Inside one of the buildings in the Guild compound, despite the commotion outside, a man slept peacefully—his legs crossed atop his desk.
Slouched back in his chair, his hands rested behind his head, a cowboy hat pulled low over his face.
The office was silent. So silent that one would think the room was sound proof.
Then—
BOOOM!!!!
A boulder came crashing through the roof, obliterating the desk beneath his legs.
Dust filled the air.
Silence.
Then—
He sat up. Adjusted his hat. And frowned.
"…Who the hell woke me up?"
.....
"You're dead."
Boros shot forward, driving a knee into Rudeus' head before leaping back, feinting a kick—but Rudeus dodged and countered, sending Boros flying.
Still midair, Boros took a kick to the face—but he blocked it, crossing his arms in an X.
He slammed into the ground, and Rudeus stomped toward him, aiming for his head—but Boros rolled aside with a grunt.
"Tch." Boros muttered, charging back, landing a flurry of strikes as he closed the distance.
"How can someone be this skilled…with both martial arts and weapons?" Scarlet whispered.
"What?" the receptionist, who'd almost been attacked by Boros earlier, asked.
"I supervised his exams. During the sparring test, he used a greatsword—and it was like he'd been born wielding it," Scarlet explained.
"I see…But there are adventurers who can master multiple fighting styles," the receptionist replied.
"Sure—but most of them are old heads. He's young…yet already this deadly."
"Just what kind of childhood would one have to go through to require them to train like this?"
BOOM!
Rudeus rose from the rubble of a building he'd just demolished.
Boros charged, aiming a kick at Rudeus' head—but Rudeus caught his leg mid-swing and hurled him across the plain, destroying yet another structure.
Boros spat blood, scrambling to his feet, and charged again.
"Why isn't he using his Longinus?" Kinuko asked, voice tight with worry.
"Same question I'm asking myself," Akeno replied, eyes fixed on the clash.
The two finally paused, standing across from each other, breathing heavily.
"You tired?" Boros asked, chuckling.
"Like hell I am," Rudeus shot back.
"We're trying to kill each other, yeah?" Boros grinned.
"And?" Rudeus replied.
Boros tore off his shirt, revealing his bloodied, battered torso—wounds from his fight with the assassin in the forest now worsened by Rudeus' relentless assault.
"Let's stop holding back," Boros said, pointing at him.
For the first time in the fight, Rudeus laughed.
"You really think you can take my punches dead-on?"
"I've been doing exactly that this whole fight, haven't I?" Boros replied, smirking.
"Very well," Rudeus said.
Boros stretched a leg and assumed a stance.
"Only if—"
Boros looked up. "Only if what?"
"You agree to use your Longinus," Rudeus said.
Boros' grin widened.
"How'd you know I had one?"
"It's obvious. Those who wield a Longinus have a different Nexus signature…And I must say, you're not very good at hiding it." Rudeus smirked.
"Alright then," Boros said. "But I won't tell you when I'll use it. Just expect it—Cos I can strike anytime."
Then—they launched at each other.
Boros stepped in—
—and vanished.
A shockwave tore through the ground where he stood. Rudeus' eyes sharpened.
BANG!!
A fist slammed into his guard from the side.
Before the impact could even settle—
BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!
Three more hits crashed into him in the same instant—ribs, shoulder, jaw—
—or at least, that's what it felt like.
To everyone watching—
They hadn't moved.
Just distorted air and splitting stone.
Rudeus slid back half a step—
then disappeared.
CRACK!!
Boros' head snapped to the side as a fist appeared out of nowhere.
He grinned.
"Finally—"
Rudeus didn't let him finish.
BANG!!
A second strike buried into his stomach—
BANG!!
An elbow crashed down onto his spine—
The ground beneath Boros shattered as he was driven downward—
—but he twisted mid-impact.
His hand shot out—
and caught Rudeus' wrist.
Silence.
For a fraction of a second—They locked eyes.
Then—
BOOM!!!
The ground exploded beneath them as both vanished again.
The courtyard erupted into chaos.
Shockwaves tore through the air as their bodies flickered in and out of sight—
BANG!! CRACK!! BOOM!!
Each collision split the air like thunder.
A punch missed—
—and the pressure alone carved a trench through the stone.
A kick was blocked—
—and the impact shattered the ground beneath their feet.
They weren't fighting anymore. They were colliding. Relentlessly. Violently.
Like two forces that refused to yield.
The instant their fists separated, both vanished.
Not a blur. Not a shadow. Gone.
Then—BOOM!!
Rudeus slammed into Boros midair, fists and elbows tearing through his ribs. Boros rotated, twisting the impact into a spinning kick that shattered stone beneath them.
CRACK!!
Boros' leg collided with Rudeus' jaw. Rudeus rocked back—then launched a flying knee that smashed into Boros' chest like a battering ram.
They collided again.
BANG!! BANG!! BOOM!!
Fists, elbows, knees, and kicks erupted in a storm of violence. The air itself split under their punches. Dust, stone, and shattered wood spiraled around them.
The entire courtyard became a warzone in a heartbeat.
Rudeus' punch slammed into Boros' shoulder—BANG!!—but Boros countered, driving an elbow into Rudeus' ribs. The shockwave hurled Rudeus backward…
…but he twisted mid-flight, landing a spinning kick that sent Boros crashing through a wall.
BOOM!!
Boros spat blood, laughed, and soared back. Their movements were so fast even the wind couldn't keep up.
They collided again midair—fists meeting, elbows snapping, legs swinging in arcs that carved craters into the stone below.
CRACK!! BOOM!! BANG!!
Every strike sent shockwaves radiating outward. Roofs crumbled, walls exploded, debris flew like missiles.
Then, suddenly, both paused.
The dust cleared just enough for a fleeting glance—Rudeus and Boros, both breathing heavily, glaring at each other, streaks of blood and sweat across their faces.
"…Still going?" Boros asked, smirking.
"Hell yeah," Rudeus spat back, eyes narrowing.
Without warning—they launched again.
Faster. Harder. Relentless.
Fists collided midair with thunderous cracks. Every strike split stone. Every kick shredded the ground beneath them. Shockwaves tore through the compound.
Rudeus spun, landing a palm strike to Boros' chest—but Boros twisted, catching him off-guard.
They glared at each other, sweat and blood streaking their faces.
"You're not holding back," Rudeus said, breathing heavily.
"Neither are you," Boros replied, grinning.
Before Rudeus could react, Boros shot forward, catching him by the shoulder.
His eyes gleamed with that same manic excitement.
"I told you," Boros said, his grip firm, "I'd use it anytime."
A bead of sweat slid down Rudeus' forehead. Knowing Boros had a Longinus didn't mean he had any clue what it could do.
Right now…he had no idea what was coming.
"How does it feel?" Boros grinned, eyes glinting. "I froze the bones in your shoulder."
"Tch!" Rudeus snapped, teeth clenched.
"We're trying to kill each other, right?!" Boros shouted. "You said it yourself!"
"Damn bastard…what is he about to do?!" the watching adventurers screamed, panic in their voices.
'This is it! Boros thought, every fiber of his being screaming. 'With all my strength…one punch to his head…let's see if he survives!'
BOOOM!!!
Dust erupted across the battleground. When it finally settled, no one could believe what they saw.
A man in a cowboy hat stood casually, one hand gripping Boros' wrist, the other tucked in his pocket.
"What the hell do ya think yer doing in my compound?"