Chapter 268: The Right to Slay a Dragon

Hayato lay on the ground, gasping for breath. His head felt like it was being hammered from all directions, a deafening ringing filling his ears. In his blurred vision, an old memory surfaced—like an aged film reel flickering through his mind.

"Brother, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Since you're my brother, just spit it out already, Hichiya."

"If one day I disappear, can you take care of someone for me? She's a bit of a scatterbrain... always neglecting her own health, even though she's severely anemic."

"Jeez, do you have a picture?"

Hayato took the photograph, glanced at it, and smirked. "Oh—so cute. Who is she to you?"

"She is my—"

The memory cut off abruptly. Hayato's pupils twitched involuntarily as a strange force dragged his hazy consciousness back to reality. His breathing steadied, but his body remained weak.

At that moment, a tall figure descended slowly, exuding an oppressive aura so chilling it seemed to freeze the very air.

"Hah! A mere human dares to challenge the dragon race?" Rinro's laughter was sharp, slicing through the silence with sheer contempt. He looked down at Hayato, who was barely clinging to life, as if he were nothing more than a shattered piece of porcelain. "Like a biscuit—easy to crush."

Not far away, Usagi's eyes welled with tears. She struggled to stand, but her frail, anemic body betrayed her, forcing her to collapse to her knees. Trembling, she screamed, "Hayato!!! Stop fighting—!" Her voice was raw with anguish, yet powerless to change anything.

Rinro glanced at Usagi, scoffing. "Pathetic and weak—how boring." He then grabbed Hayato's leg, lifting him like a ragdoll, ready to slam him into the ground at any moment.

But in that instant—

Hayato's body twisted violently, slipping from Rinro's grasp like a whirlwind. His twin blades flashed like shooting stars, slicing straight toward Rinro's fingers.

"Crack!" A sharp sound rang out. A layer of Rinro's dragon-scale armor was severed, forcing him to let go in pain.

Hayato staggered to his feet, hunched over, blood staining the corner of his mouth. But his grin remained—wild as ever. Yet, something had changed.

His gaze… was no longer that of a reckless madman. It was calm, deep, and laced with an unsettling determination.

Usagi froze, her tears silently crystallizing in the frigid air. She looked at Hayato—his presence now unfamiliar, yet eerily familiar at the same time. A sense of unease gripped her heart.

Rinro licked his lips, his cold eyes gleaming with killing intent. "Interesting. Your eyes… have changed." He assumed a battle stance, growling, "Let's see how long you can last!"

Hayato wiped the blood from his lips, his voice hoarse but chilling. "Who said… I'm just a mere human?"

With that, he gripped his twin blades and dashed forward like a storm, closing in on Rinro with unyielding force.

Rinro's draconic instincts flared. His muscles tensed as he clenched his clawed fist, throwing a devastating punch aimed straight at Hayato's skull.

But Hayato spun mid-air, narrowly dodging the crushing blow, moving with ghostly agility. As he evaded, he hurled his blades toward Rinro, the sharp edges whistling through the air.

Rinro smirked in disdain, effortlessly sidestepping the attack. "Pathetic tricks again?"

Yet, Hayato paid no mind to his taunts. He danced around Rinro, his movements erratic, his blades constantly whirling in and out of his hands—like a master orchestrating a deadly performance.

Rinro's eyes tracked him, his brow furrowing. Though unscathed, frustration burned in his veins.

"What the hell are you playing at?!" he roared.

Before Rinro could react, Hayato suddenly leaped, landing on his shoulder like a predator pouncing on prey. His twin blades plunged deep into Rinro's shoulder blades with a sickening clang.

Then, a chilling smirk crept across Hayato's lips as he whispered, "Seven Fracture Points."

In an instant, Rinro's body stiffened as if turned to stone. Agonizing pain erupted from seven key joints—his shoulders, elbows, knees, and ankles. Blood gushed from the wounds like crimson waterfalls.

"Boom!!"

The mighty dragon warrior crashed to his knees, his limbs paralyzed, as if bound by invisible chains.

Shock and rage twisted Rinro's face. He glared up at Hayato, teeth clenched. "What… what kind of technique is this?! What did you do to me?!"

Standing tall atop Rinro's shoulders, Hayato pressed his foot against the dragon's head. His twin blades remained embedded in Rinro's flesh, his gaze as frigid as a winter blade.

"Seven Fracture Points," Hayato murmured. "A technique designed specifically for arrogant fools like you."

Rinro struggled, but the more he thrashed, the more blood gushed from his wounds. His deafening roar echoed across the battlefield, but it was futile.

Hayato let out a cold chuckle, pressing his foot harder against Rinro's skull.

"Tell me… does a mere human now have the right to challenge the dragon race?"