Yabuki Shingo's attack was swift and fierce. The force behind it whipped up gusts of wind, and his ferocious assault drew gasps from the Shadow Guard members watching the show. Many of them could already picture the miserable state Uzumaki Kuming would be in a moment later.
"Thud!"
A dull thump rang out. Yabuki Shingo had charged at Kuming with both fists, but suddenly found that his punch could go no farther. An immense force met his arm and stopped his attack.
Shingo lowered his eyes and saw that Kuming had stopped his punch with just one hand. Most terrifying of all, not a single muscle in Kuming's arm had tensed.
The red-haired man had barely exerted any strength to block his attack.
"Is that supposed to tickle?"
Kuming murmured and quickly punched with his left hand, driving his fist into Shingo's abdomen. The tremendous force doubled Shingo over like a shrimp. Kuming held him by both hands, keeping him from being thrown back by the blow.
"Ugh!" The force in his abdomen made Shingo retch, but all that came up was water. The blow also put an end to his earlier nonchalant attitude. He slowly collapsed, ending up on one knee in front of Kuming.
Kuming let go and lightly pressed down on his shoulder. Shingo's knees slammed into the ground, and thin cracks appeared in the stone beneath him.
"I don't like people looking down at me."
"Keep that in mind."
Kuming bent slightly and pressed one hand on Shingo's shoulder, whispering in his ear.
"I'm the deputy captain of the Shadow Guard! How dare you?"
Shingo struggled to get up and roared as he tried to fight back, but the immense force pressing down on his shoulder kept him from standing. The pain in his knees, meanwhile,