Beyond Speed (Hiroshi)

As I stood next to Ryuu, we both waited anxiously for the elite soldiers to make their move. The tension was palpable, and I couldn't help but feel on edge as we surveyed our competitors. The fast kid appeared to have set his sights on me, while the monstrous man with four arms seemed fixated on Ryuu. It was clear that our opponents had already identified us as their competition.

As I looked around, searching for a plan, the four-armed man suddenly made a break for Ryuu. Reacting quickly, I grabbed my gun and aimed at the fast elite soldier, but he was too quick for me. My bullets were no match for his lightning-fast reflexes, and he easily dodged each shot. I felt a surge of frustration, but I knew that I had to remain calm and focused.

When I glanced to my right, I realized that the four-armed man had disappeared, and they had evidently moved their battle elsewhere. It was just me and the elite soldier now, and I was slowly turning around, trying to locate him. Suddenly, I heard a voice from an unknown direction.

"What's wrong, Cowboy? You look like you're searching for someone. Or are you looking for me? You're scanning the area, trying to predict my next move, right, Cowboy?"

I responded firmly, "Maybe I've already found you."

Without a moment's hesitation, I turned around and fired my gun. However, the fast elite soldier was quick to react, darting behind me and avoiding my bullets. He then disappeared once again, his voice echoing in the distance.

"Not bad, Cowboy, not bad at all. But it takes more than that."

As the elite soldier appeared before me, his speed was nothing short of impressive. Despite my attempts to shoot him, he easily evaded my bullets and charged towards me. Reacting quickly, I withdrew my knife and lunged at him, but he gracefully dodged my attack. With a quick bow, he swiftly counterattacked with a powerful left uppercut, followed by a barrage of punches to my stomach. The impact was so great that I was forced to drop my revolver.

In the heat of the moment, I found myself in a vulnerable position with no chance to attack with my knife. I tried to fend him off with punches and kicks, but he easily evaded them all, grabbing my fist as I threw it. With a swift turn of my arm, he struck me with a powerful punch to my chest, sending me flying backwards. I struggled to regain my composure as I reached for my rifle, pointing it at him with a determined gaze.

The elite soldier laughed, taunting me with his words. "Do you think that gun can catch me? None can!" I simply retorted, "I didn't say I was waiting for it to catch you."

With a steady aim, I fired at the ice floe above the elite soldier. The bullet struck the tip of the ice, causing it to fall on top of him. Taking advantage of his distraction, I quickly regained my footing. I was confident that he had survived the falling ice, but he was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, he spoke from an unknown location, his voice echoing in the distance.

"Wow, you really caught me off guard! I was almost gone!" Then he added, "Let's see how you like it when someone else does this to you."

As I lifted my gaze, my eyes widened in horror at the sight of massive ice floes hurtling towards me. Without hesitation, I executed a reverse somersault to evade them. But the unyielding ice continued to rain down upon me, forcing me to flee. I darted forward, slipping through a narrow gap in the ice before me, successfully escaping the barrage of frozen projectiles.

However, my momentary relief was short-lived as I spun around to confront a formidable adversary, an elite soldier. He struck me with a brutal punch to the face, unleashing a flurry of unrelenting punches that left me helpless to defend myself. His agility and speed were beyond my abilities, and I could only endure the assault.

As he finished his attack, the elite soldier unleashed a punishing kick, its force unlike any other. I was sent reeling backwards, spitting out a mouthful of blood as I fell to the ground. But as I rose to my feet, I devised a cunning plan to turn the tables on him.

Gripping a knife in one hand and a rifle in the other, I retrieved a poison bullet from the rifle and began to affix it to the blade of the knife. As the soldier approached me once again, I opened fire with the rifle, forcing him to dodge the barrage of bullets. I quickly finished attaching the poison bullet to the knife, still evading his attacks.

However, my ammunition soon ran dry, and the soldier seized the opportunity to pummel me once more. I raised the rifle in front of me to shield myself from the incoming blow. The soldier, with a twisted grin, darted towards my legs, tripping me to the ground.

But I had a trick up my sleeve. I began to roll on the ground, escaping his subsequent kicks with ease. Frustrated, the soldier taunted me, goading me to crawl on the ground, just like the other hapless victims he had killed. His mocking words steeled my resolve, and I stopped in my tracks.

The soldier, surprised by my sudden stillness, approached me with curiosity. "What happened?" he taunted. "Or have you given up?"

But I remained silent, biding my time and waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

My gaze locked onto him, my finger tight on the trigger as I aimed for his head. But that was just a diversion, a mere feint to distract him. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, I flung a poisoned knife at his leg with precision and speed, knowing my plan was working perfectly.

As he stumbled back, crouching on the ground to pull the blade from his wound, he burst out laughing. "Hahahahahhahha! Do you think you're the only one who wants to attack my feet? Oh! Let me tell you! No, you're not! Poison arrows, poison spells, and now a Poison Knife. I'm really flattered."

His self-assurance was almost unsettling, as he revealed the metal guards on his feet, explaining that he always wore them in anticipation of such attacks. My mind raced, unsure of how to proceed, until I calmly lit my cigar and stood up, locking eyes with him.

"Then I'd like to say my last words," I said with a smile.

"I'm listening," he replied, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"It's a shame you're so inexperienced in fighting," I began, not mincing words. "And I'm not just talking about the way you put yourself in danger every time you move. Your speed is just an excuse, and your attacks are nothing but nonsense."

My words stung, and his face contorted with rage. He charged towards me at an incredible speed, but just as he was about to strike, the ice mass in front of me gave way, and he fell into the toxic chamber below. As he struggled to comprehend what was happening, I calmly revealed my plan.

"I've been pouring gunpowder on the floor since the beginning of the war," I explained. "But you were too busy boasting to notice the danger lurking beneath your feet."

The fifth elite soldier, who had just moments before been reaching out for me, now lay still, his body frozen from the heavy poison.

The gas rising up from the broken ice threatened to suffocate me, but I quickly tore a piece of my shirt and fashioned a makeshift mask. With the threat averted, I left to warn the others of the imminent danger that still lingered.