Bond

Almost at the same moment

The blades and swords whistled through the air, clashing fiercely.

A bright spark was ignited.

The two men swung their weapons faster and faster.

Later on, it became so fast that even afterimages were difficult to catch.

All that could be heard was the deafening sound of metal scraping against metal.

Oris's swordsmanship was both sharp and graceful.

Like fine fabrics, it wrapped around Galan's longsword, becoming increasingly taut as it drew closer.

This makes it difficult for them to exert their full potential.

With the medicinal power surging through his body, Galan's physical condition has been greatly enhanced.

Reaction time and thinking speed have also been greatly accelerated.

With a flick of his wrist, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, he used unpredictable sword-wielding trajectories to break free from Oris's grasp.

The feet moved nimbly.

The Alchemy Longsword traced an eerie arc, tearing open Oris's outer garment and revealing the solid muscles beneath his chest.

Thin beads of blood slid from the tip of the longsword and dripped onto the ground.

This was the first time Galan had inflicted substantial damage on him since they began fighting.

Even such a small wound is enough to show who had the upper hand in the exchange just now.

Both weapons were crafted by the same artisan, and neither is of superior quality.

The only way to determine the winner is through the skill of the users themselves.

After the first exchange, the two retreated in unison, standing several body lengths apart.

Just like the very beginning.

Galan could clearly sense that Oris's aura had changed once again.

In that exchange just now, he was merely testing his own strength.

However, judging from the expression on his face now...

I'm quite heavy myself.

The longsword, gleaming with an eerie light, slowly descended, leaving a trail of afterimages.

Just as Galan was pondering what approach this was taking...

Oris's figure suddenly sprang up

That was an astonishing speed far exceeding anything he had achieved before; it was on a completely different level from his previous performance.

Galan was caught off guard and didn't have time to react.

He was clearly full of openings, yet I was completely unable to launch an attack.

His attack came too fast.

If you get distracted, you will be killed instantly.

A sense of danger filled my mind, and all my senses were flashing red warning lights.

Before the sword even reached him, the chilling killing intent, like that of a demon, pierced his heart, forcing him to defend himself.

The hastily put-together stance was insufficient to block the opponent's fully charged attack.

"[Divine Fist]"

It's clearly a sword move, yet the technique is named after a fist.

As the blade, deviating from its original trajectory, sliced through his left shoulder...

Only then did Galan truly understand the essence of this move.

The powerful sword energy seemed to have materialized.

It not only tore its own flesh apart, but also slammed into its body like a giant battering ram.

That's no joke.

Galan felt strange noises coming from his entire skeleton.

Like thin ice on a lake at the end of winter, on the verge of breaking.

A mere wisp of wind could shatter him completely.

His steps faltered as he staggered backward.

Galan coughed up a mouthful of blood; without even looking, it was clear that his internal organs had suffered severe damage.

However, the effects of the medicine had not yet worn off, which greatly reduced his pain.

It allowed him to continue fighting despite his shattered body.

He didn't bring any life-saving equipment, nor did he have any other Potion on him.

The only option is to force yourself to breathe and adjust the flow of qi and blood in your body.

But Oris clearly wouldn't give him that chance.

He raised his longsword above his head and flashed in front of Galan in a single step.

It swung down towards his head.

"[Holy Wind Wall]!"

The girl's slightly anxious voice rang out.

The invisible winds converged to form a rippled barrier.

They stood in front of the two of them.

The infusion of immense Mana made the shield's outline even clearer.

"[Heaven-Splitting]"

In an instant

The world was silent

The powerful wind barrier couldn't even hold for a moment before it was torn apart.

Galan only saw a flash of white light before his eyes, and could not hear any sound. Then, a brilliant burst of blood erupted from his chest.

Lost?

This ethereal concept has remained incredibly vague since his soul transmigrated.

Because he inherited this powerful body

In past battles, I have always managed to escape danger.

But this time, even with the added medicinal power...

He himself was no match for Oris.

He knelt helplessly on the ground, only the long sword still tightly gripped in his hand, like a stubborn child unwilling to give up his beloved toy.

Is it luck or misfortune?

He was surprised that he hadn't been killed in one blow.

His tired eyes were still filled with resentment and anger.

I just wanted to live a normal life, but trouble kept coming my way.

He didn't want to die.

He is no longer as alone as he was at the beginning.

If I just lie there on the ground, belly up like a dead dog on the street, and die...

Oris will probably go and deal with Lia soon.

After all, everyone who knows the secret of the [Shadow Warrior] will be ruthlessly eliminated.

They are the shadow of the empire

They are [Nameless Warriors] who cannot be recorded in history.

They styled themselves as defenders of the empire and guardians of the nation.

In the end, they were nothing more than a group of remnants of the old era who had lost their purpose and were trying to find meaning...

How ridiculous!

He had been desperately trying to hide his identity for so long.

In the end, the organization actually came knocking on my door the day before I was supposed to leave.

Oris looked coldly at Lia.

Because she didn't have enough Mana left to continue her extravagant spending.

Lia fell back to the ground from the sky, but in this state, Oris could easily kill her.

"Your Staff..."

His gaze fell on the Staff in Lia's hand.

"Oh, I see... So it was bought for you. It really suits you."

Even though he spoke like a wand the boss who would enthusiastically introduce his work, his words still sounded just like someone who would speak enthusiastically about their Staff shop.

Like that kind old man who would chat with Theresia about anything and everything.

But in Lia's eyes, Oris was a cold-blooded devil.

His eyes held only icy killing intent, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Get away from Galan!

The Staff with the Unicorn Core emitted an unprecedented light, and a powerful surge of Mana erupted from it.

"Foolish! With all your Mana used up, you don't even have a chance to escape from me."

Oris shook his head, seemingly regretting Lia's foolish actions.

After all, once he dodges that attack, he will take the opponent's head.

With her Mana exhausted, Lia had no strength left to resist...

The left foot, which was about to be lifted, was still hanging in mid-air.

He was then held tightly by two hands.

Oris turned his head in surprise and saw that Galan had abandoned the long sword in his hand and was dragging his broken body, hugging his own leg.

"...[Hound Pouncing on Prey]..."

That's really just patting yourself on the back.

These days, let alone vicious dogs, if he just lies down on the side of the road, a lot of people will probably throw money at his face.

It was truly like a stray dog with its spine broken, utterly pathetic.

But this illogical and undignified act caused Oris to momentarily freeze in shock.

--Because he found that no matter how hard he kicked, he couldn't shake off this clingy pest.

A holy white light pierced through his right abdomen, leaving a large, bloody hole.

That wasn't a wound that healed overnight.

Before this, Galan's longsword had already slashed several wounds on it.

Lia realized this as well, which is why she set her sights on this spot and took a gamble.

"... Truly my masterpiece..."

The Alchemy Longsword pierced Oris's back.

Galan twisted the knife handle with all his might, tearing apart his heart.

Oris's eyes were full of surprise and confusion.

Having experienced countless battles, I was ultimately killed by such childish cooperation.

A newly initiated Elf Mage

A crooked warrior

Both of them were spitting blood, which splattered onto each other, making it impossible to tell who was dying.

"Thump--"

Final,

Under Galan's defiant gaze, Oris's body collapsed with a thud, like a small mountain crumbling.

It was like that shadow that oppressed his heart.

It finally dissipated completely...