Devotio

Chapter 15

After a minute of practical silence and a blinding white light, it died down. There was a gaping hole where the field used to be. The shields everyone had put up had started to dissipate. Everyone saw that the only ground that was left was where their shields had extended to.

"Well- that's some attack." Fuji said peering around at the landscape.

"I didn't expect it to be that powerful." Inui said.

Momo looked like he was going to cry. "Whyyy- the ground did nothing to you. It always caught you when you fell..."

"There, there Momo. You can make it all better again." Kikumaru patted his back, trying to console him.

"I apologize everyone." Shiraishi shouted. "Kin-chan tends to go overboard when he finds a suitable opponent." He was staring into the hole where Kintarou was sitting.

Kintarou looked down and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry Shiraishi but- Koshimae is so strong I thought-"

"What did I tell you about using that?"

"-Not to unless my life is in danger..."

"Sorry Kin-chan but you need to be punished." Shiraishi started to unwind the bandages on his arm.

"Anything but that Shiraishi! Please!"

"Speaking of which, where is Echizen?" Kaidou asked.

"Don't tell me he was actually caught in that attack." Oishi panicked.

There was moaning from the back of the group and Kawamura woke up. "Aah, hello everyone. I hope I didn't go overboard."

Momo, in his grief stricken state, knelt next to him. "How could you Taka-san? How could you do this to the earth? It's done nothing but love you." He gestured to the devastation that was around them.

"I did- what? Huh?!"

"Ah, Taka-san you really let loose with your Super Burning Mode this time." Fuji added.

"WHAT!"

"Both of you stop fooling around. Kawamura you weren't the cause of this." Tezuka said and put Kawamura's mind at ease.

"I don't see Echizen anywhere though." Inui said. "You don't think he actually got caught in the blast do you?"

"His stubbornness wouldn't allow him to die right now." Ryoga laughed out. "He probably put a wall up somewhere. Ah, he's over by the- building?" Everyone in earshot turned and saw that there was indeed a bubble of fire and lightning near the building where they came out.

"I know that Echizen is fast but I don't understand how he would be able to clear this distance in such a short time." Inui said.

"Let's go see what the damages are then."

Seeing as everyone was more or less trapped on a small dirt island, Momo created bridges for them all to get to solid ground and amongst the groups thanking him, he distinctly heard Atobe say they we've made off just fine without help. As they got closer, Echizen's barrier dissipated and they all saw him sitting with his back to them on the ground with Nanako while cradling his arm.

"You good Chibisuke?" Ryoga patted his head and got a look at his arm. He flinched at the sight; bloody, burned, and blistered up to the shoulder. "What happened?"

Echizen's face was contorted in pain though Nanako was the only one who could see it at the moment. All he could do was slowly shake his head.

"I had come out because Baa-san needed to speak with him." Nanako started. "When I came out there was this large ball of light expanding and the next thing I know, I'm being shielded over here by Ryoma-kun. I can only imagine he injured his arm then."