"I don't want to waste too much time on you."
Hayashi stared at the massive, hulking armor in front of him, a cold glint in his eyes.
The only reason he had played around for so long earlier was because he found it amusing — just having some fun with his brother-in-law. They were family, after all. He had never intended to kill him.
But Tatara? Tatara wasn't family. Tatara wasn't anybody to him.
This guy kept interrupting him over and over, acting smug the entire time. Hayashi didn't feel even a trace of goodwill toward him.
"How disappointing. I didn't expect you to be this stupid." Tatara's icy voice dripped with contempt as blue flames burst from the vents of his armor.
"Come. Show me your real strength."
The moment he spoke, intense blue flames roared from the giant cannons on his arms. Nearby streetlights melted instantly into glowing molten metal, dripping onto the ground with a hiss.
Hayashi felt the temperature spike in the air, but his expression didn't change. He simply walked toward Tatara.
"You're really approaching me?"
"You're not even trying to run?" Cold amusement flickered in Tatara's eyes.
To him, Hayashi's actions were beyond idiotic.
Tatara's blue flames reached extreme temperatures—capable of melting almost anything they touched. A human body? It would evaporate before the flames even reached it.
"I didn't think you'd be this pathetic. Just die already…"
Tatara's chilling voice rang like a death sentence.
The courtyard turned into a sea of fire. Every metal surface melted into rivers of glowing iron. The grass charred into pitch-black ash.
But amid the inferno, the only visible figure was Tatara—tall, towering, suffocating in his oppressive aura.
"You talk way too much. Why do all your fights require this much noise?" Hayashi raised his head, irritation settling in his eyes. A violent killing intent surged from him.
A blood-red mist erupted from his body, rolling outward like a living storm. The moment the blue flames touched it, they were swallowed whole.
A crushing aura, steeped in death, swept through the courtyard.
Tatara felt his breath catch — an instinctive tremor of fear crawling up his spine.
"Cheap tricks. Illusions." Tatara forced out the words, anger twisting in his tone.
Just a pathetic human — how dare he look at him like that?
Blue fire surged, engulfing Hayashi completely. The air itself seemed to solidify under the heat.
"I told you," Hayashi's voice echoed calmly, "you're too damn loud."
The next instant, Hayashi stepped out of the flames unharmed.
"What…?" Tatara's pupils shrank.
Before he could react, Hayashi drew Asuramaru.
A slash. A flare of blade-light. The sea of flames split in two.
"Don't underestimate me, you idiot!" Tatara lunged, roaring, hands spread wide.
BOOM.
He caught the edge of the blade with both armored hands. But the impact sent cracks spiderwebbing across his armor — plates splitting apart, fragments falling like broken stone.
"No matter what trick you're using, you'll never pierce my defense! My armor is unbreakable! My flames will burn you to ashes!"
Tatara's breath came in deep, heavy bursts. Blue fire blasted from his vents.
"You sure about that?" Hayashi looked up and smiled faintly.
"Asura-Kannon: Ten-Thousand Blades: Knot of Fate"
The moment the words left his lips, the sky turned blood-red.
Tatara froze.
Tens of thousands of crimson-wreathed blades materialized above them, blotting out the sky with overwhelming pressure.
"Impossible…" Tatara stumbled back, his massive frame trembling.
A primal sense of death screamed inside him. His instincts begged him to run.
Too late.
"Goodbye, Tatara." Hayashi pressed two fingers downward.
The air split with shrieking force as the blades plummeted like a red comet storm.
"I'll kill Houji! I'll take back Yan's justice!" Tatara roared, blue flames erupting violently, encasing his armor in blistering heat.
The flames grew brighter—hotter—wildly unstable.
The sky-fall of blades crashed into the armor, detonating with earth-shattering force.Cracks tore through the ground; the entire courtyard was reduced to rubble.
"Whoa. That's pretty intense." From the rooftop, Eto let out a soft, impressed sound.
"Aren't we… supposed to help?" One of the Aogiri members asked uncertainly.
Their second-in-command was down there fighting for his life — and here they were, watching like it was a show.
"Yes, you could go."Eto nodded lightly, smiling.
"But you'd all die instantly. Every single one of you."
Silence fell.
She wasn't wrong. If they all charged in together, they wouldn't last even a second. Their deaths would be meaningless—nothing more than dust.
"T-this is…" Ayato's voice trembled as he stared at the apocalyptic scene below.
He finally understood — Hayashi had merely been playing with him earlier. He hadn't been serious. Not even ten percent serious.
"Now you understand? Hayashi's strength is beyond anything you can imagine."
Eto grinned at the shaken Ayato.
Honestly, Hayashi was even stronger than she expected.
Watching the white-haired boy below, Eto muttered softly to herself — though instead of fear, she felt excitement stirring inside her.
Her lips curled upward.
Because now… things were about to get much more interesting.