Chapter 92: Interference!

CLANG!!

The clash of metal reverberated through the air as Watanabe's sword met Sakujiro's Ice Dagger with a resounding clang.

With each strike, the battlefield transformed, the ground shifting and warping under the force of their relentless battle.

As their weapons clashed yet another time...

"...!"

Sakujiro's heart raced as he watched his Ice Dagger being overpowered by the sheer force of Watanabe's sword, its blade shimmering with Nen.

In a split-second decision, he released his grip on the dagger, allowing it to tumble to the ground as he swiftly ducked beneath Watanabe's line of sight.

In that brief moment, the air crackled with tension.

Sakujiro's muscles tensed as he prepared for his next move.

Then, with a fluid motion, he swung his arm sharply as another Ice Dagger slowly materialized into his hand with a surge of his Nen.

Meanwhile, Watanabe stood firm, his eyes locked on Sakujiro's every move.

His sword gleamed in the sunlight, its edge honed to perfection. 

"Oh? Your reaction speed seemed to be still kicking..."

With a smirk playing on his lips, he taunted Sakujiro, his voice cutting through the din of battle.

However, Watanabe wasn't a pushover.

With lightning speed, he closed the distance between them, catching Sakujiro off guard.

Sakujiro's eyes widened in shock as Watanabe deftly rotated his body, using the handle of his sword to jab at Sakujiro's wrist, forcing him to release his dagger.

"...!"

Still...

Watanabe's onslaught didn't end there.

With a swift rotation of his body, he delivered a powerful circular kick aimed at Sakujiro's head, the force behind it enough to send shockwaves through the air.

Sakujiro's instincts kicked in, his muscles tightening as he desperately stepped back, narrowly avoiding the full force of the blow.

The sheer power behind Watanabe's attack sent a shiver down his spine, but Sakujiro refused to yield, determination etched on his face as he braced himself for the next onslaught.

"Hmm!?"

Just as Sakujiro prepared to retaliate, a sudden gust of wind caught his senses.

Reacting on instinct, he swiftly ducked under Watanabe's incoming sword swing, the blade narrowly missing his head by a hair's breadth.

BOOM!

The force of Watanabe's strike reverberated through the air, and before Sakujiro could fully comprehend what had happened, a pained growl escaped his lips as he saw Watanabe's knees connected with his chest.

Watanabe's attack had shattered his Ice Armor, leaving him vulnerable.

With a jolt, Sakujiro was sent hurtling toward the ground, rolling uncontrollably before managing to regain his footing, albeit on unsteady knees.

The impact had been brutal, but Sakujiro refused to yield, his determination unbroken despite the odds stacked against him.

"Why? This won't be enough, Jiro..."

Watanabe's voice carried a hint of excitement as if he relished every moment of the battle.

"...Fucking psycho," Sakujiro muttered under his breath, his words laced with bitterness as he wiped away the trickle of blood staining his lips.

Sakujiro couldn't help but acknowledge the vast difference in their combat prowess.

While he had spent years isolating himself in misery, Watanabe had undoubtedly honed his skills to perfection.

Sakujiro's body, weathered by age and neglect, struggled to keep pace with Watanabe's lightning-fast movements.

Each strike from his opponent left him reacting on pure instinct.

He was unable to match Watanabe's speed and precision!

Rusty and out of practice, Sakujiro realized the harsh truth—

—he was no match for Watanabe in his current state!

"...I gotta keep going!"

With a determined grimace, he pushed himself up from his knees, his muscles protesting against the pain coursing through his body.

Looking at his damaged armor, Sakujiro focused his concentration as he channelled his Nen energy to repair the shattered defenses.

Bit by bit, the fractured ice began to mend, gradually reforming into its former shape under his meticulous control.

As the intense clash between Sakujiro and Watanabe unfolded, Sajin stood guard on the outskirts of the battlefield, his nerves fraying with each resounding strike.

The ferocity of their battle threatened to draw unwanted attention, and Sajin's apprehension grew by the second.

"Damn it, the boss is getting too carried away," he muttered under his breath, his anxiety palpable.

The possibility of the city's elders intervening loomed over him like a dark cloud, and Sajin couldn't shake the fear of facing their wrath for the disturbance.

But amidst his trepidation, a glimmer of resolve ignited within him.

"Boss! We need to act swiftly!"

Sajin's voice cut through the tension, urgency lacing every word.

Yet, before he could finish his plea, a surge of potent Nen overwhelmed him, driving him to his knees as he coughed up blood, the pressure proving too much to bear.

"...Hmm, now that I think about it, I guess you're right," Watanabe conceded, his excitement waning as he released his oppressive Nen pressure on Sajin, who breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Watanabe's next words sent a chill down Sajin's spine, "...But if you ever dare to interrupt such an entertaining battle again..."

"...!"

Sajin's heart skipped a beat.

"...Understood," he replied, his voice tinged with apprehension.

"Alright..."

Watanabe shook his head, redirecting his focus to Sakujiro, who seemed ready for another round of combat, "It's unfortunate that I have to end this now, Jiro."

Sakujiro's expression remained stoic, unmoved by Watanabe's words.

"You think it'd be easy to kill me?" he retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Hearing Watanabe's words, Sakujiro's instincts flared, urging him to flee. But before he could react, Watanabe's Nen surged, overwhelming him with a sense of impending danger.

"I've got to move!"

His body screamed at him to escape, but it was too late. Watanabe's voice cut through the air once more.

"To be honest with you, you're really nothing at all..."

"Huh?"

Confusion clouded Sakujiro's mind as he glanced to his left, only to see his arm fall to the ground, cleanly severed.

He couldn't comprehend how it happened so swiftly and cleanly. 

"...What?" 

Sakujiro couldn't understand what was happening as he turned to look at Watanabe who closed his eyes with a smirk as he felt another chill down his spine.

"...Time to say goodbye, Jiro. I hope you see your family down in hell..."

Watanabe slowly spoke as the hand holding the handle of his sword was about to move.

Suddenly, Watanabe frowned deeply as he suddenly leaped leaped back.

BANG!!!

A thunderous explosion rocked the ground where he had stood moments before, leaving a smoldering aftermath.

Watanabe couldn't help but slowly open his eyes as he saw a kitchen knife buried deeply in the earth at the precise spot he had occupied.

A figure descended gracefully, landing beside the knife, and retrieved it calmly.

"Now, could you tell me why you intervened, young man?"

Watanabe's voice was stern, lacking any trace of emotion, but the anger beneath the surface was palpable.

"I don't know, honestly..."

Raymond replied slowly, his gaze shifting between Watanabe's impassive face and Sakujiro's blood-stained eyes.

He glanced down at the severed arm lying on the ground before meeting Watanabe's gaze once more, "...But I can't let you kill him yet."

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