The smoke slowly cleared.
From the shattered rubble rose Ashryn Witherfall—his long black coat torn, dust clinging to every fold, his body marked by impact.
Yet his grin remained.
"Damn you…" he snarled, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Devil Boy."
Orimo's shadow twisted violently behind him.
Two massive arms forged from pure darkness manifested beside his body, pulsing like living creatures.
He screamed—
"Demonic Embrace."
The shadow arms lunged forward, tearing through the air toward Ashryn.
But Ashryn merely stepped in.
One touch.
The first shadow arm instantly dried out, crumbling into lifeless ash mid-air.
The second arm crashed straight into Ashryn's face—
THUD!
His body slammed into a nearby building, stone exploding outward.
Ashryn twisted mid-fall and landed back on his feet, barely stabilizing himself—
Then—
A voice echoed from above.
Orimo descended from the sky, grinning through rage.
"Harmonized Teleport."
He vanished.
Ashryn's eyes widened.
Orimo reappeared right in front of him.
THUD!
An Aegis-coated punch smashed into Ashryn's jaw, the impact ripping him through walls—
one after another—
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Ashryn finally crashed into a reinforced wall, coughing violently as blood sprayed from his mouth.
He staggered up, wiping his lips, teeth clenched.
"That… damn pirate," he growled.
"How dare he…"
From the dust ahead, Orimo stood still—eyes burning like hellfire.
His fists trembled, coated in Aegis Mantra.
"How dare you do that to my brother…"
his voice low, shaking with fury.
"You piece of shit."
Ashryn straightened, his grin slowly returning—deeper, darker.
"Huh?"
The battlefield fell silent.
The real domination was only beginning.