Chapter 42: Gunfire and Flame: Jett vs. Aza

Jett drew his twin pistols with a confident smirk. 

"I hope you're ready," he said coolly. 

Azar cracked his knuckles, his hands suddenly igniting in fierce flames. 

"I am," he replied, eyes blazing. 

Meanwhile, Taro shot a glance at Kaien. 

"Just so you know, Kaien, you only won by luck." 

Kaien simply met Taro's gaze for a moment, then looked away. 

"Don't look at me like that," Taro grumbled. 

Yuna raised her hand. "You may begin now." 

With a swift motion, Jett fired two shots. Azar weaved through the bullets effortlessly and charged forward. 

""Infernal Fist!" Azar roared. His arm ignited, trailing flame as he threw a blazing hook. 

Jett shifted his weight and pivoted to the side, dodging it by inches. 

Azar spun around to find a gun barrel pointed at his face — a shot grazed his cheek. 

"See? I could've killed you right there. Don't give that scumbag a chance." 

Azar smirked through the sting. "Thank you." 

Without missing a beat, Azar's leg ignited. 

"Scorching Kick!" 

His blazing strike aimed at Jett, who barely dodged it, flipping backward and firing five bullets that morphed into miniature rockets. 

Azar flipped over the explosions and avoided two more shots, then unleashed a torrent of fire from his mouth. Jett rolled away just in time. 

"Flicker Flame Bullet!" Jett fired again. 

Before Azar could react, the bullets struck and erupted into flames. 

Azar grinned, "You forgot—I'm fire, bro." 

Suddenly, the flames exploded violently. 

"What the hell!" Azar shouted, shielding himself. 

Jett smirked, "Come on, I'm not that dumb." 

Azar winced, "That kind of hurt." 

The two charged at each other. Jett threw a kick, but Azar ducked, grabbed Jett's leg, and slammed him into the ground. Azar swung a punch, but Jett fired two bullets, forcing Azar to retreat. 

Azar's foot ignited as he blasted toward Jett, leaving a fiery trail. Jett fired five bullets, but Azar zig-zagged expertly, weaving through the barrage. Azar lunged to grab Jett, but Jett slipped beneath him, climbing onto his back. 

"Calm down, horse," Jett teased. 

Azar spun violently, shaking Jett off, who landed gracefully. They locked eyes in a tense stare-down—until Jett suddenly fired, grazing Azar's cheek. 

"See? Could've died again," Jett taunted. 

Fury flashing in his eyes, Azar charged. Jett met him head-on, pistol raised, but Azar blocked and wrapped Jett up, slamming him to the ground. Jett recovered quickly, firing two shots, which Azar dodged with ease. Azar swung a punch, but Jett wove under and pressed his gun to Azar's face. 

Azar smacked the gun away and kicked the other from Jett's hand, sweeping him to the ground. Igniting his hand, Azar prepared to punch—but Jett caught his arm with his leg, pulling him down. Jett unleashed a rapid series of punches. 

Azar had enough. Grabbing Jett, he slammed him down hard and stepped on him, his leg blazing. 

Pain exploded through his ribs. Jett gritted his teeth—yep, that hurt. 

"Give up," Azar demanded. 

Suddenly, Jett pulled a small pistol from his pocket and fired a single shot. Azar leapt away just in time. Jett tossed the empty gun aside and charged, both hands aflame. 

Azar swung a fiery fist, but Jett slapped the arm aside and his gun landed in his hand. Azar's fiery fist met Jett's hand inches from his face. 

"How about we call this a draw, my friend?" Jett suggested, breathing hard. 

"You bet," Azar replied, a grin breaking through the tension. 

"Good battle," Yuna called out. 

Taro turned to Kaien. "I want a rematch." 

Kaien shook his head firmly. 

"Why not?" Taro pressed. 

Zanden, watching nearby, muttered, "That had me so focused..." 

Yuna glanced at the sky. "It's already night." 

Jett and Azar regrouped with their team just as Kaji appeared. 

"The Spiritual King wants you all in his office." 

"Okay," Yuna replied. 

Team 1 

"Ready to save Misa?" Rei asked. 

"Yeah," Shun answered. 

"Anyone scared?" Goro smirked. 

"Not really," Kenshiro said coolly. 

Kaji approached, "What's up, lazy bastards?" 

"Sup, sensei," Goro responded. 

"We have to report to the Spiritual King," Kaji reminded them. 

The team sprang to their feet and leapt out of sight. 

Renji and Ryju 

"Come on, keep trying!" Renji encouraged. 

"Why's it so hard to put spiritual force in my eyes?" Ryju groaned. 

"I told you..." Renji began. 

Kaji appeared again. 

"Oh, sup Kaji." 

"Hey, sensei," Ryju greeted. 

"You all have to report to the Spiritual King's office." 

Without hesitation, Renji and Ryju jumped away. 

At the Spiritual King's Office 

"So, what happened?" Ryju asked. 

"We just found out when the auction is going to start," the Spiritual King announced. 

"When?" Azar asked eagerly. 

"In two days," the Spiritual King replied. 

To Be Continued...