Chapter 27

My mind raced to find a way out of this mess but to no avail, only the sound of a loud shout woke me up from my daze. However, the blade was far too close for me to do anything, only watch helplessly as it would cut inside rendering me dead with a single strike.

“Clang!!!”

The sound of a blade cutting flesh was never head, however, metal striking metal as sparks flew out from my chest. It was the limiter! Death was miraculously evaded but the damage was still suffered as I was sent rolling down the ground.

Instantly fixing my posture I stood up trying to reposition myself to fight back against the incoming threat.

‘Basara Let me take over!’ shouted Nocturn within my head. ‘I wanted you to fight him yourself but it seems you are far from strong enough. At least not now.’

‘Whatever you say,” I said as I gave him control.

“Oh, you switched. That won’t do.” Said the shrouded man as he brought forward a dark stone with several white markings on it.

“A dark sigil!” said Nocturne then I felt shocked as I was forcefully given back control over my body.

‘Run Basara!’ Cried out Nocturne, yet without even a moment’s rest, I saw a blade coming forward trying to lop my head off my shoulders.

Hastily pulling up my scythe the blade was forced off trajectory, yet still managed to slice my ear forcing large amounts of blood to gush out.

Gazing at my side I saw Lady Lissandra who was looking pale… if I were to run… she will die.

“Shit!”

I swung the scythe sideways with barely enough strength to move the blade and jumped backward.

The man didn’t give me a chance as he followed suit with another lunge directed at my head.

On reflex I exerted the first Move of the Lotus arts, bending down and slicing upwards with the blade of the scythe, although not a blade I used the momentum to slice at the man.

He, however, didn’t dare come close as he jumped backward.

‘He won’t dare touch the blade, you just need to cut him and I will suck the life out of him, if you can’t fight, you need only to wound.’ Said Nocturne.

“Haste!”

“Empower!”

“Strengthen!”

I called upon the meager skills I could use.

If I could have the time to remove the limiter I would probably be able to move much faster… however, I believe that if I were to falter, just for a second, it will be my head that will roll.

The man moved forward with more viciousness as he struck the air thrice. Dodging the first two with the skin of my teeth, I was forced to take the third hit to the right thigh.

More blood gushed out while I was forced into a corner.

“Give up lad, you are no match for me, hand over the book and die. You are unworthy of its power.” He said as he got closer.

“Why are you doing this,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Why not, you have something that I want. And you don’t have the strength to protect or wield it. It is only natural that I will have it, now enough of this talk, hand over the book and your life too.” He said as he chopped forward.

“Saint slayer!” shouted Lady Lissandra as a wave of Qi shot forward.

“Impudent bitch,” said the man as he swung his hand destroying the majestic Qi wave as if it was but a nuisance. The mere act of him moving his hand was enough to destroy Lady Lissandra’s spell and smack her into a nearby tree. She let a groan as her body was once again damaged before she could fully heal her injuries, adding damage to damage.

“Do you think that just because you are highly esteemed amongst the school, being a class S that you will be able to take down one of greater understanding towards martial prows? Those are scores based on your potential, not your real value.” Said the man as he moved forward, this time I barely had the time to stand up. Forcing balance on my unwounded leg. The limiter making this harder now that I can no longer properly control the distribution of weight.

“Die for me,” said the Shrouded man as a swing of his sword was about to land on my head.

“Not so fast,” said another voice as he appeared from nowhere.

It was the old man guarding the entrance to the forest. on his hand was a long wooden staff that he used to block the sword of the shrouded man.

“You think that you have the ability to run rampant in this place without being punished for it? You think too highly of yourself, Selazar” said the old man

“Headmaster…!” grunted the shrouded man as he was forced back.

Headmaster? That old man? Is the Headmaster?

“You have the last Conqueror's treasure, however, just one of them, it is not enough.” He said as he moved forward striking with the wooden staff repeatedly, parrying and forcing the man back.

“Why interfere with my plans Old man! I never liked you at all. It seems that I have no choice.” Said the shrouded man.

“Blood calls! blood shall be answered. I give this flesh for strength, I give this flesh for blood, I call upon the old oath, I call upon the blood creed!” chanted the shrouded man

“Get back! Both of you! Now!” cried out the headmaster

A surge of powerful Qi emanated from the shrouded man as his body bulged and muscles tore. Blood, so much of it, that no human can ever hold this much, and more, more surged out creating a silouhet of a true demon descending upon the land. A monster, a behemoth of blood.

Crimson red, humungous and threatening. With two enormous arms that looked to be hanging from its shoulders. Each of them was thrice the width of man’s waist. On top of the shoulders were two blades of bone. While his head was grotesque and monstrous it had a lone horn on its forehead protruding upwards.

It had no legs, as it looked to be floating from the waist up.

It dripped from blood and gave a dangerous air of corruption around it. Something primal within me stirred, it was fear…

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‘Damn, he turned fully… Back away Basara. Don’t let it get its hands on the book.’ Said Nocturne.

Forcing my self to move I went towards Lady Lissandra.

My leg barely able to move, I moved towards her, putting all my weight on my left leg.

Once I reached her, I shook her a bit hoping to have a response. Thankfully, she opened her eyes, she looked to be in a daze as she looked at me, but the moment she saw the blood behemoth her eyes widened.

“No time! We need to move, Now!” I said as I pulled her up.

“Where do you think you are going!” roared the monster, a voice that didn’t sound human at all shook my very soul.

It moved its hands and the Headmaster showed up before us.

Swinging his staff a huge barrier emerged, the hand of the beast was destroyed by contact forcing blood to spray out. However, the whole barrier, with but a single hit shook as if it was about to break at any moment.

‘Reinforced with the Death shroud, it is not an ordinary one of them ‘ Said Nocturne.

“Headmaster. With your old injuries, do you think yourself able to defeat the current me?”

The old man laughed under his veil.

“Indeed, these old wounds caused me to fall behind and unable to fully exert my strength, many had thought me unfit, due to me clearly being far weaker than my subordinates. However, do you know why I still remain the headmaster?” said the old man as he pushed his right hand forward and a wave of energy washed over us. “Because never had I ever lost a single time against any of your kind!”

The barrier that was created by the headmaster shuddered and a palm the size of a mountain came down crashing towards the blood made beast.

“Futile!” roared the beast as a similarly sized palm made entirely of blood was created, it roared forward clashing with the palm of light.

All the spells I used, all the abilities I saw before. They all paled compared to the scale of these two’s fight. How can I even reach there? Fight the calamity? Defeat the singularity? What an absurd dream.

‘Calm your mind Basara!” said Nocturne “These attacks are normal for someone of their age and experience. Worry not, you still have much to learn. A day will come when you will treat attacks like these as if they were but a nuisance.’ Said Nocturne as I felt that he was looking through my eyes, more interested in the blood made beast than the fight itself.

A shockwave soon washed over us. Ripping trees and upturning the earth. Blood and energy washed over the forest.

“You can’t beat me, old man! I am not like those of inferior strength! I lived for hundreds of years and I survived hundreds of battles! The day where I die shall never be today!” roared the creature of blood as he created a humongous sword, thrice his size and chopped downward.

‘That barrier won’t hold.’ Said Nocturne.

“Today I will have to prove you wrong!” roared the old man as an enormous pitch black shield emerged from nowhere.

‘A dragon scale? These still exist? Huh, this was truly annoying back in the days, but it is only good for defense.’ Said Nocturne

The sword cut down while the huge shield blocked it with ease. The blood that splattered afterward fell on trees corroding them. As if it was a potent acid.

“Basara, take the princess and leave this place. I can’t both protect and fight against this thing!” said the old man

‘Indeed, two people of equal strength fought, the one protecting is always disadvantaged against the one attacking. You must leave this place.’ Said Nocturne

Looking at the monster that was fighting the Headmaster I felt a bit of shame leaving him here… thus I asked

‘Hey, Nocturne… you said that this Scythe can kill anything as long as it has life in it right?’ I asked

‘Indeed, however, with your current wounds, you will have no chance at getting closer to him. Let along wounding him.’

‘Indeed you are right’ I said as I smiled ‘Of course I cant, not with my current strength.’

“Lady Lissandra… can I ask you for a favor.” I said looking at the pale looking lady who I was supporting with my shoulder… or was she supporting me?

“Hu? Ah, Yes?” she said looking a bit lost, trying to assess the situation.

“I need your help removing some of these cuffs. The ones on my right tight. I said

“You have more of these? No wonder the earth you walk on caves…” she said as she looked at my wounded leg.

While I tasked her to remove the limiters on my right thigh. I began by removing the ones on my hands.

“Oh my god, the wound is too deep… she said with a shocked expression… we need to treat this fast!”

“Don’t worry about that. Just help me remove the cuffs, it is getting harder and harder to remain standing.” I said

She then unlocked the first, then the second, and a third.

“That is enough,” I said.

“Huh? You clearly have more, I should remove them.”

“Ah, no, I made a promise to someone that I will have to keep them on unless my life is threatened,” I said with a smile

“Isn’t your life threatened right now!” Shouted lady Lissandra.

With a smirk, I answered, “Apparently not.” Then I removed three from my other thigh, and two from each arm.

Ten rings removed. Ten rings remain. And a body limiter.

The mere fact of raising my left arm made me feel reborn. Energy, so much of it exploded from my now unrestrained arm. Though still many rings are still attacked, a huge burden was removed.

I don’t really understand why Master Shen asked me to never remove them, but it seems that they are tempering the body, every hour, every minute, and every second. Indeed, tools of torture used this way can be of great help towards becoming stronger.

Holding the scythe with both hands I strengthened myself

“Haste! Strengthen! Empower!”

Body lightened, joints reinforced, muscles pumped. My suit was about to be ripped apart once the muscles in my body pumped up.

The huge monster of blood discarded his giant sword that dissipated in the thin air. His two hands grew enormous claws and swung forward slicing at the air and aiming at the huge shield.

“Good he is distracted, careful Lady Lissandra please step a bit back,” I said to the beautiful lady who immediately retreated.

Using all my strength, I bent my body back. With both hands firmly gripping the Scythe, I jolted it forward with enough strength that I felt my muscles tear.

The scythe flew into the air with enough strength and speed that it felt like the winds were howling madly.

The fight between the two was instantly halted as the scythe tore through the air. The blood made beast tried to stop it with using his right hand forward.

“Idiot,” I said as I laughed

The moment his blood made hand made contact.

‘I got him’ said Nocturne as a surge of immense dark Qi resounded through the forest. waves upon waves of dark Qi washed over the empty space, an orb the size of the sun was created from the tip of the scythe that began consuming the blood beast.

“No!” Roared the creature, trying to pull itself out of that mess, to no avail, the pull only grew stronger as his body began to tear. His hand was consumed and his chest was soon to follow, the black orb would eat away at the man’s blood and what seemed to be supporting flesh as if it was in unbearable hunger.

The beast’s body would tear at points as blood was absorbed only mutated bones of a former looking skeleton was seen.

The beast would scream and howl, try to pull itself as the orb would slowly but surely suck him in. every time he trashed around he would sink deeper until the skin of its face would melt until the eyes on it would pop, and the bones on its skeleton would crumble.

With a final howl, the beast that brought fear to the world was destroyed.

‘Holy shit… that was awesome Nocturne!’ I said addressing him

‘Indeed it was potent, however… think not that an ability this powerful can be used without backlash… be prepared you will suffer the consequences of this…I didn’t want you to use this scythe’s power so early on… I am sorry”

The black orb soon dissipated and nothing but torn dirt and uprooted trees could be seen for a long distance.

In the middle of the zone, there was a paper that glowed faintly.

The old man looked stunned as he grabbed the paper and approached me saying

“I believe… this belongs to you.” Said the old man as he handed me the page

Looking at it, there were several strange words, exactly like the ones that I have in my book.

‘This is what he stole from Nocturne I guess’

Once I grabbed the paper, the black book floated from its position as I always hanged it on my side.

It opened where a torn page was and the paper perfectly attacked itself there.

Hmm.

The world began to turn as I started to feel a bit dizzy. It seems that I lost a lot of blood.

I will be needing that pill I guess… looking around I saw that the Wing of the moonlight butterfly was destroyed.

Shit…

“Hey, Basara… are you alright?” said Lady lissandra as she approached, supporting me by the shoulder.

“Headmaster! He doesn’t look alright, look!” she said pointing at my skin.

Dark veins soon began to primate my body, as an old curse was swimming through my flesh with every single strand of it burning its way deep into my figure.

It hurts, yet I didn’t even have the strength to express it. The book fell and I dropped to my knee, not even Lady Lissandra could support my weight as I fell.

Pain, the searing and suffocating pain!

“This looks like Their mark!” said Lady Lissandra “He can’t be one of them!” she said crying out.

Them? Ah, I remember, they grow black veins like this when they are in need of blood… am I turning?

“Don’t worry, he is suffering from Qi deficiency… however, I never saw a case this severe… let's get him back to the school first.” Said the old man as with a single swipe of his hand a gust of wind carried all three of us.

Closing my eyes in hope to fall asleep I was jolted back with insufferable pain… it seems that I will have to suffer a bit before I could regain my sense… this is going to suck.