Hanzo watched the continuous explosions and smoke rising from the mountain behind them, his eyes filled with astonishment.
This was unquestionably a battle between the strongest martial artists. He had always thought that even if he wasn't a top-tier master, he wasn't that far behind them.
But at this moment, witnessing the power displayed by Ryuji and Akuma, he truly didn't know how to evaluate it.
Such power in ancient times would likely have been mistaken for demons or gods! Forget intervening, he would probably struggle just to withstand the aftershocks of their battle.
But as a grandfather, he simply didn't want to see the man his granddaughter loved die.
So, he took a deep breath and looked at Mai, who was holding Ryuji's sword tightly.
"At this level of battle, all we can do is ensure our own safety as much as possible. Mai, take everyone and leave the house to avoid injury. Don't worry, even if I die, I won't let your boyfriend get hurt."
Mai bit her lip. She knew Ryuji had the ability to instantly teleport to her side. At this moment, the best course of action was to take the others away from the battlefield and be ready at any moment to treat Ryuji's injuries if he suddenly appeared beside her or to escort him to safety.
But she was still unwilling to accept that she couldn't help Ryuji.
"I… understand."
Biting her lip, Mai unwillingly rushed into the dojo to find Tifa and her parents.
Hanzo watched his granddaughter's retreating figure, let out a silent sigh, then leapt quickly toward the edge of the battlefield, preparing to see if there was anything he could do to help.
However, the two who were fighting no longer cared about such things.
Because their battle had already surpassed a realm that ordinary fighters could intervene in.
Akuma locked his eyes onto Ryuji, his fists and legs constantly striking at him, while always ready to dodge or block Ryuji's counterattacks.
Why wasn't he using flashy ultimate techniques?
Ashura Senku?
Useless!
Shun Goku Satsu?
Useless!
Goshoryuken?
Useless!
The man before him could see through every single movement of his techniques and his martial arts mastery was just as vast as his own! And most importantly...
Akuma suddenly tilted his head aside. When his leg had slammed heavily into Ryuji's body, Ryuji's body twisted sideways, using the force of the kick to change his arm's trajectory, hurling the black-and-red lightning-wrapped qi blast in his hand straight toward Akuma's face!
This was a move Akuma had just used against Ryuji and only three exchanges had passed! Ryuji had already integrated it into his own moves, Akuma never expected him to use it at this moment!
But don't underestimate me!
Akuma's eyes snapped open. He raised his palm abruptly, using his own power to barely resist the blow. At the same time, he unleashed the technique he had already prepared: scorching fighting spirit mixed with icy killing intent, rapidly transforming the scattered energy around them into a tornado!
"HAHAHAHA!!!"
Ryuji's pupils contracted sharply; this was the Satsui no Hado version of the Flying Dragon Heaven Breaker!
He had just used that move to ambush Akuma during his side kick, sending him flying and making him suffer greatly when Akuma tried to exploit his inability to change direction mid-air.
But he really hadn't expected Akuma to learn his move and improve upon it in such a short time.
But...
"Too late!"
The black-and-red lightning-wrapped qi blast exploded violently at that instant. Akuma's eyes widened, because the hand Ryuji had hidden beneath the blast was not a claw or a fist.
It was two fingers condensed with high-concentration Satsui no Hado and black lightning.
The qi Akuma had gathered in his palm to resist was shattered instantly. Ryuji's fingers drilled straight through the gaps between his own, aiming toward his head.
Akuma had no choice but to abort the power he was gathering, violently releasing it to propel his body away from Ryuji's fingers.
His swift reaction meant Ryuji's fingers could only graze past his cheek. The black and red lightning shot forward from Ryuji's fingertips, piercing through the trees behind Akuma and completely drilling through more than a dozen trunks.
But neither of them stopped attacking. Akuma swung his fist and Ryuji's other hand had already been prepared. Their fists collided at the same time.
A storm erupted at the center of the two. Both muscular figures had expended massive amounts of energy, directly causing them to be unable to resist the storm generated by their own clash. Their bodies were forced backward, landing heavily on the ground.
The air was filled with lingering black lightning and the scent of crimson Satsui no Hado. Both their chests heaved rapidly. Akuma, panting, raised his massive fist, a grin spreading across his face.
His eyes and mouth continuously emitted traces of Satsui no Hado, making him look like a demon god. Under normal circumstances, he would already be close to losing his reason.
But he could feel that because his spirit was constantly clashing with Ryuji's, his fighting spirit had risen to an unprecedented level, allowing him to temporarily ignore the influence of the Satsui no Hado and keep his mind clear.
Of course, once the battle ended, that would no longer be the case. But breaking through one's limits by fighting a strong opponent; this truly was something irresistible!
However, looking at Ryuji's trembling hands, he raised his own bloodied hand. The already ferocious grin on his face grew even more terrifying.
"Looks like my fists are harder!"
In that brief exchange, every punch and kick they threw had been at full power, which was dozens of times more intense than his usual training. In just a few minutes, they had expended more energy than they would in over ten days of training.
Because both he and Ryuji had pushed their bodies beyond their limits.
If any ordinary weakling approached them now, the mere aftershock would crush them to death.
Ryuji looked at his trembling hand, recalling the cracking sound of bone he had heard when their fists collided. His expression was like someone who had just stepped in dog shit.
Akuma's overall physical attributes were indeed inferior to his.
But that didn't mean the bones in his fists and legs were weaker.
And this damn bastard was still getting stronger.
Though not as fast as he was getting stronger.
Sensing that Akuma was now twice as strong as when they had first met, Ryuji licked the blood from the corner of his mouth.
For some inexplicable reason, the compatibility between him and the Satsui no Hado was extremely high. As his desire for destruction continued to rise, he was now already twice as strong as he had been when his blood first began to boil!
"Again!"
~~~~~~~~~~
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