«Take this, old man Tendo!»
Itsu's blade crashes down on Shin with overwhelming force.
Everyone is left speechless—even Chantal.
A moment ago, he was tens of meters away from Shin, and now he's already on him, as if he had teleported.
But that's not what happened. Itsu moved so fast that even Hakuto and Chantal, with their trained eyes, barely kept up with him, while Rika and Yuzu couldn't follow at all.
No matter how sharp a demon's eyes might be, it looked like instant teleportation to them.
Itsu's rapier comes down from above, but Shin dodges it at the last second with a lazy backward hop.
The slash misses and strikes the ground with the force of a meteor. A crater forms, and a cloud of dust rises, swallowing everything around. The shockwave erupts into a violent gust of wind, but Shin doesn't lose balance.
He lands on both feet with the grace and balance of a cat.
«Damn, I almost hit you…» Itsu mutters.
«Almost…» Shin replies with a mocking grin.
Itsu charges again, his long crimson-metal blade raining down slashes on Shin from every direction—from above, then a diagonal cut upward to the left, followed by a horizontal slash to the right.
Itsu attacks without pause, but it's in vain.
Shin dodges each blow with lightning speed and calm, precise movements.
With every strike, Itsu sees the blade miss by just an inch, yet Shin remains untouched, moving just enough to slip past every slash.
Itsu tries another thrust, but Shin stops the rapier with his bare hand.
He grips the thin blade with his right hand, his arm wrapped in white flames.
Shin finally calls on the Sacred Flame—for the first time in this fight.
«Young vampire, at this rate you'll collapse without me landing a single blow—just from exhaustion.»
Shin's voice carries both disappointment and confidence.
He expected more, but he knows he's in full control.
«Well, I'd say it's time to get serious!» Itsu shouts firmly.
A smile still sits on his face, unfazed by all the wasted strikes.
He strains his arms and pulls with all his might to free the blade from Shin's grip, but nothing happens—the rapier doesn't move at all, even though Shin holds it with just one hand.
Then Shin tightens his fingers with ease, like he's crumpling paper.
The blade shatters in his hand.
Metal shards fly everywhere, then dissolve into crimson smoke as they touch the ground.
Suddenly, Shin dashes toward Itsu and drives a single knee into his stomach.
In a flash, Itsu is hurled nearly thirty meters and slams into the ground.
«What the…?!»
Itsu can't believe it.
He hadn't even noticed the strike.
One moment he was standing; the next, he was on the ground with burning pain in his abdomen.
He has no idea how it happened, or when Shin struck.
It all happened in a blink.
Now he lies on his back, writhing in pain.
Blood pours endlessly from his mouth.
He tries to stop it with his hand, as if holding back vomit.
«Shin… Shin is really amazing!» Yuzu exclaims.
She bounces like a spring, brimming with energy.
All her fatigue from running vanishes.
Her eyes sparkle with joy, like a child seeing a pile of presents on Christmas morning.
Rika feels the same, but stays silent.
She watches quietly, seeing only what her eyes can catch.
Hakuto and Chantal, meanwhile, are clearly surprised.
They know Shin Tendo well.
Anyone in HESPARC knows the legends of the strongest Monster Reaper of his era.
They've heard them too—but those feats belong to his youth, nearly twenty years ago.
And yet, even after years of inactivity and aging, his power seems untouched.
«Your father is still a beast…» Chantal murmurs.
Hakuto just nods. Even he didn't expect his father to be in such good shape.
With effort, Itsu gets back on his feet.
Shin watches him, unmoved, still standing in the same spot.
«You're strong, old man. I mean it… I thought Hakotto was exaggerating about your combat skills, but he was actually underestimating you…» Itsu says with a nervous smile, his voice thick with blood.
«But that makes me happy… now I can finally use my full power.»
At those words, Shin raises an eyebrow and tilts his head slightly. He's clearly intrigued, and the others react the same way.
Hakuto's eyes widen as he focuses even harder. He doesn't want to miss a single moment of the fight. He knows it now—this battle isn't over, not by a long shot.
His true power… I knew he was hiding something. He hadn't been serious even against Chantal. Now I'll finally see what he can really do!
But suddenly, the crimson energy around Itsu disappears—like it's being reabsorbed into his body.
In its place, a denser, heavier aura appears. It glows a dull orange.
«Well, now that's a surprise…» Shin comments. His voice carries genuine astonishment.
The others look completely confused.
They have no idea what's happening.
All except Chantal. She alone understands the source of that strange new energy.
«That vampire possesses an Innatus…» she states, her voice barely above a whisper.
Meanwhile, the dense orange energy takes form around Itsu's body.
It covers him completely, from head to toe, in thick, semi-transparent armor—a skeletal shell. A skull helmet sits on his head. An oversized ribcage protects his chest and back. Sharp bones wrap around his arms and legs.
Shin's gaze, once bored and slightly curious, lights up with genuine excitement.
A sword of white flame forms in his hand.
«The real fight starts now, old man Tendo!»