The war had dragged on since the previous day, stretching into the following morning. The sun slowly rose on the horizon, illuminating a scene of pure devastation.

  The city was unrecognizable, consumed by countless fires and towering columns of smoke. The only relatively intact structure was the tallest building, where Fiamma remained on the rooftop.

  Many soldiers bore severe cuts and puncture wounds across their bodies. The great army had now been reduced to a handful of survivors. Archers and arcanists lay scattered in heaps, dead on the ground.

  Outside the city, the situation was no better. The medical tents were overwhelmed, unable to accommodate more wounded.

  Adventurers died without even a chance for regret, leaving behind nothing but charred remains.

  The surviving mercenaries had fled, caring nothing for the alliance between the kingdoms or for the broken contracts they had signed with the Hunter Guild.

  Amid the chaos and destruction, not far away, the leaders’ horses lay reduced to pieces.

  Explosions from Ancient Arts still erupted, but with far weaker power. In response, electric beams devoured those Arts with brutal force.

  Neani, the bear beastwoman with brown fur, advanced against Silent. She wore golden armor and a helmet, both severely dented and pierced. In her hand, she swung a heavy mace.

  Meeting the attack head-on, Silent blocked the mace and struck Neani in the stomach with his free hand. She was hurled far away.

  Silent immediately grabbed an arrow just before it reached his neck. The arrow exploded in his hand, throwing him to the ground.

  Boris approached. The dark-skinned human wore heavy armor and an equally damaged helmet. He brought his sword down against Silent, but the enemy’s form wavered and disappeared. By the time Boris realized what had happened, his body was already riddled with puncture wounds, forcing him to his knees.

  Silent appeared behind him, his fingers about to pierce Boris’s nape. A barrier emerged, protecting Boris. The enemy prepared to strike again, but a sword-whip, extended in the form of a flexible blade, struck him swiftly, hurling him backward.

  Morgana appeared in front of Boris. She was dressed like an assassin from head to toe, her face hidden behind a mask. She advanced as her sword-whip returned to the form of a sword, trying to cut the enemy.

  In a few movements, Silent stood up and kicked Morgana. She raised her left arm to defend herself, but the force of the blow sent her flying backward.

  Before Silent could advance again, he had to hurriedly catch a crackling arrow. The arrow exploded shortly after, but this time he was not knocked down.

  His face turned toward the tallest building, where Fiamma was preparing another primed explosive arrow.

  Silent crossed his arms at the very moment Neani struck him with the heavy mace. Even so, with his arms still crossed, he pushed her back and delivered a front kick wrapped in electricity, sending her flying.

  "Ancient Art, Wind!"

  A violent current of air devastated everything around it. It passed through Silent without causing him harm. But he dodged an explosive arrow that lodged itself in the ground. Already familiar with the enchantment, he prepared to withstand it, but another gust of wind pushed him. The wind aided the explosion. Silent was hurled far away, crashing onto the rubble.

  In the sky, Reiki, the dark-skinned human arcanist, landed near Boris. His armor, cloak, and hat were damaged, just like those of the other leaders.

  Seeing Boris in that state, he did not hesitate to use an Art.

  "Ancient Art, Heal."

  A golden light enveloped Boris, helping to close his wounds and allowing him to stand, although the holes in his body remained. Without wasting time, Boris took a greater healing potion from his spatial ring. As he drank it, the puncture wounds became less deep, some of them even closing.

  The enemy advanced toward Reiki, who failed to react in time. Neani rushed forward, blocking the attack, and the two collided with tremendous force. The impact made both of them take several steps back.

  Neani tried to advance again, but as she took a step forward, she realized that her arms and legs had been pierced. She lost her balance and fell to her knees.

  She looked at the enemy with hatred.

  "You bastard!"

  "How do you do this?!"

  Silent merely advanced toward her.

  An arrow cut through the air. With a sharp movement of his right palm, Silent redirected the explosive arrow, which detonated in a burst of fire far from him.

  Morgana appeared in an instant, passing by Neani. She tried to decapitate him, but Silent leapt backward. She transformed the sword into a whip and managed to strike him, though she did not injure him.

  Silent invoked electricity, directing it toward Morgana. She, in turn, invoked her water Skill, quickly creating a thick wall of ice.

  The electricity crashed into the ice. She managed to defend against the attack, but the wall melted in the process.

  Morgana leapt out from amid the steam and advanced, controlling the remaining water to attack. When she saw Silent, he trembled and vanished in midair.

  Morgana’s eyes widened.

  "!!!"

  In the next instant, deep gashes tore across Morgana’s body, the pain stealing her focus for a brief moment. When her vision returned, the enemy was right in front of her. The sword-whip reverted to a sword. He grabbed her wrist, twisted it, and kicked her right leg, breaking it.

  Before anyone could react, Morgana was pierced and collapsed to the ground.

  Boris advanced from the side, trying to drive Silent away from Morgana. But he blocked and easily dodged the subsequent strikes.

  Boris did not give up. With increasingly fervent movements, he managed to force him to retreat.

  Boris stomped hard on the ground.

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  "Raaa!"

  He brought his sword down, but Silent dodged. Both ran through the debris, exchanging blows. With every collision, deep cuts appeared on Boris’s body.

  Silent unleashed electricity. Boris dodged with difficulty, but suffered muscle spasms and partial paralysis. Even so, he attempted a horizontal strike. His opponent was faster. A kick to the face left him disoriented for a few seconds.

  Silent’s fingers pierced through the armor on Boris’s chest. The pain was extreme, but Boris endured it and brought his blade down onto Silent’s shoulder. Silent managed to catch the sword before being struck. His fingers withdrew from Boris’s chest and, immediately after, he struck the center of Boris’s breastplate. Boris’s expression was dreadful as he froze in pain.

  An arrow from Fiamma cut through the space between them. The explosion hurled them in opposite directions. Boris rolled across the ground. Silent was dragged backward, but remained with his feet firmly planted on the earth.

  At the top of the rooftop, Fiamma adjusted her position. She prepared more arrows on her flaming bow.

  She furrowed her brows.

  Sorry, Boris. If I hadn’t exploded the arrow, he would have killed you.

  Her Art, Perfect Eye, remained active.

  "Ancient Art, Acceleration!"

  "Ancient Art, Explosion!"

  "Unique Ancient Art, Perfect Hit!"

  With accelerated movements, she unleashed a rain of arrows.

  The arrows fell from the sky like a relentless storm.

  Silent dodged and redirected several of them, but the arrows around him crackled intensely and exploded.

  At that very moment, Silent’s body shuddered and vanished. The explosions raised thick black smoke and left large trails of craters in the ground.

  The smoke cleared, and Fiamma’s eyes reflected that masked individual, far from the bombarded area and completely unharmed.

  How?!

  Fiamma saw the scene, but her eyes could not perceive how that monster moved so fast.

  He trembles and then disappears, but I neither see nor feel the activation of an Art.

  Truly, he can only be the bearer of a greater power.

  Even so, she prepared more arrows.

  Meanwhile, Reiki’s healing and the greater healing potion managed to help Morgana, restoring her right leg and partially healing the deep wounds. At the same time, the Art of Healing surrounded Boris and Neani.

  As soon as they were restored, Morgana and Neani ran side by side, and Reiki flew behind them.

  Boris also advanced, but unfortunately, he could not keep up with such speed. When he realized it, he could only see from far away the three of them about to attack Silent.

  But the enemy trembled and vanished. Morgana, Neani, and Reiki noticed this and prepared for the blow.

  Morgana fell once again, suffering from puncture wounds. Neani remained standing, enduring despite the deep cuts.

  Reiki’s healing immediately enveloped them.

  Silent had his fingers embedded in Reiki’s barrier. Many cracks formed. The barrier shattered like glass, but Reiki created successive new barriers before Silent’s fingers could cause further damage to his body.

  Even so, Reiki was forced to kneel before such overwhelming strength. Still, he managed to raise barriers in time before fatal blows, but suffered partial puncture wounds to his arms, nearly reaching his neck.

  Boris advanced, brandishing his sword, but Silent swiftly brought his hand down across Boris’s face, sending him flying backward.

  Even wounded in the arms, Reiki managed to drink a greater healing potion in time.

  The last barrier finally broke. Silent’s fingers advanced toward his eyes and throat, but Neani and Morgana grabbed him from behind.

  Silent drove his claws into Neani’s shoulder, releasing electricity. She was paralyzed and hurled away.

  Silent tried to do the same to Morgana, but she managed to cling to his back, immobilizing his arms. He forced himself free, but discovered that she exerted astonishing strength.

  Morgana’s veins bulged beneath her clothes as she pushed her body beyond its limit.

  Reiki, right in front of the enemy, unleashed his Ancient Art of Wind. The blow struck Silent’s stomach, forcing him to bend his knees.

  An opportunity appeared. Fiamma fired an arrow, aiming for his head.

  Silent trembled and vanished. When they realized it, Morgana’s body collided with Reiki’s. Both suffered puncture wounds. Neither of them knew how it happened.

  But the arrow pierced Silent’s forearm. He quickly pulled the arrow out and crushed it.

  Reiki healed himself and Morgana as much as he could.

  Fiamma clenched her teeth.

  "Damn it!"

  What a complicated situation.

  If I exploded the arrow, they would die.

  As he tried to attack Reiki and Morgana, Silent was forced to pull back before the heavy mace struck him from the side.

  Neani advanced with everything she had, swinging the heavy mace once again, but Silent blocked it, gripping her hand.

  An arrow flew. Silent slapped the arrow away, redirecting it far from himself.

  He turned his attention back to Neani and immediately extended the claws of his other hand, intending to pierce her heart.

  Neani reacted, interlocking her fingers with his. The two pressed against each other. But Neani was quickly pushed back and fell to her knees, unable to resist. All she could see and feel was Silent’s strength and Source growing in a terrifying way.

  Electricity surged around Silent.

  Neani’s hands were crushed, and an intense electrical discharge made her scream.

  "Aaaah!"

  Reiki panicked at the sight, flew forward, and charged.

  "Neani!"

  Several meters behind Neani, Boris was still being enveloped by Reiki’s healing. He spat out an empty vial of the healing potion and ran to help.

  Morgana overtook both Boris and Reiki, leaving them surprised.

  She gripped the sword-whip with extreme firmness. Beneath her clothes, though torn in places, no one could see it. But her veins bulged like never before in her entire life as an assassin.

  She furrowed her brow, and her footsteps left deep marks in the ground.

  In a single instant.

  Her weapon tore through Silent’s body, abruptly cutting off the surge of electricity. All the leaders saw it. The monster was wounded.

  From afar, the army and the surviving arcanists were left in shock. It was a miracle.

  Morgana’s weapon was on the verge of breaking.

  Even so, with her legs bent, she remained ready for another charge. But then her eyes widened. Bones and muscles cracked. Blood flowed from her mouth. The pain was unbearable.

  Before losing consciousness, she unleashed her Arts.

  "Paralysis… Poisoning…"

  Thanks to the open wound, Silent became rigid for a few seconds.

  Precious seconds, enough for Neani to become enraged. She entered berserk mode.

  She forced herself upright. Her body grew, the armor nearly split apart, her fur bristled. Her eyes burned red as furious growls escaped her throat; her shattered hands were forcibly restored by the transformation.

  Neani tore her trapped hand free and raised the heavy mace with both hands.

  "Silent!"

  "Dieee!!!"

  The blow struck Silent’s face.

  The impact made the ground roar like an earthquake. The shockwave spread across the battlefield, hurling everyone around. Not even the leaders remained standing.

  Silent was violently thrown far away, tearing through the ground in his path, until he collided with the rubble at the edge of the city.

  Even from afar, beneath a sky choked with smoke and ash, it was still possible to see…

  Silent’s black blood flowing.