Greeting a little too... Friendly?

Kasumi drew her sword in one swift motion, charging straight at Ryosuke without hesitation. But as she swung her blade with all her strength, it suddenly bounced off Ryosuke's body, as if it had struck an invisible wall of steel.

She stumbled back a step, her mouth slightly open in disbelief. It felt like she had hit something harder than stone. In the stands, Mai, sitting next to Mechamaru, watched the scene wide-eyed.

"How can he cloak himself in that much Cursed Energy?"

Mechamaru remained unfazed, arms crossed.

Ryosuke flashed Kasumi a mischievous grin. "What's wrong? Having trouble with your blade?"

Kasumi frowned, quickly resuming her fighting stance. This time, she channeled more energy into her sword, the steel glowing with a radiant light. With a cry of defiance, she struck again with all her might.

But once again, the blade rebounded off Ryosuke, producing a dull thud. It was like trying to cleave a mountain!

Kasumi gasped, clearly winded, and stepped back, raising her hands in surrender.

Despite herself, she smiled in admiration. "Wow, Ryosuke, you're... insanely tough! I've never seen anything like it."

Ryosuke shrugged, amused. "You think so?"

Mai, visibly irritated by his nonchalant attitude, abruptly stood up from the stands. She shot Kasumi a sharp look, then with icy determination said:

"Kasumi, we're going in together."

Kasumi hesitated. "Two against one? Mai, that's... a bit unfair, isn't it?"

But Mai didn't wait for an answer. With lightning speed, she pulled out a small gun concealed at her waist and aimed it straight at Ryosuke's head. The bullet sliced through the air, whistling toward his temple. The impact jerked his head slightly to the side. Yet, Ryosuke remained unphased, and in an instant, he straightened his head, a calm smile on his lips, as if nothing had happened. Not a scratch, not a mark.

Frustration flickered in Mai's eyes as she gritted her teeth. Meanwhile, Kasumi realized this was her moment. Silently, she crept behind Ryosuke, gripping her sword tightly, channeling energy down the blade which glowed with a fierce light. She aimed for Ryosuke's back, took a deep breath to focus, and then thrust her sword in a powerful strike.

But the moment the blade hit its target, it met an unexpected resistance. Instead of piercing through, it bounced off Ryosuke's body, sending Kasumi flying backward with staggering force. She hit the ground hard, gasping for air, her eyes wide in shock. It was as if she had struck an impenetrable wall of steel.

Ryosuke, having observed the entire attack with an air of calm detachment, slowly turned toward Mai, almost ignoring Kasumi as she struggled to stand. He approached her with his usual serenity, and before she could react, grabbed her wrist with a firm grip.

"Well now, attacking two against one isn't very nice, is it?" he said.

Mai responded with a sarcastic smile. "And who said it was just the two of us?"

At that moment, a presence stirred on Ryosuke's left. Without a sound, Mechamaru had approached, his glowing red eyes gleaming like embers in the morning light. He slowly placed his metal hands on Ryosuke's side. Almost instantly, a powerful wave of cursed energy erupted from his palms, crackling like fire, engulfing Ryosuke in searing heat. The impact caused an explosion that sent a thick cloud of smoke billowing around them.

Kasumi, having regained some balance, rushed over to Mai and Mechamaru, looking concerned. She glanced anxiously toward the smoke, trying to make out a figure in the darkness.

"Ryosuke... is he okay?" she murmured, her heart pounding.

But Mai and Mechamaru remained tense, their eyes locked on the cloud of smoke, ready to act.

A few seconds passed, a heavy silence hanging in the air, broken only by the fading crackle of cursed energy. Then, the smoke slowly cleared, revealing Ryosuke standing in the rubble, completely unharmed. The stands around him, however, hadn't fared so well: deep cracks ran through the stone, and some of the seats had shattered under the force of the attack.

Ryosuke shrugged. "Well, I hope you're planning to cover the damages."

The three others stood frozen, their mouths agape, struggling to understand how he had survived such an attack without a scratch. Kasumi, still in shock, shot a questioning look at Mai, while Mechamaru stared at Ryosuke with an unreadable expression.

This guy... Who was he really?

They didn't even have time to process what was happening.

Ryosuke moved like a lightning bolt, appearing in front of Mechamaru in an instant. The metallic giant didn't even have a chance to raise an arm before Ryosuke's foot slammed into his side. The impact boomed like thunder, sending Mechamaru flying backward.

His massive, steel frame skidded across the arena, screeching as metal scraped against stone, crashing to a stop in a cloud of dust. He tried to stand, but his internal circuits sputtered, unable to cope with the damage.

Kasumi, witnessing the brutal scene, instinctively raised her sword, her fingers tightening around the hilt. But she didn't even have time to assume a defensive stance. In a blur of speed, Ryosuke had already slipped behind her. She felt a sudden, sharp blow to her back, pain exploding up her spine. Her breath hitched, and with a powerful kick, Ryosuke sent her flying like a leaf caught in a storm. She crashed to the ground, her sword slipping from her grasp as she rolled, gasping for air.

Meanwhile, Mai, a mix of fury and fear in her eyes, leveled her weapon at Ryosuke without hesitation. Her fingers trembled slightly. She pulled the trigger, but just as the shot rang out, Ryosuke vanished from her line of sight, reappearing by her side.

Like a phantom, he slid to her right, so close she could feel the warmth radiating from him.

Before she could react, Ryosuke grabbed her wrist, his steel-like grip locking her in place. Mai gritted her teeth, frozen, her eyes wide with shock and helplessness. He looked at her with a smirk, a soft yet mocking gleam in his eyes.

"Mai, it hurts my feelings that you'd point a weapon at me like that, you know?"

Mai tried to pull free, yanking at her arm, but Ryosuke's grip was unrelenting, keeping her rooted to the spot. Around them, the entire arena was engulfed in a suffocating silence.

A few meters away, Kasumi, still lying on the ground, struggled to regain her senses, her muscles aching from the impact. She lifted her head and saw Mai trapped, defenseless, while Mechamaru, still on the ground, was barely managing to rise, his body battered from the monstrous blow he had received.

In the face of Ryosuke's overwhelming power, one thing became clear to them all: they weren't just outmatched. They were crushed.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Next Chapter: Make all of You Strong