Anos exhaled sharply, his breath steaming as his aura flared. In the blink of an eye, he vanished with Switch Mode, the air cracking as he reappeared right behind Miyamoto, who was still trembling on his knees, barely able to stand.
Before Miyamoto could react, Anos' fists, cloaked in a violent surge of Renshi, slammed into his back with relentless speed and precision. Each blow was heavy, each strike carrying the destructive weight of a thunderclap. The sound of flesh and bone being battered echoed through the shattered forest.
"AGHHH!!" Miyamoto's screams tore through the air, his body convulsing under the onslaught. He couldn't defend—his arms refused to raise in time, his guard shattered as Anos continued hammering him mercilessly.
The fiery attack Miyamoto had launched earlier instantly collapsed the moment Anos struck him, leaving the four enemies unscathed and free to watch. Their eyes widened in grim satisfaction, silently acknowledging the overwhelming dominance of their leader.
Anos caught Miyamoto's head in his iron grip, twisted his neck upward, and smashed a devastating fist across his face. Blood sprayed from Miyamoto's mouth as he coughed violently, his body hanging helplessly. But Anos didn't stop—he kicked him upward, then struck him again midair, chaining blow after blow with fluid brutality.
"Is this all you've got!?" Anos roared, his voice dripping with cruel amusement. "The student of that unknown man… you can do better than this, can't you? Come on, you loser!" His fists blurred, faster, heavier, more vicious.
Miyamoto's body screamed in agony, blood dripping freely from his lips, yet deep within him a storm began to stir. His thoughts raged, burning louder than the pain.
Is this really it? Is this where it ends? Master… entrusted the girls to me. He trusted me with their lives. If I fall here… then I've failed. I can't—NO! I won't let this end now. Never will I!
"RAAAAAH!!" Miyamoto roared in his heart. His eyes snapped wide open, his vision no longer dulled by pain. He raised his trembling arm and caught Anos' descending foot. The impact sent shockwaves through his body, but he held firm.
"Oh?" Anos tilted his head, his grin returning. "So, you've still got some fight left in you. Good. Thanks for reminding me—I do need you alive."
But then, something unexpected happened. The arm Miyamoto used to block began to freeze over, crystalline ice erupting along his skin, spreading into sharp spikes. Simultaneously, flames burst to life in his other arm, swirling around his fist like a miniature inferno. His body was splitting into two raw elements—ice on the left, fire on the right.
Before Anos could react, Miyamoto drove his flaming fist upward into his chest with brutal force.
BOOOM!!
The strike sent Anos rocketing skyward, his body tearing through the clouds.
Miyamoto's eyes flared—one blazing red, the other glowing blue. He crouched, then launched himself into the air, the ground beneath him fracturing into a crater from the sheer force.
The two clashed in midair, fists colliding like meteorites. The sound alone rattled the entire forest, shockwaves splitting apart trees and shaking the soil.
Their silhouettes became blurs, moving faster than mortal eyes could trace. Miyamoto's flames painted streaks of crimson across the sky, while his ice left shards of blue light trailing behind his strikes.
"You've become a little stronger," Anos said coldly, parrying blows with effortless grace. "But it's not nearly enough."
Miyamoto gritted his teeth, sweat and blood mingling on his face as he pressed on, punching, kicking, refusing to give in. His attacks grew sharper, more desperate, each fueled by his will to survive and protect. Anos, however, defended carelessly, his movements calm, mocking, as if entertained by Miyamoto's futile struggle.
Anos kept vanishing with Switch Mode, forcing Miyamoto to chase him through the sky. Every time Miyamoto appeared where Anos was, another parry awaited him, another smirk to cut deeper into his spirit.
Minutes passed like seconds, the forest below already scarred by their godlike duel.
Finally, Miyamoto leapt back in mid air, his chest heaving violently. He raised both hands, his Renshi flaring wildly, sparks of fire and ice colliding.
"Not… yet…" he growled, forcing the unstable elements together. The very air crackled, the atmosphere itself shuddering as the mixture of ice and fire swirled into a colossal vortex.
A giant circle of flame and frost materialized, glowing with unbearable intensity. The sky dimmed, shadows cast from its violent light. The ground cracked open beneath them as Miyamoto screamed through the pain, forcing the technique into existence.
"GOOOO!!!"
He hurled it at Anos. The flaming, freezing mass roared across the air like a wrath.
Anos' eyes narrowed. He smirked, then vanished with Switch Mode.
"Pathetic. There's no way such a clumsy attack could touch me."
But then—
SWOOOSH!
The attack switched behind him.
"What—?!"
Before Anos could blink, the devastating energy slammed into his back, crushing him with unstoppable force. His body plummeted, dragged violently toward the ground as the attack detonated, shaking the entire region.
The explosion gouged a thirty-foot-deep crater into the earth, a roar echoing for miles. A storm of dust and debris swallowed everything.
Miyamoto fell to the ground on his knees, gasping, his face drenched in blood. His arms trembled violently as the flames and frost faded away, leaving only smoke.
"That… that's all I've got left…" he muttered weakly. If only I were at full strength… maybe then, I could have escaped.
He collapsed, unable to move, his chest heaving.
From within the dust cloud, a calm voice spoke.
"…Impressive."
Anos walked out slowly, completely unharmed, his clothes untouched, his smirk returning. "I didn't expect you to still have strength left for such an attack. Truly impressive. If you were at full power… you'd have been troublesome to capture."
Miyamoto's heart sank. His vision blurred.
"I guess… this is it for me," he thought, eyes dimming, his body shutting down.
Anos appeared before him again with Switch Mode, his cold gaze fixed on his prey. "Take him. We're leaving before the roach Shinras catch our scent."
One of the four men stepped forward to seize Miyamoto's limp body.
But before he could lay a hand—
The air cracked.
A pressure descended.
An overwhelming, suffocating Renshical aura surged through the entire forest, radiating out for miles, even reaching the nearby kingdoms. Birds fell dead mid-flight. Trees bowed. The ground quaked as if the world itself was kneeling.
"Wha—what is this!?" one of the men screamed, his body forced flat to the ground.
Anos' eyes widened in disbelief as he too was crushed down. His body shook violently, sweat dripping down his face. "Impossible… who… who can have this level of Renshi presence? To force me down with just their aura…? Don't tell me—it's HIM. I've never met him, never even sensed him… damn it… please… let it be someone else…"
Miyamoto, however, felt no pain. Instead, his broken body began to lift gently into the air. A radiant light Renshi cloaked him, healing his wounds, mending his broken bones. His breath steadied.
"This warmth…" Miyamoto whispered in awe, tears in his eyes. "It's… Master. He came. He really came for me."
The sky tore open. Clouds split apart as a brilliant light descended, shining so brightly it illuminated the heavens. Through it, the universe seemed to open, infinite stars glimmering through the veil.
Then, a mature, commanding voice thundered, echoing across the world.
"Miya… oh, Miya. You've grown stronger since I left you. I am proud. And I thank you, truly, for risking your life for my daughters. For that, you have my eternal gratitude."
The voice shook the hearts of all who heard it. The four men wept in fear. Anos' eyes twitched with terror.
"On your way back, take this with you. And one last thing—take the girls to the Kingdom of Ashura for their training. This place… is no longer suitable for them."
The voice faded, but the light remained, bathing Miyamoto in warmth. He slowly descended to the ground, landing gently, his body whole again.
He bowed low, pressing his forehead to the earth. "Consider it done, Master. I will protect them… with everything I have."
The forest was silent. Even Anos dared not move.