She cleared the distance quickly. She was about a 100 meters away from him. The next second, she was just 10 meters away. Hana went for a strong punch, which was met with Sachiel's arm blocking it.

  However, he underestimated just how strong of a punch it was, sending him back into the forest. His feet made two deep trenches in the snow as he slid backwards, finally stopping when he slammed against the trunk of a crystallized tree.

  Shards of ice rained down around him, tinkling like broken glass.

  Hana was inches away from his face, again. It was scary to see just how quick she was. Sachiel ducked under her kick, grabbing it and smashing her to the ground.

  She regained her balance quickly, grabbing his head with her legs and throwing him hard, deeper in the forest.

  Sachiel crashed into dozens of trees.

  Hana watched him disappear in the fog, cracking her knuckles.

  "..."

  Sachiel was silent as he got up, shaking the snow from his clothes. He brushed a hand over his forehead. He wasn't bleeding, but it was enough to have him wince in pain.

  Someone with no perceivable Soul-Energy cannot possibly be that strong. No, they shouldn't even exist. This is a prophecy foretold by so many people that those without Soul-Energy roam the world like ghouls.

  But this girl wasn't a ghoul, it was a living Testharian, much like him.

  .:. ... It cannot be possible. This girl... possesses no Soul-Energy yet moves in such elegancy. It's like fighting a ghost. .:.

  He was confused. He looked to the side and saw the two squadrons walking back to the ship.

  .:. I've led them right into a trap. .:.

  But before he could utter a word, he blocked Hana's kick, tensing it more to battle the force.

  Sachiel dodged a kick, responding in the same elegancy. Utilizing Raum Kunst to it's maximum, he backflipped around Hana, backheel kicking her. With Raum Kunst, punches and kicks move in just 1-2 inches yet equate to a force just as strong as a sledgehammer.

  This is due to moving in such fast speeds, that the force is distributed among smaller spaces and times, making them more potent.

  Raum Kunst allowed Sachiel to fight at a speed that no one could match. It was something that only he and Asheera knew. But Hana didn't. This was exactly why Kaioshun couldn't defeat Sachiel in a fist fight.

  Hana felt disoriented, taking that kick to the back of her head.

  She sled into the snow, jumping up and moving in such a speed that it looked like she vanish-stepped.

  .:. She's quick. .:.

  Sachiel had to essentially predict where she would attack. He sensed it would hit his leg so he kicked her in the leg that she would use to kick him.

  Hana was at a disadvantage. Raum Kunst was a fighting style that no other fighting style can beat. It was the pinnacle of fighting, and with Sachiel's knowledge and skill, he was the best at it.

  This was her disadvantage. But she had one more thing to use.

  She threw a punch that he saw. With a simple counter, he would have knocked her out for a bit. But that wasn't the case.

  She stopped her punch mid-swing, uppercutting him under his own swing and then kicking his chest 10 times before spinning him around in the forest, his head crushing through several trees.

  She was too fast, too unpredictable. Sachiel was fighting a ghost.

  He slammed onto the ground, snow puffing around him. He spat out a bit of blood, staining the white canvas. The iron taste in his mouth was a reminder that this person is out of this world.

  He didn't fight someone this strong in a while. It almost felt like her punches were stronger than Kaioshun's Soul-Techniques.

  Hana appeared from the sky, trying to bury him into the ground with a strong, powerful kick.

  Sachiel had to think fast or die.

  .:. ... I shall resort to this for now. .:.

  "Soul-Technique: Enthalesum."

  Hana was suspended in the air, unable to move. She kick that she wanted to perform to bury him deep underground, only shot her back up again. What was that?

  .:. Enthalesum. It eliminates any force inflicted on me, returning it back to the performer. .:.

  "Wha..." Hana tried to speak but her lungs felt empty. She couldn't breathe. She was still flying in the sky, the force that she hoped to press unto Sachiel was only pressed onto her. She had to fight herself.

  Sachiel stood up, dusting the snow off his shoulder. He looked up at Hana, suspended in the air by her own power. He jumped up, meeting Hana in the same air. He utilized Raum Kunst again, kicking her chest 72 times in the span of 2 seconds. The kick were small and compact, feeling like 72 arrows struck her heart.

  Hana gasped for air. The pain was overwhelming. The kick knocked the air out of her lungs and back to the ground. They were out of the forest area with Hana landing harshly on the open snowy wasteland.

  Ren was observing the fight, surveying the volunteers every now and then. He saw her getting kicked so much, almost being taken out of the fight.

  .:. Should I intervene? .:.

  .:. "I may be one of the strongest in the entire galaxy, but even the Great Kamisword could defeat me if he really gave it his all." .:.

  The thing is.

  The Great Kamisword wasn't even using his Soul-Spec. This was Sachiel Eria using only 10% of what he is really capable of, just not activating the other 40%.

  In that long-lasting 5 minutes, he deduced 4 things. One of them being that someone with no Soul-Energy to emit or use would have the upper hand in a Soul fight. If that was the case, it would be better to not fight them with a Soul-Spec. The second was that it was better to fight like they fight. The third was if it truly has no perceivable Soul-Energy, then they cannot be sensed in battle. In this instance, one would have to use their natural precognition. Their intuition.

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  The last being, if you are fighting against the Great Kamisword.

  You will always lose.

  .:. No, Ren. The ship. Be ready to steal the ship. .:. He thought to himself. He had to listen to Hana. But he also had a will of his own. He couldn't just watch her get beaten to a pulp. Even if that meant dying.

  Hana slowly got up, wiping a trickle of blood from her bottom lip. She looked at her hand, then back at Sachiel, a small, almost imperceptible smile forming on her lips.

  "I expected a fight like this! Nobody really wins against you, do they? But you're not the strongest in the entire galaxy!" Hana laughed.

  "I am afraid I will have to execute you on the spot. I've given you enough warnings." Sachiel said as he started to power up. He was not going to pull his punches any longer.

  "Soul-Release..." He said, releasing the hard cap limit he put on his Soul, allowing him to fight at full strength.

  "... Ah... Ahhh..." Hana laughed again, crazily. "You weren't even fighting at full power! I see!"

  Hana grabbed her own head, looking at the direction his voice was coming. "I'll entertain you! But one of us is going to make it out here alive!

  She stomped the ground, sending a shockwave through the open area, eliminating any snow around them and revealing a lime green grassland.

  "He will eliminate all Souls in the world and cleanse the world from the root of evil, mark my words. He will get rid of everyone who stands in His way. All of you are pawns to Him, one way or another! I must keep walking!"

  Sachiel ran towards Hana.

  "REMEMBER THAT!"

  -

  The formation of Rescue Hawk 1 and 3 started to break in 4 pieces, each to represent their sets of actions in trying to reclaim the ship. Or better yet, their forthcoming fight against Ren.

  They were just normal people without a Soul and a negligible amount of Soul-Energy to utilize. They had assault rifles, snipers and DMR's to make up for it.

  They were also trained by the best of the best in the army. Their hand to hand combat skills are immaculate. But even if they're good at exchanging fists, what does that matter against someone with a supernatural ability?

  The ship was in sight, its hull shining under the faint light of the perpetual snowfall.

  "Alpha team, secure the perimeter. Bravo, Charlie, you're with me on the entry. Delta, you have overwatch. Move in." The commander of the squadrons whispered into the comms.

  The team of 10 moved, their white gear blending almost perfectly with the landscape. They spread out, rifles at the ready, their movements in sublime and precise form.

  From his perch on the frozen outcropping, Ren watched them approach. A yawn escaped him, a cloud of white vapor in the frigid air.

  "Ten of them," he muttered to himself. "Hana really does think highly of me." He chuckled, batting an eye at Hana being reduced to a playtoy by Sachiel Eria.

  He dropped down, his feet shuddering at the touch of the ice-cold ground. He didn't make a single sound, not even a crunch heard by the snow that was being thrown around by Ren's shoes.

  He slowly walked towards the ship in a nonchalant manner. He was a Soul-Wielder, and even if they had guns, he knew that they wouldn't work on him.

  Ren was the definition of "Confidence".

  Yet, the "Confidence" wouldn't matter in this fight at all. He was the winning side, no matter what.

  Alpha took watch on all sides on a 45 degree point of view from the ship. Bravo and Charlie secured the entry alongside the commander while Delta activated an UAE and recon drones to survey the ship from above.

  "Delta, do you have anything?" the commander asked.

  "Negative, sir. No heat signatures. No movement."

  "Extend the signal to 10 kilometers. Soul-Wielders can move like bullet trains. I want clear and concise information on where they are."

  "... Sir... I am not confident of our mission at all."

  "Alpha, why do you say that?" The commander asked Alpha. But it was Delta that spoke again.

  "I... I feel something... I'm not sure what it is. But it's coming from the 1 o'clock direction."

  The commander looked at the direction that Delta was talking about, squinting.

  "Nothing's there, Delta. Are you sure... Delta?" All that Alpha got was radio silence from Delta. Ren was there, intercepting them one by one.

  "Fall back! The target's priority is claiming the ship. He is more of a threat than we thought. Do not let him take the ship!" The commander commanded.

  "It's too late for that."

  Ren was behind them. He had taken out Delta's drone and Delta himself in a span of a second.

  "R-REQUESTING PERMIS-"

  "FIRE!"

  Alpha, Beta and Charlie all shot at Ren with their assault rifles. Normally, bullets can still damage Soul-Wielders and kill them, which is why the Mobilizers of Testharia still prioritize bullets over lazers.

  Most of the world has transitioned from bullets to lazers, but Testharia prioritized bullet usage for their Soul-Wielders. It requires fewer resources and if aimed correctly, fatal damage can be done toward a Soul-Wielder.

  However... those that have no Soul-Energy imbued into the weapon have no chances of even damaging the Soul-Wielder.

  Which is why, for Alpha, Beta and Charlie... They lost before the battle began.

  Ren activated a Soul-Barrier that disintegrated the bullets as it touched, the barrier receiving next to no damage.

  "Old-school, that's cute." Ren laughed.

  "RAAAHH!" One of Alpha's soldiers lunged at Ren with a knife, thrusting it to stab him. Ren sidestepped, breaking the soldier's arm with a punch to the elbow.

  The rest of the soldiers watched in shock, hesitating before they ran towards Ren one by one. One by one, they were asking to die. And one by one, will they die.

  The second was kicked in the stomach before their skull were crushed open by Ren's powerful kick to the back of the head.

  The third was grabbed by the neck, eating a Soul-Beam.

  The fourth had a Soul-Blast thrown at them, blowing them up on impact with burning organs falling onto the ground like birds falling from the sky.

  The fifth had his legs broken by Ren.

  The sixth tried pincer attacking alongside the seventh, thrusting a machete to lethally stab him in the liver. Ren chopped the sixth's throat before taking his machete and throwing it at the seventh's head. It flew clean through, brain matter splattering across the cold, cold snow. The snow was melting from the abhorrent sight of organs, brain matter and blood, all of which were hot material.

  The eighth's head was crushed into the ground, Ren stomping his foot onto the poor soldier's head.

  The ninth had a hand forced through his heart before being grabbed by the neck and thrown into the tenth, which was the commander.

  They were all dying a gruesome death.

  Ren walked towards the commander, who tried to shoot at him with a pistol. Ren stopped it with a condensed Soul-Barrier around his hand.

  "There is no paradise without a Soul present. There is no paradise waiting for all of you, for you have not seen the Truth." He spoke with condescendence, the words of Him being a great influence. Or at least, that's what Ren believed.

  "Rgg... I will not... I WILL NOT SURRENDER TO YOU!" The commander stood up with a machete of his own.

  "Let me demonstrate you a fraction of my power." Ren vanish-stepped behind him. A mere touch of his finger on the back of his head was enough to set his whole body in a cyan, blazing hot fire.

  "AGH— AGGGGHHHHHH—"

  It burned him from inside out.

  Ren watched as the commander screamed, his body contorting, his voice gurgling as his vocal cords were welding shut. The soldier's form blackened, cracking and flaking. There was no smoke.

  The commander fell face-first into the snow, the heat of his body instantly melting a shallow, red-tinged crater around him.

  Ren sighed, the breath misting before him. "Amateurs."

  He turned and walked towards the only surviving soldier that had his arm punched by him.

  The soldier scrambled backward on his hands and feet, desperately crawling through the crimson snow. His eyes were wide with a terror so absolute it seemed to burn through the freezing air.

  They yelled so hard it was a scream that made Ren flinch.

  It was a agonizing, horrifying scream. That was followed by another, and another, and another. But they were coming from the direction of the fight.

  Hana's screams.

  Ren's eyes widened slightly. He clicked his tongue with annoyance written on his face. He looked back at the crawling soldier, who had managed to cover about 20 meters. That was gonna come to complete haltHe was suddenly standing in the soldier's path.

  "You've been a bit of a problem," Ren said, looking down. "But I'm not without a heart."

  He crouched, bringing himself face to face with the terrified man. The soldier flinched, squeezing his eyes shut.

  "I'll give you a five-second head start," Ren offered, his tone light, almost conversational. "If you can get out of sight before I count to five, you live. Ready?"

  The soldier's eyes snapped open, a shining glimmer of hope breathing new life in their eyes. He didn't wait and quickly stood up with a broken arm. He still yelled, but those were yells of hope. A yell that could save his own life. But Ren had other ideas.

  He was given a 5 second start, but the second he stood up, a Soul-Beam traveled through his head. Clean, in the middle.

  The soldier dropped to the ground a lifeless husk.

  "Three," Ren murmured to the corpse.

  He turned back toward the distant sounds of battle, wondering if Hana was actually winning or not. From the sounds that Hana was emitting from the depths of her 'soul', it did not sound like she was winning at all.

  It sounded like she was being tortured.