Chapter 149: The Man Who Lied With His Body
Daito Greyhell.
His breathing was heavy but controlled, each inhale burning his lungs while every exhale released a faint cloud of heat into the crimson air. His legs trembled beneath him, and his injured shoulder hung at an uncomfortable angle, but he forced his body forward until he finally stopped several meters away from Gyoran Chitsujo.
Neither man spoke.
Gyoran studied him carefully, paying attention not merely to his injuries or the expression on his face, but to everything that might reveal his next move. Every twitch of Daito's fingers, every blink of his eyes, and every subtle change in his breathing became another piece of information to examine.
'Something's wrong.'
By now, Gyoran had spent enough time fighting Daito to recognize the difference between genuine exhaustion and deliberate deception. He understood how the other man approached combat, how he concealed his intentions, and how he could turn even the smallest detail into a weapon.
Suddenly, Daito reached behind his back and pulled away the remains of his improvised monster-bone armor.
CLANK... CLACK... CRACK...
The shattered skeletal plates tumbled onto the ground, scattering across the sand in a useless collection of broken fragments. Whatever protection they had once offered was gone, and the damage they had sustained during the bombardment had rendered them beyond repair.
Daito rolled his neck, raised his chin, and looked directly at Gyoran.
"Why don't you..." His voice came out rough and strained, each word carrying the weight of his exhaustion. "...put those weapons away?"
He paused, breathing heavily before finishing his request.
"...And finish me like a man."
The words echoed across the burning wasteland.
Gyoran didn't answer immediately. He simply stared at Daito, his expression thoughtful as he began examining the situation with the same methodical precision he had applied to every exchange throughout their battle.
Interesting.
His first observation was obvious: Daito was no longer holding The Piercer. The sharpened bone spear that had served as his primary weapon throughout their fight was nowhere to be seen, leaving him apparently unarmed against an opponent carrying the Salvation Duo.
Second, Daito's breathing sounded genuinely heavy. His body had endured an extraordinary amount of punishment, and the exhaustion in his movements was difficult to dismiss. If they fought hand-to-hand at this point, even a healthy version of Daito might have struggled against him. In his current condition, the outcome should have been considerably more one-sided.
Which meant Daito had to know that as well.
Gyoran narrowed his eyes.
His third observation was the most important.
Daito was acting more damaged than before.
The slight limp, the uneven breathing, the faint trembling in his knees—all of it appeared convincing enough to suggest that his body was finally approaching its limit. Yet something about the display made Gyoran suspicious. It was almost too convincing, as though Daito had deliberately arranged every sign of weakness to encourage a particular conclusion.
Then Gyoran remembered Ntate Greyhell's teachings.
'Never believe the body, believe the intent.'
'A true fighter can lie with posture. He can lie with breathing. He can even lie with pain.'
The memories sharpened Gyoran's gaze.
Daito possessed absurd endurance and a ridiculous tolerance for pain. Even after everything he had endured, he had continued fighting with a determination that defied ordinary expectations. If someone like him suddenly began displaying weakness so openly, there was a good chance he wanted his opponent to notice it.
'It's a trap.'
Across the battlefield, Daito watched Gyoran's expression, waiting for the moment his opponent finally understood what he was attempting.
'Come on... Uncle taught you too.'
Daito's fingers twitched faintly at his sides.
'You'll see through it, you have to.'
His plan depended on Gyoran recognizing the deception. If the Boss genuinely believed that Daito had reached the end of his endurance, he might respond in a way that ruined the opening Daito was trying to create. But if Gyoran saw through the act, he would have to consider the possibility that Daito was preparing something else entirely.
And that uncertainty was exactly what Daito needed.
Gyoran slowly raised both Salvation weapons, directing their barrels toward Daito's chest.
"I thought so," he said calmly. "You're lying."
A faint smile crossed Daito's bloodied lips.
Got you.
Gyoran's fingers settled against both triggers as the weapons began to hum.
"Say your prayers."
For one brief moment, the two men remained perfectly still, their eyes locked across the scorched ground.
SWOOSH!
Then Daito vanished.
BOOOOOOM!!
The ground exploded beneath his feet as he accelerated forward with the force of a missile, sending a violent wave of sand and debris into the air. He didn't hesitate, change direction, or attempt to weave from side to side. Instead, he charged directly toward Gyoran, committing himself to a seemingly suicidal approach.
The Boss immediately opened fire.
FWOOOOOOOOOM!!
Homing beams erupted from the larger weapon as explosive rounds followed from the second, filling the space between them with blinding light and overlapping detonations. The battlefield disappeared beneath another wave of fire, the shockwaves tearing through the already ruined terrain as the Salvation Duo unleashed its destructive payload.
Yet something was wrong.
There was no impact, no body flying backwards, and no blood splattering across the sand.
Gyoran's eyes narrowed.
"Hm?"
Fwooo.....
A shadow suddenly appeared beneath him.
Daito.
He had lowered his body almost to the ground, sliding beneath the explosions themselves while using the brief flashes of each detonation to conceal his approach. Rather than attempting to outrun the entire barrage, he had threaded his way through the momentary gaps created by the weapons' own destructive effects.
The realization struck Gyoran just as Daito emerged from beneath the smoke.
Then the Boss laughed.
"You son of a gun!"
Daito grinned, his right hand moving toward something concealed among the remnants of his clothing.
Not The Piercer.
Something smaller, something he had deliberately kept hidden.
A jagged fragment of sharpened bone, little more than the usable tip of his former weapon.
Now!
Daito thrust upward with every ounce of speed his battered body could muster, driving the bone spike toward Gyoran's throat in a direct assassination strike. The movement was fast, silent, and merciless, exploiting the brief opening created by his opponent's own barrage.
For an instant, the attack appeared unavoidable.
Then Gyoran smiled.
"...I knew it."
CLICK.
Before the bone spike could reach its target, Daito felt an invisible force seize his body.
YANK!!
His entire frame lurched violently downward, disrupting the angle of his attack. The sharpened bone passed beneath Gyoran's throat by less than an inch, missing its target as Daito's body was dragged toward the fractured ground.
"What—?!"
He barely had time to understand what had happened before Gyoran moved.
CRAAAAASH!!
Both Salvation weapons came down together. One struck the side of Daito's skull while the other hammered directly into his forehead, their combined impact producing a sound like a cannon blast.
Daito's vision exploded into white.
"AAAAARGH!!"
His knees buckled, and the world spun violently around him. For the first time since their battle began, consciousness itself seemed ready to slip beyond his reach as his battered body crashed into the desert floor.
BOOOOOOM!!
The ground caved beneath him, sending fractured stone and crimson sand erupting around his body. His ears rang, his hands barely responded to his commands, and blood poured down his face as he struggled to remain aware of what was happening.
Above him, Gyoran stood calmly, looking down at his fallen opponent.
He sighed, almost apologetically, before a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Daito..." he murmured. "You're incredibly fun."
He adjusted his jacket.
"But remember who you're fighting."
Beneath the sand, something metallic began to clink.
Then the ground shifted.
BRRMMMM!
A massive cylindrical device emerged from the fractured earth, its surface covered in engraved circuitry and intricate mechanical components. The machine was nearly sixty centimeters across, and as it rose into view, its inner mechanisms activated with a deep, resonant hum.
THUUUUUM.
Daito's eyes widened as he recognized the force dragging him downward.
"...A magnet?"
to be continued....