Toru's muscles tensed, blood dripping from scratches across his arms and chest. The ground around him was littered with the broken remains of dozens of the purple human-beasts, but seventy still remained, encircling him like wolves closing in for the kill.
"Damn it… I need to get to Daigo—!"
But Veynos wasn't done.
From where he stood near Daigo's battered form, the pale figure with dark blue hair and body-markings lifted his hands, whispering in a tongue none could understand. His aura pulsed a sickly violet, then rippled outward in a wave of corrupted Essence.
"Let me make this more entertaining," Veynos muttered, eyes glowing.
A vile mist poured from his body, coating the purple beasts with a shimmering film. They jerked—twitched—then let out sharp, inhuman howls, their speed and power suddenly doubling.
Toru's eyes widened as one leapt forward faster than before, its claws tearing through his guard and slicing across his ribs.
"Tch—!"
He grit his teeth, grabbing the beast by the neck and snapping it in midair, but another replaced it instantly.
Meanwhile, Daigo struggled to get up, his face bruised, his breath ragged.
"You're not going anywhere," Veynos smirked, slamming his foot into Daigo's chest, knocking him flat again.
"Is that all the strength you have, warrior?" Veynos asked casually, placing a hand over Daigo's throat. "Maybe your title was just for show."
Daigo's fist trembled—but then his voice rasped out:
"Wrong…"
Suddenly, the ground vibrated.
Chunks of metal—rebar, pipes, shrapnel—ripped from the nearby debris and hovered around Daigo like floating blades.
"I've been holding back… didn't want to hurt the civilians…" Daigo growled, his eyes glowing white-blue. "But now it's just you…"
His fist slammed into the earth—magnetic essence surged out, yanking steel beams from beneath the street and forming them into gauntlets over his arms.
"Now you get to see what an S-Rank with super strength and magnetic essence looks like."
Daigo lunged upward, metal spiraling around his arms like whips—he slammed his fist into Veynos' side, sending the enemy skidding across the street and smashing through a tree.
Veynos wiped blood from his mouth, laughing.
"Oh? So there's some fight in you after all?"
Back in the fray, Toru powered through the remaining beasts, lightning flashing around his fists, cracking bones and shattering twisted jaws.
"I don't have time for you freaks!" Toru roared, crushing two more beasts under a burst of essence, then leaping into the air with a spinning hammerfist, breaking a third's skull.
He could see Daigo now—standing tall, arms armored in metal, facing off against Veynos.
"Hold him a little longer, Daigo," Toru muttered. "I'm almost there."
But in the distance, another worm of Veynos' essence began to squirm from the ground.
This fight was far from over.