“Hyahahaha! Now you’re getting me excited! Don’t you dare disappoint me!”
Far from being intimidated by Yugo’s words—which radiated a cold fury he made no effort to hide—Burn’s excitement only flared higher. His fists ignited with roaring flames as he lunged forward.
Burn pressed the attack aggressively, unleashing a flurry of jabs, hooks, straights, and short uppercuts. Yugo, however, evaded the onslaught with clinical precision. As Burn’s momentum carried him past, Yugo spun and drove a heavy backhand strike into the man’s spine.
“Guh?!”
With a dull thud, Burn was sent reeling, slamming into a nearby wall with a pained groan.
He stood up, wiping his mouth as if to brush away blood that wasn’t actually there. He stared at Yugo, who was slowly turning back toward him, and let out a low whistle.
“As expected of Hugo Clay... your Experience Points are in a league of their own. This is going to be fun.”
Unlike the other Reincarnators—who coasted on their starting bonuses and spent their time on easy, efficient Experience Point Farming—Yugo was a veteran of countless desperate, life-and-death battles. Having felt that strength firsthand, Burn’s blood boiled with a manic joy that exceeded his wildest imagination.
In contrast, Yugo remained stoic, focused only on the task of dismantling his opponent.
“Ora ora ora! How about this?!”
Flames erupted around Burn’s fists. With a series of rapid-fire straight punches, he generated a barrage of fire bullets, launching a Long-range Attack at Yugo.
Yugo didn't flinch. He didn't even bother to dodge the flames, which served as little more than a distraction. Treating the move as an opening, he closed the distance in a heartbeat.
“What?!”
“I told you to get out of my way!!” Yugo let out a shout of pure rage as he buried a rising uppercut into Burn’s chest.
The impact launched Burn into the air, and Yugo followed up with a merciless pursuit.
“Hut! Haah!!”
“Ugh?! Wha—!!”
Yugo’s fist buried itself into Burn’s gut, striking downward to smash him back toward the earth. As Burn’s body was forced violently toward the ground, Yugo drove another fist into him just before he hit the dirt, then channeled Magic Power into his legs.
“Move!!”
“Guaaaaaaaaah!!”
After the two consecutive punches, Burn’s body bounced off the ground, only to be caught by a Front Kick wreathed in Crimson and Black Magic Power.
The impact triggered a chain of small explosions that sent Burn tumbling across the yard. Despite the agonizing pain, he rolled to a stop and let out a manic laugh.
“Hya... hahahaha! Yes! This is exactly how it should be! You’re special, Hugo Clay!”
Thrilled by Yugo’s strength and the rare opportunity to fight a truly powerful enemy, Burn stood up, his voice trembling with elation.
Yugo couldn't have cared less about the man’s twisted hobbies. Rescuing his precious younger brother, Fee, was the only thing that mattered. He launched into a relentless follow-up, giving the staggering Burn no room to breathe.
From their vantage point in the school building, Hypno turned to Dogma.
“He is demonstrating strength far beyond our estimates. Even if Burn isn't fighting seriously yet, the sheer disparity of this battle is striking.”
“Fufufu...! I didn't underestimate him, but this is a delightful miscalculation!”
Dogma wore a predatory smile as she watched Yugo one-sidedly beat down Burn, the man who possessed the greatest pure Martial Strength among their group.
As Hypno had noted, Burn was clearly holding back his true form... but then again, Yugo was barely even utilizing the Blaster’s complex functions or switching between his various modes.
To Dogma, seeing Yugo dominate while in such a basic state was a "happy miscalculation." As she watched, Yugo prepared to land a final, decisive blow.
“Get lost. If you want to play, I’ll deal with you as much as you want after I’ve taken Fee back!”
Once again, Yugo concentrated Magic Power into his legs. He gave the wobbling Burn a light shove to set him up, then spun into a Side Kick.
Stepping in with perfect timing, he drove a Side Kick infused with maximum Magic Power directly into Burn’s throat. The strike detonated, and Burn was sent skidding across the yard, coming to a stop at the feet of Dogma and her companions.
“Ga... hu...! Heh, hehehehe...!”
Though Burn laughed defiantly, he was clearly at his limit. He hadn't lost consciousness, but the strike to his Vital Point was devastating. His transformation finally shattered, and he stood up unsteadily in his human form.
Yugo ignored him, his eyes fixed on Dogma—the woman who clearly held the most authority.
“What’s it going to be?” he growled, an Aura of Anger radiating from his form. “Are you going to fight me too?”
If they were, he would show them no mercy.
At that moment, the sounds of the battle reached the rest of the academy. Students spilled out of the school building, following the noise until they formed a wide perimeter around Yugo and Dogma’s group, watching the confrontation with bated breath.