ShiHoon stomped on the ground and focused all of his attention on the sword.
Sword-man Unity… It was as if the sword had become part of him.
The Qi expanded to the sword, and a mysterious sensation spread through his body.
"Haa…"
He took a deep breath. The Qi inside his body followed his breath.
Arms, legs, and sword…
Crack.
Footsteps appeared on the ground, and he shot forward as if he were sliding.
[Interesting…]
Halphas smiled. Black spheres shot in all directions.
Kim ShiHoon's eyes shone sharply. There were dozens of black spheres being launched toward him.
Being hit with even one would probably be fatal.
'I cannot block them all.'
He might be able to handle a few, but there were dozens of them.
Blocking all of them was impossible.
'Should I jump into the air?'
He shook his head. It seemed like Halphas had read his possible dodging trajectories. Some attacks were being launched in the air. Since he couldn't fly, dodging them all in the air would be impossible.
'Then…'
He lowered his body to the point that his chest almost touched the ground.
He launched himself forward in that state.
Boom-!
He flew with his body low. Gravity caused his body to slump to the ground while drawing a parabola.
It was at that moment…
'Blue Dragon's Flight.'
He twisted his body and swung his sword toward the ground.
His body shot up as if gravity had disappeared.
Halphas was clearly surprised.
'Blue Dragon 1st Form.'
He swung the sword. Blue sword energy rose from the blade and targeted Halphas's head.
[Good!]
The tips of Halphas's mouth went up. The fight he thought was boring had suddenly turned interesting.
He extended his left hand, and a shield made of demonic energy appeared.
CLANG-!
A loud sound spread through the place. Dust rose from the ground at the strong impact.
Halphas was pushed back a bit. He opened both arms.
[Struggle a bit more, Gaia's servant!]
A black sphere the size of a fist appeared from his extended arms.
[Hahaha!]
Halphas laughed out loud. An explosive amount of demonic energy flew out of his body.
The black sphere started to get bigger.
From 30 centimeters to 50, and then a meter.
[Come, try to block this!]
[Halphas, calm down.]
[What are you going to do if he dies?]
The other two demons tried to stop him, but Halphas didn't hear them.
The spark had already been lit.
The battle-craving body of a demon had made him lose his mind.
The black sphere grew to over two meters in size.
Kim ShiHoon felt chills. He could feel impressive destructive energy from the black sphere.
BOOM-!
The black sphere shot forward.
Everything that was in its trajectory was dragged into it.
"Ugh!"
It had impressive absorbing capabilities.
A strong wind that resembled a typhoon pushed him from behind.
He felt that the black sphere would absorb his body.
Kim ShiHoon's face turned pale.
He couldn't stand still and try to resist it. The black sphere was approaching him at a very fast pace.
"Damn!"
He bit his lip. He subconsciously knew he wouldn't be able to dodge it.
Kim ShiHoon grabbed the sword tighter; the blue sword energy burned with more intensity.
"Haa… Haa…"
He felt cold sweat dripping from his back.
He gulped. Once again, fear of dying spread through his body.
'Concentrate…'
He spread some Qi to his trembling legs.
He clenched his fists.
'If I can't dodge…'
Slash-!
He smashed his legs with his fists covered in Qi as if he were striking nails with a hammer. His two legs were planted into the ground.
He gripped the sword tighter.
'I'm going to block it.'
He raised the sword. Shimmering darkness opened its mouth toward him.
He exploded the Qi within his body; sword energy rose up.
"Haa…"
He took a deep breath and then held it.
He relaxed his body and stared at the sphere.
He'd only have one chance; he wasn't sure if it was even possible to do it.
'That's not important…'
A smile appeared on his face.
Since the situation had become quite serious, he somehow felt relaxed.
He felt like he could see someone's back.
The person that had appeared when he was about to die at Kim YeongHoon's hands…
'Hyeong KangWoo.'
They weren't blood-related.
He didn't know who he was or what kind of person he used to be in the past…
But there was something he was sure about…
He'd saved him.
KangWoo had saved him from the muddy life he’d thought he’d be stuck in forever.
BOOM-!!
The black sphere closed in. He swung the sword from top to bottom at a casual speed.
Slowly, without hurrying things…
Ting-
[You've obtained the Unique Skill 'Blue Dragon 1st Form.']
A message appeared in front of him. He didn't care about it. The sword touched the black sphere.
[Huh?]
Halphas's expression distorted.
The black sphere he'd just used was a technique he'd received from the Evil God, Lucifer.
Even if he was Gaia's servant, it wasn't a power a human should’ve been able to counter.
But…
[Halphas!!]
[Dodge it!]
He heard the other two demons screaming at him
The black sphere was split into two, and the blue energy that had split the sphere was rushing toward him.
Halphas subconsciously twisted his body.
Slash-!
[Ugh!]
The blue sword energy cut his left arm. Pain spread through the rest of his body, and his expression hardened.
'That was dangerous.'
If he hadn't twisted his body at that moment, he might have been split into two.
No, if he hadn't dodged it, he would have died for sure.
[How dare a mere human!!]
He became angry, and his face turned red in embarrassment.
To think he'd suffer such humiliation in front of his brothers!
Boom!
Kim ShiHoon, who had successfully split the black sphere, pulled his legs from the ground.
He didn't hesitate and leaped toward Halphas.
Halphas frowned and raised his right arm.
He'd received an attack because he'd relaxed for a moment, but he wouldn't let such a thing happen twice.
Slash-!
[Ugh!]
Kim ShiHoon's sword turned into light and moved.
The sword targeting his right arm cut his shoulder.
Halphas anxiously swung his right arm.
'I'm faster.'
Not only was he faster, but he was also overwhelmingly stronger than him.
He could clearly see the trajectory of the human's sword; it was also so weak he could easily deflect it away.
But…
Slash-!
[How?!]
His attack didn't work on ShiHoon.
Even if he shot a black sphere, created a demonic energy wall to block his attack, and then tried to counter it, he couldn't fully dodge it.
Wounds kept appearing on Halphas's body.
And…
Whish-!
[Ugh!]
The blade, covered with blue light, targeted his neck. Halphas quickly moved back, but it was useless. The sword drew a trajectory he couldn't understand and was stuck to him.
The fear of death spread through his body.
'Am I going to die at the hands of a human?'
This was something that shouldn't happen.
He was a demon that served the Evil God, Lucifer.
Losing against a human wasn't allowed for him.
[You dumbass!]
* * *
Phenex took a step forward. He kicked Kim ShiHoon, who was targeting Halphas.
Paf-!
"Cough!"
After being kicked by Phenex, Kim ShiHoon rolled onto the ground.
[What do you think you're doing against a mere human, Halphas?!]
[…]
Halphas lowered his head. He was silent while trying to cover the section where his left arm was severed.
Phenex walked toward Kim ShiHoon while clicking his tongue.
[He's a servant of a high-ranking god, huh? Even if she's half-dead.]
Phenex stomped Kim ShiHoon's arm.
Crack-!
"AAARRGGHH!"
Kim ShiHoon screamed in pain.
Phenex bounced his finger. Black spheres that were about the size of a fingernail launched toward Kim ShiHoon.
Stab-! Stab! Stab!
His skin was pierced. Holes that were about the size of a fingernail appeared on his shoulders, chest, stomach, and legs. Blood poured out of him.
"Cough! Cough!"
Kim ShiHoon vomited blood, and a few of his organs spilled out from his torn-open stomach.
A horrible pain spread through his body.
[Tsk. If I overdo myself, he's going to end up dying. Halphas, take responsibility and figure out where Gaia’s incarnation is.]
[Ugh. Okay.]
Halphas nodded while biting his lips.
"Haa… Haa…"
Kim ShiHoon's consciousness was starting to get blurry. A tear dropped from his eyes.
He was scared. He tried to overcome it, but since things had taken a turn for the worst, his body started to shake.
He could feel his consciousness becoming blurry. He remembered the faces of his mother and party members—even Kim YeongHoon and Kim JaeHyun.
"Hy… eong."
He desperately hoped to be saved.
He didn't intend to escape, but things ended up like that.
Since he was about to die, he felt his mind blanking in fear.
A laugh came out of Kim ShiHoon's mouth.
He looked so pathetic that even his tears stopped.
'I…'
Once again.
Once again.
Once again.
'I wasn't able to do anything…'
BOOM-!!!
A loud sound cut his thoughts short.
Kim ShiHoon looked in the direction of the sound.
"Ah…"
A young man wearing a white mask appeared walking through the smoke.
* * *
"…"
He looked around.
The first thing he saw was Kim ShiHoon, who had collapsed to the ground.
His right arm was bent in a weird direction, and blood poured out from all over his body.
The wound on his stomach was so bad that his internal organs could be seen.
Leaving aside the fact he was a Guardian, his wounds were so bad that it was impressive that he was still alive.
Tap, Tap-
He walked toward Kim ShiHoon and grabbed him by his collar.
"Kim ShiHoon…"
He wasn't sad or angry.
He couldn't feel anything while looking at Kim ShiHoon, whose wounds were so bad it was almost weird he hadn't died yet.
"Who told you to fight however you wanted?"
For him, Kim ShiHoon wasn't someone that important.
He'd made him into his familiar spirit so he could use him comfortably.
He was a being similar to a chess piece.
He wasn't worth more than that.
"Escape first? You're going to stay behind?"
He wasn't soft enough to get angry because he’d almost lost a chess piece.
He thought Kim ShiHoon was someone with great potential, but he wasn't so important that his death would be critical to him.
"Did you want to look cool?"
The tendons in the hand that was grabbing ShiHoon’s collar became visible.
The demonic energy he hadn't controlled fluttered all around.
"Why? You weren't scared about anything since everyone keeps calling you a hero?"
Of course, he wasn't angry.
There's no way he'd get angry because of something like that.
"Hyeong… nim…"
"If you couldn’t win, you should've escaped. YOU IDIOT!!!" He angrily shouted.
His breath became heavier.
His eyes turned bloodshot, and his body trembled a bit.
He lifted his mask and bit his finger.
Blood from his finger entered Kim ShiHoon's mouth.
He used the Authority of Regeneration.
The wounds closed at a fast pace.
"You said you wanted to save people, right? You told me you wanted to move away from your childhood trauma. Is this how you're planning to do that? Huh? If you die like this, will anyone recogni—"
[Human.]
Phenex frowned and walked toward KangWoo.
[Don't inter—]
Tap-
[Huh?]
KangWoo's hands, which had just been grabbing Kim ShiHoon's collar, grabbed the back of Phenex's head.
He smashed Phenex's head into the ground before he could even react.
SMASH-!
[Cough!]
Phenex's head slammed into the ground. KangWoo raised his feet and stomped his head.
CRACK-!
Phenex's head exploded.
"I was talking."
He turned his head.
The whites of his eyes blackened, and his pupil started to turn yellow.
His black eyes were sparkling with madness.
"Shut up and stay still, you motherfuckers."
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