A crowd gathered outside the building where the fight raged.
News reporters, photographers, bystanders, and Hunters all watched in awe.
Some even watched it live, like Kendra Monroe, the head of The Hideout.
"Kazuhiko, you'd better hurry and save your kids. I can give Indy a warning, but Asaki... By law, I'm forced to execute him for killing a Resonant and fighting Lucian Daichi." Kendra said to herself.
She had a habit of talking out loud when nervous; she didn't want to do something like executing, but she wasn't left with a choice.
Rye stared at the TV with widened eyes. He wanted to go and help, but there was no point.
He'd face the same consequences as Yamikuro.
But a part of him itched to appear in front of Lucian.
"Impossible..." He whispered to himself.
Isabella sat by a tree, at her usual training ground, when she overheard people talking.
"That Asaki boy, it's confirmed now that he killed the Resonant we heard about... And now he's fighting Lucian!"
"That boy has brought us nothing but trouble, I hope the government does something about him. Execute him if they must."
Her grip tightened around her sword.
She knew what really happened on that day, it wasn't a Resonant. It was an actual god who attacked them, but no one believed a story like that.
Gods have never appeared on Earth out of the blue, and they only exist in fiction.
Or at least that's what everyone said. But on that day, that was a god. There was no doubt about it.
Cedar and Angel froze in front of the TV at their family's store.
"Is this real?" Cedar asked. His eyes were glued away from the work.
Angel immediately thought of the night of the festival
"...Lucian must've kidnapped him on that day."
Cedar turned to him.
"When Yamikuro disappeared? I thought Lucian wouldn't interfere with us because of the pact... That scum!"
Kazuhiko was in the other world, looking around, running from rooftop to rooftop. His chest felt tight against the pressure from his speed.
The fight was about to continue.
Electricity crackled around Kaminari's body, clashing with the ground.
Jacinto charged up his red-glowing bow.
Darkness' power grew within Yamikuro yet again.
But after taking a glance at the crowd, Lucian's cockiness disappeared. The edges of his mouth lowered, along with his eyelids.
"Enough of toying around. I'll put an end to this, and when you're ready, we'll have another rematch."
Yamikuro clenched his fists, raising his voice.
"No... I need to defeat you right here...!"
But before he could beg for power from the Darkness, Lucian stomped.
The ground beneath them cracked.
And Yamikuro made a mistake, his eyes dropped, and Lucian had an opening.
He appeared next to Yamikuro.
"Like I said... you're too weak. Had you come at me with the intent to kill, perhaps I would've broken a sweat." He whispered, and his leg moved.
Yamikuro felt the impact of the kick in his stomach, and air was stuck in his lungs. He flew against the wall behind him.
Yamikuro gasped for air, his eyes barely open.
But that's when Yamikuro let out an echoing scream.
"I hate you Lucian Daichi!"
Everyone froze.
Lucian didn't react, he stood with his hands in his pockets.
"It's over. You've lost."
Yamikuro pushed himself off the wall, onto his feet. Blood tripped on the ground, his eyes teary.
Kaminari watched it unfold. The electricity around him grew stronger, and his eyes locked onto Lucian.
"Your focus should be on me." Jacinto sneered as he shot out an arrow.
Kaminari's expression didn't change. His face was dull, almost like all the spark within him was gone.
The arrow barely missed Kaminari.
No words came out of Kaminari's mouth as he stared at Jacinto.
His hand straightened in the direction of Jacinto, and electricity shot out.
Jacinto lowered towards the ground, dodging the attack, and aiming his bow at Kaminari.
But Kaminari didn't jump away, instead, he opened his mouth, with a faint voice escaping from it.
"I'm sorry, Yamikuro, I know you told me not to kill... But I can't show mercy against these assholes."
As Lucian slowly walked towards Yamikuro, he glanced over his back after hearing those words.
His eyes instantly widened, and he turned towards Kaminari with his entire body. Ignoring Yamikuro.
Kaminari's hair rose, and his body was covered in bright electricity.
"Get out of here, Jacinto!" Lucian yelled.
The crowd let out a few gasps. This was the first time they'd seen Lucian lose his calm.
Jacinto jumped away, and Kaminari tried to follow.
But Lucian sprinted towards him and kicked him next to Yamikuro.
Lucian stood before them, pushing back his hair.
"Had you two been serious from the start, not only would I have been careful... But you would've pushed me to fight for real."
Someone jumped into the building.
His presence made Lucian take a step back.
It was Kazuhiko, Yamikuro's and Kaminari's homeroom teacher.
Lucian slid his hands in his pockets.
"Kazuhiko... Ryoti was it? I didn't expect you to show up."
Kazuhiko remained serious. Not a glimmer of emotion apart from anger.
"Lucian Daichi. Just what do you think you're doing here?!"
Lucian smiled.
"That has nothing to do with you."
Jacinto walked up to Lucian. He wanted to charge up his bow.
But Lucian raised his arm in front of Jacinto, stopping him.
"I recommend you don't mess with this man."
Jacinto raised an eyebrow.
Kazuhiko didn't look like someone strong. He had basic clothes on, with sideburns and messed-up hair from the wind.
Jacinto couldn't sense his power either.
"I'll be waiting for our rematch, Yamikuro Asaki. Next time you won't come to just play around with me. I know it."
After saying that, he disappeared.
And so did Jacinto.
Kazuhiko let out a sigh.
"Damn it..."
He turned to Yamikuro and Kaminari.
"What luck that you two are alive..."
He wanted to lecture them, but now wasn't the time. The crowd started to rush in.
"Let's get out of here."
Kaminari stopped his powers and nodded.
"Fine..."
Yamikuro's eyes still glowed purple.
"I won't let Lucian get away...!"
Kazuhiko ignored those words.
And he placed his hands on their shoulders.
Before the crowd could reach them, they disappeared.
Due to their state, Kazuhiko rushed them to the hospital.
Yamikuro was in critical condition.
Kaminari wasn't hurt too badly, but he was exhausted, and had he used more of his power, he could've died.
That was the day Yamikuro suffered his first loss. A loss that would forever change him.