Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The sound of fists clashing was like metal drums exploding in the night.
Two figures, one tiny like a newborn calf and one huge like a mountain bull, collided again and again.
Boundless Might!
Demon Bull Fist!
A tiny fist like a child's – no, it was truly a child's fist, and a giant fist like a hammer, connected. It was an incongruent scene. But out of this incongruity, an inhuman power exploded outwards levelling everything in its path.
The pressure wave blasted through the park flattening the grass and blowing rocks into the air.
After the collision, the two figures were launched like cannon balls in opposite directions crashing into the landmarks in the park.
Ruummmbble!
From one of the piles of rubble, a girl emerged with rocks and sand flowing off her body like a landslide.
It was Kia.
Her golden hair pins snapped like a whip breaking letting her hair loose. Her laid-down hair immediately exploded into an afro shape like an angry peacock announcing its arrival.
As she slowly stood back up from the rubble, in her always dark-black irises there was now a purple glint.
At this moment, Kia had already begun using the 5th lesser heaven technique: the 3 Steps to Divinity.
Gate of Heaven – "Boundless Might."
Gate of Man – "Down-to-Earth."
Gate of God – "Embodiment of the Divine."
This technique was aptly named the 3 World Bearing Gates in Kia's homeland but in Toro, it went by the name the 3 Steps to Divinity. Nevertheless, it was the same technique regardless of the name.
Kia's martial arts mainly consisted of physical skills and most importantly, her model of practice greatly varied from the mainstream warrior system in Toro. In fact, as someone who came from outside the Swordscar Continent, Kia was not a practitioner of the traditional body forging method. For this reason, she did not need to go through the 10 body forging levels like everyone else.
Outside the Swordscar continent, there were many other methods and training systems in the Zika world that followed different models such as the Western Essence Gathering System, Eastern systems that involved either the control of spiritual power or resonance with heaven and earth energy, Southern systems that involved totemic power, and many others.
On the darker side, there also existed curse realm "procedures" that harnessed the power of witchcraft and the taboo demonic training system that originated from the Demon Realm.
Kaboom!
From the opposite end, a giant muscular woman emerged from the crushed earth like a warrior entering battle. Without even moving a finger, all the rocks and rubble around her were crushed to dust.
"Ha ha ha, you have some oomph little girl," The woman said with a chuckle.
Bang!
The next moment, she leaped towards Kia like a bullet leaving the barrel. The ground below her was torn apart as a sonic boom exploded visible across the entire town park.
"Bring it on!" The woman who only went by Barbarian Bull Queen or "Queen" rushed forward sending a punch barreling towards Kia like a bullet train.
Before the punch even arrived, its sheer pressure was enough to blow away the sweat and dust on Kia's face.
Kabang!
Another fierce clash blasted through the park.
This time there was no separation – a kick for a kick, a punch for a punch, a head-butt for a head-butt, a shoulder check for a shoulder check, an elbow for an elbow.
'What a dangerous girl!' Seeing that she could not gain the upper-hand quickly, Barbarian Bull Queen finally realized why her 'useless' underlings had failed to bring Kia down. 'This little girl is not an easy opponent at all!'
'I have to break her rhythm.' With that thought, "Queen" opened her mouth to speak.
"What do you really hope to achieve here tonight, do you think you are the hero here?"
However, such level of taunting naturally fell on deaf ears. Kia ignored her and continued her onslaught.
"Let me tell you, while I am the primary enforcer here, the pain and suffering that I inflict on these 'merchandise' hehe... is guided by human hands."
"Merchandise! Is that a way to speak about the children you are treating like cattle?" This time Kia could not ignore her opponent's taunts.
"Cattle? Hey now, relax on the racism, or speciesm, or whatever." The woman replied with a fake-hurt tone; an expected response to the mention of cattle to someone named "the barbarian bull queen".
Seeing that her taunts were working, the woman continued speaking between the exchange of blows, "Girl, look at those plump little girls, haha you don't want to know what they have endured in our hands. Or do you?"
'I have to break this girl's spirit so that I can truly break her!' While her words and tone was filled with evil humor, in her mind the woman knew that Kia was not an easy opponent. Sometimes words were the key to hurting an opponent.
"After I am done with you, you will be in chains as well! Later, maybe you will be food on some beast's table, or even worse, hehe." The woman said the last part with an added wink.
"Curses!" Kia exclaimed in anger.
However, it was not the taunts aimed at her that angered her but rather the fate of the young children who were trafficked by this group.
"Dare to commit such a barbaric act." Kia shouted as she launched herself in the air using Queen's shoulder as a foothold. From high in the sky, Kia came down with a guillotine kick so devastating that it felt like it could split the earth apart.
"Cows everywhere, cows are far better than these people."
The woman did not know how to feel when she heard Kia's mutterings. After all, she was similar to a "cow" and a person – a hybrid demon beast with the blood of a Barbarian Bull running through her veins. Therefore, any interpretation of Kia's words would be offensive to her.
"Impudent!" Queen responded upon hearing Kia's words.
Immediately, she responded with a kick of her own slashing through the air like an executioner's sword.
If any unlucky fellow were to be caught between these two kicks, they would instantly be bisected in two!
Kraaak!
The clash between the two legs was like a crack of thunder tearing through the air.
"Impudent? You of all people dare scold me!" Kia's anger was like a boiling victory, "How dare you show anger here? How dare you play the victim?" She could not believe that the villain would dare act offended in front of her.
The two fighters did not rest as each unleashed a series of heavy blows each stronger than the last.
However, this time it was Kia who took the initiative to speak while her opponent remained silent, "Those humans who have employed you, their time will come. But that has nothing to do with you. You will not live to see it. Your time is now!"
"All you killers who tread on human lives are like hungry and dirty cows in the desert. I will let you never know peace in your entire lives!"
"Sheesh, calm down little lady!" Since when had Barbarian Bull Queen been admonished like this? However, this time she was not angry at the mention of cows since she could see that amidst the battle, the anger and the blood had rushed to Kia's head.
However, what vexed her was that no matter how angry Kia had gotten, there was no opening in her defenses. In fact, it seemed that Kia had gotten even mightier and more strategic in her attacks.
Gate of Man – "Down-to-Earth!"
With a single palm strike to the chest, Kia blasted the Queen away almost like swatting a fly. This was the second gate of divinity. Even though her ribs were still uninjured, for a moment the woman could not breathe as pain assaulted her lungs.
Naturally Kia did not give her a moment to breathe and followed up with more palm strikes each aimed at a vital point.
Steel Smelting Palms!
Barbarian Bull Queen could only respond with her own palm technique. When her large palm shaped hands covered Kia's small palms, an electric sound like static emerged between the two fighters. However, none of them could gain the upper-hand temporarily.
A stalemate had formed.