I slowly descend toward the ground, far enough away that I can no longer hear what my former wagon companions are saying. Everyone’s eyes are fixed on me. Thanks to my mental ability, I ignore it all and focus on what matters most: annihilating these bastards.
I take one step forward and come to a halt. I can’t take the second because something has entered the range of my perception at incredible speed. An arrow? I don’t have time to verify it because it’s heading straight for my chest.
I don’t have enough time to create mana barriers around myself. With a smooth movement, I release one of my swords, shift my body slightly, and my arm shoots forward at tremendous speed, propelled by gravity.
I manage to catch the arrow only centimeters away from my chest. The constructs surrounding my arm instantly disappear. My hand is almost completely charred, and I’ve even suffered several minor injuries near my chest.
This arrow was fired from beyond the range of my perception, and it’s extremely dangerous. It could have killed any other ruby rank if they had been caught off guard.
Huh?
Before I can break the flaming arrow, I sense a disturbance in the mana. I barely manage to create a few defenses around myself before disaster strikes. It feels as if all the compressed mana is released at once, creating the effect of a bomb.
Powerful flames, Laws, Imra, and Dominion erupt outward. I manage to partially contain the explosion with the final layers of compressed ice mana I created in that last second, but it isn’t nearly enough.
My left arm completely disappears, part of my face is burned, and several deep wounds open across my chest. My entire body feels unbearably hot. Having an ice affinity is a tremendous advantage when it comes to avoiding being cooked alive.
I raise my gaze toward the bandits. They all look shocked to see me alive. I can understand that feeling. I doubt any other ruby rank could survive that absurd arrow after seeing it for the first time.
I’m a little angry and at the same time, I’m excited. I’ve wanted to move my body for several days, and my body feels even more excited when it comes to killing people like these, the scum of society.
With my first step forward, some of the wounds on my chest begin to heal. On the second, my face starts returning to its usual pale color. By the fifth step, my arm has been completely reconstructed. By the seventh, it’s as if none of it ever happened.
I activate my teleportation ability. Every one of them is within range. I appear beside someone who looks like a healer. I can feel life mana flowing around him. My sword moves toward his head so quickly that he doesn’t even have time to scream or react.
Another of their companions with life mana reacts quickly. Multiple layers of mana appear between us to stop my blade. The force and power of my strike shatter those layers like glass. The healer manages to move at the last moment and only loses an arm.
I don’t have time to pursue him because dozens of spells are flying directly toward me, and I can already feel his companions blocking my path.
I don’t care much about defense. I prefer attacking and turning everything into a chaotic battlefield.
I stop restraining my power, and my abilities are released without hesitation. Gravity lashes everyone around me. Electric serpents begin dancing through the air. Several Joyeuse float around me, and my swords take on a dark yellowish-blue hue.
My first slash is stopped by a tall woman carrying a massive shield. She’s being enhanced by support mages.
I can’t launch a second attack against her. Her companions interrupt the path of my sword, and I have to dedicate part of my concentration to my Joyeuse to repel multiple incoming spells.
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I move through the middle of them, spreading chaos and destruction without fear of injury.
Although wounds continue to accumulate across my body, I’m causing even more damage. I can heal almost instantly, but they can do the same. There are several more healers among them. I finally find an opening in a swordsman’s defense and drive my sword into his chest.
I have to retreat before finishing him off because multiple weapons are already coming for me. The man falls to the ground with a massive wound across his chest. He’s only alive thanks to the vitality of a ruby rank, and his companions are already healing him.
Those healers are a pain in the ass! They never stop healing their allies.
“That’s exactly what everyone who fights you thinks...” Glia replies.
I ignore her because I don’t have time to answer. I need to focus as much as possible in the middle of this sea of enemies.
Finally, after around fifteen seconds of chaos and destruction, my wagon companions decide to join the battle and help me.
The bastards notice it immediately. One of them alerts the others. In the middle of their attempt to reorganize, they forget about the god of death standing among them.
One ranged fighter fails to react in time and is cut diagonally from his right shoulder to his waist. His body falls lifelessly to the ground.
A warrior wielding a massive axe tries to attack me from behind. With a quick movement of my feet, I avoid the strike, and my sword tears through every one of his defenses, taking one of his legs with it.
I had been at a disadvantage in the middle of all of them. Eventually, I would have run out of mana or energy if I’d continued fighting at that pace. I would have had to call Glia out or retreat. I’m grateful my support didn’t take too long to come up with a strategy.
“I’m ready to come out whenever you want,” Glia comments. I can feel how eager she is to join the chaos.
“Let’s wait a little longer. My instincts say it’s going to get much worse. I don’t want to reveal my trump card so soon,” I answer, receiving a nod from her.
The attackers outnumber us by almost two to one. They would have had a huge advantage in a direct confrontation if I hadn’t appeared.
Now they can’t dedicate all their efforts to the other group because there’s an army disguised as a single person fighting in their midst. I can move much more comfortably now. I don’t need to spend as much mana on my constructs or healing my injuries.
In the middle of all this chaos, I notice someone slowly forcing her way through the battlefield. What does that woman want? A few seconds later, through sheer effort and rapid movements, she manages to position herself beside me.
“This place is a little dangerous for you, Maelli,” I say while launching several enhanced ice swords to defend us against multiple constructs.
“I thought you might need a hand.” She has a light affinity, and I can feel death mana within her constructs.
“Do you think you can keep up with my pace? I’m not here to babysit anyone,” I reply while stopping an axe and a spear with my swords.
She attacks a spot where nobody should be, yet someone is sent flying. That person had tried to ambush us from behind.
“You’re welcome,” Maelli answers.
I can only roll my eyes. Obviously, I had already seen him. What surprises me is that she was able to follow him. To be honest, among all the ruby ranks I’ve seen on this battlefield, Maelli is still the one who gives me the strongest sense of danger.
She’s strong. Maelli’s support is genuinely useful. She focuses entirely on defense and only attacks when she sees a clear opportunity. I have much more freedom to move and think now. I never expected her to be capable of keeping up.
We’ve already killed several bandits over the last few minutes. The numbers are slowly becoming more balanced. Some people on our side have died as well, but thanks to our better organization, our losses are minimal compared to theirs.
My instincts begin screaming at full force. The feeling of danger intensifies, and it feels as though death itself is approaching at incredible speed.
A construct filled with death mana, Imra, Laws, and... Jurisdiction? It’s heading straight toward Maelli. I step directly into the path of the lightning-shaped construct. At the same time, I release my electric serpents to weaken its power and keep the other ruby ranks at bay.
The construct forces me back several steps. My swords are trembling. My arms are almost numb. My own defensive constructs are being devoured by the other person’s death mana. I can only resist it partially with my willpower and my own death mana.
“Impressive. Very impressive.” A chilling voice echoes from the distance.
I feel his Jurisdiction expanding toward us. I manage to resist it for a moment, while everyone else becomes frozen in place.
“Get away from here." I tell Maelli behind me. I can see her opening her mouth to argue, and I interrupt her. “You’ll only get in my way. Run while you still can, before you can’t move anymore.” I speak more forcefully and release my Imra to make my intentions clear.
She stops hesitating and takes the opportunity to flee while everyone remains immobilized by the appearance of this diamond rank.
The Jurisdiction of the masked man attempts to seize me. I can resist it thanks to all my previous training and the increase in my power.
“You never stop impressing me, pretty boy. Entertain me a little.” He shouts again with that chilling voice, and I feel death mana spreading like a disgusting tide in every direction.