"The gap between you and me is far beyond what you can imagine. If you keep approaching, all that will happen is you'll take a few more punches."
Jiren spoke calmly, watching Katakana slowly walk toward him with an unshaken expression.
If this was truly Katakana's limit, then Jiren saw no point in continuing the fight. After all, the punch he had thrown earlier hadn't even been at His full strength.
"Jiren, I know you're incredibly strong."
"And I also know that you haven't used your full power. But how do you know that I also have Reach My limit, You Don't know what's coming."
A confident smirk curled at the corner of Katakana's lips.
"Be careful, when you lose to me, it might not be a pretty sight!"
That last punch had made Katakana deeply aware of Jiren's terrifying strength.
But rather than feeling fear, Katakana only felt more excitement.
"Aha!!"
With a thunderous roar, Katakana's energy surged once more.
Rumble!
Behind him, an entire mountain peak shattered from the sheer force of his power, turning into dust in the air.
At the same time, powerful rose-purple energy erupted from Katakana's body like a raging storm.
"Fight me with everything you've got, Jiren!"
Katakana's gaze locked onto Jiren, his battle spirit burning fiercely.
But this time, Jiren's expression changed slightly.
A rare sight, he was smiling.
But it wasn't a friendly smile.
It was a mocking one.
A smile filled with contempt.
"I'll admit, you do look a little stronger now."
"But if you think you're worthy of seeing my full strength… you're still not even close!"
With a deep shout, Jiren's expression suddenly hardened.
In an instant, terrifying crimson energy exploded from his body.
The sheer force of it shook the battlefield, making it clear, Jiren was finally taking Katakana seriously.
Katakana's power was enough to serve as a warm-up.
As their auras clashed, the pressure alone was enough to cause countless mountain peaks around them to crumble into dust!
"Shhhhhh!!"
The next moment, both fighters launched forward like bullets.
One purple And Pink.
One red.
Their energies collided again and again in the air, each impact sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
With every clash, a thunderous boom erupted, and rings of sonic energy spread through the sky.
The force of their battle was so intense that the entire planet trembled violently.
Beneath them, the ground cracked open, forming a massive crater.
"It's been a long time… since anyone has fought me to this extent!"
"I have to admit, you're already quite impressive!"
Jiren and Katakana continued exchanging blows.
Every time their fists collided, the excitement in their eyes only grew stronger.
But among them, Jiren was clearly the most excited.
It had been too long since someone had pushed him this far.
And this feeling…
It felt amazing!
"What now? Still think I'm not worthy of being your Opponent?"
Katakana grinned, his excitement mirroring Jiren's.
How could he not feel thrilled by such an intense battle?
Moreover, he could feel it, every time his body clashed against Jiren's, his power was increasing.
His strength was evolving in real-time.
With every blow exchanged, he was growing stronger!
"Tch! Barely worthy of being my opponent!"
Jiren scoffed coldly.
This time, his fist surged with pure crimson energy as he threw out a devastating punch.
He wasn't holding back anymore.
"Come on, Jiren."
"Be a stepping stone on my path to becoming even stronger!!"
Rather than dodging, Katakana charged forward head-on, fists blazing with power.
"Boom! Boom! BOOM!"
The moment their fists met, the very air seemed to explode!
The sheer force of their collision sent a massive shockwave rippling across the planet.
And in that instant…
The entire planet shattered.
Katakana was sent flying backward, his body skidding through the air for tens of meters before he finally managed to regain his footing.
His brows furrowed slightly as the divine energy within him surged once more.
His rose-purple pupils gleamed with exhilaration.
"This guy… he had already reached his limit earlier, but he's still getting stronger?"
Jiren's mind raced.
He had noticed it before, Katakana had hit his physical limit.
And yet, somehow, his body was still adapting, still growing stronger!
With every exchange, his power was increasing.
Jiren had never encountered someone like this before.
"Could it be… that what he said was true? Is he really using me as a stepping stone?"
For the first time, a sense of unease crept into Jiren's mind.
But then, his gaze sharpened.
"If I'm a stepping stone, then let's see if you can withstand my full strength!"
With a powerful roar, Jiren launched a devastating kick straight at Katakana.
Katakana immediately raised both arms to block,
"BOOM!"
The instant Jiren's foot connected, Katakana's body was sent flying once more.
But before he could even stabilize himself, Jiren had already vanished,
And in the next moment,
"BOOM!"
A massive fist slammed into Katakana's back!
There was no time to dodge. No time to defend.
His body was sent crashing to the ground, creating a ten-meter-wide crater on impact!
Though it looked like a devastating blow, Katakana had managed to react just in time.
In that split second before impact, he had channeled all of his divine energy into his back, dispersing most of the force.
If he hadn't, that one attack from Jiren would have ended the fight right then and there.
"You've lasted this long against me,"
"That alone is something to be proud of!"
"But this battle ends now!"
Jiren's gaze was sharp as he looked down at Katakana.
"This next attack… let's see if you can survive it!"
For the first time, a flicker of uncertainty flashed in Jiren's eyes.
He hadn't expected Katakana to withstand his last blow.
And more importantly,
He had never seen someone who could grow stronger in the middle of a fight.
For the first time… Jiren felt a tinge of doubt.