Childhood Friend of the Zenith

CRACK—!!

A battle erupted. The enemy launched a coordinated attack from the start. The woman quickly grabbed a peculiar sword and launched a flurry of rapid strikes.

The old man grabbed a heavy blunt weapon and charged at me.

BAM—!!

A deafening impact rang through the air as a shockwave surged. The force was immense. I dodged their combined assault and quickly assessed my opponents.

‘This couple of fucking bastards are pretty strong.’

They were as powerful as the Fire Artisan Demon.

And moreover—

‘They’re not from the orthodox sect.’

The crude, disorganized killing intent, mixed with their thirst for battle, was unmistakable.

‘These are unorthodox bastards.’

Both were unorthodox, and both were incredibly strong.

THUD—!!

I dodged the sword strike and blocked the blunt weapon with my hand, redirecting its force.

The shock from the impact pushed me back slightly.

CRASH—!!!

I crashed to the ground, my body absorbing the shock. I quickly regained my stance and continued dodging their relentless attacks.

With the mixture of black flames and my energy, resisting their strikes wasn’t difficult.

‘Their coordination is off.’

Despite their high skill, their teamwork was awkward. They clearly hadn’t fought together before.

SHREEEK—!!

Three blades came at me.

I shifted just enough to evade them, letting the woman’s arm graze my side.

“…!”

Her eyes widened as I not only avoided her attack but also trapped her arm. She struggled to break free, but—

THWACK—!!

I pressed my palm into her solar plexus, delivering a crushing blow.

THUD—!!

The shock from my punch sent her flying back. It wasn’t a fatal blow, but I controlled the force to send her tumbling without killing her.

“Huff… huff…!!”

Before I could even breathe, the old man was already charging at me again.

His heavy weapon fell toward my head.