The rain poured relentlessly as the two parties stood motionless, their eyes locked, each ready to strike at a moment's notice. Saiba gripped his blades like daggers—a fitting way to hold them, given their size and shape resembled oversized versions of the weapon.

Suddenly, the Matra dashed toward Saiba, who immediately gave chase. As they clashed, the Matra raised his right arm, poised to strike down his foe. Saiba dodged at the last moment, leaving the Matra's fist to slam into the ground, creating a deep crater and splashing mud in all directions.

Before the Matra could react, a slash appeared on his right side, just above his waist.

Until Saiba, a non-mage captain in the imperial knights was unheard of. Ordinary people could never hope to rival the strength of mages. Yet, one extraordinary thing made it possible for him.

He was fast.

He was unbelievably fast.

Saiba skidded through the mud behind the Matra, carried by his momentum, his eyes locked on his enemy. As he came to a stop, he launched himself forward with explosive force, aiming to drive his blades into the Matra's back.

Sensing Saiba's incoming attack, the Matra spun around swiftly, his right arm swinging with full force, aiming to hurl Saiba away. The sheer power of the swing displaced the rain, clearing the air for a fleeting moment. Yet, Saiba was nowhere to be seen.

In the milliseconds that followed, the Matra's pupils darted downward, catching sight of Saiba sliding beneath him, right between his legs, a smug expression painted across his face.

Saiba's slide carried him to a safe distance from the Matra. As his momentum slowed, he pushed himself upright and transitioned seamlessly into a fighting stance, coming to a complete stop and facing the Matra.

The Matra turned to face Saiba, his expression unreadable. He drew a deep breath, and the slits in his chest began to glow more intensely, pulsing in rhythm with his inhalation.

He then lifted his right arm and looked at the wound that he just noticed, which healed instantly.

“Tsk,” Saiba scoffed.

As expected, this one can heal its wounds, he thought to himself. Xenon's possession gave it far more than just the ability to speak.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

And that strength, he examined as he stared at the crater caused by the Matra's strike, it's too much for a regular Matra… an Achromatra? No, it's not that strong.

Once again, the Matra charged at Saiba, his left fist aimed directly at his face. Saiba dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the punch. The Matra quickly followed with a right hook, but Saiba crouched just in time and sliced the monster across its abdomen. In response, the Matra launched a left high kick, which Saiba evaded by backflipping above it.

Hooks and kicks?! Saiba exclaimed as he landed, guess this one isn't so mindless after al—

Before he could finish his thought, the Matra lunged to grab Saiba's face. However, thanks to his inhuman speed, Saiba not only evaded the grab but also sliced open the Matra's entire arm in the process. He then swiftly positioned himself behind the Xenon-possessed monster once again.

“Enough of this!“ Yelled the annoyed Saiba, “come at me with everything you got, lowly pawn!“

The two then clashed in yet another exchange, this time much faster. The Matra struck, Saiba evaded, and sliced. It was a rapid succession, where brute force battled against speed and agility. With every swing of the Matra, mud splashed in all directions. With every slash of Saiba's Dagma Blades, blood spilled.

Some passengers who had passed out in the grasslands woke up to witness the brutal fight unfolding before their very eyes. All they could see were the purple lines tracing the Matra's glowing eyes, the cyan light trailing behind Saiba's blades, and the mud splattering with each of their movements.

Upon witnessing the frightening scene, most of the passengers quickly fled. Only one woman remained—clutching a child in her arms, still holding onto it even after being launched out of the cart. She tried to run, but her leg was injured, forcing her to limp as she moved.

"Aaahhh!" shouted Saiba, increasing his speed as he kept up his relentless onslaught of slices and cuts to every corner of the Matra's body.

Soon, the fight would come to a halt, leaving Saiba out of breath and the Matra standing motionless while he was missing his left hand, and covered in his own blood from head to toe. He had suffered a great number of injuries—enough to fell any foe.

This should be enough.

“What great agility you possess, captain,” said Xenon.

"You've gotta be kidding me," exclaimed Saiba, his eyes widening as he witnessed the absurd scene unfolding before him. The Matra was healing all of his wounds, even regrowing his missing arm.

“Sadly, you are out of breath.“

“And you're out of time you filthy—”

Joining his blades together, Saiba braced for a sudden punch aimed at his chest—one he was too exhausted to avoid. The force of the punch sent him flying through the long grass and caused him to let go of the blades, crashing into the woman who had tried, helplessly, to move out of the way. She didn't have the time, and the impact led to her unfortunate demise, still holding into her child.

Surrounded by thick grass, an armless, exhausted, and injured Saiba struggled to rise, but before he could fully push himself up, he coughed up blood. While he had managed to guard the punch with his blades, the impact still transferred into his chest, leaving him weakened.

“Just what is the point of this struggle?“ Asked Xenon, as he slowly approached, “all I want of you is the system. Give it up, and I will spare your life in return.“

“how about you spare my ears… and stop your bluff.“

“Bluff?“

“You'll never get your precious system if I'm dead, you need me alive, don't you?“

“Is this why you're resisting?“

“Nah… I just… made this stupid promise,” he said before he grunted in pain.

“Is this promise worth more than your life?“

“I wonder…”

Through his blurry vision, Saiba suddenly recalled a time when Kuda had been in a similar situation, using a repelling spell to force his enemies away. He wasn't sure if it would work, but he knew he had to try.

The spell's name was…

“Brace,” muttered Saiba as he lifted his right arm with an open palm.

Yet, the spell was not cast. Instead, he got a system window:

[Skill not available]

Of course.

The last thing Saiba felt before being sent flying was the Matra's foot slamming into his stomach. After that, everything went dark.