Ryu Ishigori stood where he was, his knuckles clenched white.
From the moment the three-colored lines filled heaven and earth, he had known he would never be this man's match.
It wasn't that his chances were slim. The gap between them was on an entirely different scale.
The clashing cursed energy erased all cursed techniques, the crushing pressure constantly wore away his defenses, and he couldn't even reach the boundary of his opponent's domain.
For the first time, he was certain of defeat before exchanging blows. Danger screamed through his very bones, and his instincts howled at him to retreat.
But his feet didn't move.
Pride was etched into his bones. The more purely overwhelming the strength, the hotter his blood burned.
Even knowing he couldn't withstand more than a few punches, even knowing he was destined to fall, he had to take a few solid hits and taste exactly what this strength was like.
With a low roar, Ryu Ishigori suppressed the chill in his heart, kicked off the ground, and shot forward.
No shaved ice, no cannon barrel. Nothing but his physical body.
He twisted his waist and drove his shoulder forward, throwing a punch with every ounce of strength he had. His fist tore through the air, carrying a do-or-die ferocity straight toward Qingxiao's face.
Qingxiao raised his eyes slightly.
He didn't lower his stance or gather strength. His feet didn't even shift. He simply raised his right fist and casually met the blow.
The instant their fists collided, there was no metallic clang, only a low tremor in space.
Gray-black ripples of distortion erupted from their fists, and a ring of air sent the fine ash on the ground billowing up.
Black Flash.
Ryu Ishigori's entire body jolted. His whole right arm went numb, and he