This power could freeze everything—stone, air, even life itself.
Because of that, when he encountered water, something so vulnerable to ice, everything changed.
Even though this water was no ordinary sea, even though he had merged with the Dragon Man, his nature could not be erased. He was still water. And water was the easiest to be frozen into one body in this world.
"Crack! Crackle! Crack!"
At a speed visible to the naked eye, the Dragon Man's watery form began to freeze. The surrounding ocean followed, solidifying into blocks of ice.
Naturally, the Dragon Man resisted. He understood the danger all too well.
His body blazed with flame, fire roaring outward like a boundless inferno. He tried to burn away the freezing power, to make the advancing ice retreat.
The flames licked the ice, turning it to mist, but it wasn't enough. The cold was absolute. The ocean continued freezing. After only a few breaths, all that remained unfrozen was a small patch of water. That patch was where the Dragon Man's power concentrated, desperately holding the invasion of ice at bay.
If not for that, he would already have been sealed in ice.
"You are strong," said Arakawa Zenkichi calmly, watching the struggle. "But I advise you to give up."
The Dragon Man roared, voice shaking the frozen sea. He was unwilling—unwilling to submit, unwilling to lose. He unleashed his strength again and again, trying to shatter his restraints.
But all of it was useless. The cold did not relent.
"Whoosh!"
Finally, his resistance faltered. He broke free from the ocean, abandoning his attempt to merge further with it. He had no choice. If he continued to bind himself to the sea, he would be frozen and sealed forever in this icy grave.
Escaping spared him the worst, but even then, his body wasn't untouched. Shards of frost clung to his lower half, crystalline ice laced with the same freezing force that had nearly bound the sea itself.
Zenkichi's sharp eyes didn't miss it.
"How about now?" he asked, tone laced with amusement.
The Dragon Man's expression twisted in frustration. He was clearly shaken.
"I think we will meet again," he said at last, his voice carrying a heavy seriousness.
"Are you going to run away?" Zenkichi's words cut through the cold. Though the Dragon Man hadn't admitted it outright, his meaning was clear.
And then, before the words had fully settled, the Dragon Man's figure vanished. In the next instant, he appeared at the edge of the exiled space, power surging violently. With a thunderous burst of energy, he forced his way out.
Ordinarily, escaping from this realm wasn't simple. The space was designed to hold those cast into it, requiring deep understanding to escape.
But after their clash, the Dragon Man's comprehension of the space had sharpened. Coupled with his formidable strength, he had reached the peak of his potential here. Breaking through was inevitable.
Zenkichi remained still. He didn't chase, didn't strike.
Because there was no need.
If the Dragon Man wanted to leave, there was nothing that could stop him.
____
Advanced chapters are available on my patreon page
Read ahead of everyone 💙
Patreon.com/Zphyr