Outbound

Inhuman Showdown, Part 3

Naoya continues to speak as he walks forwards in attempt to create some distance between them."Even if you blind me, I will still win against you." Naoya declares. Nero chuckles coldly at Naoya's declaration. "You really think you have a chance, even without your eyesight? You're deluding yourself, Naoya. You're already on your last legs." Naoya is thinking to himself meanwhile, Should I really use it? Can my body handle it?

 Naoya continues walking, his mind racing as he considers the state of his body. He knows that he's already severely wounded and pushing himself further could have dire consequences. But he also knows that if he doesn't do something drastic, he won't stand a chance against Nero. "Fuck it, I am doing it." Naoya concludes his thoughts. Naoya comes to a decision, his expression hardening in determination. "Looks like I'm going to have to resort to desperate measures," he mutters to himself. Naoya turns around and looks at Nero. The wounded eye closed, looking at him with one eye. As Naoya turns around, Nero regards him intently with a callous smirk. "What now? You're going to try something desperate, I take it?" Nero asks, his tone mocking. "Do you know the limiters on human's body?" Naoya asks. Nero raises an eyebrow at the question, intrigued by Naoya's statement. "Limiters... You mean those mental and physical barriers that keep us from pushing ourselves past our bodies' limits?" he asks. "There is a limit to how fast you can run, how fast you can move and how fast you can punch, hell there is a limit to how fast your cells regenerate." Naoya explains. Nero's smirk turns into a cold, knowing smile as he realizes where Naoya is going with this. "You're talking about removing those limits, aren't you? Risking your body to push past those boundaries." 

Naoya continues explaining, "This whole time I didn't understand why I started to get tired and hurt so easily after getting shot from my liver. I understand now. Ever since I was born, the limiters my body had wasn't even activated, the shot I received re-activated them to normal values of a human being." Nero's expression becomes more serious as he listens to Naoya's explanation. He could sense the weight and significance behind the wounded man's words. "You mean that you've been fighting with those limiters holding you back this entire time?" Nero clarifies. "My brain was operating without the usage of the limiters up until the point I got shot, it's time that I deactivated it at will." Naoya responds. Nero's smirk returns, a glint of interest in his eyes. "So you're going to deactivate your body's limits, huh? That's a risky move, especially since your body is already severely wounded." Naoya looks determined and responds, "This is my final chance to become the man who I once were. I am not about to waste it."

As Naoya deactivates his limiters, his body begins to react almost immediately. The slashes and wounds that Nero inflicted on him begin to heal at an accelerated rate, his regeneration abilities pushing his body to its limits to repair the damage.  Aki and Takemoto watch in shock as Naoya's wounds seem to vanish before their eyes. They can hardly believe the incredible rate at which he's healing. Meanwhile, Nero's eyes narrow as he regards Naoya, surprised by the sudden shift in the fight. "Let's go super human. It's fair fight now." Naoya says and takes a stance. Nero grins, excitement and a tinge of fear sparking in his eyes. He can feel the change in Naoya, the air crackling with a new energy. "Alright then. Let's see what you can do now that you're not half-dead anymore," he retorts and readies his katana. Nero's eyes widen in surprise as Naoya lunges at him at superhuman speed. Even with his enhanced reaction time, he's caught off guard by the sudden increase in speed. He barely has time to raise his katana to defend against the attack. Nero's katana snaps in two as Naoya strikes it with superhuman force. The sight of his broken katana seems to give Nero a jolt of realization. He's facing a completely different opponent now.

"It's strange. I feel like I am back in time." Naoya says, opening and closing his hands like before. Nero looks at Naoya with a mixture of intrigue and wariness. He can see the change in him, not just physically but also mentally. "You said you feel like you're back in time. What do you mean?" he asks, keeping his guard up. Naoya responds with a grin. "I am back to being the strongest hitman." Nero's smirk falters slightly at Naoya's words. He can see the fire in his eyes, the determination and the air of confidence that surrounds him. "Don't get too excited. The fight is just starting." Nero says, his tone slightly mocking. "Huh? The fight is just starting? Maybe you are right, let's spar like the old times." Naoya says. Nero's eyes narrow at Naoya's words, his smirk returning in full force. He's impressed by Naoya's sudden confidence and eagerness to fight. "You're quite different now, aren't you? Fine then. Let's dance," he replies, assuming a fighting stance. 

Naoya had taken a moment to send an encrypted message to Outbound the day before the fight against Nero. The message was short and simple, but encoded in a complex manner to ensure its secrecy. "Be ready" with a encrypted location attached. Ms. Fujiwara and Jun are discussing the message Naoya had sent earlier. Fujiwara's expression is concerned and thoughtful as she ponders over the contents of the message. "What do you think he means by 'be ready'?" Fujiwara asks Jun. "He probably had reasons to not reveal he was alive to us this whole time. He most likely wants us to be prepared to fight." Jun answers. Ms. Fujiwara nods in agreement. "You're probably right. Knowing Naoya, he likely had his reasons for staying hidden." She pauses, her expression turning more serious. "But we have no idea what he's facing. We have to be ready for anything." "We just have to go to that location we haven't figured out yet. Has Kyoko, Mori or Mako figured out the location yet?" Jun asks. Fujiwara shakes her head, her expression showing some concern. "No, not yet. They're working hard to figure out the location, but it's encrypted rather well." She sighs, her worry evident. "I just hope we can find out the location in time." "Let's go to the meeting building, we need to make a plan with the outbound." Jun says. Fujiwara nods in agreement, her expression hardening with determination.

"You're right. We need to meet with the rest of Outbound and come up with a plan. We have to be prepared for whatever Naoya's facing." "Let's go, we don't have much time." Jun says and gets up. Fujiwara stands up as well, a look of urgency in her eyes.

"You're right, come on. We can't waste any more time."