Yuji might have a powerful body, and even grow stronger with his technique [Fallen Angel], but even so, Pickle's overwhelming strength far surpassed him.
Because of that, even though Yuji had managed to dodge his punches and gain a momentary advantage, he still took significant damage.
He could feel the fractures in his forearms, and his bruised ribs screamed with every breath. His liver was injured, and his guts throbbed with searing pain.
And that was just what he could feel with clarity—there was so much damage he could practically make a list. In a sequence of attacks that lasted less than a minute, it was a terrifying demonstration of his opponent's power.
But now, Yuji was at an advantage. Despite the severe damage, he was far from defeated.
Looking down at a surprised Pickle, Yuji clenched his fist with determination. It was his moment, and he would return the damage dealt to him.
Boom!
His fist fell like a hammer, smashing into Pickle's nose with such force that blood sprayed from his nostrils. Yuji might not be as strong as Pickle, but some body parts couldn't be reinforced, and the nose was one of them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With a barrage of punches, Pickle was struck all over his body, roaring in irritation. But every time he tried to rise, he was quickly thrown back to the ground through takedowns or throws he couldn't comprehend.
The attacks continued for several seconds until, after a powerful punch to the stomach that made the prehistoric man spit saliva, Yuji delivered a kick to his face so strong it sent his massive body flying.
Yuji had poured all his strength into every blow, but he wasn't surprised when Pickle stood up with a furious glare. The attacks had certainly caused some damage, but clearly, they weren't enough to stop the beast before him.
"What a joke, nature must've been angry when it created this guy," Yuji thought with a nervous smile.
He realized that Pickle couldn't be taken down conventionally. Blunt attacks, or even immensely powerful strikes, would do little against his dense skeleton.
He would have to do something he didn't want to but knew was necessary to defeat the prehistoric man.
Opening his hands, Yuji shifted his stance, his body relaxing as air escaped his lungs.
Pickle, too enraged to notice his opponent's change, charged like a bull, his mouth opening to reveal sharp teeth.
To defeat the beast, Yuji would need to use his most powerful techniques.
The air screamed as Pickle hurled a punch toward Yuji's face, but feeling the resistance of the wind, it took him a moment to realize his opponent was no longer there.
!
As he prepared to retreat and find him, Pickle's eyes widened when intense pain radiated from his abdomen. His body froze momentarily before his gaze dropped to his torso.
[Rakshasa Palm]
Pickle was stunned to see his flesh twisted unnaturally, accompanied by pain so intense it made the prehistoric man want to writhe on the ground.
It terrified him.
In that moment, Pickle, the prehistoric man who had hunted hundreds of dinosaurs in his lifetime, was truly afraid.
Never before had Pickle encountered such an attack—something that bypassed even his formidable muscles, inflicting damage both externally and internally. None of his Cretaceous adversaries could compare to this.
He was scared. He wanted to flee from this place. Those dark eyes, which seemed to detect every weakness in his body, had found a way to hurt him in ways he couldn't defend against.
How could he face this?
Boom!
With a burst of strength, Pickle retreated to the edge of the arena, his eyes wide with fear, his mouth agape as he clutched his abdomen in a futile attempt to contain the intense pain.
He wanted to run! He wanted to get as far away from this creature as possible!
Pickle turned, digging his fingers into the arena wall, preparing to climb.
He no longer wanted to fight—
"…"
The stadium fell silent as Pickle suddenly stopped mid-flight, his fingers withdrawing from the wall, causing him to fall to the ground with a thud.
Yuji watched this with a raised eyebrow. He had honestly thought Pickle would flee, even feeling a twinge of disappointment. But seeing him stop, he set that thought aside with a grin.
Rakshasa Palm was a deadly technique, impossible to block. It wasn't surprising that Pickle was terrified—it was something he'd never encountered before.
A technique capable of bypassing the absolute power of a body was truly something to fear.
"…"
Facing the arena wall in complete silence, Pickle suddenly clenched his fist, prompting Yuji to narrow his eyes in alert.
Pickle was a beast—that was an undeniable fact.
He was the apex predator, one even a mighty T-Rex couldn't defeat.
And he had never fled from a battle! Despite countless encounters with the greatest predators to walk the planet, he had always emerged victorious.
This fear, this urge to flee, was the greatest blow to his pride he had ever suffered.
The fear he felt was immediately replaced by anger—a pure, seething rage at being humiliated by someone half his size.
His face twisted, fangs bared as his expression turned ferocious. The sheer fury in his gaze could frighten the fiercest predators, no matter how hungry.
!
To everyone's shock, when Pickle turned to face his opponent, a massive scar drew everyone's attention, including Yuji's. A scar that had definitely not been visible before.
A scar from his time—a scar caused by the greatest of predators…
The T-Rex!
Yuji watched with fascination, an excited smile adorning his face as he seemed even more eager to face the opponent before him. "Now it's getting interesting!"
Pickle, his scar now visible, shocked everyone as he began to change.
His skeletal structure shifted before their eyes, the ground trembling as his body grew even larger, his sheer presence conveyed with the simple act of standing.
"Ha…" Yuji couldn't help but laugh nervously, his eyes lifting to meet Pickle's face. "Can you still even be called human, Pickle?"
Pickle, standing gloriously in his new form—his perfect combat form—radiated an intense aura, the sheer tension of his presence silencing those of weaker wills, as though breathing might alert him to their existence.
The primal rage on Pickle's face remained, and as his eyes locked onto Yuji's smaller figure, the young fighter instinctively raised his arms in preparation.
This was Pickle's final form—a form that made him even more than he already was.
Stronger, faster, undeniably more powerful!
In this form, he would show this small predator…
That he was the ultimate predator!
"?!"
Yuji's eyes widened as Pickle closed the distance between them in a flash, his arms rising to block an attack.
Boom!
But as the punch collided with his defense, Yuji growled as he felt his bones crack, his body hurtling to the edge of the arena at the speed of sound.
"Extraordinary…" Lying amidst the debris, Yuji spat out a bit of blood.
"He truly is a force of nature."