissatisfaction at Chihiro still refusing to aim to kill and prove himself to be a criminal worth killing.
Tafuku internally realises the degree to which Hiyuki’s anger has arisen, and ponders that Chihiro has demonstrated himself to be morally upright. Despite having informed Chihiro that he was the one sealing the area, Chihiro had refused to go after him; Tafuku had even been wary of Chihiro attempting an attack. Tafuku considers whether Chihiro had simply not realised the possibility but dismisses it, realising instead that Chihiro was attempting to match Hiyuki’s challenge all the while still refusing to budge on his own morals and refusing to give in to any desire to kill.
Chihiro takes Hakuri and runs as Tafuku's space closes
Tafuku greatly respects Chihiro for his thinking and suspects Hiyuki has picked up on it as well, though her own pride and position is getting in the way of her better judgement. Hiyuki mutters to herself that she couldn’t kill him if he wasn’t willing to do the same with her, stuck in a moral dilemma. Her rage spiking, Hiyuki roars out of frustration that she will kill Chihiro anyway, ordering Rikuo to unleash the Spinal Column.
A loud roaring fills the air and Tafuku is shocked, realising how serious Hiyuki’s desire to murder Chihiro is, before abruptly seeing Hakuri on the verge of consciousness, quickly yelling to inform Hiyuki. Knowing Tafuku’s space will disappear as a result, Hiyuki shouts out an order for Rikuo to cancel her attack as Chihiro grabs Hakuri and speeds away using Nishiki as the space falls.
Aftermath[]
Collecting herself, Hiyuki realises the seriousness of her injury and allows herself to fall forward, Tafuku catching her by her jacket. Hiyuki asks for Chihiro’s location, Tafuku replying Chihiro had taken Hakuri and left. Hiyuki then screams in frustration at Tafuku’s room having been broken, Tafuku noting Hakuri passing out was acknowledged by his space as an ‘end’ to the ‘match’. Hiyuki is puzzled, as she had held back with her attack, and Tafuku surmises Hakuri must have been especially weak.
Tafuku then asks about their next move, and Hiyuki replies now that they know Chihiro and Hakuri after Shinuchi, the Rakuzaichi will be their aim, and so they would head there too in order to intercept them. The two would then leave for the Kamunabi’s Tokyo Headquarters to give their report, Tafuku offering Hiyuki bandages. Hiyuki initially refuses, but accepts later on.
Chihiro, after returning to his base with Hakuri, explains Hakuri’s circumstances to Shiba, who realises how important he may be to their goals. Hakuri agrees to share whatever information he knows that can help bring down the Rakuzaichi.