Ashlem's eyes turned green, and he stretched the chains with force just before Nero could bring his sword down against his face. As the sword descended, at a speed that seemed minimal to the Hunter’s eyes, the chains broke with a powerful and fascinating motion, sending particles of the material flying chaotically.
Nero brought the sword down, but it was too late to strike the Hunter, who was no longer in the chair but standing beside the seat that had been sliced in half along with the floor.
"Hunter!" Nero's eyes widened for a brief second as he exclaimed the other's title, but he quickly masked his reaction.
"You’re going to have to answer what you did to my memories before your life is extinguished with a single move," said Ashlem in a threatening voice.
"Bastard!!!" Nero said angrily, raising his sword to strike the Hunter once more.
"No-no, don’t you think it would be better not to use your sword? I’m not using any weapon," Ashlem said, wagging his index finger to emphasize the 'no'.
Nero paused his attack and looked into Ashlem’s eyes, which were still green. In that same gaze, the swordsman noticed a scar on the Hunter's left cheekbone—a scar that had gone unnoticed for a long time, a remnant from the horrible event involving Ashlem’s younger brother, something Ashlem hated remembering.
"I’ll take that suggestion."
"Spoken like a man brave enough to face me," said Ashlem, clenching his fists.
Nero sheathed his sword on his back and also clenched his fists in response to Ashlem’s invitation. The man with black eyes tried to hide the admiration gleaming in his gaze, but it was difficult to do discreetly.
"Shut up and let’s get down to business."
"Funny that you think it would be easy to finish me off. After the beating, you’ll tell me what you did to make me lose even my memory, you..."
Suddenly, Nero punched Ashlem in the chest, but Ashlem merely looked at him and scratched his chin casually. Nero tried to deliver another punch to the same spot, but Ashlem was fast enough to dodge the attack, step beside his enemy’s arm, and deliver an uppercut to Nero’s jaw that launched the man straight up to the ceiling. He hit the roof of the structure with such force that, when he rebounded, he slammed back to the ground like a ball.
Nero rose, stunned by what had just happened, fists still clenched but now with a fierce urge to grab his sword and end this. All sense of honor had left his mind after seeing the small yet devastating demonstration from the feared Hunter.
In truth, even though Nero had heard of the Hunter’s fame, he hadn’t believed it. It was even worse now because he had used Singla’s abilities to try to drain Ashlem’s energy—yet the man stood there, untouched.
"The idea of not using your sword seems to leave you at a disadvantage, weak Soul Devourer," said Ashlem mockingly, stepping closer to his enemy.
Ashlem charged forward with speed and precision, his eyes glowing a vibrant green. His clenched fists were weapons themselves, remnants of the pain bracelets abandoned by the broken chains, and every movement carried strength and intent.
Nero barely had time to reach for his sword when Ashlem threw a direct punch into the air that created a gust of wind so strong it hurled debris in every direction. Nero, however, was no ordinary adversary.
He sidestepped, spinning his right arm to create a momentary barrier against the impact of the gust.
The Hunter kept up the pressure, striking Nero with an unrelenting sequence of punches and kicks. Although Nero managed to block some of them, Ashlem's speed was incredible, and occasional blows slipped through his defenses, opening cuts and leaving bruises. Nero growled and his black eyes burnt. He knew brute strength alone would not defeat the man before him.
Realizing that hand-to-hand combat wasn't enough, Nero leapt backward, his boots tearing into the ground with the power of the move. He reached out toward his sword, which lay against a wall among the debris.
"Enough playing around, Hunter," he said, his voice filled with firmness.
The moment he grasped the sword’s hilt, a wave of dark energy spread across the room, making the air heavier and more oppressive. His hands tightened around the blade as he strategically stepped back, preparing for a counterattack.
Ashlem stepped back once, his green eyes gleaming with a mix of caution and fascination.
"Finally decided to grab your little toy. Let’s see what you can do with it," he taunted, assuming a defensive stance.
Nero didn’t respond. He spun the sword skillfully, the black blade emitting a dark glow that seemed to swallow the light around it. With a battle cry, he moved forward, faster than before.
Ashlem tried to block the initial blow with his arms, but Nero's strength caught him by surprise. The sword sliced through the air and struck the Hunter’s shoulder, carving a deep gash. Ashlem grunted in pain but quickly pulled away to avoid another strike.
"Looks like the advantage has shifted," said Nero, spinning the sword easily.
"This is far from over," Ashlem retorted, though his voice betrayed the pressure he was feeling.
Nero didn’t give him time to recover. He unleashed a series of rapid, precise strikes, each one more powerful than the last. Ashlem dodged as best he could, but he couldn’t evade them all. The ground cracked and the walls trembled under the impact of the assaults.
Finally, Nero landed a blow that sent Ashlem crashing against a pillar. The Hunter fell to his knees, gasping for breath, blood dripping from multiple wounds. Nero slowly approached, his sword glowing with energy.
"It’s the end for you, Hunter. When I’m done, not even your memories will come back to save you."