The hand clamped around Jurgen's throat.
He was lifted effortlessly, suspended in midair.
Jurgen's eyes widened.
Muscles strained fruitlessly against the unyielding grip.
A voice came from behind.
"That attack earlier… quite something, wasn't it?"
Jurgen forced his gaze to the speaker.
Calm.
Menacing.
Deadly.
He needn't be told. This person was far more lethal.
Shōgeki Shō "… Impact Palm," the figure said softly, precisely.
"It concentrates a portion of Reira's flow into a single point within the body… then releases it on contact."
"A strike… a touch… even a graze is enough." His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Bones shatter. Reira flow is disrupted. Organs shut down."
A pause.
"Think of it as planting a bomb inside the body… and detonating it instantly."
A grin spread across his face, teeth flashing.
"Grrrr… what a nasty attack. Even I dread it."
"Kimura… are you an idiot?!" Blut's voice cut through the air like a whip, each syllable dragging Kimura's name with venom.
Kimura blinked, uncomprehending.
"Huh?"
He tilted his head slightly, brows arching, eyes wide in genuine confusion, as if the very accusation had no weight in his mind.
Blut's eyes flared, burning with unrestrained fury.
Veins throbbed at his temples, and the space around him seemed to vibrate with irritation.
He whipped his head toward Kimura with a motion sharp as a blade, lips curling in a snarl.
"You go about explaining my abilities to whoever you please?!" His voice cracked and surged, each word dripping with both rage and disbelief.
The air thickened, charged, crackling with the raw tension emanating from him.
Dust swirled around their feet, drawn into the invisible gravity of his anger.
Kimura's head straightened, a deep breath escaped him.
The innocence in his expression evaporated.
The innocence vanished, replaced with mocking disappointment, a faint smirk tracing his lips as he met Blut's blazing gaze.
He placed a hand on his head and let out a slow sigh.
"My… my… don't get so mad, Blut."
"I mean, even if you did, I wouldn't blame you."
A faint smirk curled at his lips.
"A mere random… dodging an attack you should have landed. Pathetic."
"How far you've fallen, as a high commander of Mercedes."
His voice carried more disappointment than fury, a cold weight pressing down with every word.
Hana watched the scene unfold between the two.
Confusion clouded her expression.
Her eyes flicked to Jurgen.
Blood stained his lips.
The firm hand remained clamped around his throat.
He struggled, wriggling, but could barely move.
"Hmph!"
Something slipped past Blut's lips.
His expression vanished beneath shadow.
A low, hollow chuckle escaped him.
He clenched his fist tightly.
Behind him, Kimura's voice faded into silence.
Completely ignored.
The atmosphere shifted, heavy and suffocating.
Jurgen's eyes widened in pure terror.
The attack,it was meant for him.
He writhed desperately, struggling to break free, but despair washed over him in cold waves.
"Hey, Blut!"
Kimura's voice thundered, sharp and commanding.
Blut didn't so much as glance his way.
His hand remained locked around Jurgen's throat, unyielding.
Jurgen gasped, more blood staining his lips, a grim testament to the crushing force against him.
The shadow over Blut's face deepened, swallowing any hint of humanity.
Kimura's expression shifted, unease creeping in, subtle yet unmistakable.
The world seemed to pause, every muscle taut with anticipation.
"Rudolph Blutmörder!" Kimura's voice cut through the stillness like a blade.
Blut's blow struck with the speed of lightning, tearing through the air with lethal precision.
Kimura reacted instantly, faster than any eye could track.
In a blur of motion, he snatched Jurgen from Blut's grasp.
The attack was diverted, hurled skyward, sending debris cascading across the battlefield.
Jurgen gasped, blood streaking his lips, his body trembling from the force.
Hana's eyes widened, unable to follow the movements, only sensing the shockwave reverberating through the ground.
Blut's shadowed expression remained unnervingly calm,almost amused.
Surprise washed over Kimura's face.
Just now… Blut had really meant to kill him
Shock hardened into fury.
"RUDOLPH BLUTMÖRDER!! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
His voice erupted, sharp and piercing, tearing across the battlefield.
Jurgen's gaze met Blut's, eyes barely open, muscles trembling from the searing pain coursing through him.
A moment ago, he had been on the brink of death,now he was in Kimura's grasp, saved from certain doom.
"Shut up! I hear every word, KIIIMURA YAMAZAKIIII!" Blut roared, fury incarnate.
The air thickened, heavy with the oppressive weight of their confrontation.
Kimura flung Jurgen back, sending him skidding across the scorched earth.
The atmosphere shifted.
Wind spiraled violently between them, as if the very world braced for impact.
Their auras flared, immense, towering,a palpable force radiating raw, unrestrained power.
They were on the precipice,moments from colliding at full strength.
They were on the precipice, moments from colliding at full strength.
THOOOOOM!
They burst forward simultaneously.
The ground beneath them erupted.
Twin craters marred the battlefield in their wake.
Their fists collided.
WHOOOOOM!
The impact detonated the earth.
A blast, potent enough to obliterate a mountain, tore outward.
Dust and debris swallowed the area, shrouding everything in chaos.
Then
Stillness.
When the smoke finally cleared, a lone figure stood between them.
The Emperor.
His hands encased theirs, holding their fists with effortless control.
Unmoved.
Unshaken.
As if restraining children mid-swing.
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
"…Lord Nemesio!" they breathed in unison.
Not defiance.
Shock.
Swiftly, they dropped to one knee.
One arm rested on the other.
Heads bowed.
"High Commanders,the elite of the Defense Corps," Nemesio intoned, gaze sharpening.
"And this is how you conduct yourselves?"
"We're terribly sorry… Lord Nemesio," they murmured, voices taut with restraint.
Eyes remained lowered.
A tense pause.
Nemesio's gaze flicked toward Jurgen.
The Emperor stepped forward.
Jurgen lay with his head on Hana's lap, one hand clutching his chest, pain twisting his features.
"Young man… are you all right?" Nemesio asked, extending a hand.
Jurgen met the Emperor's gaze, expression tightening with clear distaste.
Ignoring the offered hand, he forced himself upright, sitting up before slapping Nemesio's hand away.