Ito Xius stood in the ring, his eyes fixed on Kaizen standing opposite him. He opened his mouth to speak when—
Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared before him.
"Akutagawa Ryunosuke!"
Dark, jagged fangs materialized from multiple directions, snapping toward Ito Xius.
He quickly dodged, narrowly avoiding the sharp teeth, which struck with incredible speed and force. Even for the injured Ito, the sheer relentlessness of Akutagawa's assault made it hard to gain an advantage.
"These fangs... they're far too strong!" Ito muttered as a slab of stone shattered beneath one of Akutagawa's strikes. His pupils narrowed.
"If these teeth hit flesh, I wouldn't stand a chance."
He evaded another strike and analyzed the situation. "This beast's ability is more dangerous than it looks. But maintaining this level of attack must consume enormous amounts of aura. He won't last forever."
Nearby, a pink figure emerged next to Kaizen—Killer Queen. In her hands were three baseball bats.
One was passed to Kaizen, another to Raiken, and the third she kept for herself.
Raiken gripped his bat tightly and charged forward.
"Ghost Back!"
A surge of overwhelming aura burst from Raiken, forcing Ito to divert some of his attention to him. This slight distraction allowed Akutagawa to press his assault.
"These two beasts work well together," Ito thought, his lips curling into a smirk. "This kid is strong, I'll give him that. At his age, it's almost unnatural. But such attacks come with a cost. I doubt he can keep this up for long."
Ito began to piece together Kaizen's strategy.
"This brat knows he can't outlast me in a prolonged fight. He's aiming to overwhelm me early, exploiting my injuries. It's a gamble—a desperate one. If he fails to break through at the start, he'll have nothing left to fall back on. Foolish."
Ito decided to shift his focus.
"If he's going all out from the start, I just need to outlast him." He snorted.
"Let's see how long you can keep this up, kid."
Ito transitioned to a defensive stance, skillfully evading and deflecting the attacks of Kaizen's beasts. Killer Queen, with her baseball bat, closed in from another angle.
"This one's aura isn't strong," Ito noted. "The bats were created by her, so she's likely more of a support-type beast. Not a direct combat threat."
Kaizen stepped forward, gripping a knife in one hand and the baseball bat in the other. Channeling his aura into the knife, it began to glow faintly.
In a sudden burst, Kaizen slashed the air, sending a wave of ominous light toward Ito.
"What now?" Ito's eyes widened as the light struck his body.
Egg-like forms clung to him where the light made contact. A moment later, he realized they were parasitic eggs that drained his aura at an alarming rate.
"This brat's abilities are more troublesome than I thought!"
Ito gritted his teeth, his mind racing.
"If this continues, I'll lose my edge. I need a countermeasure, fast."
Glancing at Kaizen, he sneered. "Vicious kid. Exploiting my injuries, using tools to drain my aura, and forcing me into a disadvantageous battle of attrition... But if he thinks that's enough to take me down, he's gravely mistaken!"
Ito's aura exploded outward, his expression darkening.
"Enough! I'll take a few hits if it means breaking through these beasts and finishing him off!"
Akutagawa and Raiken moved in tandem, their attacks relentless. Ito, bleeding and battered, managed to push past them, closing in on Kaizen.
Killer Queen leaped high, swinging her baseball bat down toward Ito's head.
He ducked, letting the bat fly over him. But instead of slowing, the momentum carried the bat forward—straight toward Kaizen.
Ito smirked. "A rookie mistake. Your beast's clumsy attack will strike you instead."
However, Kaizen didn't flinch.
The bat continued its arc, only for Akutagawa's shadowy claws to intercept. A dark cage formed around Kaizen, shielding him from the blow.
Ito clicked his tongue.
"Annoying pest!" He summoned a burst of force, scattering the shadow cage.
In the same instant, Killer Queen adjusted her trajectory, her bat slamming down toward Ito's exposed back.
But Ito ducked again, his movements fluid and deliberate.
"Is that it?" he sneered. "Is this the extent of your control? Pathetic!"
Yet, just as the smirk spread across his face, something shifted.
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