The Author's POV

Drip! Drip!

The rain continued to fall steadily, each droplet creating a ripple as it collided with the surface of the water.

It was a dreary and ominous atmosphere that surrounded the two figures standing at the edge of the water. Their stillness only added to the sense of foreboding.

Prince Murdock's warily stared at the figure before his eyes.

He had never encountered anyone like this before. The stranger's appearance was shrouded in darkness, making it difficult for Murdock to discern any distinguishing features.

However, the sheer power emanating from the figure was palpable, sending chills down Murdock's spine.

Despite his wariness, Murdock stood his ground, his expression stoic as he faced the shadowy figure. He spoke in a measured tone, trying to keep his composure.

"What are you?"

His voice was firm, but there was a hint of trepidation underlying his words.

"..."

The figure remained silent, its dark form seemingly immobile.

"Not much of a talker, are we?"

Murdock continued to scrutinize the figure, trying to glean any information he could from its appearance. The stranger appeared to be human in build, but there was all he could make out.

"I've never heard of a human as strong as you, nor―"

Drip!

He was interrupted by the subtle sound of a raindrop hitting the water, which resounded through the air unlike any of the other drops around him. "Swoosh!" In that split second, the shadowy figure vanished from where it was standing.

"Uh?!"

Swoosh―

Murdock's eyes widened in surprise as he felt a sudden force against his cheek. He stumbled backward, narrowly dodging a swift punch aimed at his face.

"Rather hurried, aren't we?"

Murdock quipped, trying to regain his composure. As he distanced himself from the shadowy figure, Murdock noticed a cold glint reflecting off a blade being unsheathed.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, but it was too late. Murdock's gaze met with the figure's, and time seemed to come to a standstill.

The only sound was the raindrops falling around them.

Drip!

SHIIIING―! In that moment, Murdock watched in horror as his arm was sliced clean off by the blade. The pain was intense, and he could feel warm blood gushing out of the wound.

Spurt―!

Black blood spurted out, staining the water and adding to the eerie atmosphere. Murdock could barely comprehend what had just happened. He looked up at the shadowy figure, whose features were still obscured by the darkness.

"Arghhh!"

He eventually succumbed to the agony and let out an agonized scream as a result. He glared at the figure in the shadows while clutching his right hand, and he flapped his wing once.

became fuzzy, and

his hand

Swoosh―!

directly through his body, and when he turned around, he saw him

'Fast.'

Murdock could think about

he was

was previously in, and when he turned his head, he caught a glimpse

It was cracked.

that's how

himself as he analyzed

for him to understand what had happened, and he instantly calmed down. He had faced many skilled opponents before, and he knew that the key to victory was to

"Your mastery o―"

moved his body to the right, narrowly avoiding

crept up on his face as he glanced at the passing blade. Now that he understood how it worked, he wasn't as worried as

SHIIIIIING―!

passed by his body, he flapped his wings and appeared before the shadowy figure. With his hand outstretched, he aimed his

Swoosh―!

him, the figure ducked down and counterattacked with a

he had to act quickly if he wanted to avoid

"Hup!"

toward his stomach, Prince Murdock twisted his body, and the

Boom―! Boom―!

fight fractured the water beneath them, and thunder

Kracka! Kracka!

Boom―!

appeared right behind him. He didn't waste a second and kicked

Splash―!

figure plummeting into the water beneath, and with one quick scan

of the shadowy figure and clenched at his throat with his hand, pushing

as the two plummeted down from above at

Boom―!

the area they were in. When the sand settled, Prince Murdock's figure was revealed, standing above the shadowy

hand now, and he

"Tell me…"

holding tightly onto his neck. He

the shadowy figure looked at him

back of his head as he had

race are you from?

Cruch―!

in the middle of a sentence when he heard a crunching sound and felt intense pain. When he looked down, he

"Arghhh!"

finally let go of his throat. The shadowy figure quickly appeared behind the Prince, and

Boom―!

was thrown back, crashing against a couple of rocks in the distance. The

Prince once more, brandishing a sword in hand and pointing

'Shit.'

dilating

again with a force and speed

to dodge, but it was too late. He felt a searing pain in his hand as one of his fingers was severed, and black blood

was in shock. 'How

SHIIIING―!