Once again, Ha-Joon lunged forward, his mastery exploding into action. His foot dug into the floor, launching him with such force that the marble cracked beneath his step.
Shintaro met him head-on, drawing his signature blade, Yodo Muramasa clashing head on against Ha-Joon assault.
Clang
Ha-Joon's forearm, reinforced by his endurance mastery, clashed against the sword mid-swing by the side, knocking it off course by a hair's breadth. The shockwave rattled across them.
He had to be careful enough to not get slashed by the sword which could cut through his black bone. A sight mishap could cause him dearly.
After clashing, Shintaro flipped backward with grace, landing softly, and pointed his blade towards Ha-Joon.
"You've grown stronger since the last time we clashed.. huh, truly enviable to grow from each battle." He spoke with a hint of envy.
Ha-Joon said nothing, instead clenched his fist, eyes glowing red as he dashed forward.
Shintaro slashed upward, a precise vertical cut. Ha-Joon ducked beneath it, spinning on his heel, and unleashed a kick. The force behind it bent the marble as Shintaro blocked it with his blade's flat.
Shintaro retaliated with a series of lightning-quick strikes, elegant yet lethal. "Yodo Muramasa" whistled with each cut, the edge nearly kissing Ha-Joon's flesh. But Ha-Joon weaved through them with hair's-breadth dodges, countering with brutal efficiency, punches aimed at the ribs, knees, and throat.
As they clashed with eachother, Ha-Joon's movements flowed between styles, Kyoukushin's bone-crushing strikes, Capoeira's spinning unpredictability, and Taekwondo's precision kicks.
Shintaro adjusted quickly, switching stances, using the full reach of "Yodo Muramasa" to maintain distance. But Ha-Joon closed the gap again.
A punch to the gut sent Shintaro stumbling. A roundhouse slammed into his shoulder.
Shintaro slowly adjusted his form and narrowed his eye, radiating intense killing intent.
Shintaro's grip on the hilt of "Yodo Muramasa" became tighter, with both hands low and solid. His stance was no longer meant to conserve energy.
He was finally taking Ha-Joon seriously.
Shintaro lunged, his sword tracing arcs too fast for the eye. The speed, precision, and lethality skyrocketed. Ha-Joon was forced on the defensive, his Endurance Mastery absorbing glancing blows, his Explosive Speed pushing his dodges to the edge of human limits.
The blade nicked his cheek. Then his arm. Then his ribs.
Blood sprayed as Shintaro unleashed a devastating whirlwind technique from the Yamazaki sword doctrine. The walls and ground cracked from the sheer impact of Shintaro devastating technique.
Ha-Joon began to endure. He roared with all his might, eyes flaring red as he clashed his fist head on, sending shockwaves through the manor.
As their clashed raged on.
Ha-Joon saw the perfect moment, a brief pause in Shintaro's barrage. He dropped low and launched upward with a rising punch that shattered the incoming sword strike. The impact blew both men apart.
Shintaro tumbled, skidding across the floor.
Ha-Joon pressed forward.
He unleashed a chain of rapid strikes, elbow to the jaw, knee to the gut, heel to the temple, each blow charged with immense force.
Shintaro tried to block But Ha-Joon was getting overwhelming with each punch.
A final twisting elbow shattered Shintaro's collarbone, "Yodo Muramasa" slipped from Shintaro's trembling fingers.
Ha-Joon stood over the broken form of the Shintaro.
"This is for Somi," he growled.
But just as he raised his fist for the final blow, Shintaro surged up with a final roar, his hands clutching the hilt of "Yodo Muramasa". With a relentless flurry of wild, desperate swings, he drove Ha-Joon back. Each slash chipped into Ha-Joon's defense, until the blade struck Ha-Joon clean across the shoulder.
Shintaro slowly rose to his knee, glazed at Ha-Joon: "Looks like, you nearly defeated me."
Having said that, He turned towards the headquarter, but just as he was about to move, he paused and slowly turned towards Ha-Joon.
Ha-Joon's body began to stir, then slowly rose towards his feet unnaturally.
His eyes fluttered open.
The "Oni" had awakened in his body.
His body straightened like a puppet pulled by threads. His mouth twisted into a cold grin, his presence now far more vicious.
Shintaro's gaze narrowed: "Tch… so it's finally out."
The Reverse Eye had taken control. As the monster fought in Ha-Joon's place.
Ha-Joon didn't answer. He simply tilted his head, like a predator wanting to devour its prey, then he vanished.
BOOM!
In an instant, Ha-Joon was upon him.
Shintaro blocked the first punch with the flat of "Yodo Muramasa", the impact rattled his bones. The second strike drove into his ribs, lifting him off his feet. The third, a spinning back kick, sent him crashing through the hallway doors.
The difficulty of integrating different threshold for Ha-Joon, had now been used effortlessly by the reverse eye.
Ha-Joon dashed towards him.
Shintaro fought with all his swordsmanship, each swing of "Yodo Muramasa" precise and deadly.
Shintaro slashed upward. Ha-Joon ducked. Shintaro spun into a wide arc. Ha-Joon stepped inside and slammed his fist into Shintaro's shoulder, dislocating it with a loud pop.
Ha-Joon grabbed Shintaro by the collar, lifting him with one hand. His iris glowed deep green, bringing the ferocious nature of Yamazaki trait. Just as he was about to finish him.
Shintaro headbutted him.
He stumbled back. Shintaro picked up the blade with his remaining strength. He gritted his teeth and roared: "I can't lose here."
Ha-Joon simply tilted his head, before lunging towards Shintaro.
Strike after strike rained down towards Shintaro. He tried to keep up, but was no longer able to keep up. The reverse eye had fully brought Ha-Joon's technique and the threshold to its limit rendering Shintaro's attempt useless.
Ha-Joon slowly loosened his fist, then aimed straight at Shintaro's chest.
Thud!
The ground cratered beneath them as dust flew.
Shintaro lay motionless.
.....
(Remember, which I had mentioned that Ha-Joon's U.I being the combination of Daniel and Gun. So, you can guess how it worked during the unconscious fight with Shintaro.
But man, I forget to upload chapter yesterday. Apology for that.)