章節 17: Contact

With a soft expression filled with warmth, Karma said, "thanks."

"Hehe, what can I say? I'm a pretty awesome person!"

After this exchange of words, a blinding flash of light shone and within seconds, Karma came back to reality.

The audience was still howling, Father was still commentating and Rin still stood before him.

"You looked dazed Karma," Rin asserted. "You saw a ghost or something?"

"Well, sort of," Karma replied with a chuckle. "Surprisingly that ghost wasn't scary at all. It even ended up helping me!"

"I see… but seeing ghosts mid-battle doesn't sound like a good sign."

"Don't worry, I feel good as new. All my wounds have healed anyways," both physically and mentally.

"Yea, that seems to be the case. Your eyes… they aren't filled with dread anymore… I don't know how your expression and whole demeanor changed within a matter of seconds but you seem ready now. To fight to the death that is."

Rin took a fighting stance and in response, Karma did the same. Karma knew he couldn't win with brute strength, nor technique. What he needed was a single moment where Rin's guard was down.

At the current state, Rin moved, attacked and blocked in such a way that there were no openings in his form. Whereas Karma's movement was sloppy and inconsistent. The difference in experience was evident. But this fight, even under such conditions, was possible to win. It all relied on that one thing.

"You know Rin. I may be a cripple but I can use some magic too," Karma exclaimed in a playful tone.

"Why are you telling me such a blatant lie. If you're going to bluff, at least make it believable."

"Well, you'll believe me soon enough," Karma replied while charging towards Rin. Once within attacking distance, he clenched his fist and prepared himself to strike.

"Magical-"

In response, Rin raised his arms, ready to block the attack.

"Punch!!!"

In the last moment before he pushed his fist forward, Karma transferred all his power into his leg and struck Rin on his shin. The impact made Rin lose his footing, leading him to fall to the ground. Attempting to seize the opportunity, Karma lunged forward and landed a direct strike onto Rin's vitals mid-fall.

Immediately after, Karma aimed his dagger toward Rin's right shoulder. His goal was to immobilize Rin as much as possible before executing his all or nothing plan. However, as he went to stab Rin once again, the attack was easily avoided.

In the next moment, Rin pulled Karma towards himself and while holding Karma's right arm in place, he proceeded to relentlessly throw a barrage of fists enhanced by armament magic.

The damage lead Karma to drop his dagger and was now left with no option other than to endure everything that came his way. But right now, no matter much pain he had to endure, none of it mattered. After all, his regeneration would be able to heal it all.

All that mattered was to win-

"That "magical punch" was anything but magical let alone the fact it was actually a kick!

"That's what makes my attack magical," Karma replied with a slight chuckle. His voice weakened from the earlier damage.

"Seemed more like a stray dog's cowardly attempt to taste victory."

"Cowardly…?"

Karma's eyes gravitated towards the floor directly below his right hand. The dagger that had fallen earlier remained seated onto the ground with no way for Karma to retrieve it.

"Right now, I am locked in place. Unable to escape from your grip. On top of that, you possess the power to easily kill me in a single moment. All you'd have to do was strike my heart with the dagger that you possess. Instead, you decided to punch me over and over again as if to give me another chance. That chance that you've given me allowed me to take the ultimate gamble!!!"

Karma rose his left arm and remained still for a moment.

"What are you doing?" Rin asked rather confused. "Are you going to punch me to death? Don't make me laugh. That left hand of yours is just as useless as your right. You lost even with tricks. What can your other hand do that your right could not?"

Karma gave no response. Instead, a grotesque smile to that of a demon could be seen swept across his face.

Killing intent. An aura filled with killing intent surrounded Rin.

During this moment, Rin noticed a strikingly similar dagger in the palms of Karma's hand.

"The second dagger!?" Rin shouted in dismay, but the realization came too late. The two were mere inches away from one another and Karma was currently in a position where if he lunged forward, he would most definitely inflict fatal damage.

Although caught off guard, Rin was a warrior who had experienced several fights. Even in this dire situation, he rose his free arm ready to block the attack. His only option was to sacrifice this free arm of his in order to save his vitals from being destroyed which would, in turn, save his life.

But Karma had taken this into account. Rin was a man putting his life on the line for the sake of winning. Sacrificing his arm was a small price to pay.

So what if Karma was only mere inches away from Rin? So what if Karma could inflict fatal damage?

That wouldn't be enough against a man fighting death itself. In the end, such a man would be the one to triumph. With this in mind, the only way for Karma to win was to simply play on the same playing field.

And in order to enter this playing field, Karma came to the decision. That he would bet his life onto a single all or nothing moment. That moment was now or never. In one swift action, Karma rose his left hand above his right and in the next moment, he slashed his wrist.

Rin was shocked for a moment, before being blinded by the torrent of blood gushing at him. Without a moment's delay, Karma aimed his dagger at Rin's chest and finally made contact.