NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30: Akira vs Kinshiki I
Steeven, Smith, and Ethan watched the scene with a mix of astonishment and dread. The brutality that Akira had displayed surpassed anything they could have imagined.
"It's... it's impossible," murmured Steeven, his voice trembling. "Even all of us together, we couldn't even scratch him, and yet..."
Smith, usually so quick to keep his composure, felt cold sweat trickling down his back. He had defeated the person standing before them with such ease that he wondered if he had used all his power.
"I have never seen anything like this," he admitted, his eyes fixed on the fight. "This way of fighting... it's like he's playing with his prey."
Ethan, on the other hand, remained silent, but his whole body was trembling. Not from cold, but from a primal, instinctive fear. His mind was screaming at him to flee, to get as far away from this being as possible. Yet, his legs refused to move, as if paralyzed.
"If... if he ever decided to turn against us," he finally stammered, "we wouldn't stand a chance."
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Above the battlefield, Kinshiki watched the scene with an unreadable expression.
"What brutality..." he murmured to himself.
As he continued his monologue, a presence materialized at his side. Without even turning his head, he recognized Yumi.
"I must admit he deserves the name of the prodigy of the clan," Kinshiki continued, "even though we can hardly call this a fight. It is time to return and report to the patriarch."
An enigmatic smile appeared on Yumi's lips. "I fear that may not be possible," she replied. "At this point, I doubt he will let you leave just like that," she finished.
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"It's really boring," murmured Akira to himself as he looked at Asashi's barely breathing body, then feeling someone's gaze, he raised his head and saw Yumi looking at him in the company of the other Otsutsuki and whispered a few words.
"It's your turn," Akira whispered in a calm but provocative voice.
Kinshiki's temple throbbed violently, a cruel grin distorting his face. "Don't be arrogant, kid," he spat with disdain.
Akira only responded with a mocking smile, further fueling his opponent's fury.
In a burst of rage, Kinshiki propelled himself towards him. The air exploded in a deafening sonic boom as he covered the distance in a fraction of a second. Pivoting violently, he unleashed a devastating downward kick.
Sensing the danger, Akira instinctively crossed his arms above his head. The impact was titanic, the force of the blow creating a network of cracks that spread like a spider web on the already battered ground.
Without a moment's hesitation, Kinshiki followed up with a rotation, delivering a vertical strike. Akira was propelled like a cannonball, his body passing through several buildings that collapsed in his wake.
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[Continuation from Akira's point of view]
Akira's consciousness gradually returned as he lay amidst the rubble. His senses were assailed by the acrid smell of dust and the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. His vision, initially blurry, slowly cleared as he tried to understand what had just happened. Every muscle in his body screamed in pain.
Bringing a trembling hand to his forehead, he felt the warm liquid trickling down. "Tchh... This is the first time since I came to this world..." he murmured, a mix of surprise and excitement in his voice.
Rising amidst the debris, Akira ran his hands through his hair, pulling it back. A wild smile lit up his face, his eyes shining with a dangerous gleam.
"Well... shall we begin!" he exclaimed, as he propelled himself towards Kinshiki, leaving behind a smoking crater.
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In an instant, Akira covered the distance between him and Kinshiki. His right fist shot towards his opponent's face in a swift and direct movement, but Kinshiki, anticipating the attack, tilted his head slightly to the side, letting the blow slice through the air just millimeters from his cheek.
Without hesitation, Kinshiki counterattacked. His left knee rose sharply towards Akira's abdomen, forcing the latter to take a step back. Taking advantage of the moment, he followed up with a downward elbow strike aimed at Akira's clavicle.
Akira managed to raise his forearm to block the blow, but the impact made him grimace. The vibrations spread through his arm, testifying to the power of the strike. Without waiting, he attempted a quick combination: a left hook followed by a right uppercut.
Kinshiki dodged the hook by leaning back, then deflected the uppercut with a circular arm movement. In the same motion, he pivoted on himself, delivering a perfectly arched kick aiming at Akira's ribs.
The latter barely had time to tense his abdominal muscles to withstand the blow. The impact sent him flying to the side, but he rolled over his shoulder to cushion his fall and immediately stood back up. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he lunged again.
He feinted a frontal attack before shifting to the left, trying to surprise Kinshiki with a lateral kick aimed at his knee. Kinshiki slightly pivoted, letting Akira's foot pass in front of him, then grabbed his supporting leg.
With a precise movement, he unbalanced Akira, lifting him off the ground before throwing him violently. Akira, aware of the danger, prepared for the impact. He touched the ground while controlling his fall, but Kinshiki was already on him, following up with a plunging punch.
Rolling to the side at the last moment, Akira avoided the punch that crashed into the ground, creating an impact that cracked the surface. Springing back up, he tried to take advantage of Kinshiki's lowered position to deliver a rising knee strike.
But even in this position, Kinshiki maintained total control of the fight. He blocked the knee with his open palm, then, using Akira's own force against him, pushed him back while rising.
The two fighters faced each other, separated by a few meters. Akira's breathing had slightly accelerated, while Kinshiki seemed to have barely moved.
It had only taken three minutes. Three minutes for the entire area to be reduced to ruins under the intensity of their confrontation.
Akira was panting, his lungs burning with each breath. Facing him, Kinshiki wore a contemptuous smile that fueled his anger. 'Damn... My body can't keep up with his movements. It's like he's anticipating my thoughts. But no... The truth is, I'm just too slow,' he thought, frustrated.
Kinshiki interrupted his thoughts with a calm and icy voice, "You must have realized."
Akira raised his eyes.
"You may be stronger than others your age, but you lack experience cruelly."
These words echoed in the air like a sentence. As he spoke, Kinshiki's left eye changed. His pupil turned grayish, surrounded by a ring where a pattern resembling clock hands seemed to rotate. A halberd suddenly appeared in his hand.
"Die."
With a menacing murmur, he brought down the weapon in a straight line.
"Huh?!" exclaimed Akira, taken aback.
He felt as if the world was moving in slow motion. 'Why do I feel like I'm frozen in time?!' he thought, overwhelmed by this oppressive sensation. Yet, his survival instinct took over. His body reacted almost mechanically, erecting an energy shield just in time.
" BOOM! "
The impact was devastating. A titanic explosion resounded, creating a mushroom cloud that rose high into the sky.
The shockwave swept everything in its path. A colossal gust of wind tore through the surroundings. The hunters, stationed nearby, were thrown like leaves in the wind.
Yumi, sheltered behind a barrier she had erected, watched the scene with a satisfied smile. In contrast, Elysia and the others remained frozen in astonishment, their faces pale. Washington, once a prosperous and lively city, was now nothing but a field of ruins.
As the smoke rose, it suddenly dissipated, revealing Akira. He stood, his body covered in wounds and burns. Around him, the ground was charred, the earth black and cracked. His face, impassive, was fixed on Kinshiki. The smile he had previously worn had disappeared, replaced by a cold determination.
Kinshiki broke the silence, "I see you survived my attack." His voice oozed with contempt.
Akira did not respond immediately. Instead, he asked a question, in a sharp and direct tone, "I sense something has changed. Does it have to do with your eyes?"
A smile stretched Kinshiki's lips. "Well spotted." He paused, savoring the moment before continuing, "This power... it's the Tokigan. What you just experienced was just a glimpse. It allows me to manipulate time, I can slow it down, and even freeze it."
A heavy silence settled before Akira broke it, "I see."
He raised his hand, palm open, towards a specific point. A few seconds later, a sound pierced the air. A blade cut through space at high speed before landing in his hand. His sword.
With a fluid motion, he unsheathed it. Its darkness spread in the air, releasing an oppressive and unsettling aura.
Akira raised his eyes to Kinshiki, a mad smile slowly forming on his lips.
"So, tell me... What does a divine fruit containing two Ōtsutsuki taste like?" he asked, his voice tinged with palpable madness.