The atmosphere had shifted the moment Demba appeared. The tone had become much more serious. He leapt down from the top of the building, landing beside Shu in heavy silence.
"Fall back, all of you," he ordered confidently. "We'll handle this."
Without hesitation, the remaining henchmen turned and bolted, leaving the field clear.
"Demba! Why should you be the one to fight Zéno?!" Shu shouted, clearly frustrated. "I was here first!"
"Calm down, Shu," Demba replied calmly. "This isn't a game. You know what he's capable of. Your Brand doesn't suit his fighting style. Mine, however, is perfectly suited. Take care of the others in the meantime."
"Tch... So you want me to play babysitter?"
"Don't underestimate them, Shu. Sure, you managed to retrieve Derek, but we haven't heard from Degan. There's a chance he was defeated by those kids."
"Yeah, yeah, if you say so. Either way, if you're the one fighting him, the Angel of Death will end up bowing like all your other opponents."
Zéno climbed down from Kenny's head as the latter returned to his normal human form. Demba advanced slowly toward Zéno, who mirrored his pace. They both came to a halt, just a few meters apart.
Without warning, Zéno lunged forward, attempting a vertical sword strike. Demba dodged it easily, twisting his body with practiced ease, and retaliated with a punch that Zéno also avoided. The fight began in earnest.
Zéno launched a barrage of sword strikes. Demba evaded each one with remarkable agility. He leapt backward, putting some distance between them, but Zéno was ready. He pulled out a scroll and threw it into the air. It began to glow with a bright green light.
"Mantra, Level 4: ZALZALA!!"
The ground quaked violently, splitting in multiple places. Everyone within a thirty-meter radius struggled to stay on their feet.
"I see…" Demba muttered, trying to maintain balance. "He's really mastered his m—"
Before he could finish, Zéno was already on him, sword flashing. Still unsteady from the tremors, Demba managed only a partial dodge and took a slash across the chest. Blood flowed freely from the gash. As the shaking stopped, Demba leapt back again to gain space.
"He's earned his title…" he muttered, clutching his bleeding wound.
Not far away, Ikku and the others were struggling to stand, still shaken by the sheer force of Zéno's technique.
"We're dealing with two monsters here…" Yumé said as he got back up.
"If we stay here, we'll only get in the way," Kenny added.
"You're right," replied Ikku. "Especially since that guy looks crazy strong. We'd better split them up now."
They ran to the opposite side of the city, trying to distance themselves from Zéno and his opponent. After about five minutes of running, they reached an open area surrounded by small buildings.
Then, Shu appeared.
"So, you've chosen this place to die," he said, raising his guard. "Let's be clear—just because you're kids doesn't mean I'll hold back."
"We don't need your pity," Kenny shot back, assuming a fighting stance. "Just like we planned!"
"Yeah!" the others shouted in unison.
Ikku and Kenny charged at Shu at full speed.
"A frontal assault?" Shu smirked. "I'll admit, you've got guts."
Kenny extended his hand. His nails turned into claws, and he slashed furiously at Shu. But Shu dodged each swipe with ease and countered with a kick that sent Kenny flying several meters. Ikku stepped in, and the exchange became more balanced. Blow for blow, they fought fiercely. Ikku was quicker on his feet, but Shu's attacks were far more powerful.
"You're not bad, kid," Shu said, slowly gaining the upper hand.
Ikku was starting to struggle with Shu's increasingly powerful strikes. Just in time, Kenny returned, having recovered. Together, they attacked relentlessly, yet Shu remained tireless and kept gaining ground. He landed a punch squarely in Kenny's stomach, sending him collapsing in pain. Ikku had barely turned his head when Shu landed an uppercut that launched him into the air.
"And now for the finishing blow," Shu said with a sadistic grin.
But as he crouched to jump, something yanked his leg. A chain had emerged from the ground and coiled around it like a giant snake, wrapping tighter and tighter until his entire body was immobilized.
"What the hell?!"
Shu turned his head. Kenny lay still on the ground, and Ikku had just crashed down as well. But not far off, Carla stood proudly, hand raised and smiling mockingly. Her chain danced around her like a taunt.
"You'll pay for this!" Shu roared. "Let me go ! now!"
While he struggled, a blinding light flashed to his side. He turned, and saw Yumé leaping at him, his fist radiating a blinding golden glow.
"A Sun Warrior? Crap… this one's gonna hurt," Shu thought grimly.
Yumé's punch struck Shu's face squarely, sending him flying across the clearing. He smashed into a nearby building, raising a huge cloud of dust and debris.
"Nice work, everyone…" Ikku groaned, barely managing to stand.
Still lying on the ground, Kenny raised a thumbs-up in victory. Yumé raised two fingers, grinning. Carla smiled in relief.
"We got him," Kenny panted.
"I don't think so…" Ikku replied, his eyes narrowing as he looked toward the building.
A massive surge of spiritual energy burst forth. Shu emerged from the rubble, his clothes torn, his body covered in blood and wounds.
"I think that'll do for the warm-up, kids," he said, his tone far more serious now, eyes glinting with intensity. "Now… let's get serious."