The air felt quite oppressive.
The blood-red aura that surged from Kael twisted the wind itself, bending light and shadow.
The once-watching crowd had already scattered. Some had run far away, while others crouched behind broken stalls, walls, or whatever debris could offer a sense of safety from the storm that had just woken in the form of a man.
"An assassin…This guy is surely a reputed assassin."
The group of bandit crowd started to falter and step back in fear seeing an intense pressure emanating from a masked man.
They feared getting trampled in the fight against big elephants and crushed to death.
Just then, the one across the Coscoid street who had been gambling came running, hearing about the fight.
One voice rose from the broken alleyways.
"That… that monster's still alive?!"
Another gasped, "No… he's stronger. It's like something ancient just woke up."
While many started to run, few dared to lay tables and shouted.
"I am betting 5 silver coins on man."
"Are you insane?"One of them interjected and shouted.
"I am putting 50 silver coins on Four Fangs.."
While the group of bandits started growing crazy, Kael grinned like a lunatic.
His hair clung to his sweat-soaked face, his muscles tensed, trembling with power. His eyes were wide, glowing crimson—not just from aura, but something far worse.
It was filled with madness,rage and delight.
He let out a sharp exhale, then muttered low, "Now this… this feels right."
Kael raised both blades—his original black sword glimmering ominously on his right, and the newly forged steel pipe blade on his left. He spun them slowly, almost lovingly, the blades slicing through the air with an audible hum.
Jax, who had barely escaped the beam earlier, now wiped the blood from his cheek. The side of his hook was scorched and still steaming. "That fucker nearly split me in two…"
"Back off if you're scared," Verno said grimly, stepping forward. "But if you run now, he'll cut you from behind."
Jax growled and stepped back into position, glaring at Kael with narrowed eyes.
Verno didn't take his eyes off the madman. "We need to go together. Same as before."
"No," Marn said, voice like thunder, "we need to go harder and all out or else…"
His voice paused, giving a shiver and then,the four moved.
Gorro flashed out of sight, his foot skimming off the rooftop beside him as he reappeared behind Kael with a dagger dipped in paralytic powder. At the same moment, Marn came barreling from the front, leaping with his fists like meteors.
His body tilted—his right arm swung upward to meet Marn's descent with the black sword. Metal clanged. Sparks flew. The shockwave flattened a nearby wall. But Kael wasn't done. His left blade spun with insane speed, meeting Gorro's dagger mid-air.
"Nice try," Kael whispered through his teeth, eyes locked on Gorro's stunned face.
The metallic pipe-blade bent slightly, but the dagger shattered. Gorro leaped back instantly, but not fast enough—his cheek was sliced, blood spraying in a curved streak.
"You little—" Gorro hissed.
Before he could finish, Kael lunged at him, fast as a whip.
A hook slammed into Kael's side, the rusted edge catching the armor and ripping flesh.
"Thought you forgot me?" Jax roared.
Kael twisted mid-air from the blow, grinning through the blood dripping down his side. "Not at all."
He slammed both swords into the ground as he landed, and a burst of crimson aura shot outward like a ripple. Tiles cracked. The earth trembled. A nearby building's walls fractured and collapsed, throwing up more dust and stone.
Verno moved next, his own aura turning a deep violet—mind-based energy.
He whispered a spell, subtle but strong.
Kael's knees buckled for a second.
"Huh?" he muttered, suddenly seeing hundreds of Marns and Gorros swirling in a dizzying dance.
"An illusion?" he chuckled.
He closed his eyes—just for a second—and when he opened them again, they burned with red flame. "Nice try, old bumps."
A snap of his fingers—BOOM!
The illusion shattered into shards of violet light. Verno staggered, eyes wide.
Kael's figure rose like a specter through the smoke, blood running down his chin, his breath heavy but stable.
"I told you," he growled, "you should be proud."
Kael spun, his swords creating arcs of light. "You made me bring out my dual swords."
Gorro attacked again, with blinding speed, fists cloaked in the wind. Marn roared and slammed the ground, sending a shockwave toward Kael. Jax spun his hook like a chain weapon, launching it forward, while Verno tried to chain another illusion spell.
Kael crossed both blades in front of him, then pulled them apart—SCREEECH!
A vertical wave of crimson energy exploded from him. The sky above split briefly, clouds twisting as the aura pierced upwards.
The shockwave hit them all.
Jax was thrown back twenty feet, crashing through two stone pillars. Marn dug his feet into the earth, cracks spider-webbing out from under him. Gorro tumbled and rolled, coughing blood. Verno had to raise a full shield of aura just to stay standing.
The entire street caved in partially, and nearby buildings groaned from the aftershock. People screamed again. Even those hiding couldn't believe their eyes.
Kael stood in the center of the chaos. Bleeding. Laughing.
He licked his lips, a long cut dripping from his forehead down to his jaw.
"More," he whispered.
"Come on. Don't stop now."
His breath came out in sharp rasps, but he held both swords with a firm grip. His left arm was shaking slightly—but his eyes were only growing darker.
Gorro stumbled to his feet, knuckles bruised and body shaking. "This man… he's not human."
"No," Verno muttered, "he's worse."
Kael grinned, "You wanted a prize. You wanted my head. Come then—"
He leaped again, and this time, he left a trail of pure red light in the air behind him.