Chapter 28: The God-Slayer's Fight
After remaining motionless for a long time, the first to move was Salvatore Doni.
Hikigaya didn't know whether it was because Doni had found a flaw in his stance, or because he simply felt that continuing this combat trajectory had lost its meaning. In any case, Hikigaya himself hadn't spotted a flaw in Doni.
It was just a single strike.
There was nothing else to say but—speed.
It was a speed that could rival light, not quite divine speed, but already beyond what could be countered with vision alone. Even as a God Slayer, Hikigaya couldn't rely on sight to track it.
If this had been earlier, Hikigaya wouldn't have known how to deal with such a strike—maybe relying on some bizarre God Slayer instinct. But now, he could clearly "observe" this strike.
Almost simultaneously with Doni's slash, Hikigaya made his move.
His body dropped suddenly, Doni's sword just grazing his hair as it passed, and at the same time, he had already charged into Doni's close-quarters range.
Pencak Silat, more commonly known as Malaysian boxing, like other martial arts, has various styles—though not many. The five more widespread schools are:
-Minangkabau
-Silat Serak
-Silat Tiga
-Gayong
-Gayong Siam
Among them, Minangkabau refers to an indigenous tribe of the Sumatra region, which had ruled parts of the Malay Peninsula during the 12th century. Culturally, they had a significant influence on the local Malay people, especially in Negeri Sembilan, where the Minangkabau Kingdom once existed and whose traditions remain strong to this day. Minangkabau-style Silat was directly passed down from that tribe.
The martial art of the Demon God Fist also inherited many traits from this style—emphasizing low, crouching movements, and focusing attacks on an opponent's lower body. Thanks to its consistently low stance, it was difficult for opponents to retaliate against the lower body. Even attacking the upper body wasn't easy, because both hands typically circled defensively around the head—this technique was incorporated by the Demon God Fist into his own stance and later passed down to Hikigaya.
Now, Doni—after launching that one strike—was facing the same situation.
Doni wielded a knight's sword, and although it wasn't short and his skill was extraordinary, once a move was launched, it would take time to change it—and Hikigaya wouldn't necessarily grant him that time.
Hikigaya had no intention of being generous. He slithered up toward Doni from below like a snake.
If Doni didn't react soon, Hikigaya would go for either a collarbone dislocation or a grappling submission. Even if a God Slayer's bones were tougher than alloy, joints were still joints.
"Oh?" Doni looked surprised. "So this is the type of boxing you use."
As he spoke, his body retreated like the wind, dodging Hikigaya's grappling attempt—clearly, he had mastered footwork for quick advances and retreats.
But Hikigaya was already airborne.
His martial art also integrated many beast-like movements, with attacks resembling tigers and panthers.
One mistake leads to another—they say. Whether that applied to God Slayers or not, Hikigaya wasn't going to let this opportunity go. After all, since becoming a God Slayer, it had been a long time since he'd felt the thrill of a proper duel.
Soaring like a tiger, he pounced on Doni, fists clenched, slamming downward.
This move had a vivid name—"Fierce Tiger Pounce"—and it was one of Hikigaya's best techniques.
It also drew on the brutal style of Silat Tiga, one of the five Silat schools—fist-focused with legwork.
Doni dodged again. That kind of move was clearly hard to deal with.
As Hikigaya came crashing down, his double fists slammed the ground, cracking it like a spider web.
But after two evasions, Doni had gained enough space.
"Well struck! Now take another one of mine!"
He laughed heartily and swung his beloved sword again.
In the darkness, light exploded.
It was the light reflected by Doni's sword.
Countless sword lights, like a vast net, enveloped Hikigaya.
Each was a straight-line thrust—simple, but supremely sharp.
The sword carried intense magical power—just a touch from its tip could pierce the body. Because of this, although it was merely a handmade item, it was regarded by European magi as a magic sword.
Hikigaya dodged one strike, two, and more—but finally, one beam of sword light struck him. The magic sword pierced through his body.
"Huh?"
Just as Doni was about to shift from a thrust to a slash, he paused in confusion.
He didn't feel like he had pierced anything solid.
The answer became clear—the Hikigaya he had pierced vanished.
Now, all around Doni, more than a dozen different Hikigayas appeared—each moving in a different way.
"Afterimages? No…"
Doni swung his sword again, and the air filled with sharp, unmatched sword flashes. But they all missed—just like before—none of them were real.
Every hit connected—yet turned to nothingness.
BOOM—!
With a deafening roar, Doni's sword gouged a giant hole in the ground. Then he stopped and looked around.
Still, many Hikigayas surrounded him…
"This isn't magic…" A burning excitement lit up in Doni's eyes. "What amazing martial arts!"
"After all, I'm like you—I've reached this point by slaying a god. If I couldn't manage this much, that'd be unacceptable."
Hikigaya's voice echoed from all directions.
Not just on the ground—even in the sky, Hikigaya's forms appeared.
It was the very technique that the Demon God Fist had once used to confuse Hikigaya.
The next moment, all the figures moved at once, charging Doni.
But Doni knew the truth—these were just illusions appearing and disappearing rapidly. Because they were so fast, they appeared lifelike.
Knowing that was one thing. Countering it was another. But for someone like Doni, that didn't matter.
What mattered was that he could fight to his heart's content.
"Haha! Yes! To have a fellow like you—it's wonderful. No, I should say—a true friend!"
Doni laughed and charged into the fray.
Instantly, the battlefield was filled with flying dust and swirling chaos—sword lights and fist shadows tangled in an unending clash.
Whether fists, feet, or greatswords, both sides clashed violently.
"Got you!"
Among the countless afterimages, Doni suddenly shouted. He spun mid-air like a windmill, sweeping away the illusions around him, then turned with a slash—plunging his sword into the chest of the Hikigaya behind him.
But before he could show disappointment, another Hikigaya emerged from his side, coldly saying:
"Indeed, you got me!"
In that instant, it was as if the whole world was about to explode.
Hikigaya unleashed one of the ultimate techniques of Pencak Silat taught to him by the Demon God Fist—
"Spiraling Phantom of the Dead."
As the name implies, it was a technique of spiraling around the enemy, binding and crushing them—one of Silat's secret arts.
The spot where the two stood turned into a whirlwind of violence!
Hikigaya clung tightly to Doni, locking his sword-wielding right arm, and launched an all-out assault.
Not just punching—but tripping, sweeping, locking, pouncing, throwing, choking, dislocating…
The Demon God Fist's Silat style featured a vast variety of attacks, not only integrating the five core Silat schools but also techniques from jujitsu, wrestling, and more. "Spiraling Phantom of the Dead" was a product of this evolution.
In this state, Doni's magic sword was rendered useless—his joints were tightly restrained, preventing him from striking. He could only passively protect himself from fatal blows.
If this continued, he would likely be defeated.
In fact, the move was terrifying—fully exploiting all the weaknesses of the human body. If Doni weren't a God Slayer, he would've already been torn apart.
Finally, he found an opening and freed his sword arm's joint, escaping the storm of violence.
Hikigaya didn't pursue—he let Doni go.
"How was that?"
He asked.
"Pretty good." Doni held his right arm and reconnected the joint. "Now I owe you one."
"I'm waiting," Hikigaya once again appeared behind Doni. "Honestly, your movements have gotten a bit sluggish."
The storm resumed!
"Try this again!"
Another powerful throw—this time, Doni was slammed into the ground, creating a deep pit. His resistance was clearly weaker than before.
This was the true terror of "Spiraling Phantom of the Dead"—each hit degraded the body, making it even harder to resist the next.
Again and again, until the opponent was worn down and destroyed.
Whether a God Slayer could be worn down was uncertain. This move had never defeated one before—but now, Doni was the perfect test subject.