Before Asta could steady himself, Bang's palm strikes were already falling like endless ripples, slapping into his shoulders, abdomen, arms, and every other part of his body.
[Bang bang bang bang.]
After a string of muffled blows that carried waves of force, Asta was sent flying several hundred meters away.
Only then did he crash heavily onto the shattered ground.
"Damn it!"
"I'm not done yet—"
Asta sprang back to his feet with a kip-up, only to start yelling in frustration.
The anti-magic inside him surged out, and he entered his "Half Devil Assimilation Form" directly. His speed and strength skyrocketed once more.
The next second, he swung the Demon-Slayer Sword and Demon-Dweller Sword, turning into a pitch-black bolt of lightning as he charged.
But the cruel reality was that Bang was absolutely the trickiest opponent he had ever faced.
First, the anti-magic Asta took such pride in was completely useless against him.
Second, his reckless, wide-open, heavy-handed style of swordsmanship was utterly countered by the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, which used softness to overcome hardness.
Every powerful chop Asta made was either brushed aside by Bang as if it were nothing, or bounced back at him by using his own force against him.
He was like a brute trapped in a swamp, possessing astonishing raw strength but unable to so much as touch the hem of Bang's clothes.
Instead, Bang's flowing counterattacks left him dizzy and disoriented.
"AAAAAAH!"
"Why is this old guy so slippery?!"
Asta shouted in furious frustration as he fought and swung.
His noisy voice was filled with grievance.
He had never met an opponent like this, one who left him unable to bring his strength to bear.
But against this martial arts grandmaster, aside from impotent rage, there was nothing he could do.
"Asta,