Bang! The clash before my eyes happened in a flash—so fast that my own sight could no longer keep up with the battle between Mr. Blackmask and the Blue Mask.
At that moment, Mr. Blackmask slid back toward us with a harsh scrape, while the Blue Mask also retreated, skidding to a stop some distance away.
Even my Specter Web could only glimpse fragments of the fight. In that split second, Mr. Blackmask darted into the Blue Mask's attack range, dodged an assault, blocked the Blue Mask's knee with his elbow, deflected a right punch with his left hand, and when the left fist came, struck back without mercy.
Their fists collided violently at the end, finally breaking apart.
"Heh, maybe I'm a bit younger than you, but you should know what a fight between members of the Immortality Society really means. Back then, you might not have understood the true meaning of the Society, or the power contained in these fists."
A confident light flashed in the Blue Mask's eyes. Mr. Blackmask said nothing, simply shifting his stance, ready to attack again.
"Come on, fight for real, Mr. Blackmask! Last time, when I lost control, you were much stronger than this, weren't you?"
Tammy Blade actually roared, and I saw Mr. Blackmask's fist clench so tightly it creaked. His body began to swell, growing noticeably larger. Across from him, the Blue Mask watched in surprise.
"Going all out now? Fine, the warm-up is over."
As he spoke, the Blue Mask suddenly vanished from sight, reappearing above Mr. Blackmask's head, right leg extended, smashing down fiercely.
Mr. Blackmask dodged. I saw him evade the blow, and with a thunderous crash, a powerful gust swept past me. Dust exploded from the ground, and a blade of grass was instantly crushed as if by overwhelming force.
Along with the flying grass, a groove—over ten meters long—was gouged into the earth, as if a massive iron rod had slammed down with brute force.
The Blue Mask's left leg, which had just chopped down, bent back instantly. In a flash, his right foot swept horizontally, kicking toward Mr. Blackmask.
Mr. Blackmask immediately extended his right leg, kicking straight upward. Bang! He knocked aside the Blue Mask's right leg, forcing the attack off course.
"Careful..."
Suddenly, Tammy Blade gripped her Hidden Saber with both hands, blocking something with a clang. I saw a transparent, air-like current slice through the air.
A sharp whistling filled the air around me. Tammy Blade was already shielding me, and on both sides, the grass was instantly sheared away as if by a blade, leaving a wide swath bare.
"What was that just now?"
I stared in disbelief at everything that had just happened.
The Blue Mask landed, fists clenched, crouched low, and with a thunderous crash, charged at Mr. Blackmask. This time, the distance was extremely short.
"Extreme... relentless..."
In an instant, I saw Mr. Blackmask crouch low, arms raised in defense. He sprang up, curling his body tightly. All I could hear was a barrage of pounding blows—countless fists raining down on Mr. Blackmask like a machine gun.
The heavy, thunderous pounding continued, accompanied by wild laughter. I couldn't even count how many punches the Blue Mask threw. Yet, incredibly, Mr. Blackmask didn't get knocked away—he just hung there in midair.
The onslaught went on for nearly two seconds before the Blue Mask finally stopped. With a flash, his last punch grazed past Mr. Blackmask, and he slipped behind him. Beneath the blue mask, twisted into a sneer, I saw a vicious smile.
"Beautiful—dodged every blow."
At last, Mr. Blackmask lowered his guard. For a moment, I caught a savage glint in his eyes. A chilling murderous intent surged through the Specter Web, electrifying every nerve in my body. My heart skipped a beat—I'd never felt such deep, oceanic killing intent, as if some force was about to erupt from the depths, raising a monstrous wave.
The instant he landed, Mr. Blackmask's body sprang up like a coiled spring. He spun, delivering a roundhouse kick with his right leg aimed at the Blue Mask's neck.
Just then, the Blue Mask flashed a venomous grin, turning his back to Mr. Blackmask.
"Such a big move—is that really wise?"
As Mr. Blackmask's kick neared the Blue Mask's neck, he spun suddenly, slipping past the attack with perfect timing, and drove a punch toward Mr. Blackmask's chest.
But at that moment, I noticed Mr. Blackmask's left knee lift slightly. The Blue Mask seemed to realize something and abruptly halted his attack, pulling back and leaning away. Mr. Blackmask's left knee grazed the Blue Mask's mask, and the Blue Mask flipped backward, tapped the ground with a finger, spun in the air, and landed.
Mr. Blackmask stared at the Blue Mask, eyes cold and murderous.
"Close call. If I'd thrown that punch, my jaw would've been shattered right now."
With a crack, the Blue Mask pointed to his chin. A fissure appeared on his mask, some material flaking off, and the white 'Life' character was now missing a large chunk, exposing the twisted, uneven skin beneath.
Mr. Blackmask charged at the Blue Mask again, but the Blue Mask remained motionless, as if waiting for the attack. As Mr. Blackmask threw a punch, the Blue Mask suddenly twisted aside, dodging the right fist and raising his own.
"Triple Extreme."
Bang! The Blue Mask punched at Mr. Blackmask. But then, Mr. Blackmask smiled—his right fist, spinning with his body, shot out. I cried out in shock.
"Mr. Blackmask!"
Bang! The Blue Mask's fist landed on Mr. Blackmask's shoulder. With a splatter, Mr. Blackmask coughed up black blood, but his own right fist struck the Blue Mask's left ribs.
"A bit careless, weren't you? Taking a blow at this range—there's no way you'll be fine."
I saw the ground collapse beneath Mr. Blackmask's feet with a thunderous crash. My mouth hung open as I sank helplessly to the ground.
But things weren't as I'd expected. Instead, the Blue Mask's expression changed as he stared at his left ribs, eyes filled with disbelief.
"You..."
Suddenly, clutching his left ribs, the Blue Mask let out a scream. With a bang, I had no idea what happened—his left ribs burst open, blood pouring out. A fist-sized chunk was simply gone, black blood spraying everywhere. The Blue Mask staggered back, clutching his side and screaming.
Mr. Blackmask shook his head, slowly rising to his feet. I saw a deep dent in his left shoulder, as if the bone had shattered. He gripped his left arm with his right hand, cracking it back into place, and then his right hand could move again.
"What was that just now?"
The Blue Mask clutched his bleeding ribs, screaming in agony.
"The true extreme of the fist isn't on the outside—it's within."
Mr. Blackmask clenched his fist and charged at the Blue Mask, who was clearly in pain. After taking that hit, he quickly retreated. Bang! Mr. Blackmask's punch struck only empty air.
I saw the space around Mr. Blackmask's fist begin to distort. Wild currents shredded everything within two or three meters—dirt, grass, all crushed—leaving a sunken, warped patch of ground.
"Impossible! The inner fist—how did you do it?"
The Blue Mask roared, raising his right fist and lunging at Mr. Blackmask.
"Fifth Extreme."
"To reach the true extreme, you need constant training. The Immortality Society trains every aspect—speed, power, angle—to master the fist. What comes next is your own understanding—the inner extreme."
With a creak, Mr. Blackmask clenched his fist and met the Blue Mask's incoming right fist head-on. Bang! Nothing happened at first, but suddenly, the Blue Mask's fist exploded into a spray of blood, scattering in the air.
"It's over. I won't drag this out. For someone like you—a newly promoted Blue Mask—immortality is just a delusion. Even if you achieve it, it's meaningless. There's nothing there..."
"Impossible! That inferior heart of yours could never defeat me..."
Suddenly, I saw black, vein-like strands shoot out from the Blue Mask's chest, trying to wrap around his body.
Mr. Blackmask suddenly reached out with his right hand, plunged it into the Blue Mask's chest, and ripped out a pulsating Black Heart, its many tendrils writhing.