As Kaijin drifted forward, his blazing silhouette slicing through the smoke and fire, his mind focused only on Jesse, a piercing scream from the crowd shattered his concentration. He stopped mid-step, his eyes flicking around in panic. The voice—it was one of the civilians.
His breath caught. That moment of hesitation was all it took.
Thud!
Jesse appeared right in front of him like a shadow summoned from hell, his eyes cold and dead. Smoke leaked from his clenched fists as he muttered, "Keep your eyes on me, Kaijin-kun."
The punch landed square across Kaijin's face—brutal, sharp, and fueled by fury. The force launched him backward like a ragdoll, flames trailing from his body as he crashed near the exact spot where Sutefu had hidden from his earlier inferno. He groaned on impact, the side of his face throbbing.
Sutefu immediately turned, startled. "That blue-haired guy… he disappeared and is attacking the civilians," she thought, her eyes scanning the distance.
