Chapter : The Gap between Us

Josuke and Arthur charged forward, their blades cutting through the air as they attacked Kyle in perfect sync. Arthur swung Excalibur in a brilliant arc, the golden light of his sword illuminating the room, while Josuke followed with a devastating downward slash from his massive devil blade.

Kyle, however, moved like a phantom.

Without breaking a sweat, he twisted his body effortlessly, dodging Arthur's swing by a hair's breadth before pivoting backward to evade Josuke's crushing strike. The moment Josuke's blade crashed into the ground, Kyle retaliated—his foot connected with Josuke's stomach in a blur.

BOOM!

Josuke shot backward like a missile, slamming into the reinforced walls of the training chamber.

Arthur barely had time to react before Kyle appeared behind him.

"Too slow."

Kyle struck Arthur in the side with a well-placed palm strike, sending him skidding across the smooth white floor.

Both of them groaned in pain, struggling to rise.

Kyle, meanwhile, stood completely relaxed in the center of the room, rolling his shoulders. "Come on, guys. I know you can do better than that."

Josuke gritted his teeth, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "Damn it… We are trying."

Kyle shook his head, disappointed. "Then you're gonna have to try harder. Because right now, you two are moving like snails."

Arthur exhaled sharply, gripping Excalibur tighter. He was a skilled warrior, a master swordsman—but against Kyle, none of his experience seemed to matter.

Kyle's speed wasn't just overwhelming—it was untouchable.

And his strength? Every attack he landed felt like getting hit by a battering ram.

Josuke transformed into his full devil form, his mana surging like a storm. His crimson aura flared wildly, and his massive blade pulsed with power. Arthur followed suit, unleashing more of his holy energy, his sword radiating divine light.

Kyle smirked. "That's more like it."

The two rushed him again.

Josuke swung his blade with brute force, while Arthur used precise strikes, aiming for the openings in Kyle's defense. They attacked relentlessly, their movements fluid and unpredictable.

But it wasn't enough.

Kyle effortlessly weaved between their blows, his movements too fast for their eyes to track. It was like he knew what they were going to do before they even did it.

Then, without warning—

Kyle disappeared.

A heartbeat later, Josuke felt a sharp impact in his stomach.

BOOM!

He was airborne again, crashing into the ground before he could even react.

Arthur tried to counterattack, swinging Excalibur at Kyle's exposed side, but—

Kyle casually caught the blade between two fingers.

Arthur's eyes widened in shock.

"Predictable," Kyle said, before yanking the sword forward and slamming his knee into Arthur's ribs.

Arthur coughed as he was sent flying.

Kyle sighed, shaking his head. "We've been at this for 48 hours now. You guys still can't touch me?"

Josuke groaned as he lay on the floor, completely exhausted. Arthur was in the same condition, gripping his ribs in pain.

Kyle, on the other hand, wasn't even sweating.

Instead, he sat down, crossing his legs and casually biting into a fruit. "Alright, let's take five. I'm getting bored."

The Numbers Don't Lie

Josuke, still sprawled on the ground, pulled out his notepad. He had been keeping track of every round they fought against Kyle.

Total Attacks Attempted: 112

Losses: 113 (somehow, they had managed to lose an extra round)

Wins: 0

Josuke stared at the numbers and let out a long, tired sigh.

"Hey, Arthur," he muttered.

Arthur, lying nearby, cracked open one eye. "What?"

"…I think we're getting our asses kicked."

Arthur exhaled sharply. "No kidding."

Kyle, overhearing them, chuckled. "That's the smartest thing you've said all day."

Josuke sat up, rubbing his sore ribs. "How the hell are you this strong?"

Kyle grinned. "Talent, experience, and a little bit of finesse."

Arthur frowned. "It's not just your speed… You're switching between strength and speed seamlessly. One second you're too fast to see, the next you're hitting like a damn truck. That's why we can't keep up."

Kyle tilted his head. "Oh? So you are paying attention."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "It's not just your movement. It's your rhythm. You have a pattern, but you change it just enough to make it impossible to counter. That's why no matter how hard we try, we're always a step behind."

Kyle smirked. "Exactly. And until you figure out how to break that rhythm, you'll never hit me."

Meanwhile in Unit zero Research Lab

Back in the real world, Lily was deep in her latest project fine-tuning Ace's Arc-Lancer.

Ace sat patiently, his mechanical arm connected to a glowing terminal as Lily adjusted the weapon's energy parameters.

The Arc-Lancer was a high-tech experimental weapon capable of shifting between a long-range railgun and a high-speed plasma blade.

Right now, it was still unstable.

Lily typed a few commands, increasing the power output. "Alright, let's test the railgun mode."

Ace raised his arm, aiming at a reinforced steel target across the lab.

A faint blue glow built up in the barrel, and then—

BOOM!

A plasma shot exploded forward, obliterating the target in an instant. The sheer force of the blast sent a shockwave through the room.

Lily analyzed the results. "Energy output is stable, but the recoil is still too high. If you fire too many shots in a row, your arm will overheat."

Ace flexed his fingers. "Let's switch to blade mode."

With a flick of his wrist, the Arc-Lancer transformed. A crackling plasma blade extended from the weapon, humming with energy. Ace swung it experimentally, slicing through the air with precision and speed.

Lily nodded. "Alright, let's test its durability."

She activated a titanium-alloy combat dummy in the center of the lab.

Ace charged forward, his movements sharp and calculated. With a single swing—

SHING!

The dummy was cut in half. The edges of the sliced metal glowed red-hot from the intense heat.

Ace smirked. "Not bad."

Lily leaned back, crossing her arms. "It's almost combat-ready. Just a few more tweaks."

Ace flexed his arm, feeling more synchronized with the weapon than before. "Good. Because once Josuke and Arthur get out of that time chamber, they're gonna need all the help they can get."

Back in the Time Chamber

Kyle stepped out of the shower, a towel draped over his shoulders, looking as refreshed as ever. "Alright, break time's over. You two ready for round…what is it now? 114?"

Josuke groaned, dragging himself to his feet. "We should just call this a massacre."

Arthur tightened his grip on Excalibur. "No. This time, we're going to land a hit."

Kyle smirked, cracking his knuckles. "I'd like to see you try."

Josuke transformed into his devil form, his blade pulsing with energy. Arthur's sword radiated divine light as he took his stance.

This time, they weren't just going to fight.

They were going to adapt.

To be continued…