The atmosphere was heavy, almost suffocating, as if every particle in the air was charged with tension.
Ikku stood alone, facing the last two enemies. His feet were rooted in the dust, his stance ready to react to the slightest move. On his face, a mask of confidence but behind it, a weight of doubt and a gnawing apprehension. He knew he couldn't win a drawn-out fight. His only hope was to force an opening, no matter how small… and vanish.
"So, we're next?" Momo asked in a calm, almost amused tone. "Then show us."
He and Babar stepped forward, their silhouettes outlined by the glare of the sun. Not a flinch, not a hint of hesitation. They weren't impressed, and Ikku could see it. He realized he was starting at a crushing disadvantage.
Before the fight could start, a voice carried through the wind.
"Hold up, guys!"
Ikku froze. His eyes widened. What… how?!
Missak was approaching from behind, his footsteps crunching on the gravel in an unhurried rhythm. Not a scratch on him. Not a single labored breath. It was as if the blow Ikku had landed earlier had never happened.
A tight knot formed in Ikku's stomach. Sure, he hadn't used his full strength… but he hadn't been holding back either. And yet, Missak was walking toward him as if nothing at all had occurred.
"I told you, Ikku I like you," Missak said with a faint smile. "But take a look around."
Ikku turned his head… and his chest tightened. All around him, in a perfect circle, the members of the LVD had closed in. Dozens of hostile eyes locked on him. Beyond them, the horizon seemed distant… unreachable. He realized in an instant there was no way out.
His energy plummeted like a flame snuffed out. He deactivated Turbo, feeling the red aura fade away.
"Don't worry, Ikku," Missak went on. "I've got a deal for you.""A deal?""Exactly. Pick one of us, and fight him one-on-one. If you win, you walk out of here, no one will follow you. But if you lose… you're our prisoner, and you tell us everything. What do you say? Fair enough?""And you'll really let me go?""The LVD keep their word.""…Fine. I accept.""Wise choice. Now pick your opponent."
Ikku scanned the faces, his mind racing. Missak… too tough. My attack did nothing to him. Babar… his hits are heavy, one could drop me flat. Momo… his swings with that bat are easier to read. Alright… him it is.
"Well?" Missak prompted."I choose Momo."
Momo's lips curled into a smirk. He stepped forward, his bat resting casually on his shoulder. Pulling out a cigarette, he lit it with a slow, unhurried motion, taking a drag as if the fight were already decided. The other LVD members stepped back, forming a clear circle in the dust.
"Don't go messing around now!" Babar called with a mocking grin."Tss… cut the crap," Momo shot back without taking his eyes off Ikku. "This'll be over quick. No one interferes."
Ikku bent his knees slightly, fists up. Drawing in a deep breath, he reactivated Turbo. The red aura flared to life around him, warping the air like summer heat over asphalt. Momo stayed rooted in place, lazily puffing on his cigarette.
"Shall we?" Ikku asked."Whenever you're ready," Momo replied.
Irritated by the man's calm tone, Ikku exploded forward, his fist driving straight for Momo's face. But his punch hit nothing but air Momo had turned into a cloud of smoke at the instant of impact. Carried by his own momentum, Ikku slid across the dust, stopping a few meters away. He spun around, stunned, to see Momo standing there unharmed.
What the hell just happened?!
Momo, his smirk widening, said, "What's with you? I told you we could start."
Frustration boiling over, Ikku launched himself forward again, unleashing a flurry of punches. But every blow went right through him each time Ikku's fist should have connected, the part of Momo's body it struck simply became smoke.
So that's his Brand… Ikku realized.
Momo dissolved completely, reappeared behind him, hooked his legs around Ikku's waist and yanked him down. Ikku crashed to his knees. In one smooth motion, Momo coiled around him like a snake, locking in a rear choke.
"Your hits pack a punch," Momo admitted. "But a fight's not just about hitting. Once I'm in close, you've got no grappling game… and your ground work's even worse. Guess I'll wrap this up quick."
Ikku struggled, but Momo's arms were like iron bands.
Damn… no air… he thought. If this keeps up, I'll black out…
He tried to rise, but Momo only tightened his grip. In one last flash of clarity, Ikku blasted his spiritual energy outward and hurled himself forward, head-first into a nearby crumbling wall. The impact exploded in a shower of stone and dust. Momo turned to smoke at the last instant to avoid the full force, but was forced to release him.
Breathing hard, a cut on his forehead, Ikku got back to his feet.
"Nice one," Momo said, an admiring glint in his eye. "People from Isru really are insane. What else you got for us?""Pff… this fight's far from over," Ikku replied with a crooked smile."Well said! That's what I like to hear. Then show me."
Ikku's aura flared again as he charged.
"You'll never learn, will you?" Momo muttered, cigarette still between his lips.
But this time, Ikku didn't aim for him he flicked the cigarette right out of his mouth.
"Damn it!"
Ikku struck instantly: a vicious kick. Momo turned to smoke again… but the moment he solidified, Ikku was on him, a right hook crashing into his jaw. The blow sent Momo flying several meters before slamming him into a wall, the stone splintering under the force.
"It worked!" Ikku shouted, fist raised high.
His victory was short-lived. Momo emerged from the rubble, clothes in tatters, his expression far darker now.
"So… you figured it out?""Looks that way," Ikku answered, triumphant. "Three C's : Condition, Constraint, Consequence. That's how you make an effective Brand. I don't know exactly how, but your cigarette seemed like the condition to turn into smoke."
Momo burst out laughing, the sound echoing across the open ground. He walked slowly over to pick up his bat."Pwahahahaha! You guys from Isru… you're a real pain in the ass! You've got one hell of an eye for detail. But don't think figuring out one little trick means you've won. I'm going to win, count on it. Ready for round two?""Anytime," Ikku replied, grinning.