Ryo sat atop a mountain of smoking scrap metal — what used to be a squadron of Vegapunk's robots. He lounged casually on the twisted heap, tail swaying lazily behind him, long red hair fluttering in the cool wind of Fabriophase.
Ryo: guess that was some excitement, I am kind of waiting for something to happen though, usually we've gotten into a big tussle by this point
He stretched his arms over his head—
BOOOOOOOM!!
An explosion thundered across the island. The shockwave blew him clean off the pile, and he hit the ground with an irritated grunt.
Ryo: ugh! Alright what was that?!
He closed his visible eye, taking a breath as observation Haki pulsed out of him in a thin, vibrating wave.
His fox instincts flared beneath it — sharper smell, sharper hearing, sharper awareness.
Ryo (thinking): the fight with kaido made me grow by leaps and bounds. So maybe by combining my natural senses and my observation Haki I can find specific people
The world sharpened into scent trails and faint heartbeats.
He sniffed — once — and caught it.
Familiar scents. Familiar killing intent.
Ryo: Lucci... Itsuki and Kaku, plus one other I don't recognise and a bunch of others that smell like nobodies, so Cp9 are here?
Electricity crackled around his shoulders as boredom melted away, replaced by that predatory grin.
Ryo (thinking): it does depend on how strong they've gotten over these last 2 years... but I fought kaido to a standstill. I don't think they can measure up to that
Then—
THOOOM!!
The ground trembled. Ryo felt the jolt through his feet — and the brief, sharp pulse of an electrical surge.
Ryo (thinking): one of Vegapunk's Satellites must have tried attacking lucci and he took them down... most likely killing or extremely injuring. As merciless as ever, Lucci
Before he could move, his ears twitched sharply.
Tempest kick!
A blade of compressed air tore toward him like a guillotine.
Ryo simply lifted his hand and caught it — stopping the attack cold until it dissipated harmlessly.
He sighed.
Ryo: come on out itsuki
A blur of white and black dropped from above.
Itsuki landed in front of him with perfect balance, tossing his cracked mask aside without breaking eye contact.
The two stared each other down, the breeze tugging at their coats, their hair, their scars.
Itsuki: I assume you could smell my scent coming this way
Ryo: I can smell you and your companions too, not to mention sensing you with my observation, but for assassins you weren't exactly stealthy
Itsuki shrugged.
Ituski: what can you do, it was necessary
The casual tone between them did nothing to hide the killing intent simmering underneath.
Two apex predators catching up like old acquaintances, yet seconds from tearing each other apart.
Itsuki: From what I can sense it looks like that brother of yours and lucci are about to have their rematch
Ryo: that's good, I bet they'll both enjoy it, that is why I chose not to kill you way back when
