Clouds of dust raced alongside the wind with each hit Gerald and Rusto exchanged, their immense firepower levels combining with each other and creating a shockwave that continuously blew them apart from each other. Out of breath, Gerald took a second to observe his opponent, who now pridefully stood on top of a lopsided vehicle in the middle of the street. "You aren't losing your breath this early in the battle, ARE YOU!?" he retaliated, picking up the heavy, red car and throwing it straight across the streets with brute strength. Gerald rose up from his limping position, igniting his legs with an even stronger flame than before. "I've heard of you…" he sputtered, grasping his rapidly beating heart. "Rusto The Distasteful, serial killer who roamed across the streets of Damage Control over 15 years ago!"
Rusto smiled upon Gerald's notice, the firepower within his body amplifying. "The flow of power… it's only a matter of time before it becomes too much for my body to handle," Rusto thought, turning his eyes back up at Gerald. "Luckily, the kid's nearly at his limit too. That said, I can use BRUTE STRENGTH to wipe him out!"
He aggressively ran through the streets straight at Gerald, who watched as the muscles spread across his entire body expanded rapidly. "I've had JUST ABOUT ENOUGH WITH THIS!" he shouted, throwing his hand straight towards his left leg. Without hesitation, he took advantage of Rusto's vulnerability and activated Emberatalia right as his leg hit the palm of his hands. "Now, this is a clash between firepower!" he exclaimed, watching as his black flames began to compete with Rusto's dark-red flames.
Volume 13, Chapter 39 - When Worlds Collide
The power bundled along with Emberatalia was rather unusual - although it had no known correlation to the Ancient Symbols', it had still been portrayed as rare in many modern history books. This lack of information posed curiosity for historians who tirelessly worked to figure out who or what this ominous mutation of fire had derived from, carving it a spot in the most mysterious historical questions in the entire world of entities. "This firepower… where the hell did you obtain it from!?" Rusto prompted, attempting to grasp his leg but reminded of how any sudden movement could disrupt his current defense. It was like an intense arm wrestling match - struggles and grunting from both sides, sudden movement later copied by the opposing side, and just repeated moments of silence followed by both of these gestures. After one minute, the black kindle of fire began to slowly distort. "Seems like mysterious firepower like yours wasn't even a match for a criminal like me!" Rusto shouted, authorising the takeover of his large ego as he compressed both his hands into a hammer. Before he could let down a final swing, he felt an unusual presence lurking inside his body - it was as if the tussle between Emberatalia and Pyron's firepower had sent portions of Emberatalia inside Rusto's body. He noticed Gerald's bold smile, his eyes locked straight with his red, evil-like eyes ."Over the past few months of training following my return from Trila, the trip to ART, and the intermission until our summon, I noticed something about my ultimate form!" he declared.
"Back in Crystal City, I recall something similar occurring during an intense sparring match with Victor! Even if the origins of this power are unknown, I am the only one who is able to wield it! Even if the reason still stands unknown to me yet, I'LL LOOK FOR AN ANSWER UNTIL THE DAY I DIE!"
The unstable reaction created by the combination of Pyron and Gerald's power caused both of Rusto's hands to slowly fade to black, rapidly sending chills through his body as the feeling from both hands faded along with his ability to move them. "MY HANDS!" he screamed, now unable to cope with the effect Pyron's power had on his heart. "Who the hell… are you!?"
"Member of the Romanti Family, the former most-feared gang throughout the entire entity world - my name is Gerald Romanti, and I'm the right-hand man to the guy who'll surpass the Realm God!" The pristine firepower forcefully injected within Rusto began to fade, creating a feeling of sudden fatigue within his body that grew with each passing moment. "Even if the power is unknown, I'll use Emberatalia to achieve not only my dreams, but the rest of Team ENTITY's! Therefore, I'll LIVE ON PAST THIS DAY!"
Rusto looked down at both of his hands, noticing the ascending orange glow from the power he had forcefully injected inside his body. "Is this what you were talking about, Bubba?" he muttered under his breath, bringing a slight smile to his face despite his current condition. Compressing the remaining energy left inside him, he limped straight in Gerald's direction, plopping his left hand against his right shoulder. "You match everything he said back then - that means you really are a true entity hunter."
Just in time before slamming against the ground, Gerald had caught Rusto's unconscious body. The silence within the scene was interrupted by a rumble of thunder, accompanied by a downpour of rain that followed just mere seconds later. Instead of making any sudden movements, Gerald had been left frozen - wrapping his head around Rusto's claim. "A… true entity hunter?"