A Microscopic Game of Chicken, the First to Flinch Loses

I'm going to die… I'm going to die!!

Beads of sweat trickled down [Vakh]'s forehead. His pupils were fixated on Shu, who was steadily approaching, on the undiminished golden light emanating from the sword in Shu's hand.

The golden light had never seemed so piercing. [Vakh] had no doubt Shu could unleash a second strike.

If his body had merely been sounding an alarm before, now every cell was screaming, screaming for escape.

No! He wouldn't flee!

He was the apex [human]! How could he flee in terror before these inferior lives!

But…

Shu took another step, and [Vakh] felt the light from the sword, now only a few meters away, intensify!

Was he about to strike?

Where would he aim? Could he survive another blow?

[Vakh] was frantically analyzing, afraid to move, lest the slightest twitch provoke Shu into striking.

What to do? Would he die?

[Vakh] didn't know!!

The torment wasn't the question of whether Shu could kill him, but that he didn't know if Shu would kill him!

He didn't even know if Shu would kill him outright, or toy with him first!

He didn't know!!

He feared the unknown, feared fear itself!

From [Vakh]'s perspective, he believed he was standing still, frozen in place.

But from the perspectives of Shu, Natasha, and Kiana, he was breathing heavily, his chest heaving.

[Vakh]'s condition was almost as bad as Shu's!

Five meters… three meters…!

This was Shu's optimal attack range! But Shu didn't strike. He continued to close the distance!

Two meters—!!

Shu's bloodshot eyes tracked [Vakh]'s every move, every breath analyzed.

He couldn't grasp Vakh's full power, but he'd learned a trick from the [Champion].

From countless unseen perspectives, he monitored [Vakh]'s every minute movement, predicting his actions before he even made them!

And he knew Vakh was doing the same, watching him just as intently!

Two steps!!

This was Shu's ideal attack range! And precisely the distance at which [Vakh] couldn't touch him!

Shu's footwork paused for a fraction of a second, his muscles tensing. From [Vakh]'s perspective, he could even discern the intent behind Shu's actions!

He was going to attack!

Finally, in this game of controlling distance, [Vakh] broke first.

He leaped backward, crashing through the wall behind him, escaping into the open air. Almost simultaneously, Shu swung his sword, unleashing another blinding golden slash!

But unlike before, hidden within the blinding light, at its very core, was a tiny, purple projectile.

[Vakh] had anticipated Shu's arm movement, but he couldn't react to the golden slash itself.

And because of his hesitation, the distance had closed to a point where evasion was impossible.

But as the golden light passed through him, [Vakh] felt… nothing.

This was completely different from having his arm severed…

But the relief was fleeting. The next instant, [Vakh]'s expression shifted drastically.

No! It wasn't a slash!

Where had that bullet come from? When had it appeared?!!

Shu stood his ground, every extended perspective, including his own eyes, fixed on the airborne [Vakh].

[Vakh] looked at his hands. He could still move.

But tiny particles were floating away from his body, unstoppable. He felt himself… dissolving!!

Disciplinary Thunder!!

It was a bullet capable of disintegrating any known substance!

A bullet that, even at this distance, Vakh could have dodged if he'd seen it!

But why hadn't he dodged?

[Vakh] had experienced Shu's sword strike. He'd analyzed it, knew he couldn't dodge it.

So, he'd focused all his attention on observing Shu's movements, just as Shu had been wary of [Vakh] attacking those behind him.

[Vakh] feared Shu striking the instant he moved, preventing him from dodging.

And Shu feared [Vakh] attacking the instant he moved, preventing him from shielding the others.

In this intense standoff, whoever moved first gave the other the opportunity to inflict a devastating blow, capitalizing on their delayed reaction.

But neither could afford to reveal their hand first. The slightest lapse in concentration, and the delay would become insurmountable.

And precisely because of this, because [Vakh] knew he couldn't dodge the attack itself, he focused all his attention on Shu.

And precisely because [Vakh] wasn't focused on the attack itself, because Shu gambled that [Vakh] wouldn't focus on the attack itself, he had the chance to embed a dodgable bullet within that sword strike!!

It was an extreme gamble!

And Shu had won!!

The airborne [Vakh] watched in horror as his body disintegrated faster and faster, watching as Shu still stood there, sword in hand, guarding against his dying counterattack.

In reality, Shu was completely drained. His final gambit was to use his body to shield against Vakh's final struggle.

He trusted Kiana and the others to know what he needed!

And, indeed, new [hope] was rapidly flowing into his depleted body!

[Vakh] clasped his hands together, only for them to disintegrate instantly.

Stones, propelled into the air by the earlier explosions, passed through his body without resistance, leaving gaping holes.

[Vakh] finally understood what was happening.

He was being… disintegrated…

He'd never encountered this… Vakh's legacy held no solutions…

He looked up at Shu.

He knew… he'd lost…