The beginning of Round 2! - IV

Volume 1 - Chapter 13: the beginning of Round 2! - IV
“Once again…”
“Me versus all of you!”
A cold voice echoed across the outskirts of the village.
It was Deadsnami.
“I won’t let any of you escape.”
“You again?!” Shayan shouted angrily. “You’re seriously getting on my nerves!”
Then he suddenly looked around.
“Wait… where’s Aria?”
Meanwhile, Aria was still examining the strange red stone, unsure whether it was truly a stone or something else.
The moment she raised her hand—
«Swoosh!?»
A stream of red Chakstamina suddenly flashed before her eyes.
Aria’s expression changed.
“An emergency?”
She immediately turned toward the others.
“I should go.”
---
Meanwhile, Shayan glared at Deadsnami.
“Just go down already, you gunky Dead!”
Rather than losing his temper, Deadsnami answered calmly.
“Not before I take you with me.”
“Everyone, be careful!” Itono shouted. “We’re right at the edge of the village!”
Without another word, Shayan and Deadsnami charged toward each other.
Shayan threw a powerful punch, but Deadsnami blocked it, grabbed his arm, and hurled him toward Itono.
Seeing Shayan flying toward him, Itono braced himself.
At the same moment, Hiragaru rushed toward Deadsnami.
Deadsnami effortlessly caught her attack and threw her toward the village boundary.
Just before Hiragaru crossed the edge—
«Swoosh!»
White Chakstamina threads wrapped around her and pulled her back.
“Aria?!” Captlox muttered in surprise.
Suddenly, a gigantic hand erupted from beneath the ground and seized Itono.
“Damn… he really is powerful,” Captlox muttered.
But before the hand could do anything else, another massive hand emerged from the ground.
This one wasn’t Deadsnami’s.
It belonged to Aria.
Using her Nanoimito Style, she had copied the nano and immediately pulled Itono to safety.
A moment later—
CRASH!
A massive stone formation shot toward Deadsnami.
“You rely on Cisima too much, Han!” Deadsnami shouted.
Before he could recover, Shayan was already in front of him.
BOOM!
His right fist struck Deadsnami and lifted him slightly off the ground.
Then came another punch.
BOOM!
A second strike launched him even higher.
Then another.
And another.
Finally, Shayan spun through the air and delivered a powerful kick beneath Deadsnami’s chin, sending him flying.
Taking advantage of the opening, Hanan manipulated the massive hand and seized Deadsnami.
For a moment, everything went silent.
Then Deadsnami laughed.
“True fun…”
His smile widened.
“…begins now.”
He formed a series of hand signs.
Captlox’s eyes widened.
“Wait… Massemam?!”
“What’s that?” Shayan asked.
“Massemam is a clone technique,” Captlox quickly explained. “Each clone possesses a portion of the original’s power. The more clones you create, the more that power is divided.”
“You can only create an odd number of clones. Including the original body, that makes the total number even, allowing the power to be divided equally.”
Shayan nodded.
“So, if I create three Massemam, each body—including mine—would have twenty five percent of my power?”
“Exactly.”
Without wasting another second, Aria extended her Itinisha toward two of the clones and forcefully pushed them beyond the village boundary.
“Only one left!” she exclaimed.
Suddenly—
The massive hand disappeared.
Hanan staggered backward, exhausted.
“Damn it!”
He looked down at his hands.
“I’m out of Chakstamina!”
Deadsnami slowly turned toward him.
“I told you…”
“You rely on Cisima too much.”
He smiled.
“And because of that…”
“I’m free.”
Another massive hand appeared.
But this time, Deadsnami dodged it effortlessly.
As he landed, he noticed a fist flying toward him.
“So you exist too?” he joked.
He caught Hiragaru by the wrist and stopped her attack.
Before she could react, Deadsnami knocked her backward.
He raised his fist again—
But a kick suddenly sent him flying.
“Don’t you dare touch her!” Hanan warned.
Deadsnami steadied himself.
“You talk too much.”
He slowly began walking toward Shayan.
Aria immediately stepped in front of him.
“You’ll have to get through me first.”
She clenched her fists.
“I don’t care what happens to me. I know Shayan is innocent, and he doesn’t deserve to be taken.”
Deadsnami tilted his head.
“Why are you protecting him?”
“At least I have a good reason,” Aria replied. “Now tell me—why do you want him?”
Deadsnami’s expression became serious.
“There is something inside him.”
Aria’s eyes widened.
“The Hinichat!”
Itono suddenly shouted.
“Wait! I’ve heard that name before! There’s a painting—”
Deadsnami glanced at him.
“Shut up. Nobody asked you.”
Aria remained focused on Deadsnami.
“I don’t care what you want with him. I’m not letting you take Shayan.”
Deadsnami smiled.
“Then I suppose I’ll have to teach you a lesson.”
He raised his right hand and pulled a sharp card between two fingers.
With a flick of his wrist, he launched it toward Aria.
But—
CLANG!
The card suddenly stopped.
Hanan stood between them.
“You forgot about me, didn’t you?”
He stared directly at Deadsnami.
“Even if I can’t defeat you alone…”
“We can do it together.”
He smiled.
“That’s what we call teamwork.”
Deadsnami smiled back.
“You all dying together could also be considered as teamwork, right?! ”
The battlefield fell silent.
Shayan, who had remained quiet until then, finally stepped forward.
“Killing all of us together?”
He clenched his fist.
“That’s just a dream you’re having.”
Deadsnami stared at him.
“You may have plenty of dreams…”
Shayan’s eyes narrowed.
“But do you know why I don’t have any?”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Because I myself am a nightmare.”
He stepped forward.
“And if you’ve never witnessed it…”
“I’ll make you witness one”
Deadsnami suddenly vanished.
He dashed straight toward Shayan.
THUD!
A powerful punch struck Deadsnami before he could reach him.
Captlox grinned.
“Did you count your breaths?”
Shayan didn’t look back.
“Leave that to me, Captlox.”
His eyes remained fixed on Deadsnami.
“I’ll handle him.”
In the blink of an eye, Shayan disappeared from his position.
To Deadsnami, it looked as though he had teleported.
Then—
BOOM!
Shayan’s kick struck Deadsnami and sent him flying.
Shayan immediately chased after him.
Before Deadsnami could recover—
BAM!
A punch struck his stomach, launching him into the air.
Shayan followed.
An elbow sent Deadsnami crashing back toward the ground.
But Shayan didn’t stop.
Creating a bunch of Dangedan,
He dashed forward once again.
Punch.
Block.
Counter.
Kick.
Parry.
Elbow.
Knee.
The two fighters clashed in a furious hand-to-hand battle.
Neither was willing to back down.
Then Hanan saw his opening.
The sharp card he had stopped earlier suddenly flew forward and struck Deadsnami.
Deadsnami’s attention shifted toward it.
“This jerk…”
For the first time, his expression showed frustration.
He became faster, desperately trying to create an opening against Shayan.
“I won’t let you escape!” Shayan shouted.
His movements accelerated.
Deadsnami’s speed increased—
And Shayan adapted.
The two exchanged another series of rapid blows.
Shayan refused to retreat.
He dashed forward and prepared another kick.
But Deadsnami suddenly countered.
A powerful strike caught Shayan off guard.
“Sha—Shayan!” Aria screamed.
Shayan staggered.
His breathing became unsteady.
“What… is happening?”
His vision began to blur.
His body suddenly felt impossibly heavy.
He tried to remain standing.
But his strength gave out.
Shayan collapsed.
“SHAYAN!”
Aria rushed forward.
The battlefield fell silent.
For several terrifying seconds, Shayan didn’t move.
Deadsnami stood over the battlefield, watching.
And to everyone watching—
It seemed as though Shayan had been defeated.
But was he really?