"It's more durable than I thought…"
Ayr stood calmly atop his majestic Susanoo, gazing coldly down at his opponents—Byrnndi Wald and Baroric Redfield, the Red Earl.
If Ayr's blade landed a direct hit, the fight would end in an instant. One clean blow, and both men would be flattened.
But their agility was exceptional.
Ayr could only land glancing blows using his Armament Haki, which, although damaging, wasn't enough to finish them. The fact they could withstand multiple direct strikes from Haki-infused attacks was a testament to their monstrous endurance.
"Damn it… There's no way to approach this bastard!" Byrnndi Wald spat out a mouthful of blood as he crawled from the rubble, glaring up at Ayr with deep resentment.
Their only hope of defeating Ayr hinged on the Red Earl getting close enough to draw blood—his vampire-like Devil Fruit ability would then induce premature aging in Ayr, weakening him significantly.
But that plan was crumbling.
They couldn't even get near the Susanoo, let alone land a hit. Every movement felt like dodging death itself.
"Time… It's already evening," the Red Earl muttered, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth and looking skyward. The clouds above had begun to thicken.
"What? Planning to run under cover of darkness?" Byrnndi Wald asked with a sneer.
"Run? I'm not that foolish," Redfield smirked. "On the contrary… I'm just getting started."
Having consumed the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire—a mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit—the Red Earl had unlocked one of its most potent abilities in only a few days. The bond between user and fruit had evolved unnaturally quickly.
"Dark Night: Descend!"
With arms raised, Redfield triggered his fruit's unique ability. Though it was merely dusk, dense clouds swirled and blotted out the remaining light. The world plunged into pitch-black darkness—an artificial night.
As bats are creatures of the night, Redfield's strength, speed, and senses surged within the gloom.
The ability was imperfect—its activation tied to the natural dusk. In bright daylight, it would fail. But now, at twilight, the conditions were perfect.
"The real battle begins now, Byrnndi Wald."
Redfield vanished in a blur.
Empowered by Wald's Momo-Momo Fruit, his already incredible speed was amplified tenfold. Now, boosted further by his Devil Fruit's nocturnal nature, he surpassed the speed of sound. Ayr barely registered the blur before Redfield reappeared above Susanoo's head.
He dove.
"Thousand Blossom Rain!"
In a rapid spin, Redfield twirled his ornate umbrella, launching a volley of blood-soaked, Haki-infused blades toward Susanoo. The barrage shimmered with Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki—deadly enough to shred warships.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The thunderous sound of steel meeting divine armor echoed across the battlefield.
Redfield's eyes widened.
"What…?!"
Despite the flurry of lethal attacks, the only result was faint scratches on Susanoo's armored surface.
"This alone won't be enough to break my defense, Redfield," Ayr spoke calmly, almost amused.
Even with Redfield's current speed—so fast it brushed the limits of Observation Haki—he couldn't land a critical blow.
The Prestigious Susanoo, modeled after the Nine-Tails form, boasted a defense that dwarfed any known ability. Its armor was laced with full-powered Armament and Conqueror's Haki—unyielding even against the most extreme of attacks.
"Swish!"
In an instant, Susanoo retaliated. Its blade descended like divine judgment, slicing toward Redfield.
But he was fast—just fast enough.
He dodged at the last second, landing heavily on the ground, panting.
"Damn it! Didn't you say this was the real fight? I thought you were using your full power!" Wald snapped at Redfield, frustration mounting.
Despite Redfield's speed shocking even him, the attacks lacked substance. Fast, yes—but ultimately ineffective.
Redfield clenched his fists. His speed and Haki should have made him invincible in the dark. In theory, if he could draw blood, he'd reduce Ayr's physical prime, aging him rapidly.
But Ayr's defense was absolute.
Even if he got close, he couldn't penetrate Susanoo's armor—let alone draw blood. That terrifying realization settled in.
Still, Redfield refused to back down.
"No… I still have a chance," he said at last. "At this speed, Ayr can't touch me. If I keep dodging, he'll burn out. His stamina must be depleting. Then… we win."
Wald scoffed. "You think he'll tire out before you do?"
Ayr, overhearing this, chuckled darkly.
"Stamina? You're underestimating me."
He stared down at them, eyes gleaming.
"With a Sage Body at full capacity, my energy is bottomless. I could keep this up for days—no, weeks."
He raised his arm, blade shimmering.
"I'm done playing games. This ends now."
Though Ayr had the means to whittle them down over time with Susanoo alone, the speed of the Red Earl made it a tedious fight—like chasing a fly that refused to land.
And Ayr was tired of chasing.
It was time to unleash power that would erase the battlefield.
With a single decisive move, he would end it.
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