"Stop talking nonsense! You're barely standing. Just give up already!"
Gambit's voice roared through the wrecked bar as he lunged again, iron staff stabbing forward like a spear. His aura flared so violently that even the air trembled. The man's hair whipped in the current of his own power, wild and crackling with intensity.
Gwen took a worried step forward, instinctively ready to help—but Ryuuto's calm, confident eyes caught hers. Just that single glance steadied her heart. She exhaled, retreating back, silently cheering him on.
"Hey, Gambit! You seeing double, or are you just that slow?" Ryuuto grinned, taunting even as his shuriken clashed against the steel staff. "I'm only using one hand. Maybe you're the one who should surrender before you embarrass yourself further."
"What—one hand?!"
Gambit's eyes widened as Ryuuto deflected his next strike effortlessly, then countered with a lightning-fast left hook aimed straight for his head.
Gambit's instincts screamed. He twisted, feet skidding across broken glass as he backpedaled. "Tch! I'm not done yet! Let's finish this!"
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
Dozens of Ryuutos appeared in a blur, surrounding Gambit from every direction. The Cajun brawler gritted his teeth and swung his staff in wide arcs, smashing clone after clone in bursts of smoke. Each impact rattled the air, but his rhythm never faltered. Still, his pulse spiked when a chill crept up his spine—instinct warned him something was behind him.
Too late.
A sharp kick slammed into his weapon from behind. The floor exploded beneath them as Gambit and his staff were sent crashing down, tiles shattering in a cratered impact.
"Not bad! Still breathing?" Ryuuto cracked his neck, eyes gleaming.
Gambit, staggering to his feet, let out a furious growl. "You really think this is over?" He spun his staff, movements so fast they blurred into silver streaks. The air buzzed as each swing carved through space like lightning.
"Not bad for a punching bag," Ryuuto laughed, his smirk sharpening. "Guess I can stop holding back."
"Summoning Technique!"
He bit his thumb, formed a quick seal—and smoke exploded beside him.
From the haze emerged the hulking form of the Ape King Enma, glaring down at him.
"What now, brat? I was relaxing! You better have a good—"
"Yeah, yeah, talk later. Turn into the staff. I've got a stick fight to win."
Enma sighed. "You're impossible."
"Transformation: Adamantine Staff!"
A flash of gold. Ryuuto now wielded the King Kong Ruyi Staff, gleaming and alive with divine power. His silhouette seemed carved from stormlight itself—majestic, unstoppable.
Gambit's grin returned. "A magic stick, huh? Cute. Let's see how long it lasts!"
They clashed again, staffs colliding with deafening force. Sparks flew, floorboards cracked, bottles shattered as they fought from one end of the bar to the other. Patrons screamed and bolted through the exits; the entire dance floor turned into a war zone.
Ryuuto vaulted high into the air, shadows swirling around him. "I'm done wasting time. Eat this!"
He thrust the staff downward—
Whoosh! The weapon extended midair, stretching like a living thing, piercing through space toward Gambit's chest.
Gambit's pupils shrank. "That stick—can extend?!"
He raised his own staff in defense, but—
CRACK!
The iron rod split clean in two. Before Gambit could even react, Ryuuto's next strike sent him flying across the room like a cannonball. He slammed into the wall with a sickening crunch, coughing blood that painted his shirt crimson.
"Didn't like that? Here, have another!" Ryuuto spun the staff, preparing the finishing blow.
But Gambit wasn't done. He wiped the blood from his mouth, teeth bared.
"Damn you! You forced me to use this!"
He flung his hands forward—
Twin decks of playing cards exploded into the air, glowing with kinetic energy.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A storm of glowing cards tore across the room, each one a miniature bomb streaking toward Ryuuto in a dazzling rain of color and destruction.