The Author's POV

Ren's body… it was a complete mess. There were far too many distinct powers, and the demonic laws and Akashic laws were exhibiting signs of repulsion toward one another.

Ren was unfamiliar, yet familiar, with the Akashic Laws.

They… they were the laws that had been binding at this body for the past few centuries. He never wielded them before, but the moment he used them, it felt as though it was second nature to him.

Not to mention the golden runes and words that were circling around his body...

With just one look, it seemed as though he could decipher their meaning with just a look, and as he stared at his hands, which were coated in a white substance, he turned his attention back toward Waylan and pressed his palm forward.

Boom―!

"Futile."

Waylan dislodged the palm with a swift whack, causing it to splinter and fly off into the horizon. Following that, he launched a counterattack by pressing his own palm down.

A gigantic hand suddenly materialized above Ren's head and made an attempt to squish him from on high. Ren took a measured look at the situation before removing his sword from its sheath.

He merely pressed the tip of his sword up, and the palm came to rest directly above him.

WOOOONG―! From the intersection of the two forces, where they met in the middle, a tremendous wind erupted. It was powerful enough to push the two back a few meters in response.

Waylan's eyes shone.

'He's different from before.'

Waylan thought, regaining his footing.

The degree of control over the power that he displayed wasn't the same as the one he showed before. There was something completely different about him for some unexplained reason, and the manner in which he carried himself was even more unsettling.

"Are you really the same, Ren?"

The surprised Waylan asked.

The more he examined him, the more convinced he became that there was something peculiar about him. It appeared as though he was going up against a completely different entity than before.

But how was that possible?

"You give off a different feeling from before…"

Waylan squinted his eyes.

"I'm not sure what it is, but it now explains to me why you were so confident a little earlier. Was this power of yours what gave you the confidence to challenge me?"

Swoosh―!

A splintering occurred in the space around Ren, and an invisible shot toward his leg.

who was taken aback by the sudden attack, attempted to evade it but was just

all the way through his leg, causing a

leg, Ren

even feel

that had been building up inside of his body suddenly erupted, covering his entire leg and erupting from his body in the form of scales that covered the wound

he flapped his wings once and appeared right before

single

"Better."

then countered with a blow from his

'Dangerous.'

thought at the sight of the

something that he could take lightly at any point. He was able to sense that

in front of

Boom―!

though an explosion had occurred. As a result of the impact, Ren rolled away like a ball

wrists were severely trembling as a result of the blow. He had done this

in his body,

much weaker

had never faced off against a Protector before, and he didn't know very much about them at all. At this point, all

little about them, he deemed the current fight just as troublesome as the ones he

to him, based on what he was able to observe. It

a threat from a

Crack! Crack!

to mend as a shadowy glow

that his body

his wrist no more than a couple of seconds to return to its normal state, but by the time it did, Waylan had

"Healed enough?"

at his neck. During the kick, the wind seemed to be tearing itself apart, and it left

Ren tapped his sword, there was a faint clicking sound that

Click―!

before Ren felt his sword make contact with it, as if he

felt

'I missed?'

feeling—only Jezebeth had ever done this

Ren even had a chance to respond, Waylan aimed a kick

similarly twisted and an opening appeared. He tried to capitalize on the opportunity to launch his own attack and counterattack. Reaching down

time, looking up,

That was his target.

Bang—!

right at the moment when Ren's hand was about to press the hilt of the sword, and after the kick hit his hand in just the right spot, Ren's hand redirected

disappeared from Ren's view shortly after that and reappeared a couple of meters

a fist with his free hand and extended it in front of

Ren began to warp. A gigantic projection of a hand materialized