Yahageshii lunged fiercely at Watcher 20, his flaming fists carrying a searing heatwave aimed directly at his opponent. Watcher 20 sidestepped nimbly, his dark blade spinning in a sharp arc that left a bloody gash across Yahageshii's cheek.
"Still relying on brute force and no ranged skills?" Watcher 20 sneered coldly. With a casual sweep of his blade, he unleashed a crescent slash of darkness that sliced through the air toward Yahageshii.
Reacting swiftly, Yahageshii stomped hard, smashing the incoming shadow slash with his fiery fists. Gritting his teeth, he roared, "Don't need long-range skills. Punching that smug face of yours is enough!"
He launched forward again, his steps thundering like cannon fire. His fists burned so hot they warped the surrounding air, emitting a low, ominous hum. Every step shook the battlefield, and his fists, wreathed in roaring flames, hammered down like a beast's relentless onslaught. Despite the cracks and tears spreading across his body, Yahageshii pressed on, his singular focus on breaking through Watcher 20's defenses.
Watcher 20 furrowed his brows slightly, his dark blade drawing arcs of malevolence as he parried the unyielding barrage. Each collision of flame and steel sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield, fire and shadow intertwining in a furious clash. Even as he parried blow after blow, the raw, unrelenting power behind Yahageshii's strikes vibrated up his arms, leaving his hands numb and his footing uncertain.
"Impressive strength," Watcher 20 admitted, his tone icy as ever. "But is this all you've got?"
With a cold laugh, he unleashed a surge of shadow energy, forcing Yahageshii back several paces.
Yahageshii, however, steadied himself mid-air, landing heavily but regaining balance almost instantly. His boots slammed into the cracked earth, leaving deep imprints, and with a feral growl, he charged again. His flaming fists blazed brighter, descending toward Watcher 20's chest like a meteor crashing through the heavens.
Watcher 20's eyes narrowed, his black blade raising defensively as dark energy poured forth. A grim shadow barrier erupted before him, dense and oppressive like an abyss.
The fiery collision came with a deafening explosion. Flames erupted in brilliant arcs, colliding with the depths of the abyss. The sheer force of the clash shattered the ground beneath them, sending dust and debris into a towering plume.
Yahageshii's fists didn't stop. Teeth gritted, flames roaring, he poured his will into every strike. "This is just the beginning!" he bellowed, his fists driving harder into the darkness, inching closer to breaching the shadow barrier.
But Watcher 20 was no mere opponent. As the flames pressed forward, his barrier held firm, pulsing with an unholy energy that resisted the onslaught. His cold, calculating gaze never wavered.
Suddenly, Yahageshii twisted mid-attack, swinging his other fist in a wide arc. This time, his fiery punch lashed out at an unexpected angle toward Watcher 20's face. The strike was sharp and wild, its trajectory fierce and unpredictable.
Though Watcher 20 moved quickly to dodge, the edge of the flames still caught his cheek. A searing pain etched across his face, leaving a scorched mark. For the first time, a flicker of rage passed through his expression.
"Well done," he hissed, his voice low and venomous. The chilling power of his blade surged, the shadows thickening around him until the temperature of the battlefield plummeted.
Breathing heavily, Yahageshii grinned despite his wounds. "More where that came from. Let's see if you can handle it!"
Without waiting for a response, he roared back into the fray, flames erupting around him like an inferno. Each punch drove deeper, shattering the air and pressing Watcher 20 harder than before. The oppressive heat caused the rubble around them to crack and crumble, and the battlefield seemed poised to collapse under their titanic struggle.
Watcher 20, however, adapted quickly. Abandoning direct confrontation, he began to weave through the chaos, using his shadows to flicker in and out of range like a ghost. The battlefield became a labyrinth of smoke and flame, with Yahageshii chasing fleeting glimpses of his foe.
"You're just a mindless brute," Watcher 20 mocked as he materialized behind Yahageshii, slashing with a precision strike toward his back.
"Ha!" Yahageshii snarled, spinning with fiery momentum. His fist met the incoming blade with explosive force, sending the weapon flying from Watcher 20's grasp.
"Think I didn't see that coming?" Yahageshii roared, leaping high into the air. Twin infernos coiled around his fists, forming a massive dragon of flame. With a guttural cry, he slammed the blazing construct downward, aiming to obliterate everything beneath him.
Watcher 20's expression remained cold as he vanished into a shadowy void just before the dragon struck, leaving Yahageshii's attack to carve a smoldering crater in the ground.
"Missed," came Watcher 20's voice, dripping with disdain. Before Yahageshii could react, he reappeared at Yahageshii's side, his regained blade cutting toward his waist with deadly precision.
"Boom!" A resounding impact echoed as Yahageshii took the hit, his body rocketing across the ruins like a broken meteor. He crashed into the rubble, kicking up a cloud of dust and stone.
Groaning, Yahageshii forced himself to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His fiery fists ignited once more. "You think this is over? Come down here and fight me for real!"
Watcher 20, his dark blade resting on his shoulder, chuckled mockingly as he strode forward. "Fight you for real? A brute like you doesn't deserve such a luxury."
In an instant, Watcher 20 disappeared, only to reappear directly in front of Yahageshii, his shadow blade cleaving through the air toward his chest.