I could hear his voice, but I had no exact idea of where he was due to the dense clouds surrounding us. Suddenly, he appeared out of nowhere in my blind spot, pointing his sword in my direction. However, I managed to dodge once again.
My partial explosive mode continued to work, and I was surprised that I could fly using this technique, which would normally take years to master.
"A difficult rat to kill."
Although I wasn't sure what he meant by that, I could assume that when this dominion closed, we would return to reality. However, if Ui and Idalme kept falling, they risked being crushed on the ground.
If I defeated Saymon, the dominion would deactivate, and still, they wouldn't be saved. This fight was inevitable. I'm sorry, Idalme and Ui, but I had no choice but to fight. Any other path would result in their deaths.
"I'm tired."
"Tired of living? Don't worry. I will grant your wish. With your death."
"No. I'm tired of thinking."
"What?"
No matter how much I thought, nothing would change. Now, I was entering the destroyer mode. I wouldn't give up until I defeated my enemy.
"I'm going to kill you, Saymon!"
"Try, if it's possible."
I continued to use the explosive boost continually to fly, but to be faster, I needed to enhance my explosion with more power and precision. That way, I could avoid Saymon's fatal blows as I was aware that, if I kept it as it was, I could be hit by his blade at any moment.
'Hold on, body. I only need one minute.'
Normally, I accumulated my explosion slowly not to harm my body, but in this situation, I realized I needed to speed up the process. I wouldn't mind if I lost my arms and legs. I was willing to go beyond my limits to survive.
Boom boom boom boom boom…
You could hear my explosions bursting rapidly.
"Useless to increase your explosion. Everything is determined by the one who hits the target."
"Yes, you're right. That's why I'll show you my hit."
Boooooommmmmmmm.
In an explosive boost, I approached Saymon and executed my explosive cross, but he managed to dodge and tried to counterattack. However, I used my explosive breath, which sent him flying a long distance. Without wasting time, I advanced toward him with an explosive flying kick that hit him squarely.
"Haaaaa!!!! Consecutive Explosive Bullets."
I accumulated explosions in all ten fingers and released them continuously toward Saymon while shouting intensely. Explosion smoke could be seen forming with each attack.
"Die! Saymon!"
I stopped and started to breathe heavily as the smoke cleared, hoping that this attack had defeated him.
"Kakakakakaka!"
While the explosion smoke dissipated slowly, the sound of laughter echoed through the area. As visibility improved, I saw Saymon, injured and bloodied, in front of me.
"I almost died. Bastard!"
"You should have died like your sword."
"I was convinced that my sword wouldn't break with that attack. I underestimated you."
"Thanks for that. You're going to die. Without your sword, you're nothing."
"Kakakaka! And who said that was my sword?"
"What?"
"Look with your own eyes."
I didn't understand. Did he have another sword hidden somewhere? Or did he belong to the Sura clan, allowing him to use some spatial skill?
"Don't you see it?"
See? Had he already summoned his sword? But he wasn't showing anything. Nothing? Wait. It wasn't visible to the naked eye, but looking at his right hand, I noticed an empty space between them. This meant that the sword was invisible. It was made of wind.
I couldn't approach in any way. I was unaware of the length of this sword, and maybe he could manipulate it. My sword exploded with that explosive cut. I thought it would last longer, but due to the explosion I used earlier, it was inevitable.
Fighting something invisible with only my hands would be difficult, but I was willing to risk it and explode his head. I had no other choice. I was going to use my arms and hands as if they were a sword.
I took my scarf from my waist and tied it around my head, a custom of mine when I was about to fight using only my body.
'Again, Max.'
I started accelerating my explosion again and moved toward him, launching an explosive bullet. I made it explode at the moment he tried to cut it, creating an explosion that not only reduced his field of vision but also created a momentary smoke screen, obscuring the environment and making it difficult to see the movements.
"Useless."
He made a direct cut in my direction, or where he thought I was. In a quick move, I firmly grasped his feet and swung my legs skillfully until my feet hit his neck.
I held his neck with my feet and maintained a firm grip while holding him in this position. Then, I used a powerful thrust and threw him away.
"Explosive Boost!"
I reached him again.
"Dynamite Punch!"
My punch went through his body, and I was confused about what had just happened.
"I said it was useless."
The body I had gone through was most likely a clone. The circumstances in which this happened were intriguing and mysterious, but all indications pointed to the existence of a clone. When the clone dissipated, it was as if a cloud of particles surrounded it.
"Are you resorting to clones?"
"Don't be foolish. My clones don't hit the target, but they're good for distracting. See".
Suddenly, a myriad of clones appeared, each taking the form of a cloud. My eyes followed the scene closely, and I estimated that there were more than a hundred of these clones materializing in front of me, as if the atmosphere itself came to life in a profusion of ethereal shapes.
"Go."
All the clones came in my direction, but it was relatively easy to distinguish the real one among them. Although each clone was a perfect copy of Saymon, there was one noticeable characteristic that set them apart: none of them bled.
However, it would take a moment to identify the real Saymon, and even if it was a matter of seconds, it was enough time for him to surprise me.
I knew I could use my explosive bullets, but there were so many clones, and that would only result in unnecessary wear and tear. I needed to determine the real location of Saymon. So, I decided to risk it all and launched myself into the midst of the crowd of clones.
"Useless. You've made the worst possible decision."
I was aware that it was an all-or-nothing situation since my energy was depleting rapidly, and there was no more time to prolong the fight. I started my attacks, aiming for each of the clones, in search of the real Saymon.
"Take that!"
Then, he appeared in my blind spot just as planned. I quickly tried to react, but I wasn't fast enough. His sword pierced my belly, causing excruciating pain that spread through my body.
"Arrrrrgggggghhhhhhh!"
I could feel the warmth of blood running down the wound and the difficulty breathing as the impact took my breath away.
Amid intense moans of pain, I managed to gather my last strength, and with a great effort, I spit a jet of blood directly into Saymon's face. The red liquid flowed down his skin, invading his eyes and hindering his vision.
"Die!"
"Hahaha!"
"What's so funny about dying?"
"Not that, but this is. Checkmate!"
"What?"
Booooooooommmmmmmmmmmmm.
"Die, wretch!"