The two men stood facing each other, both measuring the other with their gaze. The air, heavy with tension, seemed to weigh down on the atmosphere, while the surviving bandits, scattered and terrified, watched in silence. Samuel remained impassive, his piercing gaze fixed on the leader of the bandits, a skinny, nervous man whose confidence was beginning to crack. He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth.
“You really think you can beat me as easily as the others ?” hissed the leader in a raspy voice, trying to maintain a semblance of confidence. “I’m not like them… I’ll show you what real strength is.”
He extended his hand forward and, with a simple gesture, a blood-red sword materialized out of nowhere, formed by one of his skills. The bandit leader then leaped forward with surprising speed, striking at Samuel with wild fury. The reddish blade sliced through the air, vibrating with malevolent energy.
But Samuel, calm and focused, didn’t flinch. He raised his sword, imbued with darkness, repelling the attack with disconcerting ease.
The bandit’s sword clashed with Samuel’s in a burst of dark light, the shadows surrounding the general’s blade seeming to swallow the crimson glow of his opponent’s weapon.
Frustrated by how easily Samuel had parried his strike, the bandit leader stepped back, then launched himself forward again. This time, he aimed for Samuel’s head, then his flank, trying to catch him off guard with the variety of his strikes. But Samuel, unfazed, activated his skill "Awakened Speed", increasing his reaction time. Just as the blood sword approached, Samuel dodged with a fluid movement, leaving the bandit’s attacks to strike only air.
Meanwhile, sensing that the situation was under control, Kai had moved to the side, watching the scene from a safe angle. He casually went to sit next to Canon, who, lying on the ground, watched the fight, fascinated by Samuel’s mastery. Kai crossed his arms, a slight smile on his lips, confident in his master’s abilities.
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The bandit leader, increasingly desperate, created a second blood sword in his left hand, a twisted look of determination in his eyes. “You won’t be able to block this !” he growled before charging at Samuel again. Wielding a weapon in each hand, he launched a flurry of attacks, his blades slicing through the air in a frenzied assault.
Samuel decided it was time to counterattack. He used "Muscle Reinforcement", feeling his muscles tense under the effect of the skill. With his strength increased, he repelled the two blood blades in one powerful blow, sending the bandit flying backward. Seizing the opportunity, he used "Wind Slash", sending an invisible blade of wind straight at his opponent.
The bandit leader barely dodged it, but the wind blade grazed his arm, tearing through his tunic. Out of breath, he staggered backward, his two blood swords briefly dissipating before reforming. Samuel, seeing the exhaustion in his opponent’s eyes, slowly advanced, his cold gaze fixed on him.
“You’re getting tired,” Samuel murmured almost indifferently, while his opponent, panting, tried to catch his breath. But the bandit leader, refusing to give up, gritted his teeth and screamed, “I’m not finished yet!” He took a few steps back before raising his two bloodied hands, channeling all his energy into one last effort.
“I’ll show you my true power!” He rasped the words, activating "Blood Block".
A red glow shimmered around Samuel, but he didn’t move. Canon, realizing what was happening, shouted in a panic, his voice trembling, “Watch out, that’s the skill that paralyzed me!” Kai, also worried, had risen, his hand ready to draw his bow. But he stopped as he looked at Samuel.
The blood aura surrounding Samuel seemed to fade as quickly as it had appeared. Samuel was completely unaffected. He stood there, motionless, a cold smile forming on his lips. The bandit leader, who had expected to see his enemy paralyzed, stepped back, horrified.
“What… How ?!” he exclaimed, his eyes wide with incomprehension.
Samuel took a step forward. “Are you done?” he asked calmly, as if all this had been nothing more than a simple game. The bandit leader, out of breath and drained of energy, fell to his knees, unable to understand how his ultimate skill had failed.
“Looks like your 'Blood Block' doesn’t work on me,” Samuel said with a menacing smile.