Enshou awaited Zack's reply, a faint, expectant smile playing on his lips. Zack, ever impassive, met his gaze with a flat stare. "I've never truly considered it," he stated, his voice devoid of inflection. "My answer is always the same: Dextin is the reason for my mother's death. I don't care if it's the Green Katana that somehow caused Dextin to act up. Someone has to pay, and that someone is Dextin." He then smoothly drew his sword. "If that's all, shall we begin?"
Enshou exhaled slowly, a faint tremor running through him. He understood. There was no changing Zack's mind, no swaying his cold resolve. With a sigh, Enshou unsheathed his own blade. "Well then, you leave me no choice. I have to try my best to win this. Come at me."
Zack smirked, a fleeting, almost imperceptible twitch of his lips, before he launched himself forward. His first slice was blindingly fast, aimed for Enshou's vital points, but Enshou, reacting with surprising agility, managed to block it. The second strike was a fluid, deceptive thrust, which Enshou narrowly dodged. Enshou attempted a counter-attack of his own, but Zack closed the distance in an instant, a flash of steel aiming for Enshou's neck in a decapitating arc. Enshou utilized a unique technique, a rapid burst of movement that momentarily made him vanish from Zack's sight – just long enough for him to back off, his hand instinctively going to his neck.
The crowd erupted in a mix of shock and roaring excitement. They watched, transfixed, as these two formidable warriors clashed. In the pavilion, Rider's tension spiked. He strained to follow their lightning-fast movements, his mind racing to find a weakness, a fatal opening he could exploit if he were ever to face either of them. But he found nothing, his frustration growing as a frown creased his brow.
Back in the ring, Enshou breathed heavily, his chest heaving. "You almost cut my head off," he gasped, a hint of genuine alarm in his voice. "Are you trying to kill me?"
Zack's response was delivered with chilling nonchalance. "You wouldn't be the first I've killed. Now, when are you going to show me that move you used on Rebel to finish him off?" Zack's eyes narrowed. "I believe they called it 'The Betrayal,' Dextin's own move. Show it to me."
Enshou looked at him, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, before a knowing smirk spread across his face. "Ah, 'The Betrayal.' It's a move executed without the opponent's knowledge, which means you wouldn't know when I would strike." Enshou's eyes glinted mischievously. "But I do have a technique I've been working on, one I've been saving especially for you. Are you ready?"
A wave of confusion rippled through the crowd. "How many techniques does this guy even have?" one spectator muttered. Others were impressed, wondering how a seemingly older man could possess such an arsenal of skills, while some were more skeptical. "This guy is so old, I'm surprised he can even fight, let alone have new techniques," someone quipped. "Yeah, he must be a decade old!" another added, scoffing.
In the ring, Zack took a subtle step back, creating a bit more distance, just in case Enshou's "new technique" involved something unexpectedly close-range. "So, you've got some kind of vanishing technique?" Zack asked, his voice flat.
Enshou's grin widened. "You could say that. And I also know you're not at 100% right now. I didn't see you at the medical center, and judging by your usual stubbornness, I can tell you think you're too tough to go. You don't want to admit that Tusk really beat the hell out of you. So now I..."
Zack cut him off, his tone sharp. "Are you going to keep talking, or are you going to get on with it? 100% or not, I'm still more than enough to beat you, old man. Let's see that new technique." Despite his cocky words, Zack's expression remained utterly devoid of emotion.
Enshou chuckled, raising his katana backward in a throwing posture. "Fine, if you insist." With surprising force, he hurled his sword directly at Zack. Zack's eyes tracked the spinning blade, a thought forming in his mind. (Is this the new technique? Him throwing his weapon? What a fool. I can just dodge and attack him now that he's disarmed.)
But before Zack could even initiate his dodge, in less than a second, an impossible feat unfolded. What seemed like a literal teleportation, Enshou vanished from his spot and reappeared directly in front of Zack, grabbing his sword mid-air. With fluid precision, Enshou brought the blade down, landing a deep, slicing wound across Zack's chest.
Zack stumbled backward, shock and sudden weakness draining him. The residual effects of his brutal fight with Tusk, combined with this unexpected attack, took their toll. He dropped to one knee, a gasp escaping his lips. The crowd was utterly stunned, a collective gasp echoing through the arena as Enshou pulled off what seemed like an impossible move. Even Aingo, usually unshakeable, looked visibly shocked, not having anticipated such a technique. Up in the royal chamber, King Neon's face broke into a broad smile, his mind already calculating the tactical usefulness of such a skill.
In the ring, Enshou stood over Zack, a triumphant smile on his face. "Now I just have to do that a couple more times, and you're done." He then turned his attention to Tanker, who was watching from the contenders' area, his expression a mixture of surprise and distaste. "Do you still think you're going to win this tournament?" Enshou asked teasingly, his voice carrying clearly across the arena. Tanker's frown deepened, a silent challenge in his eyes.