The Lightspeed Fist was a technique shared by the Twelve Gold Saints, known as the royal path of combat passed down since ancient times.
Only Gold Saints who had awakened the Seventh Sense could learn and use it.
The technique allowed them to accelerate their bodies and fists to the speed of light in an instant, unleashing more than a hundred million punches per second.
The fastest a Bronze Saint could move was the speed of sound.
Silver Saints could reach only two to five times the speed of sound.
Gold Saints, however, moved at the speed of light.
Before a Gold Saint, no matter how fiercely an opponent swung their fists or how much they increased their punching speed, every movement would appear to be nothing more than a series of slow motions.
The fact that Deathtoll could unleash the Lightspeed Fist left no doubt that he possessed the true strength of a Gold Saint.
Enduring the pain tearing through his entire body, Ryosho staggered to his feet.
“Oh?
You can still stand after taking my Lightspeed Fist.
Impressive.”
“But what good will getting back up do you?”
Deathtoll unleashed another Lightspeed Fist.
A vast flood of golden light engulfed Ryosho once more.
With a heartrending scream, Ryosho was sent flying again before crashing heavily to the ground.
Cracks covered his Crateris Cloth, and every cell in his body felt as though it were about to shatter.
The pain sank deep into his bones.
This was the power of a Gold Saint.
It was far beyond what a Silver Saint like him could contend with.
Forget matching Deathtoll, he did not even have a chance to fight back.
Ryosho lay face down on the ground.
Although his eyes remained open, their former light was gone.
The damage inflicted by the Lightspeed Fist filled every cell in his body.
The agony buried deep in his bones tore at his nerves with every passing second.
The world before his eyes lost all color, and he could no longer even think clearly.
He should never have underestimated any opponent.
He had suffered such a crushing defeat because he had equated Deathtoll with the fake “Saga.”
He had believed the fake “Saga” was no real threat, so Deathtoll, who had been resurrected by the same person, could not be much stronger.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Against Deathtoll, who possessed the strength of a Gold Saint, he had no chance of winning.
No matter how he swung his fists, he could never keep up with Deathtoll’s light speed movements.
“That’s right.
Just stay down.
Not only will you spare yourself a great deal of suffering, but you can also enjoy a moment of peace before you die.
Da da da da da da…”
Deathtoll spun in circles, humming an unfamiliar tune as he approached Ryosho.
Ryosho opened his eyes, but there was no light at all in his numb gaze.
Deathtoll reached down and grabbed him by the hair, just as Deathmask had grabbed Shiryu, then dragged him toward the coffin that was wider at the front and narrower at the back, humming his unfamiliar tune all the while.
Ryosho closed his eyes as though he had resigned himself to his fate.
“That’s more like it.
Don’t resist.
Just accept your fate.
There’s no point in struggling.
Everyone dies eventually.
Death awaits us all sooner or later, so you may as well make your departure a little more comfortable.”
Almost as though talking to himself, Deathtoll continued, “Had you listened to me from the beginning and chosen your coffin, you wouldn’t have had to suffer so much.
Just accept your fate.
You’ll be comfortable, and I’ll have an easier time.”
Accept my fate?
Accept my fate!
Had he been the kind of person who accepted his fate, he would have resigned himself years ago to never awakening his Cosmo.
But he had persevered, and in the end, he had awakened it.
He had not come to this world just to surrender to fate.
Besides, someone was still waiting for him to return.
Cynthia had encouraged him tirelessly for years.
Cynthia had clearly been worried about him, yet she had used wanting to see his Cloth as an excuse to wait alone until dawn, staying awake through the entire night.
How could he simply accept his fate now?
How could he abandon her and break the promise he had made to her?
Move, Ryosho.
Do not let anyone look down on you.
Do not be afraid.
Not even Deathtoll!
Not even a Gold Saint!
Not even a god!
None of them could make him accept his fate and submit.
As long as his Cosmo continued to burn, he had to fight until the very end.
“Hot!
Hot!
Hot!”
Deathtoll instinctively released his grip.
He raised his reddened hand to his mouth and blew on it as he looked down at Ryosho, whom he had dropped to the ground.
A visible white radiance formed from Ryosho’s Cosmo and enveloped him.
An astonishing Cosmo emerged from within his body, rapidly rising and growing stronger.
“This kid took two of my Lightspeed Fists, yet he still has such an astonishing Cosmo.”
Ryosho struggled to his feet.
His head hung low, his arms dangling limply at his sides as blazing white light poured from his body, releasing a powerful Cosmo.
His Cosmo continued to rise and expand, almost threatening to overwhelm Deathtoll’s own.
“Where is he finding this kind of power?”
For once, Deathtoll cast aside his usual flippant manner and became serious.
Never before had he sensed a Cosmo with such astonishing potential.
Deathtoll’s eyes glinted, and he straightened up.
“All right.
It seems I’ll have to take this seriously after all.
Let me see just how much potential you possess.”
As he spoke, he ignited the Cosmo within him, and golden radiance burst from his body.
The two powerful Cosmos continued to climb, like two ascending dragons soaring toward the farthest reaches of the heavens.
Behind them, their respective Guardian Constellations appeared.
At the same time, amid the endless stars, Cancer and Crateris faced each other from afar, both shining with extraordinary brilliance.
At the Cancer Temple, Deathmask stood at the entrance and frowned slightly.
His gaze turned toward the southern hemisphere, toward the region of the night sky where Cancer lay.
Someone was drawing upon the power of the Cancer constellation.
But in this world, apart from him, the Cancer Saint, who else could call upon the power of Cancer?
At the Five Ancient Peaks of Rozan, Dohko sat before the waterfall and opened his eyes a fraction.
Cancer against Crateris.
What a rare celestial alignment.
He then closed his eyes and resumed his meditation.
…
At Yomotsu Hirasaka, the two Cosmos continued to surge.
Just as their power reached its limit, Deathtoll’s eyes widened slightly.
Impossible.
He could sense another Guardian Constellation behind Ryosho’s own.
But he had no time to dwell on it.
Ryosho crossed his hands and raised them high above his head.
Deathtoll clenched his fists.
“It’s useless.
A technique will never work on a Saint after they’ve seen it once.”
“This time, my attack will shatter not only your Cloth, but your body as well.”
Ryosho ignored him.
Keeping his hands crossed, he unleashed his ultimate move.
Deathtoll did not dare to be careless and immediately unleashed his own ultimate move.
“Cancer All Beauty Ken!”
Golden light surged from his fists.
Countless beams crisscrossed through the air as they closed in mercilessly on Ryosho.
Suddenly, Deathtoll’s eyes flew wide open.
“What?!”
“How is this possible?”
“That isn’t the White Lotus Ice Spear.”
“That is…”