The ground trembled under Juggernaut's massive steps, gravel leaping with every thunderous impact. His strength wasn't static—it grew as he moved, momentum fueling an unstoppable force that only became more dangerous the longer he charged. Against an opponent like Kurogai, Juggernaut couldn't afford even a moment of hesitation. He gathered every ounce of power into a full-speed rush, determined to crush him with overwhelming might.
"Perfect," Kurogai sneered, eyes narrowing. "Show me how strong you really are."
He launched forward, fists cocked, colliding with Juggernaut head-on.
Boom!
Their fists met with a bone-rattling crash. The shockwave ripped through the desert, tearing up sand and stone, flinging debris into the air. The force gouged a crater beneath their feet, proof of the raw power unleashed between the two titans.
Juggernaut's eyes widened, his excitement burning. "I knew it! You're no ordinary fighter. Finally—someone who can take me head-on!"
Kurogai flexed his arm, feeling the faint numbness spreading across it. He muttered under his breath, "Even without tapping into the rest of my abilities, my body's gotten stronger than I thought…"
He wasn't here just to trade blows—he was testing himself. For this fight, he refused to rely on the Power Stone or the enhanced abilities of his perfected pupil rings. No immortality tricks, no exotic powers. Just his raw body and strength.
And to his satisfaction, the results spoke for themselves. Months ago, a charge like Juggernaut's would have strained his arm. Now, it was only mildly injured. His durability had caught up to monsters who fought with nothing but brute force.
Still, Kurogai knew where his greatest advantage lay. His pupil techniques, his regenerative fire, his layered abilities—they were what made him dangerous. Purely physical fighters like the Hulk or Juggernaut had always been a different kind of battlefield. But today, his body alone stood toe-to-toe with Juggernaut. That was progress he couldn't ignore.
Juggernaut roared, pounding forward again. "Come on! Fight me with everything you've got!"
Kurogai grinned. "If you insist."
Blue flames ignited across his arm, instantly knitting his bruised flesh back to perfection. With his injuries gone, he burst forward again, meeting Juggernaut halfway. This time, he refused to let his opponent build up too much momentum. Every strike was aimed to break Juggernaut's rhythm, to remind him that brute force alone wouldn't guarantee victory.
The desert lit up with their war. Explosions thundered across the sands, pits opening where fists slammed into earth, shockwaves flattening dunes for miles. If they had fought in a city, the devastation would have leveled blocks. Kurogai remembered his early clashes with the Hulk—whole towns reduced to rubble in their wake. That was why he had dragged Juggernaut out here. In the desert, the only casualties were the landscape itself.
Hours passed, neither showing signs of stopping. When the dust began to settle, Juggernaut was panting heavily, sweat soaking his massive frame. Yet across from him, Kurogai stood calm, barely winded.
"You've got to be kidding me," Juggernaut muttered between breaths. "We've been going at it for half a day, and you haven't slowed down at all."
Kurogai's gaze was steady. "This kind of intensity is nothing to me. I can keep this up long after you've burned out."
That wasn't arrogance—it was fact. His regenerative flame left him untiring, unyielding. If this dragged on, Juggernaut's body would fail first. The outcome was inevitable.
"Your stamina isn't enough," Kurogai said flatly. "If you want a chance, show me your strongest attack. Otherwise, you're finished."
Juggernaut's lips curled into a wide grin. "Finally. That's exactly what I wanted to hear."
His body began to glow, faint red light pulsing from his core and bleeding into his skin. The air around him grew heavier, oppressive, as though an unseen mountain pressed down on the battlefield. He wasn't charging this time—he was building. Every second layered more energy onto his hulking form.
Kurogai's eyes narrowed. His irises shifted, transforming into the swirling pattern of his perfected rings, scrutinizing every ripple of energy around Juggernaut. He caught it—a strange, almost otherworldly signature coiling through Juggernaut's body. It wasn't just raw strength. There was something else, something darker, echoing faintly of forbidden magic. The kind the Masters of the Mystic Arts warned about.
"So… this is where your real power comes from," Kurogai muttered. "Something tied to forces better left alone."
But speculation didn't matter. What mattered was the blow Juggernaut was preparing. His presence, once like a charging tank, now resembled a mountain—immovable, crushing, unstoppable. When that strike landed, it would carry every ounce of the dark strength flowing through his veins.
Kurogai clenched his fists, blue fire flaring brighter across his body. He braced himself. This was no ordinary strike—Juggernaut was about to unleash his ultimate attack.
And Kurogai had every intention of meeting it head-on.
____
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