"As expected, this fight has given me a good idea of my current strength. I think it's time to end this."
Wood spoke, his tone casual but firm. "The Bowel Hunter" had already realized the vast difference in their abilities, and the thought of retreat had crossed her mind. However, the real question was—could she still escape?
The ice blade in Wood's hand shimmered under the moonlight, growing even more crystalline with each swing. As he unleashed another arc of sword energy—much stronger than the previous one—it tore through the air toward "The Bowel Hunter."
The previously damaged pawnshop had already been split open by Wood's first strike, and now the assassin had more space to maneuver. But even with this increased freedom, she felt a deep sense of helplessness in the face of this speeding sword wave.
Could she dodge it? The sheer speed and range of the strike made that almost impossible.
Block it? Perhaps if her earlier blades were still intact, she could attempt a defense. But now... that seemed out of the question.
As the crescent-shaped energy blade roared toward her, Wood himself paused in surprise. This latest attack was far stronger than he'd intended.
By all accounts, his movements and the force behind this strike were identical to the first one. Yet somehow, this one had nearly doubled in power.
It didn't take long for Wood to realize why.
The Moonlight Blessing.
This was one of the two blessings unique to the body he now inhabited. The Knight's Glory enhanced his abilities as a knight, but The Moonlight Blessing was even more remarkable. Now that the roof of the pawnshop had been destroyed, he was bathed in moonlight, and the blessing had activated.
While Wood hadn't yet fully explored the true extent of this blessing, the boost was undeniable. This second sword strike had at least fifty percent more power than the first.
Unfortunately for "The Bowel Hunter," she wasn't strong enough to serve as a proper test of this newfound power. Wood sighed inwardly; he'd have to find a more suitable opponent to properly gauge his abilities.
As the crescent-shaped sword energy grew larger in her vision, "The Bowel Hunter" smiled bitterly, accepting her fate. If there was no way to block or escape, then there was little point in trying.
But just as the energy blade was about to make contact with her body, a figure in white knight's armor appeared before her.
In the blink of an eye, the figure drew their sword with lightning speed and effortlessly cleaved the incoming sword energy in two.
The force of the blow scattered the energy, carving deep grooves into the ground, and sending dust and sand swirling into the air.
"My strike, enhanced by The Moonlight Blessing, was cut down..."
Wood couldn't help but smirk. "I was just lamenting that The Bowel Hunter was too weak, and then a monster like you shows up. This world might not be as boring as I thought."
The attack had been so fast that Felt and the others probably hadn't even registered what had just happened. But Wood had seen it clearly: right before his sword energy could reach "The Bowel Hunter," a red-haired figure had appeared and sliced through his strike.
Though Wood didn't know who this person was, his competitive spirit surged. With a powerful kick off the ground, he left a deep crater behind as he launched himself into the swirling dust.
Meanwhile, "The Bowel Hunter" stared in disbelief at the red-haired knight standing before her. As a member of the assassin's guild, she was no stranger to being hunted, always lurking in the shadows. Knights, however, were shining symbols of virtue—always admired, always respected.
Why would a knight rescue her, a notorious killer?
Before she could voice her confusion, the red-haired knight grabbed her and tossed her aside, as if she were no more than an obstacle.
"I've heard from Natsuki Subaru that there's a formidable assassin lurking in the slums," the knight said, his voice calm. "But I didn't expect the opponent to be this strong. If my Dragon Sword is this eager, then this opponent must truly be worth my full attention."
Just as the knight finished speaking, Wood burst through the dust, descending from above with his ice blade aimed directly at the knight.
Sensing the danger, the knight lifted his sword, the Dragon Sword Reid, to meet Wood's ice blade. The clash of their weapons caused the ground beneath them to crack, the force of the impact rippling outward in a massive shockwave.
The Dragon Sword Reid was known as the strongest sword in the world, a weapon passed down through generations of Sword Saints. It could only be wielded by those blessed with the Sword Saint's Blessing.
This sword had a mind of its own and only drew itself when faced with a worthy foe. If the opponent wasn't strong enough, the sword would refuse to be used, deeming the fight beneath it.
But today, for the first time since acquiring the sword, the red-haired knight felt the Dragon Sword trembling with excitement.
This was a first.
As the wielder of the strongest sword ever passed down through the Astrea family, the knight knew the Dragon Sword Reid was far beyond the meager kukris wielded by "The Bowel Hunter."
So when Wood's ice blade collided with the Dragon Sword, the sword was unaffected, but Wood's ice blade began to crack, fine spiderweb-like fractures spreading across it.
"Hyakki Yagyō Style: Flame-Fused Sword Dance!"
Wood had no idea who this knight was, but it was clear to anyone watching that this person was on a completely different level than "The Bowel Hunter."
This wasn't a battle to toy with anymore, so Wood decided to stop holding back and reveal his true strength.
Flames erupted from the shattered remains of the ice blade in Wood's hand.
"Wait, fire... coming from ice?" The knight, Reinhard, was taken aback. Just as he thought to push the attack, the ice blade shattered completely, and a roaring fireball exploded outward from where the blade had been.
The fireball expanded rapidly, engulfing the area between the two warriors and sending waves of heat through the slums. Both Reinhard and Wood were consumed by the fiery blast.
For a moment, the night sky above the slums was lit up by the brilliant flames, a beacon visible from miles away. Thankfully, Reinhard had anticipated the possibility of battle, and the civilians had already been evacuated from the area.
"The Bowel Hunter," now watching from a safe distance, realized why the knight had thrown her aside earlier.
If she had remained where she stood, she would have been reduced to ashes.
More importantly, she finally understood how much Wood had been holding back during their fight. If he had unleashed this level of magic from the start, she wouldn't have lasted three rounds.
Though the flames raged fiercely, the two figures at the center of the explosion remained standing, seemingly unscathed by the deadly fire.
The proof came moments later when two blasts of sword pressure tore through the flames, sending sparks flying as the ground split beneath them.
Both warriors—Wood and Reinhard—were blown backward from the impact, emerging from the cloud of dust that had formed in the aftermath.
"The Bowel Hunter" had already committed Wood's face to memory, branding him as someone she should never cross paths with again.
As for the red-haired knight who had saved her, she finally realized who he was.
Reinhard van Astrea.
The name might be unfamiliar to the common folk, but to nobles, those in the royal capital, and the underground world, the name was legendary.
He was the Sword Saint, the strongest knight in the world.
Reinhard was often called "the world's chosen one" or "the child of destiny," and for good reason. His power wasn't just the result of his talent and training, but also his blessings.
As Wood knew, blessings were special abilities granted by the world itself. Those with a single blessing were already considered extraordinary.
But Reinhard? According to the assassin's guild intel, the current Sword Saint possessed over forty different blessings.
Though not all of them were combat-related, that still made him an unrivaled monster. And what was even more terrifying—he could continue to acquire more blessings.
Reinhard wasn't just blessed by the world; he was practically its favored child.
Given that he belonged to the Royal Guard, there was no reason for someone like Reinhard to rescue a notorious assassin.
"The Bowel Hunter" concluded that the knight had mistaken her for a victim and Wood for the enemy.
After all, with her injuries, she definitely looked like the weaker side, and with Wood's menacing aura and ruthless demeanor, anyone would mistake him for a villain.
And indeed, Reinhard had made exactly that assumption.
After being separated from Wood earlier, Subaru had gone searching for help and, thanks to his incredible luck, ran into the strongest knight in the kingdom, Reinhard.
When Subaru described the situation, Reinhard immediately realized the severity and rushed ahead, leaving Subaru behind.
Upon arriving at the scene, he had witnessed Wood's attack on "The Bowel Hunter." Faced with a helpless woman and a powerful assailant, Reinhard's instincts as a knight had kicked in.
And so, Reinhard had assumed that Wood must be the killer Subaru had spoken of.
As the dust settled, Wood and Reinhard had each retreated about a hundred meters.
The ice blade that Wood had conjured shattered into pieces, scattering across the ground.
"It seems like I'll need to make some adjustments to my plans. Using conjured ice blades works well against weaker opponents, but against someone of this level, they're not nearly enough."
Sighing in frustration, Wood once again summoned an ice blade into his hand. But this time, as he grasped the newly formed blade, his arm pulsed with energy. A black sheen spread from his hand, covering the blade in a metallic, obsidian-like layer.
The once translucent ice blade was now pitch black, gleaming under the moonlight.
"Looks like this world allows me to use Haki as well. It might not be on par with his sword, but at least it won't break as easily now."
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Don't forget to give Power Stone
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