The painkiller and stamina potion Yuki had cooked up gradually started to wear off. The pain in Tetsuya's left chest grew serious enough that he could hardly catch his breath. Not only that, but whether he could move was a different story, struggling against Ryoji as he fought through the pain.
Tetsuya thought to himself that his luck had truly run out. Although he hadn't been killed, Tetsuya had sustained serious injuries from the fierce battle.
"Give up," Ryoji said, realizing that the situation was heavily in his favour compared to Tetsuya.
"You give up," Tetsuya replied with a crooked smile.
"You're so arrogant! Even on the brink of death, you're still stubborn!" Ryoji shouted in frustration.
"Whether I surrender or not, I'm going to die anyway. So, I might as well fight to the last drop of blood."
"Impressive. I admire your attitude—like that of a great warrior."
"I don't need praise from someone like you."
