Chapter 137: Buddha's Palm, Cate's Counter
Kalpa completely transformed his body in mid-air. Then, just as Kaito's own body began to swell, he clasped his fists together and brought them crashing down from above.
Kaito looked at the distance between them. There were still several meters separating them. In an instant, multiple possibilities flashed through his mind. Is he going to use some kind of long-range energy attack? Or will he use his body-morphing ability to instantly stretch his arms and hit me?
The battle was moving at lightning speed. He had to make a decision in milliseconds. Watching his opponent's muscle movements, Kaito instantly crossed his arms and raised them to block.
BAM!
In Kaito's eyes, the clasped fists were still over two meters away, but an immense force had already struck him. He felt as if he had just traded another blow with Queen Maeve, and he was sent hurtling uncontrollably from the sky.
Kalpa, meanwhile, used the recoil of their clash to generate a new force, launching himself even higher. He flipped over in mid-air, and now, headfirst, he slowly pressed down with his right palm.
In that instant, Kaito felt an immense sense of crisis. He looked up at the palm, which was descending in what felt like slow motion. It was still far away, but the oppressive feeling it generated sent a chill through his entire body.
Kaito held nothing back. As he fell, he raised his right hand, bracing it with his left, and a golden ki instantly condensed.
VMMMM!
The next moment, the air in front of him shattered. He now understood what was happening, and at the same moment, he fired his Dodon Ray.
BOOM!
An explosion detonated a few meters in front of him. He was hit by the terrifying shockwave and was sent crashing even faster into the ground below with a deafening boom.
In the air, Kalpa tilted his head, touching the spot where his ear had just been. It was gone.
This "Mercenary Tao"… he actually possessed a ranged ability that could pierce his Lv4 [Buddha's Palm]. Although he had seen it from a distance before, experiencing it firsthand made him realize the terrifying penetration and power of the attack. Thinking of the codename "Mercenary Tao," he was almost certain that his opponent wielded abilities from that extremely dangerous [Dragon Ball World]. A martial artist, the Dodon Ray, and wearing Mercenary Tao's pink robe… this guy has no intention of hiding his abilities at all.
Kalpa landed, the energy in his chakras slowly recovering. He had been a grand practitioner who had opened all his chakras before he had even entered the Nexus. Combined with being one of [The Chosen], his start had been incredibly smooth. But his brutal methods had earned him the displeasure of someone high-up in [Azure Sky]. In the end, he had paid a massive price to gain the protection of another great figure, becoming his vassal in the process. That great lord, seeing his potential, had found him the [Art of the Undead Reincarnation], an ability that was a perfect fit for his talents.
And then, he had traded for the [Buddha's Palm (Fragment)] ability. Kalpa had felt that he was one of the fastest-rising Reincarnators. He hadn't expected this "Mercenary Tao" to be even more ridiculous. When had it become so easy for a low-tier Reincarnator to get their hands on an ability from the [Dragon Ball World]? Was he also a pawn of some great figure?
BOOM!
Kalpa bent his knees. The advantage of having an over-allocation of muscle mass was immense strength. His panel now showed a "20+" rating. This was a special display in the Nexus, indicating that while he had not yet broken the [Limit], his strength had already surpassed the theoretical maximum for his tier. In reality, his strength, according to the first-tier's calculation, had already reached 23, 24, or even higher. But because the efficiency of each stat point was different at each tier, a Reincarnator who had truly broken the limit and gained a single point of strength would see a far greater effect than a lower-tier Reincarnator gaining multiple points.
Therefore, the "20+" just meant that, for now, Kalpa's strength was an anomaly among first-tier Reincarnators. At the same time, his over-allocated muscle mass made his movements less fluid. He made no attempt to dissipate the force of his landing, simply relying on the durability of Starlight's body to tank the fall. He swung his arm, and the immense strength of the blow created a low roar as it tore through the air, the wind from it blowing away the smoke from where Kaito had crashed.
"You're not dead, are you, Tao? After just that…"
Kalpa's words stopped. He saw that in the clearing smoke, standing before him, was a muscular monster, over two meters tall, radiating a white steam. His bulging muscles were even more exaggerated than Kalpa's own current full-strength-and-constitution build. He looked as if he had just used some kind of transformation ability.
Kaito turned his head. He looked at Kalpa, who had finally landed, and spat a thick glob of bloody phlegm onto the ground. "You're so slow, Kalpa."
BOOM.
Kaito took one step. The ground shook as a strange force was driven into it. Kalpa's muscles instantly tensed, but in the next moment, he realized the man hadn't vanished. He was still just… walking toward him.
BOOM.
Another step. The ground seemed to pulse with a strange rhythm.
The easy, confident smile on Kalpa's face faded. He now realized that this "Mercenary Tao" was likely an attribute monster. His current physique was in no way inferior to his own, which was inhabiting a superhero's body and had activated his own talent. Even if he was still a first-tier Reincarnator, could a first-tier Reincarnator really have anomalous stats in Strength, Agility, and Constitution at the same time?
BOOM!
A fierce wind slammed into Kalpa's face. His pupils contracted. Tao had instantly appeared in front of him, the distance between them now less than a dozen centimeters. He could almost smell the sickeningly sweet scent of blood on him.
Kaito, his hands in his pockets, looked down at Kalpa, who now looked short and stocky in his new form. "This isn't your trump card, is it, Kalpa? How long are you going to keep up this act…?"
BAM!
Kalpa instantly threw a punch. But in this close-quarters battle, Kaito's [Pre-Initiative] was absolute. He instantly raised his palm and caught it. The force of Kalpa's 20+ Strength vanished as if into a swamp. His expression changed, and his body began to shift again, his chakras flaring. His hands vanished in a blur, and a thousand fists struck at Kaito's throat, heart, kidneys, and groin, all while his psychic power assaulted Kaito's mind.
Thump-thump-thump…
A series of impacts. Kaito's lips curled. His own hands were also a blur, precisely blocking every single punch. "Ha. So you were using an illusion to trick my senses. Just like now…"
In Kaito's eyes, the distance between them had suddenly stretched, and his opponent's fists were hitting empty air. But Kaito, relying on the flow of the air currents, still caught every blow. As long as the distance was close enough, even without his sight, he could track his opponent's every move. He was a creature of pure instinct. The moment he knew his senses were being misled, he had abandoned his vision entirely and was now fighting on pure intuition.
He laughed wildly and suddenly clenched his hands.
Kalpa's phantom-like, elongated arms were instantly caught. Kaito tilted his head back, and then slammed it down in a vicious headbutt.
CRACK!
Kalpa's head rattled, and the light from his chakras vanished. Kaito released him and exhaled. "You must have a real body hidden somewhere. Don't worry. You won't get a chance to go back to it. And that trump card you've been hiding for so long… it can vanish along with your arrogance."
Kalpa's vision was filled with golden stars. He could only hear Kaito's voice, which seemed to come from everywhere at once. But his heart was sinking, a hollow feeling that was filled with an absolute dread.
I'm going to die. Impossible. This body is Starlight's. It can withstand a high-caliber sniper rifle. Even the Dodon Ray shouldn't be able to kill me instantly.
ORA ORA ORA ORA…
Kaito's fists suddenly vanished. Power and Speed, both A-rank, exploded in an instant. Countless fists slammed into Kalpa's naked female form. The shockwaves and the shrieking air, this terrifying frequency, began to rapidly awaken the Underworld power within Kaito.
Finally, a wisp of black light appeared from within him and, flowing through his blood, gathered on his fists.
Kaito looked at Kalpa, whose consciousness was just beginning to return. He saw his pupils contract in horror. His head was beginning to swell. He was trying to self-destruct. But it was too late. Kaito's eyes were filled with an absolute indifference.
Death-Taint of the Myriad Gods!
BOOM!
A massive explosion, mixed with a spray of blood. Kaito felt his body being thrown as if from a catapult. He saw himself fly across hundreds of meters, crash through the entire floor of a skyscraper, and then get thrown out the other side.
The last thing he saw was the black man in the blue suit, who looked at him with an indifferent expression before vanishing.
A-Train…
CRASH!
Kaito's limbs were limp, his core body carried by the immense force as it smashed through walls, office furniture, and monitors.
Bam, bam, bam…
The endless, violent impacts shattered his bones and ruptured his internal organs. A-Train's full-power attack had been completely unexpected. Neither Kaito nor Kalpa had predicted that he would be able to break free from Homelander's battle.
Kaito's sudden disappearance made Queen Maeve let out a sigh of relief. But in the next second, she heard a terrifying roar.
"NO!"
Homelander had seen it all. He frowned, then opened his eyes. He saw the blonde-haired woman, who had somehow appeared in front of him, her hand on his cheek. Golden Boy's girlfriend, Cate. Blood was pouring from her nose, her eyes completely bloodshot. She was using her telepathy to interfere with Homelander, but it was beyond her limits. Even with Compound V, she was trembling, watching helplessly as Homelander broke free of her control.
In the distance, Golden Boy, his right arm torn from its socket, saw this and screamed, "RUN, CATE!"
BOOM!
Cate was a black shadow, sent flying hundreds of meters by Homelander, crashing into a car, which then exploded.
Homelander's eyes were bloodshot. His X-ray and telescopic vision allowed him to see it clearly. His companion, the only one who had ever understood him, his one true "friend"—Mercenary Tao—was now a mangled heap in the rubble, his bones shattered, his body beginning to tremble with the throes of death.
"HOW DARE YOU…"
BOOM!
Homelander shot forward. A sonic boom exploded at ground level, and a wave of screams erupted from the crowd as thousands of eardrums were shattered by the sonic boom.
A-Train was also sent flying, as if from a catapult.
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Guys We cross the 500 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 600 power stone,come on guys you'll can do it, good luck.
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Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter