After seeing off the police, I turned my attention back to the Shuuki I had just sent flying. I stretched my neck, already aware this wouldn't be an easy sweep like my last encounters with Shuuki inside Mato. There might be greater numbers there, but this one felt different.
Even after that clean hit, it didn't feel like I'd done any real damage. As it lay sprawled on the ground, that creepy smile was still etched across its face. I felt its punch too when I caught it, the weight behind it was undeniable and powerful.
I'd been worried the personnel here wouldn't be able to handle a Shuuki if it came down to it. I suppose I underestimated their capabilities. Even if the Anti-Demon Force is the one tasked with hunting demons inside Mato, the people here could still bite back. Thanks to them, the area was quiet now.
No civilians left to be hurt or killed.
I wouldn't have intervened if this piece of shit hadn't shown up. Even without counting its distinctive appearance, its presence alone was heavier, more dangerous. I couldn't fault the women who had shot at it earlier for being afraid. If anything, I respected them for not letting fear take over, for choosing to engage it anyway. They knew it was futile, yet still clung to the faintest hope, however slim.
As if to answer that resolve, the Shuuki began to move again. It rolled onto its back and kicked out a leg, then planted a hand against the ground and pushed itself upright.
"Yo, did your mom not teach you any manners? Hitting a defenseless woman like that is a dick move," I said, my voice steady even as I stayed alert for its next move. "It's time for your punishment."
I curled my fingers, tightened my fists, and raised both hands.
Without warning, the thing leaned its upper body forward and began wobbling like a drunkard. I tilted my head, confused by whatever it was trying to pull. Then, stomping wildly like a crazed monkey, it leapt into the air and twisted its body mid-jump.
Seeing it coming, I jumped backward just in time. Its punch slammed into the ground where I'd been standing, carving a massive crater and shattering the floor. Dust erupted into the air, obscuring everything for a split second.
Just as expected, the Shuuki burst out of the dust cloud and lunged straight at me, throwing a swift jab. The impact drove me backward, and before I could recover, it followed up with a relentless barrage. I raised my arms to guard, absorbing the blows but these attacks were far stronger and more aggressive than before.
Spotting an opening, I grabbed its fist as it pushed me back, twisting my body to throw off its center of gravity. For a moment, it worked but then it stomped hard into the ground, halting my attempt. It roared, raw and feral, and swung a vicious hook straight into my ribs.
That fucking hurts!
I clicked my tongue in response. It tried to strike the same spot again, but this time I managed to block it. I then block every hit that followed.
I need to change my strategy. Claws won't work against a body armored like this one. If I want to answer its attacks, I'll need power strong enough to strike back head-on. I sidestepped, narrowly dodging its frontal kick.
My legs lit up, and I launched myself into the air.
"Isadora, give me a gorilla medal!" I shouted urgently.
She stood atop a nearby building, wearing a mask. Her hair was longer than usual, jet black instead of her usual red, fluttering slightly in the wind.
"You don't have to tell me," she yelled back. "In fact, use these two."
Two gray medals materialized in her hands. She hurled them toward me. I caught them midair and landed back on the ground, the Shuuki and I now separated by a considerable distance, staring each other down.
Without wasting a second, I inserted the medals she'd given me and scanned them immediately.
[𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕒]
[𝔾𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕒]
[ℤ𝕠𝕦]
Light surged across my body as my torso and legs transformed, my head remaining unchanged. The suit swelled into a bulky mass of gray, two massive arms forming as it reshaped itself. It's no longer just a suit, but a heavy armor made for physical combat.
The Shuuki merely grinned in amusement. It strode toward me at an unhurried pace before lunging again, driving a punch straight into my chest, confident it would end the same way as before.
The blow was still heavy—there was no denying that—but the gorilla medal dulled its effect. My reinforced footing due to the elephant medal kept me balanced despite my increased weight. My speed was noticeably slower in this form compared to my balanced Tatoba state, but for a pure, head-on brawl, this was perfect.
"Are you done?" I looked at the Shuuki. "Then it's my turn?"
I didn't give it a second to respond. I clenched my fist and slammed it into its face. It reeled back hard, yet somehow stayed upright, retaliating with a strike to my body. I answered in kind.
We fell into a brutal exchange of fists, abandoning all thought of defense as we contested raw strength alone. Each blow I landed caused faint cracks to spread across the armor on his body, yet the smile on his face never faded. If anything, it widened. An unsettling sight carved into his already terrifying features.
The ground trembled beneath us, shaken by the sheer force of our strikes. The Shuuki had gone all out now, exhilarated by finding an opponent who could trade blows with it in a straightforward brawl.
I found the opening at last—the crack in its chest armor now impossible to miss. I drew power into my arm, focusing everything into a single point.
"EAT THIS!" I roared.
The reverse punch connected cleanly. The Shuuki was hurled backward, crashing into a stop sign before slamming into the ground.
I didn't give it a chance to recover. I charged forward and drove my foot into its exposed chest, forcing a thunderous roar from its throat. Grabbing its leg with both hands, I began to swing its massive body back and forth, smashing it into the ground again and again like a rag doll.
High above, Isadora's attention drifted away from the fight. She turned toward the west, her eyes narrowing as she spotted approaching helicopters and Anti-Demon Force units closing in fast. By her estimate, they would arrive within minutes.
"Hey, OOO!" she shouted. "You'd better hurry cause you really don't want to meet the people coming this way."
I glanced up at her and immediately understood. Without hesitation, I stopped pummeling the Shuuki that has its armor already shattered and reached for my medals.
[𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕒]
[𝕋𝕠𝕣𝕒]
[𝔹𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕒]
[𝕋𝕒-𝕋𝕠-𝔹𝕒! 𝕋𝕒𝕥𝕠𝕓𝕒 𝕋𝕒-𝕋𝕠-𝔹𝕒!]
My form shifted back into my familiar suit as the belt scanned once more.
[𝕊ℂ𝔸ℕℕ𝕀ℕ𝔾 ℝ𝔼ℂℍ𝔸ℝ𝔾𝔼]
Power surged around my body as I leapt high into the air.
Below, the Shuuki staggered back to its feet, glaring up at me. Ethereal wings of energy flared behind my back as I slowly descended. It let out one final roar.
My kick struck true.
In a blinding flash of force, the Shuuki was eradicated. Prompting the end of the first opponent that actually gave me a real fight.
___________________
Author's Note:
Never let my curiosity take over again.
I regretted playing Maggot Baits.