The black stars ascended into the brightened sky, numbering in the dozens.
Each one was a compressed flame brimming with immense energy, enough to be called stars without exaggeration.
Seeing the sky covered in these fiery comets, I couldnât help but curl my lips into a bitter smile.
"â¦That crazy bastardâ¦"
It was absurd. His face, looking perfectly fine despite expending so much energy, was almost offensive.
No, it wasnât actually fineâjust pretending to be.
"You must be struggling too. Do you really need to keep up the act, pretending youâre untouchable?"
Who was I fooling? I knew him better than anyone.
"Stop acting like youâre fine. Itâs pathetic."
I steadied my breath. The damage from the earlier rebound still stung.
Damn bastard. Fighting dirty like that.
Butâ
"Clever."
He had used his wits well. The only problem was, I hadnât expected to fall for it.
Crack.
I twisted my shoulder slightly, popping the dislocated joint back into place. I mustâve thrown it out dodging earlier.
"My arm and ribs are probably busted too."
The fractures were numerous. Nothing life-threatening, but not exactly ideal for mobility either.
"Tsk."
How was my energy reserve looking?
After that much exertion, it mustâve dwindled somewhatâ¦.
"Whatever the case, Iâm at a disadvantage as long as my fire techniques are blocked."
Even if I wanted to end this quickly, it was questionable whether I could end it at all.
His level was high, and he hadnât even touched the realm of the mindscape.
Naturally. A worm like him couldnât possibly grasp the mindscape. His fragile ego alone would prevent him from ever mastering Heart Strike.
"So why am I still losing to him?"
Was it really because I couldnât use my fire techniques? That didnât make sense.
Especially when I was no longer even human.
What was the reason for this imbalance?
"Youâve grown dull."
His words came back to me. Dull⦠Was that really the reason?
Thinking about it made me chuckle a little.
"So what? Was I supposed to keep living like that?"
If Iâd become dull, did that mean he was sharp? That, I couldnât accept.
He wasnât sharp.