CHAPTER 27: WEAKNESS!
Raimen's voice was cold and threatening.
"I think… I found his weak point."
Bumb nodded.
"Yes, that's pretty obvious. His weak point is definitely his Ren."
"You got it right. Look at his face—how much he's sweating. But no matter what, don't underestimate him. We'll defeat him step by step, slowly and patiently."
"Don't worry, I understand what we need to do."
"Good. Then let's move."
Panc thought to himself.
"They found my weak point. Damn bastards. I need to stay calm and adapt to the situation. Otherwise, I'll die."
At that moment, Raimen and Bumb attacked together.
"FLAME PO!"
"BLACK PO!"
Raimen's fist glowed with an orange and red effect, while Bumb's fist shone with a pitch-black effect. Both charged toward Panc at full speed.
Panc's eyes narrowed.
"They're attacking with Ren, huh? I've spent too much Ren. There's only one way to win this fight. And if I'm pushed into a corner, I'll do that too."
Panc clenched his fist. His fist glowed in a transparent color. He moved as well.
The three met in the middle of the clearing in the forest.
BAM!
A massive Ren explosion erupted. Red, black, and transparent colors intertwined. The forest, which had been pitch dark, lit up as if it were daytime.
When the explosion faded, the situation was very clear.
Panc was sliding on the ground.
There was victory in Raimen's voice.
"See? This is proof that my plan worked. He spent too much Ren stopping my Flame Invasion earlier. That's why he's in this state now."
Bumb nodded.
"Yeah, you're right, Raimen. I think this fight ends here."
"Not yet."
Bumb was surprised.
"Not yet? Why?"
"Look, he's getting up."
Indeed, Panc was struggling to his feet.
Bumb wanted to attack immediately. But just as he was about to move, he felt a pain in his chest. There were exactly five glass shards embedded in his chest.
"These… He turned the leaves into glass and attacked us. I didn't notice because of the adrenaline. Damn it!"
Raimen was in a similar state.
"There are even more glass shards in my body."
Panc had stood up. He spoke with a smirk.
"Hmph… So I did manage to hurt you, even if just a little?"
Raimen kept his cool.
"Hurting us like this will only delay your death, Panc. You know that too."
"You never know when things will turn. One moment you're winning, the next you've lost, young man."
"Let's see about that."
Suddenly, flames spread from Raimen's body. All the glass shards in his arms and torso melted away instantly.
Bumb also tensed his body, and the glass shards sank into him and disappeared.
Panc's face tightened.
"The situation is serious. They're still injured, but as he said, that only buys me a little time. I have no other choice. I need to gather a bit more energy and use my final technique."
He suddenly attacked. He jumped and launched an attack from above toward Raimen.
Raimen raised both hands.
"FLAME ZAN!"
A Zan made of flames formed around him, colored both crimson and pink.
Panc also shouted.
"MATTER PO!"
He threw his fist at Raimen with all his might. The two Ren techniques collided in the middle of the clearing.
Another massive explosion erupted. Even Bumb had to squint.
ZIMPS CITY – GOVERNOR'S PALACE
A soldier ran into the palace. The door opened, and the soldier, out of breath, made his way to the main hall, covered in sweat and blood.
The Governor stood up immediately upon seeing him.
"What's the meaning of this, soldier? And tell me now—what's causing those explosions outside? Is someone fighting?"
The soldier struggled to speak.
"G-Governor… Master Panc is fighting two unidentified individuals."
The Governor quickly began giving orders.
"Send Hunters Rask and Irith to help immediately. Have them assist Master Panc. Now!"
The soldier hesitated.
"G-Governor… I don't think that's a good idea."
The Governor was surprised.
"What do you mean? What are you trying to say? Speak clearly."
The soldier explained.
"The men fighting Master Panc outside are very strong. If we send Hunters Rask and Irith there, they'll be caught in the crossfire. And if they die too, there won't be any hunters left to protect the city. That's exactly why we called Master Panc here in the first place. Our city is only being protected by two hunters."
The Governor thought for a moment. Then he spoke.
"You're right. If they die, we'll have no one to protect the city. We could be hit by many attacks before reinforcements arrive from the capital. So what do we do?"
The Governor's advisor chimed in.
"We wait, Governor."
Back in the forest clearing, the explosion had subsided.
When Bumb opened his eyes, he saw Panc and immediately attacked. Raimen was on one knee. It seemed that Master Panc had gained the upper hand in the Ren clash.
But at that moment, Bumb's fingers suddenly transformed. Like in his fight against Andre, his hands had turned into claws. He moved swiftly to Master Panc's left and struck him with his claws.
Master Panc took the blow and his left side was torn open. He tumbled three times on the ground before finally crashing into a tree and stopping.
He had landed an attack, but he had also taken one.
Bumb asked, out of breath.
"Hey Raimen, are you okay?"
Raimen slowly stood up.
"Yeah, I'm fine. But I didn't need your help."
"If I hadn't attacked, you would have been seriously injured. Don't be so proud."
Just as they were about to speak, Master Panc stood up, laughing. Blood was flowing from his side. But he was still laughing.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Thank you. Thank you! It's been a long time since I've fought so well. And it's been a long time since I've used this technique."
His eyes gleamed.
"You two… Be ready for what's coming. And I am not responsible for what happens."
He shouted with all his might.
"MATTER MANIPULATION – FINAL PHASE!"
TO BE CONTINUED...