Suddenly unleashing
My breathing slows down.
Any outside noise faded.
Click.
As if an invisible switch had just been started, a wave of absolute calm invades me.
Activated "Off" mode
My thoughts dissociated from my body.
My instinct took over.
What is "Off" mode?
In this mode, there is no hesitation, no emotion, no distraction.
There is only pure efficiency.
I don't think about attacking.
I'm the attack.
I no longer think about dodge.
I'm dodging.
A state beyond absolute concentration, where my body acts perfectly depending on the situation.
Only those who have survived countless battles can trigger this state naturally.
And me ... I saw more than enough.
「Acceleration」
I rushed to Reinhardt Valdios at a supraluminic speed, my Akatsuki sword ready to split the air.
Clang!
Our blades were violated violently, triggering a shock wave.
The sparks gushed as we went on strokes, without break.
Each attack was meticulously calculated.
Each perfectly executed movement.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Our silhouettes disappeared and reappeared in an instant, exchanging strikes with a dizzying speed.
But something was wrong ...
My deadly intention had no effect.
Why?
I understood quickly.
Reinhardt's power.
Any negative effect directed against him was instantly canceled.
An absolute defensive capacity.
Boring ... but interesting.
Reinhardt: a real "chad"
"You're fast ..."
Reinhardt reculed lightly and swept her blond hair with a relaxed air.
"But that's it?"
He stared at me with a confident smile, his penetrating and arrogant gaze.
"I expected better from an old Saint Knight."
He repositioned his sword on his quiet shoulder as if the fight was a simple warm -up.
"If that's all you have, I'm going to get bored, guy."
His attitude annoyed me slightly.
But it also made me smile.
This guy is a monster ... and he knows.
A fight worthy of a legendary duel
We left again.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Our swords dançon with absolute mastery.
I died of her strikes.
He contained mine.
None of us took the advantage.
A perfect 50/50.
I had rarely met an opponent who could stand up to my technique.
This guy is a genius of combat.
And that ... it's exciting.
But sudden , Reinhardt goes to the offensive
His gaze changed.
Her smile became more carnivorous.
"Let's go ..."
A golden aura exploded around him.
I instinctively react, but
「Lance of Divine Light」
A huge burst of light materialized and struck me hard.
Boom!
I was propelled back, dragged over several meters, a taste of blood in my mouth.
"HAH ..."
He had had me.
I got up slowly, wiping the blood flowing from my lip.
"TCH ... not bad."
Reinhardt Sneered, playing with his sword with a casual air.
"Have you seen? I don't just have a nice mouth."
This guy ...
A real "Chad".
Selene Moon: the hidden asset
Suddenly, a light sparkled behind Reinhardt.
「Celestial blessing」
"Shit…"
Selene supported Reinhardt with divine buffs.
Its speed and power increased drastically.
The fight was now leaning in its favor at 70%.
Well played, bitch ...
But it's not over yet.
I raised my sword, a smirk.
"TSSS… let's see if you always hold head with a small boost."
The real duel was going to start.
An inevitable domination
"TCH ..."
I was blocking yet another reinhardt stroke.
He had the advantage.
His agility and brute strength, amplified by Selene's blessings, temporarily surpassed me.
"Are you still under the hood?"
Reinhardt was still smiling.
But his breath accelerated slightly.
He pushes his body to the limit.
This fight cannot last forever.
I had to finish now.
Stadium two: a fatal presence
I haven't shown everything yet.
I released my taken on my thoughts.
I let the primary instinct take control.
"Did you want seriousness?"
Reinhardt spread his eyes.
An frozen shiver crossed the area.
The temperature seemed to fall suddenly.
My murderous intention has reached stadium two.
It was no longer a simple threat.
It was an inevitable wave of death.
What is stadium?
A simple look could destroy the spirit of the enemy.
Their bodies refuse to act.
Their souls tremble under indescribable pressure.
There was no more fight.
Only a killing.
Reinhardt, however undefeated, felt his breath cut.
His grip on her sword trembled slightly.
"What is…"
He had never felt that before.
Now.
I vanished from his field of vision.
In a fraction of a second -
「Final blow: killing」
My blade crossed his chest right through.
The whole world stopped.
Reinhardt, the Ultimate Chad, opened great eyes.
He tried to speak, But no sound came out of his mouth.
Blood gushes.
He fell on his knees, his sword sliding on the ground.
"You fought well."
His gaze lost his brilliance.
Reinhardt Valdios was dead.
Selene tears
"Reinhardt ..."
Selene collapsed in tears.
His sobs were real, brutal, heartbreaking.
"No ... no, no, no ... not him ..."
She crawls to her body, her trembling hands covering her pierced chest.
His broken voice was filled with pure despair.
I observed it silently.
So she loved it as much as that ...?
But it was not over.
A strange phenomenon occurred.
Prohibited resurrection
"I'm ... I'm going to bring you back ...!"
His eyes light up with unknown energy.
A magic of resurrection?
Esoteric symbols appeared around Reinhardt.
A powerful mana flow enveloped his corpse.
And sudden, Reinhardt was breathing again.
His eyelids shy.
He was alive.
But his body was exhausted, emptied of all strength.
Selene had just sacrificed a huge amount of vital energy to bring it back.
But this is not a victory.
Reinhardt was no longer a warrior.
He was out of battle.
I stared at Selene, who was difficult to breathe, her tears still flowing.
She gave me a begging look.
But me ...
I did not know pity.
I raised my sword.
"It's over for you."
I walked slowly to her.
Selene, too weak to defend himself, closed her eyes while waiting for her fate.
But then
A small silhouette appeared.
"Stop !!!"
A young boy appeared and threw himself in front of Selene, arms apart.
His eyes filled with terror and tears stared at mine.
"Please ... Don't kill it ...!"
My sword stopped a few centimeters from his face.
Silence fell.
The child's tears sank on his cheeks.
He was petrified, but refused to retreat.
Selene, shocked, opened her eyes slowly.
I hugged my sword.
This child ... Who is he?
Selene's fate was based on my decision.
Reinhardt, still weakened, put a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"This child ... is one of those we saved."
My gaze hardens.
Saved?
Reinhardt continued his deep voice but filled with fatigue.
"Darius is not content to manipulate mercenaries. He also gets rid of it."
I raised an eyebrow.
He pointed from the chin to the back of the bastion.
There, in the shadow of the ruins, several trembling silhouettes came out slowly.
Orphans, survivors ...
They were dozens, dirty, hungry, but with a glimmer of hope in the eyes.
Why Selene stole me
I turned my gaze to Selene.
She was silent, her eyes lowered.
Reinhardt took great inspiration and continued:
"It was for them that Selene stole you."
I gave my teeth.
"So that was it ..."
She had taken all my gold not for her, but to feed them.
I had to admit:
I was fooled.
But…
If it was really for them ...
My irritation diminished slightly.
Reinhardt gained the floor, his more serious voice:
"Didn't you realize it? Selene Moon is not a simple mercenary."
I haired an eyebrow.
"She is ... the goddess of the Moon."
A heavy silence fell on the area.
I blinked.
What?
Reinhardt nodded.
"That's why Darius hunts her down. And the kingdom of Solaria too."
The goddess of the Moon?
I fixed Selene with a whole new perspective.
She always avoided my gaze, as if she didn't want to talk about it.
"Its existence represents a danger for those in power."
I put my sword away, crossing my arms.
"HMPH… and in what does that concern me?"
Reinhardt sketched a slight smile, despite his fatigue.
"Nothing at all. But at least, now you know the truth."
I cast children one last look.
Some watched us with distrust.
Others ... with hope.
Darius Venmorm…
I thought he was a simple tyrant, a greedy criminal.
But now that I saw it all ...
I understood something important.
It is not so different from the holy knights.
A monster that used its power to trample the weak.
A tyrant who saw life as a resource to be exploited.
I hugged my fist.
TCH ...
This world is really rotten.
I looked up towards Selene.
She looked at me in silence.
We both knew that this confrontation was not over.