"Finally, you show your face, you damned coward."
Takeshi said, directing his blood-stained fist toward Yamikaji, his widened eyes glowing with rage.
On the sideline, Garmond slowly raised his hand, causing the wall to gradually disappear while he thought to himself:
'So Shido didn't lie when he told the Leader about this brat's physical strength. He managed to destroy my second strongest wall with his bare fist… I wonder what kind of training and life this scoundrel has had that gave him such sharp features.'
The moment Garmond's wall vanished, Takeshi stomped his right foot and launched himself at lightning speed toward Yamikaji, raising his stained fist.
He lunged forward and aimed a direct punch at Yamikaji's face, but a random layer of solid black roots formed over Yamikaji's body, absorbing the damage from Takeshi's strike.
"I'm not done yet!" Takeshi declared, bending his knee and sliding toward the unprotected side of Yamikaji's body. Due to the speed of the change in direction, he landed a less-than-full-force punch to Yamikaji's ribs.
The blow caused Yamikaji to stiffen in place, his eyes widening in pain, even though the strike was not at full power. However, black roots quickly covered that part of Yamikaji's body, forcing Takeshi to retreat as he stated:
"I remember everything that happened that day—your purpose for coming, the details of your ability, and what you did!"
On the other side, Garmond's eyes widened when he saw Takeshi's fighting style. This prompted him to watch without interference, eager to observe the person who had captured the Leader's attention.
Yamikaji's roots dissipated and turned into fleeting ash. It became clear that his purpose in coating himself with those black roots was to form a solid wooden arm in place of his severed one. The reason he was doing this now was that abilities drain a degree of Aura, causing fatigue and energy depletion.
Takeshi felt the ground tremble beneath him. He quickly realized the situation and recoiled, just as seven brown wooden roots pierced the floor.
They did not remain still, but lunged toward Takeshi, who skillfully managed to dodge most of them, causing the walls in the area to be shattered. However, one of them managed to graze his abdomen, causing a noticeable, superficial wound.
Yamikaji raised his wooden arm, causing its black roots to extend directly toward Takeshi, who was able to jump at the last moment, evading the attack that tore through the wall behind him.
Yamikaji thought to himself during those few seconds.
'I must diversify my attacks, using the flexible brown roots and the solid black roots.'
His wooden hand returned to its normal length.
'But each type has a fatal flaw. The brown roots are easy to destroy, and the black ones are solid, but difficult to control and direct… However, I have another trick!'
Small green, almost unnoticeable plants sprouted under the debris from the shattered walls. At the same time, Takeshi quickly advanced toward Yamikaji, raising his fist and bracing himself for any further attack.
The moment he stood before him, Yamikaji moved his wooden hand and punched Takeshi on the head, causing a clear bleed.
But Takeshi did not flinch; instead, he slightly arched his back and delivered an upward punch to the jaw that lifted Yamikaji into the air. Takeshi did not stop there, landing a direct punch to the center of Yamikaji's face.
As soon as Takeshi tried to step back, he felt something solid encircle his hand—it was Yamikaji's wooden arm.
Yamikaji raised his gaze toward Takeshi, smiled, ignoring the pain, and said:
"This is the end, Calamity Takeshi!"
The small plants trembled excessively, then without warning, they stretched instantly, becoming long, straight, thin, green roots. All of them darted toward Takeshi, but he managed to evade most with his body. However, one struck the hand Yamikaji was gripping.
Garmond sighed and closed his eyes, losing hope for Takeshi's survival, saying:
"Even though Yamikaji isn't part of the Leader's main organization and barely knows anything about it, he is the most distinguished trickster among us—"
BOOOOOM!!
His words were cut short by a deafening strike that echoed in his ear like a mounting resonance. As soon as he opened his eyes, he found Takeshi's fist connecting with Yamikaji's face.
Yamikaji staggered backward from the punch he received, releasing Takeshi's arm. Takeshi did not stop; he advanced and delivered a kick to Yamikaji's foot and another punch to his neck that stifled his breath.
While Yamikaji struggled to catch his breath, he thought to himself.
'Did—did he gain immunity to poisons?!'
Part of Yamikaji's thought was correct. Takeshi had gained an immunity that allowed him to move for seconds before the poison spread completely through his body. He acquired this immunity when he was first poisoned in the Great Pine Forest.
Takeshi advanced further toward Yamikaji, preparing his fist. Just as he moved it to deliver a devastating strike that could change the course of the battle, Takeshi felt the wound Yamikaji inflicted on his abdomen burn. This caused his punch to deviate, merely grazing Yamikaji's cheek.
Yamikaji exploited the moment, pushing Takeshi away with his foot and retreating himself to gather his strength.
Both of them heard heavy footsteps from the direction of the throne. Both turned toward the source of the steps; it was Fard and Joso.
Fard held Joso's shoulder. Joso raised his right hand and snapped his fingers, creating a faint spark. It vanished instantly and transferred to Takeshi's wound, causing him terrible pain.
Joso's ability allows him to create a faint spark when he snaps his finger. As for Fard, his ability allows him to transfer attacks, provided two conditions are met:
He must touch the source of the attack.
He must see the destination of the transfer.
However, it has a fatal flaw: he must feel the power of the attack, and the ability does not work if the transfer location is too far.
Takeshi clutched his wound while staring at the three of them. Only one question raced through his mind: would the tides turn, allowing the poison to control Takeshi once again, as it did before? Or would a miracle occur, allowing him to achieve victory in this critical situation?