Regashi could see it, and it made him feel something. A being that was far beyond rudimentary laws of physics and stretched further than the fabrics of any reality was not typically favored by emotion, especially ones that pertained to fear, discomfort, or anxiousness—but Regashi, when peering at Tanjo, felt a vague hint of uncertainty that slowly swelled in the back of his mind. The more collected the teenager felt, the more aligned he was with the Disruption of Reality, placing Regashi in a slightly more vulnerable position.
Vulnerable. Regashi could not be vulnerable since he was everything rather than nothing: omnipotence in a humanoid form. How could he be vulnerable? Amid his mental gymnastics, a deeper rut gradually formed within his psyche, and it was a realization.
Tanjo was achieving a similar status. Soon, Regashi would no longer be alone, and it disturbed him.
The more Tanjo finely tuned his mind, the more immeasurable power followed. Since the advent of their battle, Tanjo had gradually made slight advances toward undermining Regashi's grasp on reality as a whole. He ceased Regashi's ability to read his mind, then he reached an electric-like state that prohibited Regashi from even grazing the boy's body without discharging an effective repellent that truthfully made close-quarter combat an annoyance, and to top it all off—Tanjo had managed to exceed third-dimensional constraints with his mind alone.
He was adapting to Regashi, learning how to mirror the man's infinite output of power.
However, it was a slow climb for the teenager, giving Regashi an advantage. A very significant advantage.
*KRSHH!*
The blue rifts that hovered around Tanjo cackled, gradually shifting into a calmer state. His hands were encompassed by a four-phase Aura Amalgamation, which fully utilized the abilities of four basic Aura Sense, only excluding Green from his arsenal. That was reserved for other means of combat.
"I must ask… How did Imperium boost you to beyond fourth-dimensional power? Yuso certainly had a punch before he died." Regashi queried with a sinister tone, grinning malevolently.
Tanjo's ever-calming eyes glinted. "The same way Reiwa Takuetsu managed to—through human will."
Regashi narrowed his emerald-green eyes, clicking his tongue at the answer. "Seriously? The indomitable human spirit was your saving grace?"
It was not too surprising to Regashi, considering that he heavily relied on a human soul intertwined with divinity to conquer everything he touched. Even with such a revelation in mind, what made it work on Tanjo? He had no hope of surviving a fifth-dimensional attack, but then he and Yuso could miraculously throw attacks that would have dealt serious damage to Lucifer himself, something only Regashi and Imperium would be capable of. Would.
"You should know the results of downplaying it, Nyx. Your peers certainly learned them during the Keisan War." Tanjo retorted, his voice steady.
"I'm starting to like your threats." Regashi commented, his green eyes shining with anticipation.
The Disruption of Reality continued to extend outward, forming straighter lines. Tanjo slowly leaned forward, his white wings furling subtly as he prepared to charge forward at the brown-haired menace.
"And I'm starting to see your flaws." Tanjo muttered, shooting forward.
*BOOM!*
The brief moment it took for Tanjo to reach Regashi was nearly indiscernible as he unleashed a volatile punch that immediately shattered their region of the universe. Fragments of space drifted in every possible direction, unveiling a different dimension around the two of them.
Unfortunately, Regashi had successfully molded a copy of his body to endure the brunt of the attack, rendering him entirely unharmed and grinning wickedly.
"I'll enjoy fracturing that calmness you're relying on!" Regashi hollered giddily, watching his clone be erased by the boy's Disruption of Reality.
Without another word, Tanjo's pursuit of the Abnormal Regashi Ketsueki continued. The teenager unleashed a torrent of punches combined with the four primary Aura Sense, hoping to land one solid blow that would allow for his rifts to latch onto Regashi's body. Unfortunately, the brown-haired menace eluded every strike, contorting his body in ways that were either inhuman or required extreme flexibility.
Suddenly, Regashi's body flickered, causing him to vanish and reappear behind Tanjo with a black hole in his hand. Instantly, the black hole grabbed hold of the boy, enabling Regashi to launch him further into the new hole in the universe that Tanjo had created, sending him into a new dimension. Regashi had to create new ways to fight Tanjo without physically touching the boy; however, it did not leave him at a disadvantage.
After barreling into a new realm, Tanjo caught himself by stretching his white, feathery wings. Regashi was still too fast, and with reality bending to his will, holding the man in place and discharging an attack lethal enough to subdue him was immensely arduous.
'What's he doing now?' Tanjo thought to himself, watching Regashi float into the new realm with Tanjo, the man's arms outstretched in a welcoming gesture. 'He wants me to charge at him again…'
*KRSHH!*
Instead of mindlessly flying toward Regashi, Tanjo forced blue rifts to materialize around the man and commanded them to dart toward him. Even at a distance, Regashi was not completely free from the Disruption of Reality—it could be anywhere and potentially everywhere.
Even with such an offensive strategy, Regashi's form disappeared before the rifts could make contact with him. From this, Tanjo grunted as he gradually sought to devise a strategy that would catch the man off guard, preventing any easy escapes. After avoiding the imminent rifts that were hell-bent on erasing him, Regashi's body reformed within inches of Tanjo, his right hand raised and forming the shape of a pistol with his fingers, pointing his index finger at the boy's skull.
"Think fast." As those words left Regashi's mouth, all of the colors in the realm became warped.
*POW!*
An invisible force collided with Tanjo's forehead, knocking the boy back as he found himself crashing through… trees? The sound of wood cracking and snapping and leaves tumbling to the ground made Tanjo instantly aware of his surroundings. Was he back on Earth?
"Mother Nature often plays unfair, killing its subjects through indirect means. I sure hope you're not downplaying me with such information present." Regashi asserted, walking out of a tall bush.
A hint of worry laced Tanjo's tone as he spoke, "Why fight here, Nyx? Weren't we free of distractions up in space?"
Truthfully, Tanjo had not wanted to add any more casualties to the mix, and being on Earth meant that everyone on the planet was in peril. One of Tanjo's attacks could easily decimate the planet, and holding himself back would lower his chances of defeating Regashi.
"What distractions are you referring to?" Regashi queried, a knowing grin glued to his face.
Tanjo did not answer, keeping his mouth shut. Could he afford to worry about the inhabitants of his home planet? Whether he did or not, everyone's life was at risk, and it was simply up to Tanjo to decide in which way: through collateral damage caused by his attacks in an attempt to subdue Regashi or through Regashi's twisted and delusional actions.
Silently, Regashi placed his left hand's index finger against his lips, confusing Tanjo.
Tanjo's eyes widened as his senses went off, detecting an incoming warrior with a terrifyingly familiar Aura Sense. Had he really been too focused on Regashi to not realize who was arriving at the scene?
*SHING!*
A sword entirely made of blue magic flew toward Regashi with an extreme velocity, making the brown-haired menace grin and his eyes shimmer. With utmost ease, Regashi swatted the aura-printed sword away—*BOOM!*—causing it to explode in the distance.
A figure then landed between Tanjo and Regashi.
"Mr. Oshieru?" Tanjo gasped, reigning in any unnecessary emotion.
With his left hand missing and blood-stained armor, Oshieru stood tall, staring Regashi down. The blue-haired swordsman had intense ire pumping through his veins, his breath heavy. Not too long ago he had found his students dead, their hearts all torn out of their chests. Again, he had been too late to save his class. He had no other reason to keep going other than to avenge his precious students.
"I… assume you killed my students?" Oshieru questioned, terse.
Regashi raised one of his brows, amused. "Oh? Did I? I seem to recall them pulling out their own hearts."
Oshieru heaved one more hefty inhale, his gray eyes dilating. He had left Akushon at the last minute after spotting Tanjo crashing through the forest. The other instructor still had his class full of students alive, wanting to head back to them after fighting Gimu, but Oshieru—he had no more students.
"Yours is next." The swordsman muttered venomously.
"Mr. Oshieru, get out of here. You don't stand a chance, leave it to me." Tanjo interrupted, stepping closer.
Oshieru let out a grumble, his teeth grinding against one another. "No! You're the last living memory I have of Class-1AB! I will not stand aside and watch my last student fight for his life when I should be right there with him!"
Tanjo restrained himself from lashing out. Why was Oshieru so determined to sacrifice himself when Tanjo had a far better chance at winning? Deep down, Tanjo knew why—it was a reason that made Tanjo fight against Regashi's rule in the first place: the desire to keep others safe through sheer human will.
"Let me pay… Let me give what I owe!" Oshieru screamed, his remaining hand clenching the hilt of his tachi sword tightly.
With softening eyes, Tanjo gazed at the back of his former instructor's head, remembering the night that he had run into Oshieru before becoming a rogue and departing from the village of Buraun.
XXX
{FLASHBACK: THE NIGHT TANJO LEFT BURAUN}
Slowly, the blue-haired instructor lowered his right hand into his pocket, pulling out his blue headband. The head gear unraveled in his hand as he presented it to Tanjo.
"This headband..." Oshieru started, his hand flat as he showed the blue fabric. "...It was with me the day I had lost nearly everything. I acknowledge the fact that it is an inanimate item; but to warriors, we grow attached to things that are always with us. Before and after the loss of our friends and family."
Tanjo didn't utter a word, surveying the blue headband that lay loose in his instructor's hands.
Oshieru stepped forward once more, extending his hand outward. "I want you to have it. It's clear that your mind is somewhere that I once was—keep it, and remember that you aren't the only person in the world with internal struggles."
Hesitantly, Tanjo reached out to grab the blue headband from Oshieru's hand, lifting the item into his own.
Suddenly—swish!—Oshieru clamped his left hand around Tanjo's arm, shocking the teenager.
"If I were to keep you here, your emotions would fester up inside of you, and surrounding you with vengeful villagers would only increase the chances of you committing a regretful act. So, I'm telling you now: stay safe, don't push yourself into your own demise, Tanjo. For the first time in years, I'm begging."
After a few quiet moments, Tanjo and Oshieru's hands slid back, morphing the tight hold into a handshake; the headband remained within both of their grips. They both then relinquished the grip they had on each other's hands, enabling Tanjo to step back.
With a smile, Tanjo fasted the headband around his head, his eyes focusing on Oshieru.
"I promise, not only to live but to make my goal a reality!"
In mere seconds, Tanjo vanished into the dark, leaving a saddened instructor.
XXX
{PRESENT TIME}
With his eyes trained on the backside of Oshieru's form, Tanjo exhaled calmly, finding comfort in his former instructor's determination.
"...You already have, Oshieru." Tanjo stated, stretching his hand out. "You've given us all more than what you know… Leave it to me, I still plan on making my goal a reality."
*KRSHH!*
Oshieru blinked as he realized Tanjo's blue rifts had wrapped around his frame, instantly transporting the former instructor elsewhere. Once again, it was only Tanjo and Regashi—the boy determined to forge a balance in the cosmos against the man desiring to ravage it all. There were no more complexities when it came to the morality of their fight; it was black and white, good versus evil.
Man versus Hellspawn.
*DASH!*
At speeds beyond the photons around them, Tanjo charged forward and swung his right hand with all the more vitality and confidence. His Disruption of Reality felt tame—or even concentrated, if he was to be exact. The rifts gradually lost their frayed and uncontrollable properties, becoming more potent and collective.
Regashi slid his feet apart as he successfully maneuvered around Tanjo, reeling his own fist back as he prepared to retaliate against the teenager.
"Still too direct!" The brown-haired menace admonished.
*PHWERSHHH!*
With the thrust of his fist, Regashi weaponized the air itself and directed it toward Tanjo—*SPLAT!*—and punched a plethora of holes through the boy's body, simultaneously pushing his body backward across the planet's surface.
*KRSHH!*
Not a moment later, Tanjo utilized his rifts to heal his wounds, ignoring the new tears in his gray cloak. It was apparent that Regashi could amplify the properties of anything tangible or intangible, but so could Tanjo. He simply needs to force Regashi into a close-quarter fight; ideally, hand-to-hand would grant the teenager the upper hand.
"What's the matter, Nyx? Scared to put your hands on me?" Tanjo asked rhetorically, his demeanor remaining sedate.
That was when Tanjo and Regashi's eyes locked, revealing the true colors of the fight.
Pure love combating pure hatred.
'I need to set him off again…' Regashi thought to himself, conjuring mental images of how to make the boy distressed.
Raising his left hand, Regashi pressed his thumb and middle finger together. Tanjo recognized this motion, his steely eyes narrowing. He was about to snap, resulting in either a detrimental physical change to their surroundings or transporting them elsewhere. Out in space, the two possible outcomes were one and the same with similar solutions, but on Earth, with a multitude of innocent lives at stake, every difference skyrocketed in meaning.
*SNAP!*
The latter outcome came to fruition. In a flash, Tanjo found his body rolling through a village's pavement, his feet rutting the rough surface. Familiar structures reached the boy's eyes, sending a brief pang of weariness through his heart.
He was back in Buraun.
"Are you seriously going to let everyone you know die? How many more do I need to rip through to make you stop?" Regashi's voice echoed throughout the desolate village, his still-shirtless frame creating terrifying shadows under the moonlight.
Tanjo huffed, holding his hands together. "None. Displace!"
*CLAP!*
A single clap of his hands resulted in the Disruption of Reality stretching out in every direction and quickly relocating the two of them. The village of Buraun was no longer in immediate danger, and the two adversaries were now standing in the middle of an ocean, their feet flat against the water. Regashi nasally exhaled at the teenager's ability, recognizing a painfully repeating pattern.
"Anything you do, I'll do back! You're not untouchable anymore, Nyx." Tanjo declared, maintaining a fighting stance.
He was right. Tanjo was adapting and growing; Regashi had known that and toyed with the concept. Initially, it was foreseen to be impossible for the boy to even be significantly lethal to him; however, as time went on, Tanjo's Disruption of Reality matured, and his fighting style revolved around Regashi's actions. The man of omnipotence was becoming predictable and vulnerable.
Regashi lost his mischievous grin, the glint in his emerald-green eyes had dissipated, and any ounce of playfulness had exited his body. The Abnormal Regashi—no, Nyx—was confronted with a serious hurdle.
That hurdle was named Tanjo Nozomu.
XXX
No more playful Regashi! For the first time in the entire novel, we'll witness a serious Abnormal Regashi! How catastrophic will that be? Surely beyond typical human comprehension, but that's why Tanjo is his opponent! Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_