"Guh...?!"
When the unexpected force struck Tatsumaki's body and converted into a powerful impact, a groan was forced from her throat.
The next instant, her petite body shot backward like an arrow released from a bow, scraping through the air with a sharp sonic boom before crashing heavily into a pile of rubble.
With a tremendous crash, the rubble collapsed, nearly burying Tatsumaki beneath it.
"Elder Sister...?!" Fubuki cried out in shock.
Her practically invincible elder sister had actually been defeated in an instant? How was that possible?
But the sight of Tatsumaki lying among the rubble was right before Fubuki's eyes, leaving no room for doubt. It was real.
"Ugh..." Tatsumaki let out a pained groan.
She felt as though every bone in her body had been torn apart. She could barely even feel the pain anymore; her entire body was completely numb.
Only then did Fang Li's voice reach her ears.
"Besides the superpower barrier, you covered your body in another layer of psychic power to absorb the impact?" A foot appeared in front of Tatsumaki as he spoke. "Unfortunately, I noticed it at the last moment. I only managed to get a small part of the attack through, but I sent it directly into your body. You might not have suffered any actual injuries, but the impact still shook your entire body. You probably can't move anymore."
It wasn't anything particularly strange. Among the techniques Fang Li had developed, he already possessed methods capable of bypassing external defenses and attacking a person's internal organs directly. This time, he had simply applied the same principle to a kick.
And just as Fang Li had said, the force of the impact had left Tatsumaki's entire body numb and immobile.
"You... bastard...!" Tatsumaki could only raise her head and glare up at Fang Li.
She gritted her teeth as psychic power began glowing around her body.
For an Esper like Tatsumaki, whether or not her physical body could move wasn't particularly important. As long as her brain hadn't been injured and she remained conscious, she could still use her powers and launch attacks. Her physical condition could therefore be ignored.
With that in mind, Tatsumaki's overwhelming psychokinesis instantly transformed into a powerful binding force. A faint green glow appeared and spread over Fang Li's body, attempting to lock him in place.
But Tatsumaki had never faced a truly comparable opponent before, so there was something she didn't know. Fubuki had already discovered that the psychokinesis of a Level 5 Esper became less effective against individuals with exceptionally strong mental power and willpower.
On top of that, after fighting Sylvia, Tatsumaki's Ability had already been weakened to some extent, and she had consumed a tremendous amount of energy. Under these circumstances, there was practically no chance of her restraining Fang Li.
'BOOM...!'
With a dull explosion, the psychic power covering Fang Li's body was suddenly blown apart.
"You...!" Tatsumaki's expression finally changed.
Fang Li simply stared at the girl whose expression had abruptly shifted. A deadly cold light surged within his ice-blue Mystic Eyes.
Just as Fang Li was about to take another step forward, a voice stopped him.
"Stop!" Fubuki rushed over and shouted at him. "Enough! Don't fight anymore!"
Fang Li ignored her.
Then a pair of arms wrapped around him.
"That's enough." Sylvia seemed to have recovered. Her complexion had returned to normal as she held onto Fang Li's arm and shook her head. "Let's stop here."
Only then did Fang Li stop. He looked at Tatsumaki lying among the rubble, glaring at him, then glanced at Fubuki standing nearby.
He fell silent.
Anger filled his heart, he was angry with both Tatsumaki and Fubuki.
"Listen carefully," Fang Li suddenly spoke. "Whatever problems you two sisters have between you, whatever grievances you have, none of it has anything to do with me. If Sylvie wants to get involved in your problems, I'll respect her decision. But that doesn't mean I'll stand by and watch while the two of you drag her into it and hurt her."
Fang Li looked at the two sisters before him, his voice utterly cold. "If your conflict ends up involving her and she gets hurt, remember what I'm telling you: I'm not someone you can reason with."
The words pierced both Tatsumaki and Fubuki like icy needles.
At that moment, neither the arrogant Tatsumaki, who acted as though nobody else mattered, nor the strong-willed Fubuki could say a word. They both understood that if they tried to argue with him, this man wouldn't hesitate to use force again. And when that happened, the fear of death emanating from those ice-blue Mystic Eyes would descend upon them once more.
There would be no other outcome.
"And you." Fang Li turned his gaze toward Tatsumaki and gave her a cold smile. "Don't think I'm letting this go."
With that, Fang Li crouched down and took something from his Fairy Bag. It was a potion.
"You..." A bad feeling immediately arose in Tatsumaki's heart. She tried to sound fierce despite her unease. "What are you going to do?!"
Fang Li ignored her protests. Despite her struggling, he poured the potion directly into her mouth.
"Guh, ! Stop... stop...! Gulp...!"
Under Tatsumaki's desperate protests, the potion was forced down her throat.
"Cough! Cough!" Once it was finished, Tatsumaki covered her throat and began coughing violently.
"What... what was that?" Fubuki asked nervously. "What did you make Elder Sister drink?"
Fang Li merely glanced at her and answered calmly, "You'll find out later."
With that, Fang Li took Sylvia's hand. She wore an exasperated expression as the two of them left the scene.
Only the two sisters, Tatsumaki and Fubuki, remained behind.
Fubuki hesitated for a moment before looking at Tatsumaki.
"That... that bastard! What the hell did he make me drink?!" Tatsumaki didn't even notice her sister's question. Once she could move again, she desperately clutched her throat and kept coughing, apparently trying to force the liquid back out.
But clearly, Tatsumaki failed. Even if she used psychokinesis to manipulate the contents inside her body, it wouldn't help. After all, this was a potion that immediately merged with the user's body once consumed.
As for what it actually did, Fubuki would find out later, just as Fang Li had said. For now, Fang Li had no intention of wasting any more time with that arrogant, self-important girl.
Watching Tatsumaki cough miserably, Fubuki suddenly felt a little sorry for her headstrong elder sister.
Perhaps this time, Tatsumaki really had managed to offend someone she absolutely shouldn't have.
(End Of This Chapter)
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