A giant at least twenty meters tall—if not more—that's about ten times my height, I thought, gauging his massive body. His muscles, stretched taut under his skin, were like rock formations ready to crush anything in their path.
Last time he fought Broggy barehanded, but now against me—a sword and a shield. The sword in his hands was enormous, like a slab of stone, and the shield could have protected an entire squad of soldiers.
Enough thinking, I told myself, shaking my head.This volcano is about to boil over, and then the real fight begins, Dorry added, pointing off into the distance at the smoking crater.
— One, two, three! — he shouted, and at that very moment a muffled roar came from the volcano.
The next instant, I felt with my whole body the shadow of the sword descending on me. Its massive blade tore through the air with such force it felt like it would slice the air itself.
I won't dodge in time… flashed through my mind.
Hop! In the next second the sword smashed into the ground with such power that cracks spread out for several meters. Stones jumped, dust swirled into the air. I almost lost my balance but managed to activate the springs of the Bane Bane no Mi. My arms instantly stretched out, absorbing the impact.
— Not so fast! — I muttered, feeling blood rush to my face, veins bulging on my neck and arms, my heart pounding wildly.
I need to attack, or I won't last long. Even with my springs cushioning the damage, he's too strong. A thin trickle of blood ran from my nose as I felt the full weight of his arm and sword.
I focused. I leapt, turning my legs into springs, and spun midair, stretching my arms. A Spring Fist shot straight at Dorry's shield, a ringing clash of metal echoed.
— Ha! — his voice boomed, low and threatening like rolling thunder. — You think that's enough?!
I felt the ground tremble under his steps, the air swirling into a vortex around him.The sword strike came instantly—the metallic blade cutting the air at deafening speed, its shadow crashing over me with its entire mass of power.
— Bane Bane no Mi: Spring Soru! — I shouted, activating my power.
My legs instantly turned to springs, and I sprang aside, feeling every cell of my body stretch and release stored energy. Dorry's sword slammed into the ground with a dull crack, raising a cloud of dust that almost swallowed his giant figure.
I need to attack, flashed the thought, and I jumped upward, spreading my arms to turn them into springs. Spring Fist! My limbs compressed, then shot forward at Dorry. Hop—he raised his shield, and it shuddered as if under a mountain's pressure.
Dorry staggered back a few steps but immediately took up his battle stance again. His eyes gleamed, muscles tensed, and he swung his sword again. I almost lost my balance, but my spring legs let me bounce back, softening the blow.
— Like catching a fly with a stick! — Dorry growled, his voice echoing through the valley like thunder.
Faster… more power to break through! How to squeeze it out?! I thought, dodging his thrust, feeling the hiss of air as his giant sword cut through it. Every one of his movements whipped up gusts that stole my breath.
Use legs and arms in the attack! That's it! flashed through my mind.
I sharply activated Soru, launching from my spot. The world blurred into streaks, the ground turned soft, and my body became a clump of energy darting side to side. I moved too fast, dodging another sword strike.
— HOP! — I exhaled, flying into the air.
In that moment my legs compressed harder, my arms spiraled outward—Spring Whirlwind! My limbs spun at a dizzying speed, turning me into a massive rotating projectile. Each spring became a striking force, and like a spinning machine I rammed into the giant.
— Push! — I shouted, and the blow landed squarely on his leg.
Four springs shot from my arms and legs, piercing into his flesh like red-hot spokes, releasing all the stored impact energy. The giant roared from the unexpected hit but raised his sword…
But in the next instant…
— AH! — burst out of me.
I felt my body suddenly hurled aside. A powerful recoil from the strike—and worse, no foothold! I realized too late: my springs were extended but I had nothing to latch onto. All I had was air and emptiness.
— Damn it! — I gasped, and the next moment my body slammed into rock. Stones rained down, a sharp pain stabbing my chest from the impact.
I slid down, breathing heavily, feeling blood trickle from my nose again.
Dorry frowned and stomped the ground, sending out vibrations that almost knocked me over. But I managed to use Spring Leap, soaring high into the air to bypass his attack from above. My heart pounded in my chest, blood rushed to my face, veins bulged—his power felt like an earthquake under my feet.
— Spring Cannon! — I shouted, compressing my arm into a spring and firing it forward. A stone, launched at incredible speed, smashed into Dorry's shield with a deafening metallic clang. But he didn't stop—the giant spun his shield and sword, carving an arc through the air that forced me to spring back again.
Trying not to lose the initiative, I activated Spring Catcher, stretching my arm to grab his shield and try to rip it from his hand. The shield creaked but held.
Saliva and sweat dripped down my face, my nose bleeding slightly—but adrenaline fired up every cell. I knew: if I didn't use everything from the Bane Bane no Mi now, Dorry would crush me with a single blow.
The next moment I saw his strike wasn't just a slash—the shield covered space not with the sword but with a wide plate, spreading meter by meter. The shield closed like a wall, the air before it bending from the force. My target—a miss if I approached head-on. I had to act differently.
My body decided on its own: I tilted at about thirty degrees, my legs instantly turned into taut springs. In that moment everything around froze in acceleration—as if I'd pulled time itself by the fingertip. I focused, gathered all the spring energy in my legs, and unleashed it outward.
— Bane Bane no Mi: Spring Jump! — I shouted to myself in my head.
An explosive launch—and I flew fifty meters in a dense, whistling flight. The ground beneath me became a streak, trees blurred into pillars, and within seconds I was racing straight at the skeleton, shooting toward it like a compressed spring ready to snap.
I landed at the base of a rib, but not to take cover—I had to lift it. My breath tore at my chest, my muscles screamed, but the inner force of the spring held my body like a taut string. My hands reached for the bone, fingers hooking into its rough surface. This wasn't just lifting—it was tearing an entire fragment of ancient bone from the earth.
I dug in with my nails, pulled with my shoulders, gripping with my whole body. The rib creaked like an old tree, and I felt it gradually coming free: soil crumbled, bits of moss flew off, resistance easing with every second. My heart pounded in my ears, veins bulged on my neck, but I didn't let go.
Finally, with an effort that made the whole world spin, I tore the rib free and, without losing a moment, began to spin it like a top. I turned, feeling the springs in my legs tighten again. The moment was short: Dorry was already bringing his shield back up, his giant eyes locking onto me.
— Now! — I shouted to myself and broke into a sprint: legs—springs, arms—hinges, body—suspension. In a loop of inertia I accelerated like a snapping bolt, and with wild determination I hurled the rib at Dorry!