The Cyber Ascension Arc 3 — The Battles Of New York | Volume 3 | Chapter 20: Jin Yuan vs Baukomo
The streets of New York lay cloaked in a surreal, deep midnight silence. The city lights barely cut through the thick haze that rolled between the towering skyscrapers. Shadows stretched long across the cracked asphalt, flickering in the dim glow of broken neon signs. The wind carried a metallic scent, tinged with ozone, as if the city itself sensed the storm about to erupt.
Jin Yuan stood alone in the center of the deserted street, his massive katana glinting under the scattered light. His calm eyes scanned the surroundings, each movement of his muscles precise, controlled, ready.
Across from him, a figure emerged from the shadows: Baukomo. His dark pink, shoulder-length hair swayed slightly, and his eyes—razor sharp and calculating—locked onto Jin Yuan. His white shirt was loosely tucked, sleeves rolled to just below his elbows, revealing a fingerless glove on his left hand. His black pants clung to him as if ready to spring at any moment.
Baukomo tilted his head slightly, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.
Baukomo: "Hm. Disappoint me, okay?"
His tone was calm, almost casual, yet there was a dangerous edge beneath it. He adjusted the glove on his left hand with meticulous care.
Jin Yuan: "As you wish. I'll kill you like you want."
He drew his giant katana in one fluid motion, the blade humming faintly as it cut through the cool night air.
The world seemed to freeze for a heartbeat. Then, in an instant, Baukomo vanished.
Jin Yuan's grip on his katana tightened instinctively.
(Thinking: He's fast… faster than anyone I've faced.)
A shadow streaked across the night—Baukomo appeared above Jin Yuan, mid-air, his two high-tech katanas slicing through the darkness. The tips glinted as they arced toward Jin Yuan.
Baukomo: "Too slow."
He spoke as if stating a fact, his voice eerily calm.
Jin Yuan barely managed to dodge, his katana grazing the edge of Baukomo's strike, sparks flying where the blades almost collided.
The clash began in earnest. Blows were exchanged at lightning speed, metal singing through the air with every strike. The night was filled with the deafening roar of swinging blades, the echoes bouncing off the towering buildings. Jin Yuan moved with precision, yet Baukomo's speed was uncanny. Each strike was met with a calculated dodge, each attack countered with a rhythm only Baukomo seemed to anticipate.
Baukomo reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses—ordinary in appearance, but their purpose was anything but mundane.
Baukomo: "Oh, I can understand your gaze. I'll explain. These are Meta Vision Glasses. With them, I can see every move of yours clearly. I can read your attacks before they happen."
Jin Yuan's eyes narrowed. His grip on the katana tightened, knuckles white.
Jin Yuan: "I see…"
He lunged. The world narrowed to the path between him and his opponent. His strikes came with explosive force, precision perfected over years of training. But Baukomo was already anticipating every move, dodging effortlessly, almost dancing around the giant katana as if it were weightless.
Sparks flew. The smell of ozone filled the air. Jin Yuan's movements became a blur, his robes and hair whipping in the night wind. But despite the sheer force, Baukomo kept his composure, parrying and evading with calculated elegance.
Jin Yuan felt a twinge of blood on his lip. He had taken a hit—minor, yet enough to remind him that this opponent was unlike any he had faced before.
(Thinking: This is different from Tetsuya… I need to push beyond my limits.)
Suddenly, a memory flashed—the storm in the Blue Realm, the crackle of thunder, the surge of raw energy coursing through him during his battle with Tetsuya. Jin Yuan drew a deep breath, feeling the dormant power awaken.
Electricity crackled along his body, faint sparks dancing over his skin. The giant katana thrummed with a newfound energy as Jin Yuan's aura flared bright, illuminating the misty street.
Baukomo: "Thunder, huh? I see…"
The fight escalated. Jin Yuan moved faster than ever before, a storm incarnate, his katana swinging in arcs of pure lightning. Each strike carried the weight of thunder, every parry a clap of resonant energy. Baukomo's evasion became more strained, his eyes flickering with focus as he readjusted to Jin Yuan's newfound speed.
For a moment, time seemed to dilate. Jin Yuan leapt into the air, lightning arcing from his katana, and descended in a blazing strike. Baukomo's Meta Vision glasses sparkled as he calculated the trajectory—but the raw, unrestrained power of Jin Yuan's thunder-infused attack was beyond mere prediction.
Glass shattered. The Meta Vision glasses flew off Baukomo's face, spinning in the air before clattering to the ground. Yet Baukomo's stance never faltered; he was relentless, determined to fight to the very last breath.
Jin Yuan's eyes burned with intensity. Every fiber of his being focused on precision, speed, and overwhelming force. Blade met blade in a storm of sparks, electricity dancing across steel, and the street itself seemed to tremble under the clash of their wills.
Finally, after a series of furious exchanges that painted the night with arcs of light, Jin Yuan found an opening. With a controlled lunge, he drove his katana forward, piercing the center of Baukomo's chest.
Baukomo: "You… win."
His voice was calm, accepting, almost serene. He smiled faintly, the tension leaving his shoulders. Then, as the last heartbeat passed, he dissolved into a wisp of smoke, disappearing completely into the night.
Jin Yuan lowered his katana slowly, chest heaving. Sweat and blood mingled on his skin, the electric energy around him slowly fading. The storm within him subsided, leaving only the calm after the tempest.
Moments later, familiar footsteps echoed behind him. Yuzurei, Musukoni, Emily, Shinoki, and Youchina arrived, concern etched on every face.
Emily: "Are you okay?!"
She immediately knelt beside him, inspecting his wounds with deft hands, her voice filled with warmth and worry.
Jin Yuan: "Yeah…"
His tone was soft, almost serene, a rare vulnerability showing.
Shinoki and Youchina exchanged glances, relief washing over them. Even Yuzurei, normally brimming with energy, stood quietly, his eyes reflecting awe at Jin Yuan's sheer skill and calm under pressure.
Musukoni approached with his usual teasing tone, but a flicker of respect shone in his eyes.
Musukoni: "Not bad… not bad at all, Jin Yuan."
Jin Yuan allowed himself a brief, almost imperceptible nod. The city around them was silent again, the air thick with the residual energy of the battle. Sparks from the scattered lightning and the aftermath of their clash slowly faded into the misty night, leaving only the calm, the silence, and the faint, lingering tension of a fight that had pushed them all to their limits.
Above, the half-moon gleamed pale and cold, as if witnessing the warriors who had just danced with death in the streets of New York.
And somewhere, far in the shadows, the next challenge was already stirring.
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