The violent wind blade attack swept out, dispersing the surrounding white mist and carving a hundred-meter-long trench in the ground.
Wood couldn't see if the so-called "Invisible Hands" were severed, but he could confirm that all airflow caused by the "Invisible Hands" had disappeared.
After fending off the attack in front of him with a single strike, Wood swiftly turned and slashed the ground beneath Julius and the others.
As a massive gash several meters deep appeared on the ground, Julius and his companions could feel the bindings that had previously restrained their legs vanish.
Though they had been bound, Julius and the others had helped Wood bear the brunt of the White Whale's attacks.
To be precise, the immobile members of the group had been forced to endure the White Whale's assaults.
When the White Whale charged at them directly, Welkin and Thorn were somewhat capable of putting up resistance.
However, when the White Whale attacked from a distance using the white mist, Crusch and Julius were left to bear the full brunt of the attack.
If Julius had used the "Rainbow Sword" that he had unleashed during his fight against Wood, he could probably sever the "Invisible Hands."
Unfortunately, the charging time for that move was too long, and the White Whale had no intention of giving him such an opportunity. Thus, from the very beginning, Julius and Crusch could only defend passively.
Once freed from the "Invisible Hands," Julius and the others immediately regained their combat abilities. They considered resuming their attack on the White Whale or assisting Wood against Sloth.
However, Wood spoke up, "Uncle Welkin, Julius, you two go protect my sister.
"As for Thorn, take your men and retrieve the lost cargo and runaway dragon carriages."
Though Anastasia had a proud and ambitious spirit, her combat ability was sorely lacking, no different from any delicate young lady.
While Mimi and her siblings, along with several assassins, were protecting her, Wood was still worried about any unforeseen events.
"Wait a minute! If you all retreat to the rear, how am I supposed to hold back the White Whale alone?"
Hearing Wood instruct Welkin and Julius to protect Anastasia and Thorn to retrieve lost goods, Crusch was stunned. Wouldn't that leave her alone to face the White Whale?
Crusch had trained as a knight from a young age and was confident in her abilities. Still, she wasn't arrogant enough to compare herself to the previous Sword Saint.
Not to mention, even the previous Sword Saint had fallen before the White Whale. How could Crusch possibly expect to defeat it alone?
"There's no need for you to hold off the White Whale. Whether it's the White Whale or the Sin Archbishop, I can handle them by myself.
"Your wisdom and leadership are exemplary. Please lead the rest to search for survivors in the fog."
Upon hearing Wood's words, Crusch was momentarily stunned. When she came to her senses, her first thought was that Wood was being overly arrogant.
Crusch knew Wood as Anastasia's younger brother and as someone who had sided with Emilia's camp and served as her knight.
Her first encounter with Wood was at the royal selection ceremony, where she had formed a positive impression of him based on his words.
But after what Wood just said, Crusch's impression of him drastically deteriorated.
Crusch had been raised to embody the virtues of a knight. Now, she saw Wood as a capable knight, but one lacking in humility.
No, this wasn't merely a lack of humility—this was outright arrogance!
Crusch had heard from Felix that Wood had joined the royal guard after defeating "The Finest Knight," and his recent battle with Sloth had further proven his capabilities.
Yet despite this, Wood's declaration that he could take on both the Sin Archbishop and the White Whale alone seemed completely reckless to Crusch.
"Julius, are you really going to follow his lead? This is pure madness. Right now, Wilhelm is still in the fog fighting two of the White Whale's clones.
"What we need to do is combine our strength to defeat the main body of the White Whale, not indulge the whims of Emilia's knight."
To Crusch, the main threats were the White Whale and Sloth. Defeating either one could turn the tide in their favor.
Allowing Wood to act recklessly would mean losing their only opportunity for a turning point.
"I am Anastasia's knight, so I see no problem in protecting her.
"Besides, Lady Crusch, I believe your concern is that Wood may not be capable of defeating the White Whale and the Sin Archbishop alone.
"As for that, I can only say that you will soon witness what it truly means to be a monster."
Julius, out of politeness, offered an explanation to Crusch. As for Welkin, he ignored her entirely and simply turned away.
Having raised both Wood and Anastasia, Welkin knew full well how absurdly capable Wood was.
Back when Welkin first met the siblings in Kararagi, they had been surrounded by local thugs. Although Welkin had initially planned to intervene and rescue them, the then ten-year-old Wood single-handedly took down every one of the thugs.
Not only that, but the drunken Welkin, who had gone to help, was mistaken for an enemy and ended up in a scuffle with Wood.
As for the result of that fight, Welkin could remember it as if it happened just yesterday.
Welkin at that time was in his prime, yet the ten-year-old Wood, who had already defeated dozens of thugs, fought him to a standstill.
If Wood hadn't just been in a fight and wasn't preoccupied with protecting Anastasia, Welkin knew he might have lost.
Welkin had been one of the strongest beastmen in Kararagi, and yet, he had been nearly defeated by a ten-year-old—who would believe that?
After that incident, Welkin decided to follow Anastasia and Wood, and over the years, he witnessed the exceptional talents of both siblings.
Anastasia demonstrated a keen eye and deft manipulation, outplaying even renowned merchants in Kararagi by her teens.
As for Wood, Welkin believed him to be a natural-born warrior, mastering combat skills and magic at an unprecedented rate.
Before Reinhard had gained fame, Welkin had believed that Wood was destined to become the world's strongest.
Even now, Welkin believed that the Wood he knew might very well match the so-called Sword Saint in strength.
Anastasia possessed remarkable business acumen, while Wood had unrivaled combat skills. The siblings even held no prejudice against demi-humans, and they went as far as to rely on them—this was why Welkin had chosen to follow them.
In Welkin's eyes, if anyone could change the fate of demi-humans, it would be these two siblings.
For that reason, to Welkin, Wood's arrival essentially meant the outcome of this battle was no longer in question.
"Lady Crusch, you might not believe this, but I also think Wood can handle the White Whale and the Sin Archbishop alone.
"If you're asking why, well, it's because he once fought Reinhard to a draw—does that reason suffice?"
Felix's words left Crusch visibly stunned, and she confirmed again, "Fought Reinhard to a draw? Are you sure?
"Did Reinhard go all out, or was it just a spar?"
As a noble from Lugnica and someone raised in the capital, Crusch was well aware of how absurd Reinhard's power was.
Even Wilhelm, the "Sword Demon" who taught her swordsmanship, had said that no one in this world could defeat Reinhard.
Even if he fought alongside his wife, the former Sword Saint, they would still stand no chance against Reinhard.
With such high praise from the Sword Demon himself, Reinhard's strength was unquestionable—yet now Felix claimed that Wood matched him?
"Reinhard himself confirmed the draw, and he said that even though he had drawn his Dragon Sword, Reid, he was on the defensive throughout, and Wood only conceded voluntarily."
Felix's words shook Crusch to her core.
Before she could respond, a pained cry from the White Whale echoed through the fog, along with furious shouts from Sloth.
"Why haven't you left yet? If you want to stick around for the spoils, that's your business, but I'm not going to waste my efforts looking after you."
Wood evaded another strike from the "Invisible Hands" and looked at Crusch, who had remained instead of searching for survivors. He spoke bluntly.
Though they were currently allies, Wood had no connection with Crusch, and only a nominal one with Felix as a fellow knight. If they truly got into trouble, he wouldn't necessarily help them.
"I apologize for my earlier short-sightedness. I will immediately search for the wounded and survivors. I wish you great fortune in this battle."
Once Crusch realized that Wood was truly capable of handling both the White Whale and Sloth, she apologized without any aristocratic airs and rode off to find the missing people.
Watching Crusch leave, Wood sighed to himself, "Winning the royal selection isn't going to be easy. Every candidate seems far from ordinary.
"But for now, I suppose dealing with the current threat takes priority."
Sloth was now doing everything he could against Wood, no longer showing the composure he had before.
Besides using the "Invisible Hands," Sloth also used his "Mental Pollution" ability. Since Wood could sever the "Invisible Hands" and his physical capabilities were strong enough to close the distance, Sloth resorted to high-level earth magic.
Sloth's real name was Juice—formerly a small earth spirit over 400 years ago and once a teacher to Beatrice.
He was once quite handsome, even serving as Emilia's adoptive father, and had been in love with her adoptive mother, Fortuna.
Back when Emilia's elf village was attacked by Pandora, the Witch of Vanity, and Regulus Corneas, the Sin Archbishop of Greed, Juice tried to protect everyone by consuming the incomplete Witch Factor of Sloth.
However, when the Witch Factor went out of control, Pandora used her powers to twist reality, causing Juice to accidentally kill Fortuna. After he regained consciousness, he lost his sanity and became the madman he is now.
As for Emilia, she ended up sealed in ice for a hundred years, until Puck saved her, erasing her previous memories.
All in all, Sloth was a tragic romantic, but also a top-tier earth spirit.
But none of that mattered to Wood—even if he knew, it wouldn't change anything. The only salvation for this man was death.
With a simple wave of his arm, Sloth caused the ground to shake, and sharp spikes shot up, aiming for Wood's vital points.
Wood leaped into the air to avoid the unexpected earth spikes, but immediately sensed the "Invisible Hands" closing in on him again through his Observation Haki.
While airborne, one's maneuverability is greatly reduced due to the lack of a foothold. Sloth, despite his insanity, wasn't stupid—he possessed a wealth of combat experience.
Seeing Wood suspended in midair, Sloth grinned maniacally, confident that Wood would be unable to evade his "Invisible Hands" while airborne.
Even if Wood could sever the "Invisible Hands," Sloth believed he had only one chance. Afterward, Wood would either fall or be captured, and in both cases, Sloth was sure of his victory.
However, what happened next was beyond Sloth's expectations. Wood did indeed slice through the first wave of the "Invisible Hands."
But when the second wave came, Wood did not fall or get caught. Instead, he stepped on the air itself, maintaining his position in midair!
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Don't forget to give Power Stone
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