Yuto grunted in pain as his arm twisted behind his back, the pressure mounting with each passing second. His knees dug into the ground as he struggled to break free, but the stranger's grip was relentless. His voice, a low growl in Yuto's ear, sent a chill down his spine.
"You still don't get it, do you?" the stranger whispered, his tone dripping with mockery. "The Abyss isn't something you can control. It chose us—chose *you*. You're fighting a losing battle, little brother."
Yuto clenched his teeth, his mind racing. He couldn't let this guy win. He wouldn't surrender to anyone, especially not this man who claimed to be his brother—a brother from the Abyss. Yuto could feel the dark energy inside him stirring, clawing to be released, but he refused to give in.
"I'm not your brother," Yuto spat, struggling to rise, even with his arm twisted painfully behind him. He braced his free hand against the ground, summoning all the strength he could muster. "And I'll never be like you!"
The stranger chuckled, his voice deep and cruel. "So stubborn, just like I was when I first heard its voice." He suddenly jerked Yuto's arm further, eliciting a sharp cry from him. "You think you can resist the Abyss forever? It's part of you, Yuto. It's in your veins."
Yuto's vision blurred for a moment from the pain, but he forced himself to focus. *Think, think!* He had to find a way out of this. He couldn't rely on brute strength alone; the stranger was too strong, too fast. But maybe there was something else—something he hadn't tapped into yet.
With a surge of desperation, Yuto let the Abyss flow through him, just a little. He didn't want to lose control, but he needed its power, even if it was for a brief moment. Shadows coiled around his body, swirling around his free arm like smoke. The darkness twisted in his hand, forming a solid mass.
"I won't let you control me!" Yuto roared, pushing off the ground with all his might. Using the Abyss's energy, he threw his weight forward, surprising the stranger. His hand, now enveloped in shadow, shot up toward the stranger's face.
The stranger's eyes widened, and for the first time, there was a flash of genuine surprise. "What the—!"
Yuto's fist, encased in darkness, collided with the stranger's jaw, sending him stumbling backward. His grip on Yuto's arm loosened just enough for Yuto to break free, falling into a roll to put distance between them.
Panting, Yuto rose to his feet, clutching his throbbing arm. His eyes burned with defiance as he stared down the stranger, whose smug grin had faltered. "I told you... I'm not like you," Yuto muttered, trying to steady his breathing.
The stranger wiped blood from his lip with the back of his hand, his smile quickly returning, though it had lost its edge. "Looks like you've got some fight in you after all," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Good. I was worried this would be too easy."
Yuto readied himself, his body tense and aching from the strain, but the fire in his heart hadn't dimmed. He wasn't going to give up. Not now.
"You talk a lot for someone who hasn't managed to take me down yet," Yuto shot back, trying to sound more confident than he felt. He could still feel the Abyss tugging at his mind, tempting him to use more of its power. He knew he had to be careful, but the fight wasn't over yet.
The stranger laughed, the sound cold and hollow. "You think you've got the upper hand because you landed a single punch? Pathetic." His aura darkened, shadows gathering around him in an ominous cloud. "You haven't even seen what I'm capable of yet, little brother."
Before Yuto could react, the stranger was on him again, faster than before. His fist shot toward Yuto's face, but Yuto managed to dodge it by a hair's breadth. The wind from the punch whistled past his ear, and in that instant, Yuto knew he couldn't afford to hesitate any longer.
He swung his leg in a low arc, aiming for the stranger's knees, but the stranger jumped over the kick with ease, his laughter echoing through the battlefield. "Is that the best you can do?" he taunted, landing gracefully on the ground. "You're not even using the Abyss properly."
Yuto's frustration boiled over. "Shut up!" he shouted, launching himself at the stranger with a flurry of punches. His fists flew, one after the other, as he tried to overwhelm his opponent with sheer speed.
But the stranger dodged every blow with infuriating ease, his movements fluid and precise. "You're so predictable, Yuto. You fight like a human," the stranger mocked, sidestepping yet another punch. "You haven't accepted the Abyss. You're still scared of what it'll do to you."
Yuto growled in frustration, pivoting on his heel and delivering a powerful kick aimed at the stranger's ribs. But once again, the stranger blocked it effortlessly, his hand catching Yuto's leg mid-air. With a quick twist, he sent Yuto crashing to the ground.
Yuto groaned, his back slamming into the dirt. He was winded, but he couldn't stop now. Not when the stranger was looming over him, his eyes gleaming with triumph.
"You can't beat me like this, Yuto," the stranger said, crouching down to meet Yuto's gaze. "You're weak because you're afraid of what you really are. Let the Abyss take over. Stop holding back."
Yuto glared up at him, his breathing ragged. "I'm not... afraid," he said through gritted teeth. He could feel the Abyss pulsing inside him, begging to be unleashed, but he wouldn't let it consume him. Not like it had consumed this man standing before him.
The stranger smirked, rising to his feet. "Then prove it. Stop fighting like a scared little kid and show me the power of the Abyss. Or are you really that much of a coward?"
Yuto's heart pounded in his chest. He knew what the stranger wanted. He wanted Yuto to give in, to lose himself to the Abyss's power. But Yuto couldn't let that happen. He had to stay in control—he had to fight with his own strength.
"I don't need the Abyss to beat you," Yuto said, pushing himself up from the ground. His body screamed in protest, but he ignored the pain. "I'll fight you on my own terms."
The stranger's expression darkened. "You're deluding yourself, Yuto. The Abyss is part of you. You can't win without it."
Yuto clenched his fists, dark energy swirling faintly around them as he prepared for another round. "We'll see about that."
Without warning, Yuto surged forward, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. He didn't hesitate this time—he moved with purpose, aiming his punches and kicks with precision. The stranger blocked the first few strikes, but Yuto was relentless, pushing harder and faster.
For a moment, Yuto thought he saw a flicker of hesitation in the stranger's eyes. He pressed the advantage, landing a solid punch to the stranger's gut that made him stagger back.
But then, with a snarl, the stranger caught Yuto's wrist and twisted it violently, pulling him in close. "You really are a fool," he hissed, before slamming his forehead into Yuto's face.
Yuto's vision exploded with stars as he stumbled back, blood pouring from his nose. He barely had time to react before the stranger was on him again, his fist driving into Yuto's stomach with enough force to lift him off the ground.
"Give up," the stranger growled, throwing Yuto to the ground like a ragdoll. "You can't win this fight."
Yuto gasped for breath, every muscle in his body screaming in pain. But even as darkness crept in at the edges of his vision, he refused to surrender.