"In the end, is this just a boring conclusion? I have wasted a lot of time," Heartless said in frustration, turning away.

But just before that...

"Hmm?"

Heartless quickly noticed something unusual.

"Creak--"

The sound of rocks shifting.

And then...

"Boom--"

A deafening explosion.

The ruins erupted suddenly.

Then...

"What?"

A figure stood up among the rubble.

How is this possible? They can still move?

Surprised, anger was forgotten.

Heartless could only widen their eyes, observing this unbelievable scene.

How could it be? A regular person would not survive that attack. Even though it wasn't the full extent of my power, it shouldn't have resulted in this. It's not something that could be resolved by breaking a few ribs.

But the fact is...

The other person still stood up, even though they were swaying and couldn't even walk properly anymore.

"Damn it."

Realizing this, a surge of anger followed.

"You... Since you're still struggling, I have no choice but to use my full power. Earlier, I was only at 15% of my true strength. My abilities require a process, so I couldn't use 100% of my power all at once. In general situations, I would have taken down the enemy before unleashing my full power. That's why, until now, I haven't used my full strength in a real fight."

Saying this, Heartless clenched their fist in anger.

"Also, I seem to have forgotten the most crucial point. Upon closer inspection, you're definitely not an ordinary person. So, can you withstand my 100% power? It's quite the anticipation, you monster."

Thus, Heartless once again closed in on the opponent at high speed.

"This time, it's 50% of my strength."

While approaching, they swung their fist rapidly.

But as usual, the opponent evaded, barely. It's frightening that even at this point, they can dodge my attacks. Although their dodges were forced, they still managed to avoid them. It's unbelievable, especially considering they are suffering from severe poisoning and injuries. Truly a monster.

"But no matter how much you struggle, it's useless. The longer this drags on, the stronger I become. If you can't defeat me now, it will be even more impossible later."

After a long battle, Heartless's eyes could now capture the opponent's figure. Well, there's a significant reason for that. The opponent's speed has dropped drastically due to the poisoning, but indeed, the paralysis from the poison has affected their body. Not only has their speed decreased, but their movements are no longer as agile as they were at the start.

"This time, it's 75% of my strength. Keep up, you monster."

Anticipating Ryuto's next move through their actions, Heartless fiercely smashed their right fist towards the predicted spot.

"Splat--"

As expected, Heartless's right fist landed perfectly on Ryuto's abdomen. As blood sprayed, Ryuto's body once again flew away from the tremendous impact.

"Boom--"

A rumble came from the pile of ruins again. But this time, "BOOM--" Before a second had passed, the other party stood up again. Their face was already covered in blood, but they still stood up, and it took even less time than the previous time. "Hahaha..." After anger came only laughter, only laughter filled with a sense of madness. "It's been a long time since I felt this way. I didn't expect someone to still be able to stand up after taking that hit. It really amazes me. I haven't been this excited in a long time. Since you want to experience my full power, I'll be happy to oblige. After all, I'm also looking forward to it. Take a good look at my full power. This time, I'll use my power to make you submit, to make it impossible for you to even struggle."