Chapter 79: Jellal
It wasn't that Dino Maxim had never been injured before. On the contrary, he'd been hurt many times—some wounds had even come close to killing him.
He didn't possess Armament Haki or Observation Haki. His physical capabilities were certainly impressive thanks to the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and his rigorous training regimen, but there were limits. Plenty of things could still harm him, even kill him if he wasn't careful.
"You shattered the space itself?" Dino examined the wound on the back of his hand, his tone remarkably calm.
A smile curved across Ikaruga's lips. "I never expected this humble girl could actually wound Dino Maxim's body. If word of this spreads through the underworld, my value will surely skyrocket."
Dino clenched his fist. "Buzz~!" A white spherical air pressure field materialized around his knuckles.
"Mugetsu-ryū: Sword Flash!" Another slash streaked toward Dino. The sword technique was executed so quickly that the human eye could barely track the movement.
Dino's fist shattered the slash, while simultaneously forming another fist. "Buzz~!" Another white pressure sphere appeared around it.
Ikaruga's expression shifted slightly. She drew her blade again in rapid succession. "Mugetsu-ryū: Multiple Sword Flashes!"
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" In an instant, Ikaruga unleashed a barrage of slashes that converged on Dino from multiple angles.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
"BOOM!" Dino's fist struck the space before him, and the shockwaves from his Tremor power obliterated all of Ikaruga's attacks simultaneously.
"Buzz~!" White spherical pressure fields began forming around both Dino's fists and feet.
Sweat beaded on Ikaruga's forehead. She charged forward with a battle cry. "Mugetsu-ryū: Yaksha Flash Ascension!"
"Swish! Swish! Swish!" Her blade struck with pinpoint precision at the pressure fields surrounding Dino's fists and feet.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The air pressure shields around Dino's limbs were sliced through. "Buzz!" Suddenly, a white pressure field erupted from Dino's entire body. Ikaruga's blade struck it immediately.
"CRASH!" The air pressure shield shattered, but the resulting shockwave remained.
"Kyaa!" Ikaruga screamed as she was blown backward. Her kimono tore in several places, the fabric hanging loosely and exposing patches of skin beneath.
"Buzz~!" Dino clenched his right fist, and the white pressure field reappeared—visibly larger and more concentrated than before.
Ikaruga rose to her feet once more, a melancholic smile on her face. "It seems this humble girl truly doesn't know when to accept defeat."
When she'd first managed to cut Dino, she'd felt a surge of hope—an illusion that he was nothing special. If she could just be faster, strike more precisely, she might even land a fatal blow.
But after Dino's counterattack, reality had shattered her delusions completely. The blade technique she'd always prided herself on had been forced entirely onto the defensive when he got serious.
It wasn't that she didn't want to aim for his vital points—she simply had an overwhelming premonition that he would kill her before her blade could reach them.
"A turtledove may peck at the hunter, but in the end, it's always the turtledove that gets eaten."
Dino looked at Ikaruga. "You should be proud. You've proven yourself worthy."
Ikaruga blinked in surprise, then noticed Dino's expression—utterly unchanged despite being injured. She laughed suddenly. "I see. I was the only one entertaining foolish thoughts."
Her opponent had never once considered the possibility of losing to her. Not for a single moment. Only she had believed she had a chance.
Ikaruga raised her long sword and assumed an attack stance. Dino considered for a moment, then planted his feet firmly and pulled both fists back to his sides, ready to unleash an attack at any moment.
"Mugetsu-ryū: Garuda Flame!!!"
Ikaruga's blade instantly ignited with blazing high-temperature flames. Her body exploded forward at extreme speed, slashing toward Dino.
Dino's fist shot forward.
"CRACK!" Ikaruga's blade stopped mere inches from Dino's knuckles.
"Crack! Crack! CRACK!" The space in front of Dino couldn't withstand the pressure—spiderweb cracks spread through the air itself.
"SNAP!" Ikaruga's blade shattered into pieces. Then the devastating vibrational force slammed into her body.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" The entire Tower of Heaven shook violently, as if struck by an earthquake.
"GYAAAAH!" Ikaruga's agonized scream echoed as her body was launched out of the Tower of Heaven, disappearing into the distance.
Though they were enemies, Dino respected her. After all, she was a warrior who'd managed to wound him—that made her genuinely strong.
As for the others? No… perhaps their strength was decent, but it was just that—decent strength. He'd never once entertained the thought that he might actually lose to any of them.
The entire Tower of Heaven was under Jellal's control, so naturally he'd been monitoring the battle between Ikaruga and Dino. The moment he'd seen Dino get injured, his face had lit up with barely suppressed excitement.
Though Ikaruga had been defeated in the end, she'd given Jellal valuable information. Her sacrifice held great value.
"CRASH!"
The door to Jellal's chamber suddenly burst open, and Dino walked in with steady, unhurried steps.
"You've arrived?" Jellal raised his head toward the doorway.
"You invited me here, didn't you? That's why I came."
Jellal burst into laughter. "Yes, I suppose I did invite you!" As he spoke, Jellal removed his cloak and revealed his face.
But when Dino saw it, his expression remained completely indifferent.
Jellal's brow furrowed. "Aren't you curious after seeing my appearance?"
Not long ago, he'd sat on the Magic Council's judgment seat to condemn this very man. There was no way this guy could have simply forgotten his face.
Dino replied dismissively, "I don't bother remembering things that aren't worth remembering. So if you have any last words, say them now. I'll give you ten seconds."
When Jellal heard Dino's words, his usual calm demeanor cracked. He shouted at Dino, "You're incredibly arrogant! I'm one of the Ten Wizard Saints!"
"So?" Dino's expression was somewhere between amusement and mockery. "You're proud of being one of the Ten Wizard Saints?"
"Come back and talk to me when you can call yourself the number one Wizard Saint. Until then…" Dino's smirk widened slightly. "You're not worth my full attention."
Jellal's face twisted with rage at Dino's words. He roared, "Meteor Night!"