Jiren's gaze toward Katakana had changed, from initial disdain to serious focus.
This alone was enough to prove that Katakana's strength had begun to put pressure on him.
"The next attack… let's see if you can keep standing!"
Jiren's sharp eyes locked onto Katakana as he spoke in a low voice.
The moment his words fell, his body once again turned into a crimson streak of light, shooting forward at lightning speed.
Whoosh!
A deafening shockwave tore through the air as Jiren's figure vanished, only for a crimson afterimage to appear instantly in front of Katakana.
Without warning, his fist came crashing down!
This time, there was no holding back, Jiren's expression showed that he was truly serious.
The force behind the crimson fist was enough to make the air tremble.
Yet, in the face of this devastating punch, Katakana merely smiled.
He didn't dodge. He didn't block. He didn't even raise his guard.
In a calm tone, he said, "So Jiren is finally serious with His punch."
"But… this is exactly what I wanted."
Just as Jiren thought Katakana had resigned himself to defeat,
His punch passed straight through Katakana's body!
"What?!"
Jiren's eyes widened in shock.
"An afterimage?!"
His strongest attack had completely missed.
Even more terrifying was that Katakana had dodged without Jiren even realizing it.
"No… if it were just speed, I would have sensed it!"
"Could it be… a technique that allows instant body teleportation?!"
In that moment of realization,
"Boom!"
Katakana's figure suddenly appeared behind Jiren.
Before Jiren could react, a fist imbued with divine energy slammed into his back!
The impact sent Jiren flying at breakneck speed, crashing through a distant hill before he could stabilize himself.
Though he looked slightly disheveled, it was clear he hadn't taken serious damage.
Still, the fact that Katakana had managed to land a clean hit on him…
Even against a fully serious Jiren…
That alone was an incredible achievement.
"Hmph!"
Jiren let out a cold snort as he got back up.
His eyes sharpened as he spoke:
"It seems you've mastered a technique that allows instant body teleportation."
"However, no matter how fast you move, there will always be a trace of your energy left behind. I guarantee, this trick won't work on me a second time!"
Jiren's piercing gaze locked onto Katakana.
It was clear that being struck had deeply insulted him.
No one, not in all these years, had managed to land such a clean hit on him.
No one except for the Gods of Destruction.
"You're right," Katakana admitted.
"But I had no intention of using the same trick twice anyway."
He had already anticipated that Jiren wouldn't fall for the same move again.
Even landing one successful hit was no easy feat.
Just as Katakana was about to charge forward to continue the fight,
He suddenly sensed two overwhelming divine presences approaching from the distance.
Two extremely powerful auras.
Katakana didn't even need to think to know who they belonged to.
There was no doubt, only two beings in Universe 11 possessed such immense power.
God of Destruction Vermut… and Angel Marcarita.
"Tch. So Vermut couldn't sit still and decided to show up now?"
Katakana narrowed his eyes.
"If he just came to spectate and support Jiren, I'll ignore it. But if he dares to interfere in our battle…"
His expression turned icy cold.
"Then I won't be polite!"
The only reason Katakana hadn't yet used his full Super Saiyan Three Rosè Purple power was because he was wary of exactly this situation.
But if Vermut dared to step in, then Katakana would have no hesitation in unleashing everything.
At worst, he could always rely on his unlimited Instant Transmission to escape.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Suddenly, the sound of two figures cutting through the air echoed across the battlefield.
A moment later, a strange-looking figure resembling a clown, and a tall female Angel with twin ponytails, dressed in the same style as Angel Whis, appeared before them.
"Lord Vermut!"
Jiren greeted the God of Destruction with a respectful nod.
Although Jiren despised interruptions mid-battle, Vermut was still his mentor in a way.
Showing respect was simply part of his principles.
Vermut, however, frowned. His expression darkened as his gaze landed on Jiren.
"Jiren… are you injured?"
Hearing this, Jiren didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
He admitted it outright.
Katakana's attack hadn't severely wounded him, but it Did hurt him.
And Jiren never hid the truth.
The moment Vermut heard Jiren's confirmation, his face became even grimmer.
A cold, sharp edge entered his tone:
"That guy Toppo already disgraced Universe 11… Jiren, I don't want the same thing happening to you."
After saying this, Vermut shot Katakana a cold glare before turning away.
Without saying another word, he and Marcarita flew off into the distance.
Clearly, he wasn't going to interfere in their battle.
As a God of Destruction, if he recklessly intervened in a fight between two mortals, he would become a laughingstock among the other Gods.
No matter how angry he was, he wouldn't lower himself to such a level.
Instead,
His frustration would have to be unleashed through Jiren.
Watching Vermut's departure, Marcarita chuckled softly.
"Lord Vermut, there's no need to be so angry."
"We just witnessed it ourselves, this boy's strength is growing at an astonishing rate. It's only natural that he managed to injure Jiren."
But then, she added with a teasing tone,
"However, Jiren was only just warming up."
"Even if this boy keeps getting stronger, defeating a serious Jiren? That's a different story entirely."
She then glanced at Vermut with an amused smirk.
"In fact, Lord Vermut, even you might struggle against Jiren if you don't use your God powers."
Vermut clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Tch… so what?"
His eyes flashed as he smirked.
"Jiren refused the position of God of Destruction candidate. The moment he did that, he ensured that he would never surpass me."
"Without the power of a God of Destruction…"
"Jiren will never be my equal!"