The half-mink flared with electricity and launched forward, the air behind him ripping apart as he vanished.
Ryo (thinking): This might not even hurt you... but that's not my plan right now.
Lightning flooded his arm, crawling over his skin in violent arcs. The crackling grew so intense it ignited — fire blooming over his fist, red and gold flames twisting around the electricity.
Ryo: You're not the only one that can use fire! Now eat this!
He appeared directly in front of S-Wolf and drove his fist deep into the Seraphim's gut.
Ryo: Red hawk!
The impact detonated.
Fire and lightning exploded outward, the shockwave shredding the room as S-Wolf was hurled like a missile through multiple walls, vanishing into another chamber in a storm of debris.
Ryo didn't stop.
He shot after him in a thunderous streak.
Behind him, Zoro's voice cut through the chaos.
Zoro: Hey Ryo! When the flames go out, it's them usually switching between offence and defence, it's quick, but you'll see it!
Ryo nodded without looking back and vanished into the ruined corridor.
⸻
He burst into the next room, skidding to a halt as dust rolled across the floor.
S-Wolf rose slowly from a crater in the far wall.
Ryo straightened, electricity whispering over his body.
Ryo: Tch... we keep meeting like this knockoff. I don't know if it's fate, or god being lazy, but one thing I know for sure, is these fights haven't got me even a little bit closer to beating the real Hirito... so you're nothing but a nuisance to me now.
For a split second, S-Wolf stood perfectly still.
Then the air around him changed.
Ryo felt it immediately — the pressure, the hostility sharpening like a blade.
Ryo (thinking): so that's it huh... it's finally fully switched its attention to me. knew Hirito hated me so much that even his clone would want to kill me.
Green blood lifted from S-Wolf's skin and crawled over his wings, coating them in thick, flowing crimson. They expanded, reshaping, growing far larger than before — heavy, powerful, alive.
They spread.
And S-Wolf rose into the air.
A long katana of hardened blood formed in his grasp, its edge glistening like liquid glass.
Ryo's hand closed around his own hilt.
His blade ignited.
With a flick of his legs, he kicked against the air and launched upward, Luna Dance carrying him smoothly into the sky.
The two hovered, facing each other in the ruined chamber.
Firelight. Bloodlight. Lightning.
Then they vanished.
They collided midair.
Steel screamed. Blood blades met burning edge. The shockwave fractured the surrounding walls and sent chunks of metal spiraling outward as the two locked for a brief, violent instant.
Ryo twisted his body and snapped an axe kick downward.
His heel slammed into the Seraphim's skull and drove him toward the floor.
