Just as Jin and Vazar began their fight, Ryuto stood face-to-face with a man taller than him. The towering figure held a massive red axe, its blade resting dangerously close to the dagger-wielding woman at his side. Ryuto's grip tightened on his weapon.
"Kido Ryuto, SSS-rank Evolver. One of Japan's strongest men—it's my pleasure to meet you." The axe-wielding man spoke in Russian, his voice eerily calm. With a casual motion, he pulled back his axe and took a few slow steps away.
Ryuto tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "Pleasure to meet you too, Maxim Volkov. You're an SSS-rank Evolver yourself—no need to make me sound like the big deal here. But what exactly are you doing here?" His words were soft yet firm, spoken fluently in Russian as he casually stretched his arms.
Maxim's smirk widened. "Oh? You can speak Russian? Impressive. As for why I'm here… I have no interest in fighting you. My target is that man—Jin. So, step aside." His tone remained calm, almost polite, yet there was an undeniable weight behind his words.
Ryuto exhaled slowly, his gaze unwavering. "Is that so? Then let me make this clear—if you want to go after him, you'll have to go through me first."
Maxim let out a short chuckle before his smirk twisted into something more dangerous. "Looks like I'll have to kill you first, then."
In the blink of an eye, Maxim closed the distance, his red axe cutting through the icy air. With monstrous force, he swung at Ryuto's left side.
Ryuto barely managed to block the attack, crossing his arms as the blade met his forearm. Even so, the axe's sharp edge bit into his skin, drawing blood. Then—
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted from the impact, splitting the ice beneath them. The sheer force sent Ryuto hurtling backward, smashing through jagged ice formations. He flew atleast over few kilometers, crashing through one frozen mountain after another, each impact sending shards of ice into the freezing air. The land itself trembled under the force of their clash.
Ryuto thrust his right hand into the icy ground, his fingers digging deep to halt his momentum. The ice cracked beneath his grip, sending shards flying as he finally slowed himself down. But just as he was about to come to a full stop—
Maxim was already in front of him.
Eyes widening, Ryuto twisted his body at the last second and launched a powerful kick at Maxim's neck. The impact sent Maxim flying through the air. Ryuto landed on his feet, exhaling sharply before glancing at his left arm—blood dripped onto the snow.
"That was close," he muttered softly, flexing his fingers. His gaze shifted to the battlefield around him—massive icebergs, jagged peaks, and endless white stretching as far as the eye could see.
"Looks like I'll have to use my hands for this one."
The moment he spoke, Maxim was already charging at him again.
As Maxim closed the distance, his body tensed—and suddenly, he spewed magma from his mouth.
A massive surge of molten rock engulfed the ice, melting an entire iceberg into steam and slush. The searing heat turned the battlefield into chaos, the freezing air clashing violently with the rising heat waves.
"You caught me off guard again."
Maxim's eyes darted behind him—Ryuto was already there.
Ryuto leaped into the air, spinning mid-flight before aiming another kick at Maxim's neck. But this time, Maxim was ready. He raised his axe, blocking the strike with the flat of his blade. In the same motion, he swung his axe downward, slamming it into Ryuto's stomach.
BOOM!
The impact sent Ryuto flying once more, his body cutting through the icy landscape like a bullet. Icebergs shattered in his wake as the freezing winds howled around them.
Ryuto landed on the frozen ground, his boots skidding slightly as he steadied himself. He exhaled, feeling the sting of the wound on his stomach. His eyes lowered to the torn fabric, and a sigh escaped his lips.
"Tch... This was a new shirt." He muttered in disappointment.
A low chuckle echoed through the icy air.
"What are you doing? You're starting to disappoint me." Maxim said in Russian, his voice carrying a hint of irritation as he strode forward, his heavy footsteps crunching against the ice.
Ryuto rolled his shoulders, then flexed his fingers. "Fighting without my sword feels... empty." His tone was soft, almost indifferent. But then, his stance shifted. His gaze locked onto Maxim. "Let's not waste any more time. Let's finish this."
Suddenly, a white light surged around his right hand, swirling like a storm of raw energy. The ice beneath him cracked from the sheer force.
Maxim stopped, watching with amusement as a smirk crept onto his lips. "Now we're getting serious."
Without warning, his massive axe began to melt, the molten metal shifting and twisting as it crawled up his body. The liquid steel hardened, reshaping itself into a blazing suit of armor, covering Maxim entirely.
The frozen wasteland around them steamed, the intense heat from his armor creating a mist that blurred the battlefield.
In the blink of an eye, they both vanished from their spots.
BOOM! Their fists met mid-air, unleashing a shockwave that CRACKED the icy ground beneath them. The frozen wasteland trembled as the impact sent shards of ice flying in every direction.
Ryuto's sharp gaze locked onto Maxim. In an instant, he SNAPPED his hand forward, seizing Maxim's wrist. Using the momentum, he TWISTED his body mid-air and—WHAM!—drove a brutal kick into Maxim's face.
THWACK! Maxim's head whipped back from the force, his breath escaping in a sharp grunt. But he reacted instantly. BANG! His palm SLAMMED onto the ice, sending out a forceful shockwave that destabilized Ryuto's footing.
Before Ryuto could regain balance, Maxim's fist came crashing down like a meteor—THUD!—smashing into Ryuto's back with a sickening impact.
CRASH! Ryuto's body BLASTED through the ice, the frozen ground shattering beneath him as an explosion of snow and jagged ice fragments erupted into the air. Deep fissures tore through the battlefield, their jagged edges glowing faintly from the lingering heat of Maxim's magma-infused strength.
Ryuto thrust his hand against the icy ground, fingers digging into the frost as he spun his body. WHOOSH! With seamless precision, he twisted his momentum and drove his fist into Maxim's forearm—CRACK!—shattering a section of his molten armor.
For a brief moment, the red-hot metal fractured, glowing cracks racing along the surface. But before Ryuto could capitalize on it, SIZZLE! the armor repaired itself, liquid metal surging back into place like it had never been broken.
"Tch…" Ryuto clicked his tongue but didn't hesitate. His body blurred—FWIP!—and in the next instant, he was already in front of Maxim again. Too close.
Maxim's eyes barely widened in reaction before Ryuto's right fist was already swinging forward, a white light coiling around his arm like a spiraling comet.
Ryuto's lips parted. His voice was calm—almost quiet—but carried a weight that made the air itself tremble.
"Thunder Impact."
BOOM! The moment his glowing fist COLLIDED with Maxim's stomach, the world EXPLODED.
KRRRRRSH! Maxim's armor didn't just break—it ERUPTED into glowing fragments, dispersing in all directions like molten shrapnel. A deafening shockwave followed, sending massive ice chunks, snow, and dust flying into the air as if a bomb had just detonated at point-blank range.
The very ground beneath them—thick sheets of ancient ice—SHATTERED into countless jagged shards, each the size of a building. CRRRACK! Fissures raced outward like a network of lightning veins, splitting the frozen battlefield apart.
Maxim was launched like a bullet, his body tearing through the icy wasteland, SMASHING through several towering icebergs before disappearing into the distance. BOOOOM! Each collision sent waves of shattered ice and frost soaring into the air like an avalanche.
If that impact had landed in a city—there would be no city left.
The storm of destruction finally settled, leaving behind a crater where Ryuto stood, his breath visible in the freezing air. His fist, still faintly glowing, lowered to his side. He exhaled slowly, his golden eyes scanning the horizon where Maxim had disappeared.
"Ah… my arm." Ryuto muttered softly, his breath visible in the freezing air. His gaze dropped to his right hand, now drenched in his own blood, fingers trembling slightly. It was broken.
"His armor was tough… broke my hand." Ryuto muttered, glancing at his bloodied fingers. Despite the pain, a faint smirk crossed his lips.
"Well, looks like I'll have to stay in the hospital for a while," he murmured, voice tinged with quiet amusement, before sinking onto the icy ground, letting exhaustion take over.
With that, he let his body sink into the icy ground, the cold biting at his skin as he stared up at the sky, letting exhaustion finally catch up to him.
Maxim lay motionless on the cracked ice, his breath visible in the freezing air. His body refused to move, limbs numb from the impact. Overhead, the sky spun slowly, grey clouds drifting past.
Then he let out a low chuckle. "He really packed that punch…"
Bits of molten metal twitched around him, slowly crawling back to reform his shattered armor. Steam hissed as the pieces fused over his battered body.
"It's the first time someone's broken my defense," he muttered, almost in disbelief.
His gaze drifted toward the distant crater Ryuto had left behind, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
[Chapter 9 end]