Hunt In Reverse

Atop Mount Defiance, the very earth trembled as a figure erupted from the hidden depths of the temple.

He soared into the air, a slender silhouette against the dawn sky, his body radiating a monstrous power that sent shivers down the spines of the waiting H.A.R.M. agents.

The thirty golden eagle agents reacted instantly, their movements honed by years of training. The two colonels barked orders, their voices sharp and clear.

"Catch him!" they roared.

Vampire-subduing chains, forged from silver and cold iron, snaked out, coiling around the airborne figure, ensnaring him completely. Dozens of chains stretched taut, their power amplified by the two colonels, who stood at the heart of the formation, channeling the combined strength of their agents.

They reached for the specialized silver hooks, ready to pierce the captive's shoulder blades and drag him down, when their faces suddenly paled.

The chains strained, but they held. These chains could bind even a Crystal Realm vampire; they wouldn't break. The problem was the agents below.

Their faces contorted with effort, veins bulging in their necks as they struggled to maintain their grip. Their boots sank into the earth, their knees nearly buckling under the strain. But despite their combined might, the figure in the air continued to struggle, pulling against their restraints, his power threatening to overwhelm them.

… …

Arnold Stark stood perched atop a towering cypress, his hands clasped behind his back. His keen eyes observed the scene unfolding below, a flicker of surprise in his features.

"Such formidable body tempering," he mused.

Only those who had reached the Crystal Realm truly grasped the immense gulf between it and the Wave Realm. And the jushoku... he had nearly bridged that gulf, perhaps even surpassed it.

The jushoku stared down at the assembled agents, then at the chains binding his body. A flicker of awareness returned to his eyes, and the grotesque smile vanished, replaced by an icy calm.

"Beneath Crystal Realm, I am invincible," he declared, his voice booming across the mountaintop. With a casual tug, he sent dozens of agents stumbling, their chains rattling, their grip loosening.

"And even those above..." He effortlessly tore the chains from his body, his movements deliberate, his composure absolute. "Even against them, I might just hold my own."

Arnold Stark chuckled, but he didn't disagree. He extended his hand, capturing a wisp of the jushoku's black and white essence. This opponent was formidable—powerful enough to slip from Arnold's grasp if he weren't vigilant. He moved to descend, ready to join the fray, then paused.

A figure in black emerged from the temple. Without hesitation, he launched himself into the air, his leg whipping out in a devastating kick that connected with the jushoku's shoulder.

Bang!!

The jushoku, still nonchalantly removing the chains, was caught completely off guard. His slender form plummeted to the earth. Boom!

The impact sent fissures spider webbing across the ground.

The jushoku lay sprawled in the newly formed crater, gazing up at his assailant with stunned disbelief as dust and debris rained down around him.

... ...

Discarding my cumbersome wolf-emblazoned cloak, I dove toward the jushoku once more.

I unleashed the Shadow Touch, my fists hammering down upon the jushoku with relentless force. He rolled to his feet and countered with a barrage of punches and palm strikes. We fought without evasion or elaborate techniques—just raw, devastating power behind each blow, a clash of titans that shook the very mountain.

Trees as thick as a man's embrace toppled with a single touch. Ancient stones, weathered by centuries of wind and rain, shattered under our blows, reduced to rubble.

The onlookers stood transfixed in stunned silence. Both fighters displayed a raw ferocity far beyond what any Wave Realm expert should possess.

Gasps of shock and murmurs of disbelief rippled through the ranks of agents.

… …

Arnold Stark watched the battle unfold, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Even he, a seasoned warrior, couldn't predict the outcome of this clash between body tempering giants.

He reassessed the young man's strength. No wonder he was so arrogant. Not only did he reached Perfect Wave Realm at such a young age, but his body tempering was extraordinary.

Even if I don't intervened, he could at least hold his own against the jushoku. Arnold thought.

Excellent! Excellent!

Arrogance without strength was mere bluster. But with the power to back it up... that was true talent!

Cascadia needed warriors like this, warriors with the potential to stand alongside Aisha Patani, to become pillars of strength for the future.

Arnold had no desire to play nursemaid for Skyler Grant, nor did he approve of his grandma's misplaced compassion. But now... he took a step forward, ready to intervene. It wouldn't hurt to lend a hand to this promising young warrior, to ensure his survival.

But just then, the man in black, locked in a ferocious exchange with the jushoku, glanced toward him. Arnold met the gaze, his brow furrowing. He'd barely revealed a hint of his presence, yet this young man, amid that whirlwind of violence, had noticed him.

And that look... what was that supposed to mean? A warning? A challenge? Arnold's face flushed. He hadn't intended to steal Kane's prey. It seemed Kane was adapting to his role as a Silver Bell Vampire Hunter even faster than they'd anticipated, his senses already rivaling those of a seasoned veteran.

… …

"You dare steal our sacred arts!" The Kongo Shintai Jushoku roared in fury, his arms surging with black and white energy, his strength amplified by a desperate rage.

He'd recognized the source of my power, the familiar shimmer of the Enlightened Indestructible Body of Awakening. Jealousy burned within him, fueling his rage. The Tree of Awakening, drained by those ignorant martial artists, had withered long ago. Where had this young man found a similar source of power?

If they could acquire it, why bother with these evil methods, these desperate attempts to revive the Kongo Shintai? And the boy's strength... it far surpassed the limits of the Body of Awakening. He was nearly as strong as the jushoku himself, despite possessing a half-volume of the Crystal Realm body tempering technique. If he hadn't achieved perfection today, he might actually lose to this boy.

I adjusted my breathing, a final jab sealing the jushoku's right arm, preventing him from unleashing his full power. Despite the combined strength of the Leviasaur Power, the Hundred Renewal Exoskeleton, and the top-grade Wave Realm body tempering technique, I was still struggling.

Shadow Touch was less effective than usual, the black and white energies disrupting its flow. It slowed the jushoku down, but not by much. Just enough to prevent his escape.

I drew my blade, the ceremonial sword gleaming in the sunlight. I channeled the full force of Nightshade Assassin technique into the weapon, its surface turning an ominous black.

With a swift thrust, I plunged the blade into the jushoku's chest, burying it an inch deep. The jushoku's palms clamped around the blade, his muscles bulging, black and white energy swirling as he slowly forced the weapon out.

"I told you," he snarled, "beneath Crystal Realm, I am invincible!"

The jushoku grinned, his face a mask of fury, as he exerted his full strength, attempting to snap the blade in two.

My expression remained unchanged, but my eyes flickered with crimson. Within me, the Melting Sun Furnace roared to life. For a fleeting moment, its fiery gates opened, and the External Crystal, suspended within my essence pool, awakened.

Tendrils of demonic energy snaked out, but this time, I was ready. I channeled them, guiding them down my arm, into my hand, and finally, into the ceremonial sword. The black blade pulsed with a malevolent energy.

THUD!

The sound of the blade piercing flesh echoed through the clearing. The jushoku stared down in disbelief, the black blade protruding from his chest. He felt his life force draining away, pulled into the weapon. His once-powerful body withered, his smooth skin wrinkling and sagging.

He tried to shove me away, but a crimson light erupted from the blade, tearing through his flesh, pulverizing his organs. His vision blurred, his strength fading as his very essence was devoured.

The other agents and colonels, who had been expecting a drawn-out battle, were stunned.

Colonel Kane had seemingly grown tired of playing with his food. He'd drawn his blade and ended the fight with a single, devastating strike.

Arnold Stark, however, had a clearer view of the battle. He, too, was surprised, but for different reasons.

The new Silver Bell had begun by using the Admiral's secret technique, Shadow Touch, to disrupt the jushoku's veins. A precaution, perhaps, to prevent escape.

And that final blow... seemingly simple, yet devastatingly effective. A high-risk, high-reward technique that consumed a significant amount of energy.

Even Arnold Stark, a Crystal Realm expert, would have treated the technique with caution. These Wave Realmers... they were truly a different breed now.

I withdrew my blade, casually sheathing it. I adjusted my collar, glancing at the jushoku's lifeless husk.

You claim invincibility beneath the Crystal Realm, I mused, a dangerous glint in my eyes. Then what does that make me?