"No matter how powerful the enemies we faced from now on, no matter what rank they held, I wouldn't lose. The me of today... would absolutely not lose."
Hearing Ash's promise, Miyuki chuckled and coughed twice, then patted the back of his hand.
"It's okay if you lose. Just don't get hurt."
Just like that torrential night when rain poured down and heaven and earth seemed to merge into one, Ash yanked open the warehouse doors. His soaked black suit outlined the man's muscular frame, while his drenched hair clung to his face.
"Yo, kid."
Inside the dimly lit warehouse, only the ember of Gagu's cigarette shone brightly.
"Friday, midnight, at the warehouse. You're pretty punctual."
He casually tossed the remaining cigarette butt to the floor and ground it out hard beneath his foot, as though crushing something symbolic.
"I hope you liked the little surprise from before. Honestly, even I got hit by it once. That was a pretty damn unlucky experience."
With an exaggerated, savage grin curling across his lips, Gagu jumped down from the metal crate. Just as he thought he and Ash had reached an understanding, the man standing coldly before him, his expression utterly unmoved, made Gagu stop where he was in irritation.
"You came alone... No, that doesn't feel right. Didn't you hear what I told you before?! Have you seriously done nothing this whole time?!"
Naturally, Ash did not answer. He did not even spare him a proper glance.
"You've got some backbone." The smile returned to his face, twisting into something so vicious it looked ready to devour someone. "Hahaha, hahahahaha—so that's it. You want me to liven things up even more?"
A warped Spirit Stone emerged from his waist, and Kuuga, monstrous in appearance, stood before Ash once again.
"Fine, then