Shoei wasted no time. With a swift and calculated motion, he threw a devastating punch aimed directly at Shoto's head. Shoto, charging recklessly toward him, couldn't react in time. The impact landed squarely on his face, sending a shockwave through his skull. His head snapped back as his nose erupted with a slow trickle of blood.
But Shoto didn't falter for long. He staggered, his vision momentarily blurring, yet the blood dripping from his nose went unnoticed. He didn't wipe it, didn't care. Instead, he retaliated with raw defiance, throwing a punch that connected solidly with Shoei's chest.
Shoei grunted, taking a step back. His unshakable demeanor began to show cracks as frustration flickered in his scarred features. The invincible man, once unfazed by blows, was now being hurt—however slightly—by this persistent opponent.
Shoei's irritation boiled over as he swung back with greater force, landing another brutal strike on Shoto. The blow made Shoto stumble, but instead of showing fear or pain, he grinned. It was a strange, cocky grin that didn't suit the usually timid boy. His confidence, fueled by adrenaline and desperation, now glowed with reckless energy.
Letting out a guttural roar, Shoto reeled his fist back once more, his muscles bulging as he prepared to unleash everything he had left. Shoei, matching his intensity, did the same.
Their fists collided midair, the impact echoing like thunder through the empty schoolyard. The sheer force of their clash sent a gust of wind rippling through the debris and stirred the dirt at their feet.
From the sidelines, Neko watched, his cat-like eyes narrowing in worry. The adrenaline rush fueling Shoto—brought on by the arrow—wouldn't last forever. Already, Neko could sense it waning.
Shoei seized the moment. With a snarl, he drove his fist into Shoto's face once more, this time with bone-crushing force. The punch sent Shoto staggering back, his dilated green eyes flickering before reverting to their normal state. His tense, adrenaline-fueled muscles slackened, and his strength seemed to drain all at once.
Shoto fell to his knees, gasping for air. His chest heaved as exhaustion overwhelmed him, his body no longer able to sustain the raw power it had been drawing from the arrow's influence.
"Shoto!" Neko shouted, his voice sharp with panic. The talking cat bolted from his spot, racing toward the fallen boy.
But before Neko could reach him, Shoei turned his glare onto the feline, freezing him in his tracks. Shoei's scarred face twisted into a menacing expression, his voice carrying an icy threat.
"Take one more step," he growled, his words dripping with malice, "and I'll do more than just kill him."
Neko's fur bristled as he stopped abruptly, his sharp claws scraping the ground. He glared at Shoei, but his movements betrayed caution. Shoei, towering over the kneeling Shoto, loomed like a dark shadow of inevitability.
The schoolyard was silent except for the sound of Shoto's labored breathing. Shoei, his anger now barely restrained, looked down at the boy who had dared to hurt him. The battle wasn't over—but Shoto's chances were slipping away fast.
Shoei stepped forward, his frustration boiling over as he prepared to deliver one final blow. His fist swung toward Shoto's face with enough force to end the battle. But before the punch could land, Shoto's hand shot up and caught it mid-air.
The timid boy's grip was unyielding, his hand trembling from the sheer force of Shoei's strike—but it didn't falter. Shoei's eyes widened in disbelief as Shoto's muscles began to bulge once again, veins protruding across his arms like rivers of raw power. His green eyes slowly shifted back to an eerie, dilated white, glowing faintly with renewed energy.
"What the—" Shoei muttered, his voice filled with shock. He attempted to pull his fist back, but Shoto's iron grip refused to release it.
Then came the roar—a primal, earth-shaking cry that echoed across the schoolyard. Shoto's head tilted back as he let out a deafening scream of raw determination, his body trembling with unrestrained energy. Finally, he released Shoei's fist, and before Shoei could react, Shoto launched his counterattack.
With a speed that seemed impossible, Shoto began pummeling Shoei's chest with rapid, machine-gun-like punches. Each blow landed with the sound of thunder, the sheer force lifting Shoei off his feet ever so slightly with each hit.
Shoei's body jerked violently as Shoto's relentless barrage continued. Punch after punch struck his torso, each one driving the breath from his lungs. Dust and debris swirled around them as Shoto's fists blurred from the speed of his assault.
"ROOOOAAAARRRR!" Shoto bellowed, his voice carrying the weight of his fury and determination. As he neared his limit, he planted his feet firmly into the ground and delivered one final strike—a devastating uppercut aimed directly at Shoei's chin.
The impact lifted Shoei off the ground completely, his body soaring into the air as his head snapped back. Time seemed to freeze as the scarred, invincible fighter hung suspended for a moment before crashing back down to the ground with a resounding thud.
Dust engulfed the area, the sheer force of Shoei's fall shaking the ground beneath them. Shoto stood amidst the swirling debris, his chest heaving as he roared once more, his cry echoing through the silence.
When the dust finally settled, Shoei lay sprawled on the ground, motionless. His chest rose and fell faintly as he stared up at the sky, his once-unshakable presence shattered.
Shoto approached slowly, his eyes locked on Shoei's prone form. He expected another attack, another moment of resistance. But Shoei didn't move. Instead, he raised a trembling finger, pointing toward the shattered window of the school building.
"If you want Tetsuya…" Shoei rasped, his voice barely audible. "He is over there…"
Shoto followed Shoei's gaze, his dilated white eyes narrowing as he focused on the window. The effects of the adrenaline rush began to wane, his body trembling as the raw power slowly left him. Without hesitation, he grabbed Neko, who had been watching with wide, stunned eyes, and began running toward the building.
Scaling the wall with an almost feral determination, Shoto screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice carrying through the night.
"TETSUYAAAAAA!"
Shoei, still lying on the ground, let out a faint sigh. His eyes drifted back to the darkened sky, a calmness overtaking him. Slowly, his lids closed, and the once-invincible Shoei fell unconscious, the echoes of Shoto's battle cry fading into the distance.