Chapter 75: "Hand Blade"
Only Otonashi Chiya remained unfazed, asking in a calm tone, "Is something the matter?"
If Ian weren't too paralyzed to move, he would have hidden behind Chiya; he simply couldn't handle Shingetsu's overwhelming pressure.
"Your official work begins today. You'll be moving with me shortly. I'll wait for you outside." Shingetsu's expression was as icy as before, his tone completely devoid of emotion. Having said his piece, he walked out of the cafeteria.
"..." Chiya was momentarily speechless. This guy wasn't just stone-faced; he carried an aura of forced dominance. He acted as if he were coming to settle a blood feud just to deliver a simple work update.
As Shingetsu exited, Chiya couldn't help but ask Ian, "Is he always like that?"
"Y-yes... but it's best if we don't talk about him anymore..." Ian didn't even dare to whisper about Shingetsu, clearly terrified of him.
"Fair enough." Chiya didn't push Ian further. Finishing his breakfast, he stepped out of the cafeteria. Ian stayed behind, too afraid to follow.
Looking at Shingetsu, Chiya said with a hint of helplessness, "So, what are we doing next? You should at least tell me that much."
"Just follow me," Shingetsu replied blankly.
"Yes, yes~" Chiya replied dismissively.
A short while later, Shingetsu led Chiya into a large building. At first, Chiya wasn't sure what it was, but once inside, he realized it was a training facility. The space was vast, filled with various exercise equipment and several professional combat rings.
Shingetsu adjusted his military cap with one hand and turned to Chiya. "If you can land a hit that wounds me, I will acknowledge you as my partner."
It was clear: Shingetsu intended to spar.
"Wound you? So as long as I manage to injure you even once, that's it?" Chiya asked flatly.
"Of course—assuming you actually can," Shingetsu said, his voice dripping with confidence.
"We'll see about that, won't we?" Chiya took off his Public Safety uniform, leaving only his short-sleeved undershirt. Although the Soviet climate was perennially cold, his current "Vitality" attribute made him practically immune to the chill. Besides, the indoor heating was on, and he didn't want to get too sweaty. Since he was still wearing his Tokyo Public Safety gear, he would have to wait for the Leningrad Military Department to issue his custom-made uniform.
A corner of Shingetsu's mouth twitched upward as he stepped into the combat ring. This was the first time Chiya had seen an actual expression on Shingetsu's face—it looked like he thought Chiya was punching above his weight.
"Looks like the Unit 1 Captain has another potential partner. That's the guy from Tokyo Public Safety, right?"
Chapter 75: "Hand Blade" (Second Half)
"It's him, alright. But every partner the Director finds for the 'Tsar' ends up miserable. They all give up after getting a beating like this."
"It's the 'Tsar' after all... his physical arts and devil powers are just too broken. No one in the entire Leningrad Military Department is a match for him."
"..."
Many Devil Hunters were present in the training area, and they were all well-aware of Unit 1 Captain Shingetsu's power. Consequently, not a single person had faith in Otonashi Chiya; they didn't even think he had a chance of scratching Shingetsu.
Meanwhile, despite his fear of Shingetsu, Ian had managed to sneak inside. He knew the "Tsar" would bring Chiya here—it was his standard method for dealing with any partner he didn't approve of. Ian wanted to cheer Chiya on.
Chiya and Shingetsu were ready in the ring. No referee was needed; this was just a "spar."
"Mr. Otonashi, do your best!"
Chiya suddenly heard Ian's voice behind him. He glanced back, feeling a brief touch of warmth—Ian was the only one in the room on his side. The others didn't mock Ian, they just thought he was being naive and too kind-hearted.
"Come," Shingetsu said, his voice turning even colder, clearly displeased that Chiya had distracted himself during a fight.
Chiya turned back. He was no longer smiling. His face became dead serious, his expression even more stone-cold than Shingetsu's. He didn't plan to go all out yet; he wanted to test Shingetsu with pure physical combat first. Using his Kamui ocular powers immediately would be unfair—an ordinary person couldn't possibly dodge a Kamui head-twist.
Chiya's back foot dug in, and the specialized stone of the ring floor cracked under the pressure. He lunged at Shingetsu like an arrow released from a bow, throwing a full-power punch aimed straight at Shingetsu's face.
However, Shingetsu stood with arrogant confidence. He didn't even flinch, taking Chiya's punch head-on. The moment the fist connected, Chiya realized something was wrong—his hand went numb!
Simultaneously, his Mangekyo Sharingan perceived Shingetsu's counter. It was incredibly fast; Shingetsu's fingertips were thrusting toward Chiya's abdomen, his palm as sharp and fierce as a blade!
Chiya felt that without the Mangekyo Sharingan, he never would have reacted in time. But he did have it. In the instant of insight, he activated "Intangibility." Shingetsu's palm passed directly through his stomach.
Shingetsu's pupils shrank as he felt the anomaly. His "Hand Blade" hadn't connected?!
Since the exchange happened in a flash, the onlookers couldn't see what had occurred. Their naked eyes couldn't track the movements. They were simply amazed:
"Both that guy and the 'Tsar' are so fast!"
Chiya's intangible body flickered away. A split second later, he delivered a high roundhouse kick toward Shingetsu. The result was the same: neither the kick nor the previous punch had managed to wound Shingetsu. Shingetsu countered with another high-speed Hand Blade, which Chiya once again bypassed using his Intangibility.
Shingetsu's counter-attack failed for a second time.
Chiya wasn't the only one finding Shingetsu strange; Shingetsu's brow furrowed slightly as well. Chiya's strength was proving to be unexpected.
It was only then that the surrounding Devil Hunters realized—the "Tsar" and the boy had already traded several blows, and the boy was still standing?!
AN-
Watch my boy Chiya cook this "Sar" or whatever he is
Enjoyy