Riku drove a crushing punch straight into Hayato's stomach, forcing a cough of crimson from his lips before following up with a heavy left hook to his jaw. Hayato swung back on instinct, but Riku ducked underneath, seized him from behind, and slammed him spine-first onto the hard stones. Riku leaped into the air to crush his face with a knee, but Hayato rolled aside just in time.
Snapping his legs up, Hayato delivered a sharp kick into Riku's gut, followed by a violent upper-cut to his chin and a driving elbow straight to his throat. The impact launched Riku backward, crashing through the front wall of a nearby house.
Bleeding from his forehead, Hayato scooped up his heavy iron chains, wrapping them tightly around his bruised knuckles.
Riku burst out of the rubble, surging forward with a leaping front-kick to Hayato's jaw. Hayato stumbled back, his vision swimming, but as Riku drove a follow-up fist toward his nose, Hayato slipped to the side. With a lightning-fast reverse side-kick, Hayato struck Riku square in the neck, slamming the clan leader face-first into a metal wall.
Before Riku could rebound, Hayato drove his knee straight into the back of his head, embedding Riku's face deeper into the warped metal. Groaning in pain, Riku whipped his elbow backward into Hayato's chest, following up with a spartan kick to his gut that created distance between them.
Riku turned slowly, panting heavily as blood dripped from his brow. This kid... he hits like a cruise missile. How in the hell is he this strong? Such terrifying, destructive power in such a slender frame... He reminds me of HIM. Though that monster was even stronger than Hayato...
Riku locked eyes with Hayato. Despite the brutal injuries, Hayato was still standing there with that signature, unfazed grin.
"Come on, old man," Hayato chuckled, wiping his mouth. "Bring it on."
A fierce smirk spread across Riku's face. "With pleasure!"
The two men charged each other, trading a ferocious barrage of punches that echoed through the empty streets. The surrounding crowd of mercenaries watched in stunned, dead silence.
Yui Tanaka stood in the back, her eyes narrowed as she analyzed the duel. Hayato is trading blows evenly with Riku—and Riku is far stronger than Renji ever was. I remember seeing you goofing off in the training dojo years ago, Hayato...
BOOM!
Hayato and Riku landed simultaneous cross-punches to each other's jaws. During the chaotic exchange, Riku had managed to rip one of the heavy chains from Hayato's grip. Now, both men held iron chains wrapped around their fists, going toe-to-toe in a brutal dance of heavy metal and blood.
Damn, his strikes wrapped in that chain are lethal, Riku thought, his arm numbing from a parried blow. He glanced at Hayato, who was still casually smiling as if they were just sparring.
Riku surged forward with a desperate, full-body flying kick to Hayato's chest. The force sent Hayato airborne, crashing directly into a parked sedan. The fuel tank ruptured, exploding into a sudden plume of fire and twisted metal.
Seconds later, Hayato casually stepped out from the burning wreckage, dusting flaming embers off his coat. He unwrapped the chain from his hand, letting the iron links clatter against the ground.
"Old man," Hayato grinned, his eyes burning with adrenaline. "I am really liking this fight."
"Heh... I couldn't agree more," Riku wheezed, raising his fists.
Riku lunged with a heavy right straight. Hayato slipped past the punch and drove a counter to Riku's ribs. Riku tried to jump back to reset, but his body wouldn't move—Hayato had stomped his heavy boot firmly onto Riku's foot, pinning him in place.
Before Riku could react, Hayato unleashed an rapid-fire barrage of punches straight to Riku's face, chest and other upper parts of the body. Within seconds, Riku's eyes rolled back, and the massive clan head collapsed unconscious onto the pavement.
"Looks like that was as much as you could take," Hayato panted, resting his hands on his knees.
Suddenly, a wave of pure, suffocating bloodlust spiked in the air.
Hayato's instincts screamed, and he leaped backward just as a flying shockwave of sheer air pressure sliced the house behind him completely in half.
He landed in a crouch and looked up. Yui Tanaka had stepped forward, her katana drawn and glistening in the grey sky.