The tension in the air grew suffocating, every hair on Seijuro's body and every instinct within him screaming the same thing.
To run.
"Dammit, what's with this Nephom?!" he thought, a bead of sweat slipping down his forehead. His breathing was uneven as he stared at the Nephom standing in front of him, its posture relaxed, its face almost bored.
"I want to run, but I can tell…" he thought, narrowing his eyes at the towering figure. His gut twisted, and his muscles tensed. "If I try to run…"
His breath hitched.
"I'll probably die."
The Nephom finally spoke again, its voice smooth and chilling. "What's wrong, human?" it said as it spread its arms wide, the kind of psychotic smile that sent shivers down Seijuro's spine. "Come on, I'll even give you the grace to attack first with my defenses wide open."
Seijuro glared back at the Nephom, his hands shaking as he tried to mask his nervousness. His usual calm was nowhere to be found; this was not a fight he could joke his way out of. He smiled, but it wasn't his usual confident grin. It was shaky, uncertain, filled with tension.
"What do I do? I can't run, should I try to attack?… I'm sure the Academy wouldn't place a Nephom this strong here on purpose, would they?" he questioned himself, desperately trying to buy time.
The Nephom's smile grew more unsettling, its tone becoming sharper. "You know, if you don't come to me…"
Before Seijuro could react, the Nephom surged forward, the ground beneath its feet shattering as it propelled itself with terrifying speed. Its legs pumped, veins visibly pulsing under its skin, and then it was in front of Seijuro in an instant, fist raised for a powerful punch.
"I'll come to you!"
"Tch!" Seijuro cursed, twisting his body just in time to avoid the punch. He sidestepped, his heart pounding, his body moving purely on adrenaline. The Nephom looked surprised for the briefest moment as Seijuro avoided the blow, but it was not finished yet.
Before Seijuro could gather himself, he countered with his own jab, but the Nephom was quick, ducking down and surging beneath his strike with a sharp, dangerous uppercut. Air ripped as the attack came through, so fast and precise that Seijuro barely had time to react.
He leapt back at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the Nephom's strike, his breath coming in short bursts.
The Nephom looked at him, surprised. "You managed to dodge my blows? There hasn't been a human in a while that could do that. You just got lucky," it said, voice steady, cold, but laced with amusement.
Seijuro's glare sharpened. His face was serious now, a stark contrast to the bored expression he had worn earlier. His hand was out of his pocket, ready, his stance poised.
"Is that so?" Seijuro sneered. "Then what's that on your face?"
The Nephom froze for the briefest moment. A thin line of blood was trickling from a small bruise on its cheek.
Just then before the Nephom could react, Seijuro threw another jab as they clashed, landing just enough to draw blood but not enough to take the creature down.
Silence took hold for a few seconds. The Nephom's expression twisted slightly, a mixture of surprise and amusement. It began laughing—harsh, sharp, and terrifying—its fangs glinting in the faint light of Shibuya.
"How interesting… How very interesting!" it exclaimed, the voice twisted and euphoric as though it had just been given a new toy.
The Nephom's pupils narrowed, excitement dancing in his eyes. "There is something different about you, human! You might make a better plaything than I thought!" The arrogance was unmistakable, as though victory was already assured.
It pounded its chest with its palm. "My name is 001, what is your name, human?"
Seijuro kept his guard up, his voice calm and steady as he met the Nephom's gaze. "My name's Seijuro Matsuda," he declared.
The Nephom grinned, a chilling expression. "Yes, Seijuro Matsuda… entertain me some more!"
Seijuro rolled his shoulders, tensing himself further. "Shut up and fight," he retorted, ignoring the Nephom's taunts.
The Nephom laughed again, this time taking off with explosive speed, its movements as fast as a bullet. It unleashed a barrage of punches at Seijuro, each strike a blur of speed and precision. Seijuro weaved and sidestepped, narrowly avoiding each strike, the sound of the punches whizzing by his head.
His mind raced as the attacks continued. "If I get hit by one of these punches, I'll be in serious trouble, but its speed is manageable. Definitely a Hokā Flame," he thought to himself, dodging again.
"This Nephom looks human enough, which means it will have human weaknesses… probably," Seijuro mused. "I just need to wait for the perfect moment."
And then it came. The barrage slowed for a split second—just enough time.
"There!" Seijuro struck, his fist landing with force against the Nephom's ribs. The impact felt like hitting solid metal, but the opportunity was there, and he pressed it.
The Nephom hissed in response, its face contorting as it grinned. The punches continued, but Seijuro could see the pattern. Every ten seconds, the Nephom had to reset itself to launch another assault, which gave Seijuro openings.
The pattern continued, and Seijuro struck again—each attack methodical, a strike to the ribs, stomach, jaw, chest. He danced with precision and control, countering with rhythm.
"At the end, despite the human similarities and its slight intelligence… Nephoms will always be Nephoms. Predictable," he thought.
Seijuro powered another punch into the Nephom's face, staggering it. But instead of a look of pain, the Nephom grinned harder, even more excited.
The Nephom shifted its stance, an eerie, predatory mix of human-like and animal-like movements, radiating danger as strange energy began emerging and spread out throughout his body in waves.
Not just any kind of energy, but Kiryū. The same energy used when a martial artists discovers there Shindō.
"So the Nephom can use Shindō too? Just how human did the dam Academy make this thing." Seijuro thought to himself. He could feel the force building up as the Nephom's body began to shift, its energy becoming more threatening, like a rising tsunami.
The Nephom expanded, its muscles thickening, its veins pulsing violently as it embraced the full extent of its Kiryū.
"How about it, human? Doesn't it look magnificent? Does my Shindō, Arasōryū, look perfect, if not the best?!" the Nephom roared, its voice shaking the air around them.
Arasōryū (荒獣流) – Style of the Wild Beast. A Shindō fighting style that allows 001 to channel Kiryū into their bodies, increasing raw power output.
"My Shindō is simple, but thanks to my monstrous Nephom energy, I can unleash strength with every bit of Reitō I channel!" the Nephom declared confidently, his voice a low, menacing growl that made the air around him vibrate. His massive, dark, muscled body shimmered ominously under the harsh light, with every word dripped with arrogance.
Seijuro stood across from him, already at his limit of patience. "This guy won't stop talking, will he? Who knew a Nephom could ramble this much?" he thought to himself. His calm, collected nature was beginning to crack beneath the pressure of the Nephom's aura.
The Nephom's eyes glowed as they fixed on Seijuro, cold and piercing as they bore into him. His voice cut through the tension again, sharp and deliberate.
"How about you, human?" he said, tilting his head slightly. "What is your Shindō? I can tell you haven't used it yet." His grin was wicked, teeth sharp and red like polished ivory. "I'm using mine against you. So how about you show me yours? You will need it if you plan to stay alive a little longer."
Seijuro's brows furrowed, his patience nearing its breaking point. His voice was filled with fustration, "Can you stop with all the talking? I couldn't care less about your fighting style, so stop wasting your breath."
The Nephom's grin only widened as his eyes glowed redder, brighter, like a predator scenting weakness. His voice dropped lower, more menacing. "So that's how it is?" he said. His voice was an icy promise of pain. "Very well. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Before then, Nephom charged forward. His body was like a mountain of raw, unstoppable power—every step shaking the ground beneath him. His movements were terrifyingly fast for his size, charging in like a living bulldozer, making dust and debris fly into the air with each heavy step.
The Nephom's entire form was a weapon of destruction. He didn't waste time; he began swinging massive, brutal barrages of punches—each one like an onslaught from a hammer the size of a small car. His hands were iron fists, capable of breaking bone with a single blow, and Seijuro found himself struggling to stay on his feet.
His body danced between strikes, muscles aching, dodging just in time, every movement a delicate balance of instinct and strategy.
"He's going for the same tactic as before," Seijuro thought, a cold edge to his thoughts. His heart raced as he searched for an opening. "If I can find a gap, I can turn the tables."
Ten seconds passed, each one feeling like hours under the pressure of the Nephom's attacks. Seijuro's focus remained razor-sharp until he spotted his moment—a gap, a slip in the rhythm of the Nephom's attacks. His mind screamed, "There!" and with calculated precision, Seijuro threw a punch aimed directly at the Nephom's exposed stomach.
But his something was off.
Before his fist could connect, the Nephom's hand shot out like a lightning bolt, grabbing Seijuro's wrist with bone-crushing force. Seijuro froze, his eyes widening in horror as his arm was locked in place. His muscles tensed, panic blooming as he realized his body was utterly trapped. The Nephom's hand was like a steel vice, and the sensation of being completely immobilized sent a chill through Seijuro.
"I have you now, human," the Nephom growled, his voice a menacing whisper full of malice. His red-glowing eyes stared down at Seijuro like predatory to prey..
Before Seijuro could think of a way to escape, the Nephom slammed his body down onto the earth with one powerful motion, using his enormous, muscled arm to pin Seijuro down. Seijuro gasped as the air left his lungs, his body feeling the full force of the Nephom's strength.
His mind swam with pain as his body lay trapped beneath the Nephom's unyielding weight.
The Nephom wasn't finished. His other arm pulled back, muscles flexing, gathering every ounce of energy as he prepared his next attack. His fist swung forward like a freight train, his entire body channeling the monstrous power of his Shindō into the punch.
The blow hit Seijuro square in the face.
The impact was devastating. Seijuro felt his entire body shake as his head slammed into the ground, creating a shallow crater making the dirt and debris spray outward.
Sei's body felt like it was about to collapse, his vision spinning and his breath stolen away. He trembled under the weight of the blow, with his consciousness wavering.
The Nephom's rage didn't stop there.
The Nephom's fist rose again, charged with unrelenting fury. He slammed it into Seijuro's face once more, the impact burying Seijuro's skull into the dirt. The ground shook again under the force of the strike. Blood mixed with dirt as Seijuro struggled, his face already mangled and bruised. His vision grew hazy, but the Nephom was merciless.
Another punch. Then another. The blows came faster, each strike landing with bone-snapping power. Seijuro felt himself slipping. His nose broke under the repeated assault, his skin mangled and torn as the Nephom continued his fury.
The Nephom roared with each strike, his voice a guttural, animalistic sound that echoed across nearby buildings. His delight, his excitement, his monstrous strength-all of it came pouring into these punches, each one attempting to break Seijuro down completely.
"Entertain me more. Seijuro Matsuda!"