"Yami really isn't holding back at all!"
"But that girl is insanely strong. She wasn't even scratched by his sword strike. Is she using some kind of psychokinesis to shield herself? Fascinating!"
Not far from the battlefield, the goddess Hestia observed the fight closely, not letting this opportunity slip by.
She was discussing the battle with two of her closest friends.
For these gods, who had lived for hundreds of millions of years, the age of fighting each other had long passed. After all, there was a time when even the gods engaged in battles.
But in the celestial realms, any god who died could eventually be resurrected after tens of thousands of years.
So, battles between gods had lost all meaning.
Over time, the gods grew weary of constant fighting and agreed to mediate, abandoning their endless struggles.
Instead, they turned their attention to other pursuits.
Still, even a goddess like Hestia couldn't help but be intrigued by the battles of mortals.
Especially when powerful beings were involved—such fights could ignite excitement even among the gods. They longed for a day when humans would rise to a level equal to the gods.
And if one of them could slay a god? Now that would truly be entertaining!
That's how bored these 'old antiques' had become.
"Hestia, have you set your sights on that girl?" Artemis asked, easily detecting the intent in Hestia's words.
"But she's no child. By human standards, she's been an adult for a long time, and she's much older than Yami!"
"Are you sure she'd be willing to join your Familia?"
Goddess Artemis smiled knowingly.
In this otherworldly place, free from prying ears, the gods could speak openly and without fear of being overheard.
"You never know until you try," Hestia responded casually. "If it doesn't work out, so be it."
"I believe there are other remarkable children in this world, ones like her."
Hestia's words epitomized blind optimism.
Were there really others as strong as Tatsumaki?
Highly unlikely. Tatsumaki was already the most powerful and talented human alive. There probably wasn't anyone with greater potential.
As for strange, non-human beings…
Heh, not worth considering!
Most of them were oddities. If they were to join Hestia's Familia and return to Orario, who knows how much chaos they would stir up!
Besides, the problems in the dungeon, the "Demons" threat, were already unresolved. Yami certainly didn't want to invite more trouble.
Back to the battlefield.
Tatsumaki, who had been driven into the ground by Yami, used her telekinetic powers to remove the rubble and lifted herself into the air once more.
Thanks to her telekinetic shield, she remained unharmed.
However, her green dress had taken damage. The strap on her left shoulder was torn, revealing her slender, pale shoulder.
The scene was peculiar, to say the least.
"Was that... a spatial-type power just now?" Tatsumaki asked, her usual aggressive tone replaced with a serious curiosity.
This sudden shift caught Yami off guard. They had been in the middle of a fierce fight, so why was she asking questions now?
"Who knows? I'm not going to tell you my secrets."
"If you want answers, you'll have to defeat me first," Yami teased, refusing to divulge any information.
His words, however, solidified Tatsumaki's resolve.
"You possess powers similar to 'his'. I will defeat you and get the answers I seek with my own hands."
With that, Tatsumaki's face returned to its usual icy expression.
A fierce storm suddenly engulfed Yami, attempting to hurl him into the sky.
But he reacted instantly, vanishing using his spatial magic, evading Tatsumaki's grasp.
When one attack failed, Tatsumaki simply increased the intensity.
"That move won't work on me again!"
With a snort of disdain, Tatsumaki somehow managed to pinpoint Yami's location and unleashed another wave of telekinetic energy, this time sweeping the entire area.
Even with his ability to foresee the future using his observation haki, Yami found himself unable to dodge.
What use is foresight if you can't avoid the inevitable?
"Got you!" Tatsumaki exclaimed. "Now die!!!"
Yami felt an overwhelming force grab hold of his leg.
Tatsumaki's psychic power lifted him off the ground and violently slammed him into the earth.
Each impact shook the ground, and the entire city began to crumble under the relentless assault.
It was like an earthquake.
Fortunately, this battle was taking place inside a mirrored space. Otherwise, Q City would have been obliterated long ago.
'Rumble!'
After one final, devastating impact, Tatsumaki stopped her assault.
Smoke and dust filled the air, covering the entire sky. Even Tatsumaki couldn't see the center of the battlefield.
But she was confident now.
No matter how mysterious or powerful Yami was, there was no way he could have survived that level of attack.
"Heh, it's really rough down here," a mocking voice rang out from within the smoke.
A sudden gust of wind cleared the haze, revealing Yami once more.
As always, he looked effortlessly composed, the black markings on his body gradually fading.
"That was decent, Tatsumaki. Those last few attacks helped loosen me up. I feel more energized now!"
His tone dripped with sarcasm.
"But it's still not enough! I'm not done having fun!"
"Show me your true strength, or you might just lose your rank as the S-Class Hero Association's second strongest today!"
Yami's eyes locked onto Tatsumaki in the sky above him.
For now, the sight of 'holy light' meant nothing to him. He had finally ignited his fighting spirit and had no time to concern himself with anything else.