Chapter 36 - Breaking The Limit: Sixteen Times!
Teren still stabbed his knife but found that Clade's muscles were so thick that they basically covered his spinal column.
"Hm..." his eyes squinted and retreated with his knife.
Clade seemed to be bloated with muscles. Nerves popping out everywhere while his skin already turned red.
He became inhumane.
"Seriously, h-how is that happening!?" Mike's jaw trembled.
Once Clade enlarged again, they subconsciously took a step back except Iesa. None of them felt like running away. They were scared of attracting the attention of that colossal being that seemed not human anymore.
"E-eight times..." Iesa muttered as she heard Clade's thoughts.
While faint smoke rises from his body, Clade no longer looked like his original face anymore.
"Devil..." even his voice got thicker, "At this state, even bullets don't kill me. Just one hit from me and you're dead."
But as always, Teren was indifferent. He only replied.
"You can still move in that form?"
He seemed not to care about Clade's answer as he ran forward towards Clade again.
"The guts...!" Clade frowned and crossed his arm to protect his head.
'My bones are eight times stronger as well but in this state, my flexibility is greatly lowered!' he thought.
Meanwhile, Nick and Mike admired Tere's actions. If they were there in that spot, they wouldn't just in. Heck! Even now that they were just watching, they felt their limbs gone soft.
Back at the two, Teren stabbed his knife at Clade's crossed arm. However, like what the latter said, Teren felt like he stabbed onto a rock.
"Heh! Did you not hear what I- Ah-!"
Without anyone expecting it, Teren raised his foot and hit the between of Clade's legs. Even Iesa's eyes widened from what Teren just did.
"Fuck you!" but Clade only seemed to flinch and waved his huge arms in retaliation. Just like before, even though he got large, he still moved the same.
Although his speed is eight times his original, his weight also increased along with his muscles, canceling that increase in speed.
So with the same speed, Teren didn't need to adjust and dodged just like earlier. But this time, after he retreated, he jumped forward again almost at the same time.
'Oh no! I let my emotions get ahead of me!' Clade panicked as he tried to return his arms to defend himself.
Yet, Teren was faster. Using his knife, he climbed Clade as if he was a small hill. His actions swift and Clade could only see Teren in front of him.
Those fearless eyes... there were no emotions, only the resolve to do what he had to do.
"ARGHH!!" Clade immediately clenched every muscle from his neck to head and tried to headbutt Teren.
Eight times the toughness. Teren's blade alone was unable to pierce Clade's facial muscles.
As if Teren predicted it, he propped the knife. He did not stab forward and just prepared Clade's head to meet him.
Shick*
"AH...!"
Feeling the blade on his left eye, Clade's face frowned as he stopped his motion. He thought he had already surprised Teren by instead of blocking or dodging, he made an attack.
But it wasn't enough.
Luckily for Clade, he was able to stop before the blade reached his brain. As for his left eye...
"AHHH--!"
All of that happened in an instant. Teren was pushed away but still stood his ground. Meanwhile, Clade shouted and bleed. He carefully tried to remove the painful blade on his left eye but Teren didn't stop when he landed.
With his right eye, Clade saw Teren approaching him. There was only one thing he thought of-
'He's going to kill me...'
At that point, he became so desperate that his body enlarged one last time.
The rising smoke became abundant. His reddened body becoming black and blue as if bruised. His elastic pants were ripped until they were only shorts.
Sixteen times!
Iesa and the other three were unable to follow what happened but when they saw Clade still go up to another level, their heart skipped a beat.
"I might die but I will kill you first!" Clade's voice became hoarse and heavy.
His appearance has become monstrous and far from human. His muscles were so large that they had covered his head and made his height twice as tall as Teren.
Clade gritted his teeth, cracking it. Every time he moved, he felt his bones were about to collapse. He had forcefully broken through his limit.
'Just one hit! Just one hit and I will smash this devil like a mosquito!' he determinedly thought.
"Haha... Teren, you no longer have any weapon. How are you going to defeat me? You think you can hurt me with your bare fist?" Clade forcefully tried to speak.
He wanted Teren to feel dispirited. If Teren got scared and run away, Clade was confident he could catch up before he could even turn around.
"Teren, he's already at his limit!" Iesa suddenly shouted.
"Grrr..." like an animal, Clade found it much easier to growl.
'How does this bitch knows!?'
Clade immediately stopped his thoughts. He looked at Teren charging upon him again.
"Really dauntless, aren't you?" he said but inwardly, he was shocked.
'Is he dumb or is he still confident? No, this is the Devil Himself we're talking about. I must be careful!'
After taking off the knife from his left eye, Clade prepared himself for what to come.
But at the next moment, Teren sidestepped and went to get a metal rod. It was old and rusty but still metal.
Before Clade could think of anything, Teren charged again. He gritted his teeth and crossed his arm to protect his face again.
'He took another weapon. Is he going for my crotch again? If he is, I'm just going to endure the pain. Whether he attacks or runs, I will just squash him!'
Clang*
The metal rod unexpectedly slipped from Teren's grasp and rolled beside Clade!
"Ah..." his expression was with worry and shock.
Clade froze for a moment but he didn't want to let go of this opportunity.
'He's out of focus! A chance!'
Without hesitation, he punched with all of his force. All of his anger and desperation in one attack!
Swoosh--!*
Teren saw the giant black fist about to hit him.
Iesa, Nick, Catherine, and Mike all wanted to warn Teren...
It was quick like before.
Teren ducked, ran, took the metal rod, spun, and thud*, the rod slammed onto the back of Clade's knee.
Crack*
Clade's eyes widened in shock.
'I can't stop!'