A myriad of feet running down the west corridors speed their way back the way they came from while another set - far, far, far heavier than the rest - trails behind and quakes the ground with every step.

  “Get ready to make a hard right!” Yusuke shouts as they near their destination. Soon he and the others follow through, each of them skidding to a near halt before heading down a short set of stairs that lead to a wide passageway that stretches for 15 feet before leading to open double doors that give way into a massive cafeteria - one with a little over 50 long lunch table-benches. Without a second thought, the group spreads out while jumping onto the tables at the center of the white room. The moment Yusuke peeps another shot, Yuji readies his curse-energy around his fists, and Shikamaru pulls out a single kunai he's been keeping within the thigh-bag on his right leg, that large monstrosity finally comes charging into the room. The beast thrashing his arms about to send tables flying out of his way as he closes in on his current target: Shikamaru.

  “Tch!” The Leaf Village ninja braces himself as the ashen beasts zeroes in on him with a killer intent. Seamlessly, the creature closes off the remaining distance while winding a fist back. The moment the teen is within its reach, it throws forward a powerful punch aiming to punch Shikamaru's head and entire torso. The latter reacts promptly with a semi-front flipping hop that transitions to Shikamaru using his free arm to handplant atop of the beast's thick arm and swiftly counterattack with a stab of his ninja tool into the creature's arm. However, the short blade fails to penetrate flesh and winds up bouncing off as if he's striking a formidable surface.

  “You kiddin’ me…?” He murmurs with a teeth-gritting scowl just before the beast uses its other arm to backhand swat him away and thrashing into the wall across the room.

  “Shikamaru!” Yuji yells as he comes lunging in immediately. He lands a right-hook that hits so hard, the blow forces the beast's head to turn and sends it stumbling sideways. The second impact of his Divergent Fist follows up and falling over onto its side five feet away.

  “You okay!?” He asks warily upon his sneakers touching down on solid ground again and turning his head toward the ninja.

  “Yeah… Augh… I'm fine. But you need to stay focused, Itadori!” Shikamaru warns while rising onto his knees and resting his arms atop of the nearest table for support. It's then Yuji turns his head toward the creature again. When he does, it's just in time to see the beast lunging at him with its left fist drawing back.

  “I got ya!” Before Yuji has the opportunity to consider a means of defending himself, Yusuke provides a cover shot. A spirit-bullet just barely avoids grazing Yuji's cheek as it whiffs by and hits its target dead-on upon its torso, causing it to stumble back with an animalistic whine. It's then and there that Yuji reignites his fists in curse-flames and puts his adept talent for combat on full display. Like a bullet, his zigzags from one foot to the other to move in, his sneakers screeching as they glide along the marble flooring before the thunderous blow of his jabbing fist connecting with the beast's abdominal rings out, as well as the lagging second hit. He sends the creature propelling back and aggressively bouncing off a wall.

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  “WITH EVERYTHING I'VE GOT!” He rushes forward like lightning, the soles of his Red October's screeching like from his inhuman momentum, and slams his other Divergent Fist at the center of the beast's pectorals, slamming it back against the wall a second time before the follow up impact engraves a crater into the surface behind it with the monster's body. Relentless in his assault, Yuji lays into it with a barrage of powerful attacks. Each one quaking the ground beneath them and gradually expanding that massive crack in the wall. A straight left to the mouth, a right hook to the side of the body, a thrusting left elbow to the chest, a right uppercut, a swiping roundhouse kick to the face, and double thrusting fists to the midsection. Every blow hits like thunder, mesmerizing the others with his elegant brutality. Yet it wasn't quite enough.

  “Nnngh!” Yuji grunts out upon lifting his right forearm in time to block an incoming punch aiming for his temple. The force is enough to send the aggressive teen sliding back seven feet.

  “Man, this thing is no joke…”

  “Hang on, I got ya!” Yusuke assures and rushes in to get right back into the thick of things. During, Maki heads toward the back to retrieve something and Shikamaru prepositions himself to prepare to give aid. Yusuke proceeds to engage with a flying right punch angling to strike down overhead. Though the beast blocks his attack and tries to retaliate after the spirit detective lands, Yusuke easily ducks under that swiping claw.

  “C'mon, let's see what ya got!” The spirit detective shouts and throws out a hooking left punch to the creature's stomach with a solid impact. Quick to make it a combination assault, Yuji leaps forward with a flying spinning kick across the beast's face. Giving that monster no time to think, Yusuke throws out a powerful kick to its calf while Yuji adds a liver punch to follow up. Besides the slight flinches, the creature finds moments to swing back. Yusuke finds himself jumping back out of the range of a swinging forearm while Yuji narrowly rolls out of the way of an overhead punch that winds up smashing into the ground instead.

  Out of the blue, Maki returns with a broom and pours all of her inhuman might behind a grand swing that smashes the object across the monster's face. It breaks with little to no effect, but it's a distraction that gives Shikamaru the chance to cast his Shadow Possession Jutsu after weaving a few hand signs and extends his shadow to connect with the creature's.

  “I've got… Tch! I've got him! Hit him with something big! This is the perfect opportunity to use something devastating!” Shikamaru advises while involuntarily quivering - a result of the restrained beast fighting against his hold.

  With that in mind, Yuji and Yusuke both ready their techniques, side by side, mirroring a posture of spreading their legs apart, Yusuke clenching his left hand into a fist and gripping it with his right while Yuji does the same in the opposite way.

  “Take… THIS!!” Yuji clenches his teeth and throws out a flaming straight right punch with all of his body weight behind it at the creature's stomach, hitting hard enough to make it hunch over and gasp out for air. That's when Yusuke takes his turn. His left fist goes flying into the beast's large and open mouth while discharging all the spirit energy he has left to use.

  “SPIRIT SHOTGUN!!!” The punk exclaims at the top of his lungs and lights up the entire room a blinding blue light - his source of energy aggressively shooting out and disintegrating the monster into particles. The light eventually passes and what's suddenly left behind takes them all by surprise. A large pile of $5 dollar bills lay on the floor where the creature was standing before.

  “What the… Where–... Did that thing bust open like a pi?ata and leave all this cash behind?” Yusuke ponders out loud as he crouches down to pick up a bill and examine it.

  “Huh… that's pretty weird. Is that a reward for beating that thing?” Yuji asks, just as confused.

  “This really is some mad man's game.”