"I thought your brother's death would push you beyond your limits. You really have disappointed me."
With that, Yechen stopped holding back. He swung his long blade and began his counterattack.
Clang!
A single slash was enough to overwhelm Matsui Shūichi's guard. The terrifying force drove him backward.
Just like that, Yechen turned defense into offense, attacking relentlessly and leaving his opponent no choice but to defend.
For a time, the clash of blades rang out incessantly.
Matsui Shūichi gritted his teeth and put everything into defending, but the gap in their strength was too great. Even when he blocked a strike, the shock transmitted through his blade battered him, even injuring his internal organs.
"How is this possible?" Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. Only now did he understand why his brother had been killed in just two slashes.
His opponent's strength might already have reached Kage Level.
The possibility sent a chill through Matsui Shūichi's entire body. He had miscalculated.
He had assumed that, however powerful Yechen was, several consecutive battles would wear him down, creating the perfect opportunity to strike.
Yet all of that was merely what Yechen had wanted him to see. He had been feigning weakness all along, waiting for the enemies in hiding to show themselves so he could wipe them out in one fell swoop.
"So you were luring me out."
"It's too late to realize that now."
Clang!
Yechen closed in and brought his blade sweeping down.
Matsui Shūichi blocked the slash, but the tremendous shock made him cough up a mouthful of blood.
"Time for you to die."
Just as Yechen prepared to finish Matsui Shūichi with another slash, he detected movement underground.
His gaze sharpened. He had been on his guard ever since that worm disappeared.
Without the