In an instant—
SCKTKWHAAAAMHHN!
—the two of them charge straight at one another.
Jiza bends his arm.
"What I know," he says.
SCWLHAAAAAHMHHM!
—drawing it slightly backward.
Leon furrows his brows.
SWHUUUUUUUHMHHH!
—With all five fingers extended and his palm facing downward, he swings his arm back.
They stare sharply at one another.
"...is that all of this consists of Johan's messengers..."
The distance closes instantly until they are within reach.
Leon swings forward.
Jiza grits his teeth.
"...people who have already died."
His arm, bent and pulled halfway back, thrusts forward as well.
CPTKHAAAAAAAHMN—
Their simultaneous thrusts explode the air between them.
—CKTPHAAAAHMNHH!
A shockwave follows shortly after, hurling them apart and pushing them out of each other's range.
Yet at the very moment they are about to separate—
"...brought back to life."
Jiza assumes a stance.
"...through the magic that serves as the soul," he says halfway.
His feet spread apart. His body lowers slightly. His head dips as well. Both arms bend and draw halfway backward.
"...of the sorcerer," he continues.
He raises his head again and stares deeply at Leon.
Then he thrusts straight forward at high speed.
SWUUMM—SWHAAAHMNH—SWAAAMN—SLAAAAAHMNHH!
Leon evades every strike completely.
CHAK—KHAAMNH!
Leon steps forward.
His arm swings back again. His body lowers slightly as he assumes a stance, preparing to attack.
His body is completely undefended.
A wide opening lies before him.
"EHMPH?!" Jiza freezes briefly.
Leon immediately presses the attack.
—TSKCHAAAAAAAKK!
His thrust pierces deeply into Jiza's flank.
"EKHH—" he hisses.
The strike withdraws a moment later.
"AAKHH!" he gasps again.
The force and violent burst behind Leon's thrust send Jiza briefly airborne.
BRUK—BRAK!
Jiza lands once more.
"...moving through instinct alone," he forces out.
Leon tilts his head slightly and narrows his eyes, studying Jiza more carefully.
DUK!
Jiza takes another step forward, staggering.
"Sent to erase every threat."
DAK!
He continues walking, his staggering gradually lessening.
"Even with this ability, I still have doubts..."
DUK!
He lowers his head and watches his own steps for a moment.
"...even though you no longer think with reason."
DAK!
He raises his head again.
"...when facing the body of a man who was exceptionally intelligent..."
His gaze settles more deeply upon Leon's face.
"HMPH?!" Jiza freezes.
BRAK!
His steps stop.
He stares sharply, observing more closely.
Yet he continues to see Leon smiling faintly at him...
...with pupils in both eyes, looking at him with warmth.
However—
"HUH?!"
In the blink of an eye, the pupils vanish.
The faint smile disappears.
"Huft."
Jiza exhales briefly.
...it is nothing more than a vivid memory created by a mind that still remembers the face that once looked upon him warmly and smiled sincerely.
KRKK!
His fists clench tightly.
He looks once more at Leon's expressionless face, at the pupil-less eyes staring back at him.
"...during his lifetime."
CKTHAAMMH—CKTKAAAAAHMN!
Jiza attacks again.
Pushing off the ground, he charges toward Leon again and again.
"...will I..."
His arm bends.
"...be able..."
It pulls slightly backward.
"...to stop you?!"
He thrusts straight forward.
"MY BROTHER?!"
SCKWLHAAAAAHMNH!
Leon evades the attack once again.
Jiza freezes.
"EHMPH?!" His breath catches.
GDBRAAKKK!
Leon stomps on one of his feet.
His right arm straightens completely, swings backward, then lashes forward.
TKSCWRAAAAAAAKKK!
The strike lands cleanly.
KRAKK—WRAAKKK!
His ribs crack.
"GHKK—"
Jiza hisses, grinding his teeth as pain spreads through his body.
SCTKWAAAAAAHMNH!
He charges again, retaliating at tremendous speed from extremely close range.
SLHWHLAAAHMNH—CKSWSWHAAHMHH—PSWCKSWHAAAAHHM!
Again.
Again.
And again.
Jiza launches attack after attack without pause.
"Damn it," he hisses.
His face twists with burning fury as he watches every strike...
...matched.
Every thrust avoided.
"EHMPH?!" Jiza freezes again as his breath catches.
He looks down at his foot.
CTAK—CKTKHAHMNH!
Leon has pinned it firmly.
Before him, Leon's left arm swings forward.
TCKSHAAAAAAAAAKK!
"ARKHHH!"
The strike lands directly on his spleen.
Without allowing any room to recover, Leon swings back and forward again toward the countless openings in Jiza's body.
TWSCHAAAAAAAAKK!
A direct hit to the solar plexus.
"URGKTHH—"
His body is hurled briefly into the air.
His breathing has become frantic.
His body stands at its very limit.
Yet Leon continues stopping him in his tracks.
Continues pressuring him until every attack becomes impossible to avoid.
Yet Jiza refuses to yield.
He forces himself onward.
His right arm bends.
Pulls slightly backward.
Then thrusts straight ahead.
"Damn it."
His brows knit tightly.
Leon does the same first.
His attack arrives only inches before Jiza's chest.
TKWSCHAAAAAAAAKK!
"UHHGG!"
His breath compresses and halts for a moment.
The strike drives directly into his heart.
Leon continues pressing forward.
One step.
Then another.
The distance becomes impossibly close.
Impossible to escape.
Jiza grimaces as Leon swings again.
The thrust continues forward.
Closer.
Closer to his throat.
Another fatal strike.
"IT'S OVE—" Jiza hisses.