The pirate lord was likely expecting Eri to run away. When the youth instead charged towards him, there was a microsecond of surprise when the distance between them was closed too quickly.The first punch came wide as a result. Eri slipped under it, turning with the blow. As Rann’s arm hit empty air, his balance faltered. In that instant, Eri stepped in close, his hands catching the pirate’s outstretched wrist with one hand before redirecting it with the other. The man’s momentum caused him to stumble, skidding half a step.Before he could turn around or regain his balance, Eri tossed an explosive mine straight for the back of Rann’s head before leaping away. The detonation shook the deck. Rann fell forward, dazed, though he was back on his feet in half a second. Eri didn’t let up, throwing another hand grenade right as the admiral tried to stand. This time, the pirate managed to raise a guard, but rather than another stunning shockwave, the grenade detonated in a thick spray of foul chemicals instead. Rann cursed as the slimy and viscous liquid splashed over the tiny slits on his face plate, rendering him blind and unable to breathe. “You little shit, I’ll—” Rann tried to shout. There was no time for him to finish before yet another bomb rolled at his feet.The incendiary device detonated, triggering a chain reaction with the oily substance. No mere viscous oil was this that Eri deployed earlier, used merely to blind his opponent. The substance was concentrated Caustic Oil, brewed under Eri’s precise hand. And it was far more flammable and deadly than its regular counterpart.Hellfire exploded in Rann’s face as the Caustic (...)