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{3rd Pov}
Subaru's eyes widened in genuine surprise as he tried to comprehend what he had just witnessed.
'This guy... he actually found a way to counter my Authority?!' Subaru thought, disbelief and frustration running through his mind.
However, his keen observation quickly picked up on the signs that this countermeasure was incomplete, flawed, and perhaps even desperate.
'But judging from the expression of intense pain etched across his face, and the fact that his body is still riddled with serious injuries, this looks like a half-baked solution at best.'
At that moment, a message echoed through Reinhardt's very existence—clear and undeniable.
The Divine Protection of Divine Sacrifice requires a Sacrifice. Will the bearer, Reinhardt van Astrea, accept this condition?
"I agree," Reinhardt declared without hesitation.
Performing Divine Sacrifice… Sacrifice confirmed.
The Divine Protections of Boiled Food, Hairdressing, Fashion, and Photo-realism have been relinquished.
The sky trembled as Reinhardt roared and launched himself forward, driving his fist into Subaru with overwhelming power.
The force of the impact sent Subaru flying through the air at terrifying speed. He smashed through the side of a hill with such violence that it obliterated the entire upper half, triggering a landslide that buried much of the landscape.
The terrain was mangled beyond recognition.
Subaru tumbled uncontrollably for a moment but quickly stabilized himself mid-air by combining his KI and Psychic energy, regaining his footing in the sky.
However, Reinhardt was already closing the distance. He appeared above Subaru like a missile streaking through the clouds, cloaked entirely in a radiant white light.
Reinhardt struck again, this time aiming for a downward punch. Subaru reacted just in time, catching Reinhardt's fist mid-air with both hands.
The impact drove both of them downward with tremendous force, and when they landed, the result was a massive crater several meters deep.
Divine Protection of Flying has been acquired.
Reinhardt showed no sign of relenting.
He immediately increased the pressure, pushing Subaru across the battlefield while becoming airborne. Subaru braced his body as best as he could, planting his feet deep into the ground in a desperate attempt to stop being bulldozed.
"AARGHHH!" Reinhardt bellowed as he kept up the relentless pressure.
The shockwave from their struggle carved a jagged ravine nearly a thousand meters long in just two seconds, complete with thunderous sonic booms that shattered nearby stones and trees. It was as if nature itself was being torn apart.
Seeing no alternative, Subaru tapped deeper into his reserves. He surged his Ki further, blending it seamlessly with his Aura, and began to burn through vast amounts of magic energy.
The result was immediate—his physical capabilities skyrocketed to a whole new level. He dug in harder and let out a powerful roar of his own as he reversed the momentum, slowly but surely pushing Reinhardt back.
Reinhardt was forced to retreat, his feet skidding along the ground for dozens of meters before he was finally able to halt himself.
Now the battlefield was lit by two competing auras. Reinhardt's body shimmered with divine white light, radiating intense pressure that warped the air around him. In contrast, Subaru's entire form was enveloped in a deep blue aura.
Energy radiated from his body like an intense storm. His hair floated upward, caught in the turbulence of sheer magical force.
The ground beneath him continued to sink and crack apart under the force of his growing power until, at last, Subaru began to levitate above the ground effortlessly.
They locked eyes again, fierce determination burning in both their gazes.
Without a single word spoken, they launched toward each other.
In the blink of an eye, they exchanged hundreds of blows.
Their movements were so fast that to an average observer, they appeared as flickers of light.
The aftermath of each collision left deep scars across the mountainside—landslides fell like cascading waves, craters exploded across the terrain, and massive boulders were flung away like pebbles.
As they clashed, Subaru sensed something dangerous. They were rapidly closing in on a populated settlement. Realizing the potential destruction such a location might suffer, Subaru immediately teleported himself high into the sky to avoid civilian casualties.
Reinhardt followed without hesitation.
Then, in the heavens above, far beyond the earthbound chaos, the two collided once more.
A brilliant streak of white light and a blinding trail of blue smashed together in the open sky, creating a thunderous boom that shook the clouds and illuminated the night with a burst of divine and arcane energy.
They ascended higher and higher into the atmosphere, breaking through layers of thick clouds that split apart as they passed.
The sky itself seemed to roar with the intensity of their clash.
Each movement was a blur—punches, kicks, jabs, elbows—delivered with inhuman precision and speed. Their unarmed combat skills were flawless, their strength nothing short of divine. For a long moment, neither could gain the upper hand; the battle remained locked in a tense stalemate.
Suddenly, Reinhardt made a desperate move. He sacrificed three of his Divine Protections in exchange for a massive surge of power. With that overwhelming strength boost, he launched a fierce punch directly into Subaru's face, sending him hurtling uncontrollably toward the ground far below.
Subaru crashed violently through the towering wooden walls of a sprawling Japanese-style castle, shattering it as he plummeted into the city streets beyond. The city was one of the major Kararagi territories, known as Ivada, bustling with life and unsuspecting civilians.
Just Subaru's impact alone caused massive collateral damage, killing numerous innocent people caught in the blast.
Reinhardt landed not far away, his arrival forceful enough to sink him several meters into the earth beneath and create a shockwave so powerful it sent dozens of bystanders flying in every direction.
Despite the destruction surrounding him, Subaru burst into laughter. It was clear to him that Reinhardt had lost any sense of restraint or mercy; the man's recklessness now threatened everyone in sight.
Subaru wiped a single drop of blood from his cracked lips with his thumb, the sting barely registering as he chuckled.
"All this… just for a single drop of blood?" Subaru's voice carried a mixture of amusement and scorn, the words only fueling Reinhardt's rage further.
At that moment, Reinhardt's Divine Protection of Weapon Summoning activated. The hilt of the familiar Dragon Sword, Reid, materialized in his grasp, radiating an intimidating confidence. Without hesitation, he drew the sword fully, holding it aloft in a regal, battle-ready stance.
"Hey! Hey! You bastard, we're still in the middle of the city!" Subaru shouted, warning him urgently. But his words fell on deaf ears—Reinhardt was consumed by his thirst for victory, utterly indifferent to the lives at risk around them.
Realizing what was about to happen, Subaru began his transformation into his dragon form. His scales turned a deep, black obsidian, and his piercing golden eyes locked fiercely onto Reinhardt.
His massive wings spread wide, stretching dozens of meters, instinctively positioning themselves as a shield for the civilians behind him.
Just then, a sudden white beam of light pierced through the parting clouds above them. As Subaru opened his maw to release a purplish glow charged with KI energy, Reinhardt swung his Dragon Sword, Reid, in a devastating arc aimed straight at him.
"Reid!" Reinhardt called out.
"Rawwwrrrr!" Subaru roared in response, unleashing a torrent of purple-black flames from his jaws.
The two powerful attacks collided in midair with a thunderous boom. Flames capable of incinerating matter itself met a slash that could sever concepts at their core.
For a tense moment, neither attack gave ground, locked in a deadly stalemate.
Then, slowly, Reinhardt's sword strike began pushing forward, driving through Subaru's dragon fire. Subaru's golden eyes narrowed in fierce concentration as he dug his claws into the stone pavement with all his might. He intensified the flames, channeling even more KI into his breath.
Bit by bit, the balance shifted—Subaru's breath began to push back against the sword's deadly edge.
Reinhardt's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
Even the legendary Divine Dragon Volcanica might not be capable of stopping such an attack, much less having it pushed back by force of will alone.
Yet here it was: the Dragon Sword was being overwhelmed, losing ground to Subaru's relentless fiery assault.
Finally, Reinhardt's attack faded into nothingness, completely extinguished. Subaru ceased his dragon breath, the purples and blacks dissipating into the cooling air.
Frustrated and desperate, Reinhardt opted for a new strategy. Breaking through the sound barrier, he charged at Subaru with blinding speed, sword raised high, aiming to decapitate the massive dragon in a single, lethal strike.
But the moment Reinhardt closed the distance—
Subaru vanished, teleporting away in the blink of an eye.
"???" Reinhardt exclaimed in confusion.
"Motherfucker!" he cursed, the frustration and disbelief evident in his voice.
To be continued...