Parallel Memory

Victor stood tall, his eyes alight with power as he gazed at Hiro. He had taken the Abyssal pill, a powerful substance that had granted him immense strength. Even when he saw Hiro using a skill to increase his power, he still underestimated him because of his new profound power.

"With this power, I'm invincible. Your pitiful power couldn't possibly defeat me now."

Hiro stood calmly, his sword held at the ready.

"We'll see about that."

He replied coldly.

-CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!

The two clashed, their swords ringing out in the air. Victor swung wildly, relying on his brute strength to overpower Hiro. But Hiro with his experience was able to predict his attack, and he expertly dodged and parried each of Victor's attacks.

The two were once again in a stalemate, however, this time Victor could not get the upper hand like earlier. The fact that Hiro's speed and strength were equally matched with his was even more concerning.

With both Hiro and Victor having the same stats, it was up to their skills and experience to decide who would have the upper hand. Obviously, Hiro had the upper hand.

Even with the increase in his power, Victor had the same flaw as before which was his lack of experience and technique while what Hiro was lacking was the difference in stats which was erased after he used System Double Power.

Victor snarled in frustration, but he didn't let up. He continued to attack, but Hiro's superior skills and experience were too much for him. Hiro managed to land several blows, slicing through Victor's defense and drawing blood.

But then something strange happened. Each time Hiro struck Victor, the wounds would close almost instantly, as if they had never been there. Victor laughed maniacally.

"You see, Hiro? The Abyssal pill not only gave me power, but it also allowed me to heal quickly. You can't defeat me now!"

Victor rejoiced as his injuries were all healed.

Hiro was taken aback, but it was not enough to discourage him. He knew that Victor's regeneration was only delaying the inevitable.

"We'll see about that"

Hiro said, and he began to attack Victor vigorously.

-SLASH! -SLASH!

Hiro was able to wound Victor many times, but the Abyssal pill had turned him into something akin to a semi-devil, and his injuries would heal easily.

He struck Victor with precision and power, and each time he landed a blow, Victor's wounds would not heal as quickly as before. It was obvious that there were limitations to his healing power.

"Haha… No matter what you do, it will have no effect on me."

Victor felt that no matter what happened he would not die. Since all of his injuries were healed, he truly believes that he can't be killed.

However, Hiro, who had been observing Victor for a long time, could see the difference in healing speed.

Hiro thought that as long as he could injure Victor with a strong attack, he would be unable to regenerate his wound in a short period of time.

Hiro gathered a large amount of mana, ready to unleash a powerful attack.

[ "StarShatterer Style" StarFall Fracture" ]

Starfall Fracture is a powerful downward strike that creates a shower of sparks and can break through even the toughest defenses.

[ "Maximum Inferno Slash" ]

Victor responded to Hiro's attack with his own, however, his attack was nowhere near as powerful as Hiro's. Hiro managed to inflict serious damage on Victor as his abdomen was ripped open.

-GURK!

Victor ended up vomiting blood as a result of Hiro's attack. Despite his powerful healing abilities, the injury was not something that could be healed in seconds or minutes. Nevertheless, Victor did not let it stop him from continuing the fight.

"I will never forgive you!"

Victor shouted as he raised his sword to attack Hiro once again.

The two fought on, their swords ringing out in the air with each clash. The battle was long and grueling, with both fighters showing no signs of backing down. Hiro was determined to defeat Victor and find his sister, while Victor was driven by a desire for revenge.

-CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!

As the battle wore on, Victor's strength began to wane. Blood loss from his injury was taking its toll, and the effects of the Abyssal pill seemed to have worn off. Victor became weaker and weaker, unable to keep up with Hiro's quick and precise strikes.

-THUD!

Finally, Victor collapsed to the ground, exhausted and defeated. Hiro stood victorious, his sword held aloft.

"Where is my sister?"

Hiro demanded as he looked down at the defeated Victor.

Victor lay on the ground, barely conscious. He smiled wickedly, knowing that he had one final trick up his sleeves. He might have lost the battle, but he knew that Hiro had also lost.

"Haha...even if you kill me, you'll never see your sister again. GRUK!"

Victor spat out blood as he laughed.

"Her role was complete the moment you came here. I've already ordered my men to kill her. Haha...you'll never see her again. Haha… "

The whole abandoned warehouse echoed Victor's eerie laughter. Even if he died here, he knew that Hiro was the one who felt more miserable. Hiro was close to saving his sister but he had already killed her.

"So what if you are the greatest genius? You could not even protect your sister. Haha... "

Hiro was filled with rage and despair at Victor's words.

"I'll make you pay for this, Victor!"

Hiro growled. Unable to control his anger, he raised his sword for the final blow.

*STAB!

"Hah… Hah… Hah!"

Hiro was overcome with grief and anger. However, there was still hope in his heart that his sister was still alive. He thought Victor's last words were merely a way for him to make him feel miserable.

Though by how happily Victor laughed even in the face of death, what he said most likely seemed true. Hiro refuses to believe Victor until he sees the body of his sister. He wanted to search the abandoned warehouse for his sister.

He searched the place where he battled Victor which looked like some kind of office. He found a map of the place. After looking at the map, he went to find the place which had been marked. Hiro assumed that it could be where Victor had kept his sister.

Just as he was making his way towards that place, he heard the sound of someone coming from that place. Hiro was alert and ready to fight. He thought that it would be men working for Victor.

-TAP! -TAP!

"Hiro? What are you doing here?"

Hiro immediately turned his head towards the voice. A familiar voice that filled his chest with hope and relief.

"Y-YUI!"

Hiro's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw his sister, Yui, standing before him. She was alive and well, and she looked at him with a mix of confusion and concern.

"Yui!"

Hiro exclaimed as he struggled to stand. Yui hurried over to him and helped him to his feet.

"I'm fine, Hiro. But what about you? Are you hurt?"

Hiro shook his head, still in shock.

"I'm fine!"

Hiro said as he hugged his sister tightly, tears streaming down his face. He thought for a moment that he had lost her forever.

"I'm just glad you're safe. I'll never let anything happen to you again, I promise."

Yui hugged him back. She didn't know what had happened to Hiro for him to act like this but she assumed that it was because he was worried about her.

"I know you won't, Hiro!"