In the arena, the two confronting figures were ready for battle.
The Vest Vegetarian Faction skillfully raised his arms and set his boxing stance, his face brimming with eagerness.
Flame of Impure Ardor slowly drew the twin blades from his back. The slender blades shimmered with a dazzling cold light under the setting sun's afterglow. With a slight flick of his wrist, a scorching aura suddenly rose!
Ninja Art!
Fire Release—
"Blazing Blade"!!
Whoosh—!
Orange-red flames, as if alive, instantly licked and wrapped around the blades!
The flickering firelight made his already stern face even more sinister.
"Very well," Flame of Impure Ardor's eyes flashed with a hint of killing intent, "Then let your head be my welcoming gift to the new organization."
"Hmph! Big words!!"
The Vest Vegetarian Faction's gaze sharpened. With a low roar, he powerfully pushed off with his legs, instantly cracking the concrete beneath him!
Like a cannonball, he transformed into an afterimage, repeatedly teleporting between two unfinished buildings. In an instant, he rushed to the rooftop, aiming directly for Flame of Impure Ardor at the edge of the helipad!
Throughout the process, his taut vest made faint fabric-friction sounds during his high-speed movement, as if accumulating strength.
"Oh?"
Han Sen, whose dynamic vision far surpassed that of ordinary people, accurately captured this detail and couldn't help but be slightly stunned.
The theories propagated by Vest Sage, such as "drawing strength from the vest" and "different fabrics have different sweat-absorbing abilities and muscle stimulation," were inherently unscientific.
The outrageous part was that he and his Vest Gang not only firmly believed it but, due to some psychological suggestion, actually gained strength far exceeding the limits of ordinary humans from vests and regular muscle training.
"In other words, this 'idealistic' power is not only manifested in the distorted mutations of Monsters; even unmutated ordinary humans can benefit from it."
Upon reaching this conclusion, Han Sen's eyes lit up.
This meant that the "Strongest Man on Earth Development Plan" had great potential. King might truly be able to train to become the strongest man people hoped for, and even break through his limits to master the legendary "Purgatorial Unrivaled Blazing Wave Cannon"!
(King: Achoo—! What's going on? I always feel like some scoundrels are trying to harm me! (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞)
Just as Han Sen was lost in thought, the battle on the rooftop had already begun!
"Eat my 'Vegetarian Iron Fist'!"
Mid-air, the Vest Vegetarian Faction loudly shouted the name of his move, embodying passion and confidence.
His right fist clenched, his bulging muscles instantly swelled, and the punch, accompanied by a tearing whoosh through the air, slammed out fiercely!
This punch was a pure explosion of physical strength, and like his previous erratic jumps and climbs, it fully displayed the strength of an A-Class Hero!
The punch wind hit him in the face. Flame of Impure Ardor frowned but charged forward against this powerful blow, his twin blades crossing in his hands, and the flames surged!
Fire Release—
"Flame Blade Cross Slash"!
"Hiss… so hot!!"
The scorching flame slash came at him head-on. The Vest Vegetarian Faction's face changed. He executed a nimble duck and dodge, then naturally shifted his move, punching towards Flame of Impure Ardor's left temple!
Clang—!!!
The raised flaming longblade blocked the incoming fist, colliding with a deafening clang of metal and a scorching heatwave!
Flame of Impure Ardor was sent flying back ten meters by the punch, but he flipped and landed steadily.
The Vest Vegetarian Faction gritted his teeth and shook his hand, saying with a look of relief, "Good thing the vest stimulated my sweat glands at the crucial moment, allowing a layer of sweat to coat my fist for defense in time. Otherwise, I would have been burned!"
Han Sen: "..."
Do you even believe this ridiculous explanation yourself?!
"Interesting, your body's durability is good."
Flame of Impure Ardor snorted coldly, his figure flickering like a ghost, instantly closing the distance!
"Then how about this move?!"
Dodging the Vest Vegetarian Faction's powerful double-handed hammer strike with interlaced fingers, his twin blades transformed into two fire dragons, slicing at his opponent's ribs and neck from tricky angles.
Fire Release—
"Dance of the Flame Dragon"!
The two figures closed in and tangled. In an instant, the rooftop was filled with flashing blades and sparks!
The thudding of fists and the sharp whistles of flaming blades cutting through the air rose and fell, making the scene incredibly perilous!
"Vegetarianism Slam"
His bulging muscles rippled. The Vest Vegetarian Faction twisted his waist and unleashed a swift cannon punch, using the rotational force.
Flame of Impure Ardor was once again sent flying by his punch. As he landed, he revealed a disdainful sneer: "A-Class Hero, nothing more than this!"
"Damn it!"
The scorching flame flow dissipated, revealing the Vest Vegetarian Faction's figure.
He was breathing heavily, his proud, tight-fitting vest now covered in large and small tears and scorch marks. His arms and body were bleeding profusely, with shallow and deep burn and slash wounds everywhere!
"Game over."
"What...?!".
The Vest Vegetarian Faction's face paled in horror. Flame of Impure Ardor's aura suddenly changed, erupting with astonishing speed far exceeding his previous level, and his figure flickered, instantly vanishing before his eyes.
He only felt a blur before his eyes. Flame of Impure Ardor had already, like a phantom, broken through the distance of space. His right leg, burning with scorching flames that could melt metal, descended like a battle-axe!
Ninja Art! Taijutsu Secret—
"Flame Blade Leg"!
"Damn it, how can he be so fast!?
At this moment, the A-Class Hero's dynamic vision and nerve reaction speed simply couldn't keep up with the opponent's movements!
The terrifying killing intent transformed into a shadow of death, enveloping him. Only then did the Vest Vegetarian Faction realize—
The intense battle that had seemed evenly matched, back and forth, was merely this S-Class fugitive toying with him!
The muscles beneath his tattered vest instinctively gathered strength as a reflex, wanting to dodge or block, but his body was stiff and heavy as if filled with lead, making it difficult to move!
The Vest Vegetarian Faction's heart sank, and a glimmer of despair rose within him.
—Not good, because the vest was severely damaged, his body couldn't draw enough strength, and his speed and reaction couldn't keep up with the enemy's attack...
—I'm screwed!!!
In Han Sen's opinion, the outcome of this battle was determined from the start.
The Vest Vegetarian Faction, as an A-Class Hero, wasn't lacking in ability. His fighting will and physical quality were both quite good.
But assassins from the Ninja Village were undoubtedly more skilled in killing, and Flame of Impure Ardor was a Demon-level powerhouse comparable to an S-Class Hero!
Ninjas might struggle against Monsters with tough hides, thick skin, and abnormal regeneration, but infighting among humans was simply a piece of cake for them!
Boom—!
Just as the Vest Hero was about to lose his head and bleed on the spot, at this critical moment, a blurry black shadow, moving at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye, suddenly forcefully inserted himself between the two from the side!
A dull thud sounded, and a violent, unparalleled wave of air, carrying dust, swept wildly in all directions!
"Pfft—!!!"