Anos exhaled sharply.
In an instant, he vanished with Switch Mode.
He reappeared behind Miyamoto, who was still kneeling on the ground, his trembling arms barely strong enough to support his weight.
Before Miyamoto could turn around, Anos drove his fist into his back.
BAM!
Another punch followed, then another.
Each blow landed with brutal precision, giving Miyamoto no opportunity to defend himself. His body lurched forward with every impact, the sound of fists slamming into flesh echoing through the shattered forest.
"AGHHH!"
Miyamoto screamed as Anos continued the assault. He tried to raise his arms, but his exhausted body could no longer respond quickly enough.
The moment Anos landed his first punch, Miyamoto's fiery attack collapsed. The four men it had been targeting were left untouched, watching as their leader mercilessly beat him down.
Anos grabbed Miyamoto by the head and forced him to look up.
"Come on, Miyamoto. Is this all you've got?"
He drove a fist into Miyamoto's face, sending blood flying from his mouth. Before Miyamoto could fall, Anos kicked him into the air and followed with another punch.
"You're the student of that mysterious man, aren't you?" Anos sneered, striking him across the chest. "I expected more from you. Get up, you loser!"
Miyamoto could barely keep his eyes open. His body was battered, his breathing ragged, and every movement sent waves of pain through his bones.
Is this really where it ends?
Another blow sent him tumbling through the air, his vision blurring.
Master entrusted his daughters to me. He trusted....me....to....protect them.
His fingers curled into fists.
If I fall here, what was the point of my promise to him?
Anos appeared above him, bringing his foot down for another strike.
No. I won't let this end here!
Miyamoto forced his arms upward and caught Anos's descending foot with both hands.
BOOM!
The impact drove him several feet backward, tearing up the ground beneath his feet. His arms shook violently, but he refused to let go.
Anos raised an eyebrow before breaking into a grin.
"Oh? You've still got some fight left in you."
He withdrew his foot and landed lightly.
"Good. I was beginning to think I'd beaten you too quickly. Remember, I need you alive."
Suddenly, Miyamoto's left arm began to freeze.
A layer of ice spread across his skin, forming sharp crystals around his fist. At the same time, flames erupted from his right arm, twisting around it.
Anos's grin faded slightly.
Fire and ice?
Before he could react, Miyamoto twisted his body and drove his flaming fist into Anos's chest.
BOOM!
The impact sent Anos flying into the sky, his body cutting through the clouds.
Miyamoto immediately crouched and launched himself after him. The ground beneath his feet shattered, leaving a deep crater in his wake.
The moment he caught up, Anos turned to face him.
Their fists collided.
BOOM!
A shockwave spread across the sky, tearing through the clouds and sending powerful gusts of wind sweeping over the forest.
Miyamoto attacked with everything he had. His right fist burned with intense flames, while his left unleashed freezing strikes that left trails of blue light behind them.
Anos blocked each attack with his forearms, occasionally shifting his body to avoid a direct hit.
"Not bad," he remarked calmly. "You've become stronger."
Miyamoto swung a flaming fist toward his head.
Anos tilted his body aside and struck him in the stomach.
"BUT NOT STRONG ENOUGH!"
Miyamoto coughed, his body folding around the impact. Before he could recover, Anos kicked him away.
But Miyamoto forced himself back into the fight.
Whenever Anos vanished with Switch Mode, Miyamoto tried to predict where he would reappear, turning to meet him with another attack.
Anos continued reading his movements.
A punch.
A block.
A sudden shift.
Another devastating counter.
Minutes passed, and Miyamoto's movements gradually slowed. The flames surrounding his right arm weakened, while cracks began spreading across the ice covering his left.
Anos, meanwhile, barely looked tired.
"How long do you intend to keep this up?" he asked, appearing several feet away. "Your body is already reaching its limit."
Miyamoto landed on a broken tree branch, breathing heavily. Blood dripped from his chin as he struggled to remain standing.
There's no way I can beat him like this.
He looked down at his trembling hands.
I'll have to use everything I have left.
Miyamoto raised both arms. Fire gathered around his right hand while ice spiralled around his left.
Slowly, he brought the two elements together.
The air trembled.
The flames twisted into the freezing currents, forming a massive circle of fire and ice above him. The opposing energies struggled against each other, sending violent waves of heat and cold across the forest.
Miyamoto gritted his teeth as pain tore through his arms.
He was forcing two opposing elements to work as one, and his body could barely withstand the strain.
Anos watched with interest.
"So, this is your final move?"
Miyamoto let out a desperate roar.
He hurled the enormous attack toward Anos.
The mass of fire and ice tore through the sky, leaving a trail of steam and freezing air in its wake.
Anos smirked.
"Pathetic. An attack that large is easy to..."
He vanished with Switch Mode.
But the moment he reappeared, his expression changed.
The attack was no longer on its original trajectory.
SWOOOSH!
It reappeared directly behind him.
"What?!"
Anos barely had time to turn before the combined attack struck his back.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion swallowed him whole.
A violent shockwave swept across the forest, uprooting trees and tearing branches from their trunks. The ground split apart as the attack drove Anos into the earth, carving a crater nearly thirty feet deep.
Dust and steam engulfed the battlefield.
Miyamoto descended from the air and landed on his knees.
His arms hung uselessly at his sides. The flames disappeared, and the ice covering his left arm melted into droplets of water.
"That... was everything I had."
He tried to stand, but his legs gave way.
If I'd been at full strength... maybe I could have escaped.
His body collapsed onto the ground.
For several seconds, silence settled over the forest.
Then a voice emerged from the dust.
"...Impressive. Impressive."
Miyamoto's eyes widened.
Anos walked out of the crater, casually brushing the dust from his clothes. His body was completely unharmed.
He glanced at the destroyed landscape before turning his attention back to Miyamoto.
"I honestly didn't expect you to pull off an attack like that in your condition."
A faint smile curled across his lips.
"If you'd been at full strength, capturing you might have been troublesome."
Miyamoto stared at him helplessly.
So even that wasn't enough...
His eyelids grew heavy.
Master... I'm sorry.
Anos appeared before him with Switch Mode.
"Take him. We're leaving before those roach Shinras catch our scent."
One of the four men approached Miyamoto and reached for his shoulder.
Then...
CRACK!
The air itself seemed to break.
A crushing pressure descended upon the forest from above.
Everyone froze.
An overwhelming Renshical aura spread across the land, shaking the trees and cracking the earth. Birds dropped from the sky, while even the distant kingdoms felt the ground trembling beneath their feet.
The four men collapsed instantly, their bodies forced against the ground.
"W-WHAT IS THIS?!" one of them screamed.
Anos dropped to one knee.
His arms trembled as sweat trickled down his face. For the first time, the confident smile disappeared from his lips.
Impossible...
He tried to lift his head, but the pressure forced it back down. His second knee struck the ground.
Who possesses this much Renshical aura? Their aura alone is enough to suppress me?
His eyes widened as a terrifying thought crossed his mind.
Don't tell me... it's HIM.
He had never met the man, nor had he ever sensed his presence. Yet the stories surrounding him were enough to fill Anos with dread.
Damn it. Please, let it be someone else.
Strangely, Miyamoto felt none of the pressure.
Instead, a gentle light surrounded his broken body, slowly lifting him from the ground.
His wounds began to close. The pain faded as his broken bones healed, and his breathing gradually returned to normal.
Miyamoto stared at the light in disbelief.
He knew this warmth.
His eyes filled with tears.
"Th-this feeling..."
He looked toward the sky.
"Master..."
A smile spread across his face.
Above the forest, the clouds began to part.
A brilliant light descended from the heavens, illuminating the ruined landscape. Beyond the opening in the clouds, countless distant stars became visible.
Then a mature, commanding voice echoed across the world.
"Miya... oh, Miya."
Miyamoto's tears fell freely.
"You've grown stronger since I last saw you. I'm proud of you."
The voice softened.
"And thank you for risking your life to protect my daughters. I will always be grateful for that."
Miyamoto lowered his head, unable to hide his emotions.
The five men trembled beneath the crushing aura, while Anos stared at the sky with growing terror.
The mysterious voice continued.
"On your way back, take this with you. And one more thing... take the girls to the Kingdom of Ashura for their training."
The light intensified for a moment.
"This place is no longer suitable for them."
Silence followed.
Slowly, the voice faded, and the overwhelming aura began to recede.
Miyamoto descended gently to the ground. His body had been completely restored, and his strength had returned.
Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead against the earth.
"Consider it done, Master."
His voice was firm.
"I will protect them with everything I have."
The light gradually disappeared, leaving the forest in silence.
Anos remained on his knees, breathing heavily as the last traces of the mysterious aura faded.
He stared at the empty sky, his expression dark.
So that was his power...