A New Masterpiece (COTE x OC)

Chapter 58 - Dread

"What's the matter? Aren't you gonna play, Ayanokouji? Why aren't you dodging these easy attacks?" Ryuuen bickered.

"I was testing a hypothesis. I truly wanted to see whether I could feel the fear you had talked about," he replied.

"You've got some nerve to be condescending in a situation like this, you freak!"

Kiyotaka was playing some mind games with Ryuuen. Taunting him with their extreme difference in power, but it also seemed like Kiyotaka was genuinely curious about what Ryuuen was preaching.

Nevertheless, Ryuuen didn't back down, despite the vast difference in ability, Ryuuen didn't give up.

"Where'd you get this kinda strength, Ayanokouji? This isn't normal for a high schooler."

Ayanokouji closed the distance to Ryuuen, as did I from his blind side.

"All this hidden power, but to keep it hidden," Ryuuen said. "You must have enjoyed looking down on us scum. Did it feel good?"

"I don't look down on others. Whether they fail or succeed has nothing to do with me."

Ryuuen pushed back his hair, laughing a little in response. "Guess I'll just have to teach you what true fear feels like!"

Ryuuen shifted his stance, preparing to drive his knee into Kiyotaka's head. Before he could, I threw a punch at the unprotected right side of his head from behind.

Before the blow could land, Ryuuen used his whole arm to protect his head from the blow.

"I haven't forgotten about you," he muttered.

Kiyotaka took this as his opportunity to strike, and he landed a vicious right hook directly to his face.

"Gah!"

It was such a strong strike that anyone normally would've been incapacitated from it. But Ryuuen just stumbled backward.

He fell back onto one knee on the concrete, using one of his hands to try and keep his balance.

Kiyotaka and I continued a flurry of kicks and punches on Ryuuen.

He tried to stumble back up to his feet and guard himself, but the coordination of our attacks was too much for him to handle.

"You said you've never felt fear, didn't you, Ryuuen?" Kiyotaka asked as we momentarily stopped the beatdown.

"Ah... ah... heh, that's right. I don't know fear. I've never known it."

Ryuuen's breath was labored now. His face was bruised, his eyes nearly swollen shut. But he still fought back. His strength was gone, all he could do was weakly swing at the air.

Kiyotaka delivered a powerful blow to his solar plexus.

"Ugh..! I'm a confident fighter, but it's not like I've never lost before. It's because I've lost so many times more than others that- gah!"

I punched him multiple times, alternating between left and right. Blood started to trickle down from his mouth, but he still sat there confidently.

"Violence shows the true nature of everyone. Who are the ones doing the beating and the ones being beaten." Ryuuen let out a weak chuckle. "Ah, ahhh... Ha... This must be fun for you two. You can afford to be cocky with your abilities. You're free. You can do whatever you please. Show me, Ayanokouji..."

Kiyotaka hit him once again, knocking him onto his back. Not leaving him a minute to breathe, Kiyotaka pounced on him and continued with a flurry of lefts and rights.