Chapter 34: That Was Restraint
The Strongest Transcendent In History Is The Strongest
Chapter 34: That Was Restraint
Kagenoarujinbutsu stands utterly still, a statue carved from the granite of resolve. His breathing transitions into a steady rhythm, each inhalation and exhalation reducing the chaotic energy around us to a quiet hum. The palpable tension in the air sharpens, becoming as precise and cutting as a fine blade drawn across glass, ready to shatter any fragile remnants of calm. His muscles, which once twitched with the electric anticipation of an impending battle, now relax—coiling like a serpent poised to unleash its lethal strike. Those intense yellow orbs of light that reside within his eyes do not flare with emotion as one might expect. Instead, they condense, sharpening their focus and honing in on me with an unwavering scrutiny. He isn't merely watching; he's analyzing, studying my every breath and movement as if I were an open book filled with secrets waiting to be uncovered.
His voice, cool and unshakeable, slices through the thick silence that envelops us. "Make your move. I'll counter everything."
In that heartbeat, the space between us implodes, collapsing under the weight of the unspoken threat hanging in the air.
Then, in a flash, I vanish—not due to any mystical technique or sorcery, but propelled by sheer, almost supernatural speed. The very air around me tears apart, split like fabric, in my wake, and leaves behind a brilliant golden afterimage that bends light as if it were the very fabric of reality itself. This isn't teleportation, nor is it a form of trickery. This is my mastery over momentum, an assertion of absolute control.
Before Kagenoarujinbutsu's body can even begin to register the shift, I have already moved, a mere whisper in the midst of chaos.
CRACK! My knuckles strike with brutal precision, slamming into the side of his jaw—a reverse strike that dances elegantly between finesse and overwhelming power. His head lurches violently to the side, as if the impact had sent shockwaves through his entire being. "Too slow," I hiss quietly to myself, a mere echo of my thoughts mingling with the ferocity of the battle. WHUMP! Without missing a beat, I dip under his still-guarded defenses, my elbow arching upward like a comet soaring into the night, crashing into the tender, unprotected underside of his shoulder joint. POP. The dislocation sounds like the sharp snap of a branch underfoot, and I relish in the moment of victory. "Too stiff," I taunt with mocking clarity.
As he reels back, the pain radiating through his body, I pivot expertly on my heel, spinning behind him in a fluid motion that flows like water, my foot cutting through the air in a perfect horizontal arc.
THWACK! The impact of my spinning heel colliding with the base of his skull sends him soaring skyward, his body flailing like a marionette whose strings have been severed. "Too reactive," I declare, not granting him a moment to recover. My body blinks above his mid-air form, moving with a velocity that defies the laws of physics. My hand clamps around his ankle with an almost divine strength, and for a suspended heartbeat, time itself stretches, warping around us. "And too overconfident," I assert with chilling finality as I twist, a whirlwind of motion, and then release.
BOOOOOOOM! Kagenoarujinbutsu is hurled downward, crashing into the earth like a meteor descending from a dark celestial void. The moment he makes contact, the shockwave erupts, obliterating the very terrain beneath him. The crater doesn't merely expand; it spirals outward in chaotic, jagged fractals, as if the core of reality is fracturing in response to the catastrophic force. The ground liquefies, transforming into molten light at the point of impact, glowing with an otherworldly intensity.
A profound silence descends upon the scene, an unsettling calm settling over the devastation. Steam begins to rise from the massive crater, swirling upwards like the final, restless breath of a dying god.
Kagenoarujinbutsu lies motionless at the crater's center…", his body cracked and battered, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth in thin streams that glint menacingly in the waning light. The once-vibrant glow in his eyes flickers, teetering on the brink of extinguishment.
I hover in the air above the ruin I've wrought, exhaling softly, my breath calm amidst the chaos. "Stay down," I say, my voice low and resolute, a final decree. "That was restraint."
Katsume looks up, her heart pounding in her ears, the sound muffled yet deafening. Debris floats in the air, suspended like delicate feathers caught in a moment frozen in time. Her breath escapes, a whisper that carries her unease. "…Kiro?"
Out of the chaos, a streak of golden light descends from the heavens.
With an ethereal grace, I land beside her, my coat trailing tendrils of smoke in my wake, and my boots crunch against the fractured stone, the sound a reminder of the battle that just transpired.
Katsume gasps, her eyes widening in surprise. "You're... back?" Her voice trembles, a mixture of relief and awe.
I offer her a faint smile, my expression softening, contrasting starkly with the ferocity I had just embodied. "At least you're not hurt," I say, reaching forward to ruffle her hair affectionately. Her eyes flicker—relief, fear, awe—until she buries it beneath a defiant pout.
Katsume turns her head away, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson. "I-I wasn't worried…" she stammers, the words tumbling out betraying her true feelings.
A chuckle escapes my lips, light and teasing. "Did you miss me?"
She mumbles something incoherent under her breath, her gaze deliberately avoiding mine, an obvious attempt to disguise her emotions.
I lean in closer, my eyes glinting with a playful light reminiscent of twin suns. "Come on. Say it."
"Shut up!" she blurts out, flustered, her voice laced with indignation. "You're the worst."
But my smile lingers, grounded in a warmth that pierces through the remnants of battle. "Well, I'm here now," I say softly, a promise and a reassurance as we navigate the ruins together.
To be continued...