Chapter 133: Godamn Spark
CLING–DODGE–CLANG!!
GLANG–SLIDE–BANG!!
FWOOOSH!
The fight was brutal, but not because either man possessed enough power to tear the other apart. There were no gigantic energy attacks, no overwhelming transformations, and no explosions that swallowed entire landscapes. Instead, the brutality came from something much simpler and far more dangerous: 'every movement mattered.'
Every step carried weight, every breath could reveal an opening, and every mistake could become the final mistake.
This was not a battle between monsters. It was a battle between two men who understood exactly how to kill.
SKREEEETCH!!
Daito and Gyoran remained locked together, The Piercer grinding against Gyoran's dagger as the force of their weapons sent vibrations through their arms.
SWIISH–THRUST–SLASH!!
SWOOSH!
Daito immediately twisted his wrists, changing the angle of his weapon before Gyoran could adjust. What had looked like a straightforward thrust suddenly became a horizontal slash, forcing Gyoran to move his head backward.
SLING–SWOOSH– FWOOO!!
The dagger followed immediately, expecting Daito's next attack to come from the opposite direction, but Daito deliberately changed his rhythm and lunged straight toward Gyoran's eye.
SLASH!
SWOOSH!
Gyoran barely tilted his head as the jagged bone blade passed within centimetres of his face and carved a thin line across his cheek.
A single drop of blood rolled down his skin.
DRIP....
For a brief moment, Gyoran simply stared at Daito then he smiled.
"So this is Daito Greyhell."
Everything suddenly made sense.
Mardale was dangerous. Champagne was terrifying. Zachia was relentless. Each of them possessed qualities that made them extraordinary fighters, and each could become a nightmare for anyone who stood in their way.
But Daito was different.
The others fought through power, technique, instinct, or Savage Powers. Daito fought through certainty.
Every strike had a purpose, every movement was designed to accomplish something and every attack was aimed at creating another attack.
He didn't waste energy trying to intimidate his opponent, and he didn't make unnecessary movements simply because he was capable of them. His entire fighting style revolved around efficiency, forcing his opponent to constantly react while giving them as little information as possible.
Fast, accurate and lethal.
It was a style designed to keep an opponent guessing until the moment they made a mistake, and Gyoran was discovering that firsthand.
Daito was thinking the exact same thing.
'He's amazing.'
The thought annoyed him, because Gyoran wasn't merely surviving.
He was keeping up at full speed, at full concentration, even with his killing intent completely exposed.
SLIDE!
CLING!
Gyoran moved with an unbelievable level of precision. His dodges were smooth and calculated, almost elegant, as if every movement had been rehearsed years before the battle ever began. Yet there was nothing theatrical about the way he fought. Every motion served a purpose, and whenever Daito created an opening, Gyoran was already preparing the counterattack.
Then the pistol came up.
BANG!
Daito raised The Piercer just in time.
The bullet struck the bone weapon and ricocheted away with a violent spark.
SPARK!
The impact forced Daito's vision away for less than a second.
But unfortunately that was enough.
Gyoran stepped inside his guard and drove his foot toward Daito's neck.
WHAM!
The kick connected.
Daito's vision exploded into white.
His body twisted violently through the air before crashing into the sand. He barely had time to recover before three more gunshots erupted.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Daito rolled across the ground as the bullets tore through the sand where his head had been moments earlier. He immediately reached out, caught Gyoran's leg, and twisted with all the strength remaining in his injured body.
Gyoran's balance shifted and he knelt.
Daito grabbed his clothing and pulled harder.
Then he launched a brutal horse kick directly toward his opponent's torso.
BOOM!
Gyoran blocked the attack with both arms.
SKREETCH!
The force still drove him backward several metres, but he recovered almost immediately. Before Daito could rise, Gyoran stepped forward and drove his knee into Daito's ribs.
THUD!
CRACK!
Something cracked, as pain erupted through Daito's entire side.
"Ugh—!"
SKREETCH!
His body slid backward across the sand, his hands digging deep trenches into the ground as he desperately slowed himself down. The rough terrain tore through his gloves, leaving blood smeared across the crimson sand.
Fwoo....
He barely had time to lift his head.
SWOOOSH!
Gyoran was already there.
The Boss moved like a missile, covering the distance between them before Daito could properly regain his footing.
BOOOOM!
His kick slammed into Daito's chest. The impact launched Daito hundreds of feet across the desert. He smashed through a gigantic black rock formation, and the entire structure exploded around him.
CRAAAAASH!
FWOOOSH!
Stone collapsed over his body as dust filled the air.
For several seconds, nothing moved.
Gyoran slowly lowered his pistol and watched the enormous cloud of dust drifting across the battlefield.
"You know..." he said calmly, "you're stronger than the green dragon one."
Daito remained buried beneath the rubble.
Gyoran adjusted his grip on the pistol.
"But in a battle of flexibility and technique, I think he'd beat you."
The Boss paused for a moment before continuing.
"Honestly, if you had refined techniques like Champagne, possessed that same sophistication, and mastered your movements the way he does, then maybe I'd be the one staring up at you right now."
A low chuckle escaped him.
BRRMMMM!
The rubble suddenly shifted.
Gyoran's smile disappeared for half a second.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
The entire pile of stone exploded outward.
Daito emerged from the dust, covered in blood and debris, with half of the shattered rock formation still hanging from his shoulder.
His breathing was heavy. His expression was thoroughly annoyed as the enormous slab finally slid off his back and crashed into the sand.
THOOM!
Daito rolled his shoulder.
"Tch...."
He immediately regretted it as pain shot through his body, but he simply ignored it and pointed The Piercer toward Gyoran.
"Shut up."
Gyoran blinked.
Daito's breathing steadied.
"I already know that."
"What?"
Daito's eyes narrowed.
"Why do you think Champagne's on my team?"
For a moment, Gyoran said nothing, then he laughed.
Not the arrogant laugh of a man who believed himself superior it was just a genuine laugh.
"Fair enough."
* * *
The two men stared at each other across the desert.
Dripp....
Blood dripped onto the crimson sand.
Fwoosh...
The wind moved around them, then Gyoran's smile widened.
"Round two?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the desert beneath his feet exploded.
BOOM!
Gyoran vanished.
Daito barely had time to raise The Piercer before the Boss appeared directly in front of him.
FWOOSH!
The dagger came down.
The bone spear rose.
CLAAAANG!
Their weapons collided with enough force to send another shockwave across the desert.
SHWOOFFF!!
CRACK!
Daito's feet sank several centimetres into the ground.
Gyoran pushed harder but Daito resisted.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Gyoran's grin returned.
"After all..."
His pistol slowly rose in his free hand.
"I've heard rumors."
Daito's eyes narrowed.
"What rumors?"
Gyoran fired.
BANG!
Daito twisted his head aside as the bullet passed his ear.
Gyoran continued smiling.
"That you fought a member of the Supreme Authority."
Everything stopped, not physically.
But for Daito, it felt as though the entire world had suddenly become silent.
The Piercer remained locked against Gyoran's dagger.
His eyes widened.
"...What?"
Gyoran's smile grew.
"Oh."
His expression suddenly changed as realization dawned on him.
"You didn't know?"
Daito's grip tightened.
His heart skipped.
A name immediately appeared in his mind.
Cassian Vanderbi.
The man who had nearly killed him. The man whose overwhelming strength had remained in Daito's thoughts long after their encounter ended. The man who had felt completely beyond reason. Beyond the level Daito had previously believed possible.
Daito stared at Gyoran.
'How does he know that?'
For the first time since entering this dimension, Daito's concentration broke.
Only slightly for a fraction of a second.
But fighters like Daito and Gyoran did not need more than that.
Gyoran noticed immediately as his eyes sharpened. And the smile on his face told Daito that he had just discovered something very important.
The battle had changed.
And neither of them knew what the next revelation would cost.
to be continued....