5
The Armament Haki coating everyone else's weapons on the battlefield paled before that pure darkness.
Even the black on Kaido's horns seemed to fade a shade-
Wait?
A faint cracking sound made both opponents freeze.
Then came a roar like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting.
Kaido slammed like a meteor into the ** rock below, and the tremor from the impact sent the entire ground rippling like waves.
Earth and stone churned, cracks spread, and a bottomless crater opened in the ** of the battlefield. Sand and gravel wailed incessantly as its edges kept collapsing.
Rossi landed at the crater's edge, his black haori fluttering in the blast.
He looked calm, but beneath his clothes, his chest heaved violently.
That slash had drained almost all his strength. His limbs felt weak and hollow, as though his bones had melted in an instant.
Gravel poured down like a waterfall, about to bury the pit-only to freeze abruptly in midair.
Some invisible force held up the collapsing rock, leaving even the dust suspended, unable to fall an inch.
"Brat..."
A low growl rose from the bottom of the pit, each syllable forced out separately.
Kaido slowly rose, his leather clothes reduced to tatters and the horn on the left side of his head snapped off at the base.
His immense Haki supported the surrounding earth and stone, preventing the crater from collapsing completely.
Rossi silently drew a breath.
These awakened Zoan users... had truly gone beyond the bounds of humanity.
Exhaustion washed over his limbs like a tide, but heavier still was a creeping chill-facing an enemy who could stand back up no matter what would begin to shake anyone's reason.
He finally understood why those legendary powerhouses ultimately displayed near-hysterical rage in prolonged battles.
"Let's just see-"
He tightened