Chapter 76: Breaking the Absolute Defense
"Is this your devil power?" Shingetsu couldn't help but ask.
"Your devil power is quite impressive as well," Chiya replied, ceasing his assault with a faint smile.
Shingetsu didn't respond, but he didn't deny it either. Chiya wasn't in the mood to keep playing games with this guy. The smile vanished from his face instantly as his left eye—the Kamui—widened, focusing intently on Shingetsu's left arm.
He had already deduced the situation: it was highly unlikely someone could reach such a state of invulnerability through pure physical training. Shingetsu must be using a devil power to reinforce his body, creating an "absolute defense" across his entire form. Even hunters as strong as Quanxi or Kishibe, who rely on pure martial arts, only have physical durability far beyond an average human; they don't reach this exaggerated level.
But no matter how strong the physical defense, it was still just that—physical.
Offensive Kamui ignores physical durability entirely!
Shingetsu suddenly felt the space beside him warping from an unknown force, violently tearing at his left arm. His expression shifted drastically, his eyes trembling with shock. Though caught off guard, his instincts screamed that this was extremely dangerous. He scrambled to dodge the spatial vortex.
The warping speed of dual-eye Kamui is significantly faster than a single eye. Even though Shingetsu reacted immediately, a massive gash was torn open across his left arm, exposing a fractured bone. If he had been even a fraction of a second slower, his entire arm would have been severed and sucked into Chiya's Kamui dimension.
"What is this?!"
Shingetsu's stoicism seemed to be completely cured by Chiya; his exquisite face no longer looked like an ice sculpture. In the Leningrad Military Department, whether facing humans or devils, he had never been wounded. His confidence stemmed entirely from his indestructible skin and flesh.
But just now, the "Unbreakable Golden Body" he took such pride in had been shattered by some bizarre method he didn't understand. It wasn't just a scratch—if his reflexes had been any slower, his arm would be gone. Even so, his left arm hung broken.
"It's nothing. I just didn't want to waste any more time," Chiya said flatly. "Didn't you say I just needed to wound you? I'll be going now."
With that, he turned and stepped out of the combat ring. He had only intended to give the guy a small lesson; a broken arm was a minor injury for a Devil Hunter. If Tokyo Public Safety had advanced medical care, there was no reason the Leningrad Military Department wouldn't—reattaching a limb was simple enough.
After all, the USSR was capable of creating "Weapon Humans." A country with the technology to turn ordinary people into hybrids certainly wouldn't have subpar medical facilities.
However, the psychological blow to Shingetsu was far more severe. Having his "absolute defense" breached for the first time likely left him questioning his entire life...
As Chiya walked back into the crowd, the other Devil Hunters instinctively recoiled. To inflict such a severe injury on the "Tsar"—just how terrifying was this boy's devil power? Shingetsu was already a monster in their eyes; this youth was a monster among monsters.
Chiya walked straight up to Ian. "Let's go. I still need you to show me around the rest of the department."
He didn't mention "approval" once, simply because he didn't care whether Shingetsu approved of him or not. If he could change partners, he would much rather work with Ian. Perhaps he should try submitting a request to the Director today?
"O-oh... okay!"
Ian took a moment to snap back to reality. He was still reeling from the strength Otonashi Chiya had just displayed—to actually suppress the "Tsar"!
As Shingetsu watched the retreating figures of Chiya and Ian, his gaze darkened. He felt almost nothing from his broken arm; his pain tolerance was incredibly high. What truly made him uneasy was something else entirely.
Eventually, Shingetsu used his right hand to support his fractured left arm and walked expressionlessly out of the training grounds. He needed to get it treated.
Even though Shingetsu appeared somewhat disheveled, to the surrounding Devil Hunters, the "Tsar" still commanded absolute authority. They didn't dare approach or even whisper, terrified that a foul-tempered Shingetsu might take his frustrations out on them. Just because Shingetsu had been handled by Chiya didn't mean the rest of them stood a chance; even if they all attacked at once, they wouldn't be his match.
After all, had it not been for Chiya's Kamui perfectly countering Shingetsu's absolute defense, the combination of that defense and the high-speed "Hand Blade" counter-attacks would indeed be formidable.
Only after Shingetsu had been gone for a while did the crowd finally work up the nerve to whisper among themselves.
"I can't believe it! Someone actually broke through the Tsar's absolute defense..."
"I heard the absolute defense had weaknesses, but that kid just twisted the Tsar's arm out of thin air! What kind of devil power is that?!"
"Man, I'm just stunned. I'm glad I didn't say anything earlier; in my head, I was sure the Tsar would win..."
"Just what kind of monster did the military high command bring in? I feel like his strength might be comparable to that oldest Devil Hunter from China."
"..."
They were thoroughly cowed by the power Chiya had demonstrated. From now on, none of them would dare look down on the youth. After all, if he could suppress Shingetsu, he could crush them into the dirt without breaking a sweat if they ever crossed him.
Ian continued to lead Chiya through the Leningrad Military Department, aiming to show him every corner of the facility today.
"Mr. Otonashi, this is the swimming center," Ian said, introducing an open-air pool.
After witnessing Chiya's true power, Ian—who had briefly relaxed—became even more stiff than at the start. He was terrified of doing something wrong or unsatisfying; Chiya's overwhelming strength brought with it a massive amount of pressure.
"I see. But you know, I might actually be younger than you. It's a bit weird being called 'Mr. Otonashi' all the time. Just call me Chiya," Chiya finally interjected.
While "Mr." can be used for young men abroad, it's a very formal title usually reserved for official occasions. In daily life, constantly using it feels stiff.
"T-that... that wouldn't be right..." Ian insisted on the formal title out of deep respect, fearing any sign of rudeness or neglect.
"What's not right about it? Being called 'Mr.' all the time makes me feel uncomfortable," Chiya said with a slightly awkward smile.
"Understood! Chiya!" Hearing that it made him uncomfortable, Ian switched the address immediately.
AN-
Haha,That's how you cook "Tsar"!
Annyways,enjoyyyyyy