Chapter 72: The Strain of Battle
Kaido twisted his massive torso and threw a backhand punch. The speed was blinding. His fist was about to connect with Satoru's spine when, in an instant, the boy vanished.
The space Satoru had occupied was obliterated by the shockwave of Kaido's punch, a deep fissure tearing through the ground.
"Taking that hit would have been the end," Satoru breathed, relieved his reaction had been fast enough. Even with Infinity, the raw force could have critically injured him.
Kizaru seized Kaido's momentary exposure. The speed of his Ama no Murakumo accelerated to a blur. No one could see the individual strikes, but the result was clear—hundreds of new, golden-edged wounds crisscrossed Kaido's body in a single second.
Yet even riddled with gashes, these were minor injuries to Kaido. With his hybrid form's regeneration, he'd recover swiftly. The battle was devolving into a war of attrition between Kizaru and Kaido. Whoever's stamina gave out first would lose.
In terms of raw endurance, how could Kizaru hope to match Kaido? In this world, perhaps no one's stamina surpassed the Beast Emperor's.
Satoru's earlier strike had done nothing. Against Kaido's base form, it might have caused slight internal damage. Against the hybrid form? It was negligible. His abilities no longer held Kaido's interest. Perhaps when Gojo Satoru matured further, he'd be intriguing again. But now, only Kizaru held Kaido's focus.
"This guy's stamina is monstrous," Kizaru thought, feeling it directly. His own energy was plummeting, while Kaido's seemed barely touched. Anxiety crept in. If this continued, he might not make it out alive. He vowed silently: If I survive this, I'm training my physical endurance. Hard.
"What's wrong? Slowing down already? Can't keep up?" Kaido taunted.
The moment Kaido opened his mouth to speak, an index finger materialized before it.
Pew-BOOM!
A dazzling laser exploded inside Kaido's mouth.
Satoru's eyes widened in shock. He knew Kizaru was pragmatic, but this was… underhanded. The mouth was one of the body's weakest points.
Kaido's head was enveloped in smoke from the internal blast. Smoke even puffed from his nostrils. Now, Kaido was truly, utterly enraged. In all his years of battle, he'd never encountered a Marine who fought so… dirtily.
It also taught him a lesson: never open your mouth mid-fight with Kizaru. This old schemer might shoot a laser into any orifice.
Even Satoru, watching, subconsciously clenched his jaw. He did not want to experience a laser detonating in his mouth. Even with Armament Haki coating the interior, the pain would be excruciating.
Seeing Kaido's thunderously dark face, it was clearly agonizing.
"Kizaru… you BASTARD!" Kaido roared, abandoning nicknames. He swung his club in a furious arc. Kizaru was sent flying instantly.
Though Kizaru turned to light mid-air, he was still heavily damaged. His Admiral's coat and yellow-striped suit were in tatters. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth—the blow had caused serious internal injury. His aura was noticeably weaker.
On this battlefield, both Kizaru and Satoru had the means to escape Kaido individually. But they couldn't. If they fled, every Marine at G-8 would die to Kaido's wrath. They had to hold until the next wave of reinforcements arrived.
"You seem to have really set him off," Satoru remarked to Kizaru, who now stood shakily beside him.
"No choice~ When dealing with a monster, you use any means necessary."
Kizaru knew his move was cheap, but against someone like Kaido, he felt no guilt.
Before they could say more, Kaido, club in hand and radiating pure fury, closed the distance. Even at his size, at this range, he was instantaneous.
"THUNDER BAGUA!"
With his roar, the club hammered down. Both Kizaru and Satoru were blasted in opposite directions, unable to resist the force.
Thud!
"Damn… planning to take me out first?" Satoru grunted, seeing Kaido appear above him again. Perhaps Kaido wanted to eliminate the easier target first, then have a proper one-on-one with Kizaru.
"But weak as I am now… I'm not just mud."
Kaido's targeting provoked him.
"Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue. Maximum Output. Multiple Deployment."
As he spoke, ten spheres of violently swirling blue energy materialized in the space between him and Kaido. This was the most powerful, wide-area attack Satoru could currently muster. The air warped and screamed around the coalescing vortices. He was throwing everything he had left into this final barrier.
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