The Author's POV

'I'm hurt?'

Staring at his hands, which were soaked in his own blood, Jezebeth was left in wonder. He hadn't expected his attack to be as devastating as it had been.

If not for his armor, he probably would've sustained heavier injuries.

It came from out of nowhere, and he was barely able to resist it. Raising his head to stare at Ren, who was huffing and puffing, Jezebeth felt something boiling inside of him.

'Right… It's not good if I don't reciprocate his intentions.'

Seeing that the attack had taken a toll on him, Jezebeth suppressed his injuries and forced himself forward. With a subtle blur of his vision, he saw Ren's back in front of him, and he reached out with his palm forward.

Golden runes enveloped his palm, and the space around his hand shattered.

A blade immediately blocked the hand just as it was about to reach Ren's back. He didn't know when, but Ren had suddenly turned around and slashed with his sword.

The two stared at each other silently as the space around them started to crumble.

There were no words exchanged with each other like before. Neither left any time to spare any words as they distanced themselves from each other and attacked one another.

BOOOM—! The attacks were devastating, shattering the space around them and creating large waves in the air that spread throughout the entire sky.

Everything beneath them tore apart, and the land disintegrated at their every exchange.

Neither of the two held any advantage. While Jezebeth was indeed injured from the previous strike, Ren had exhausted himself in the process, evening things out.

SHIIIIIIING—!

A bright glow of terrifying pressure suddenly headed Jezebeth's way. It was fast—extremely so. In a matter of seconds, it was upon him, and just as it was about to graze his nose, Jezebeth placed his palm against the side of the glow, and the glow shattered into a fine dust.

Swoosh!

Sensing something behind him, Jezebeth's body twisted as he kicked, and his foot hit something soft.

"Umpf!"

Overhearing something, Jezebeth knew that his hit had landed, and when he came to, he saw Ren's figure hurl away from him in the sky.

He didn't waste a single second of that moment.

Locking his eyes on Ren's figure, Jezebeth pressed his finger forward, and a gigantic crack formed a couple of meters ahead of Ren.

A large projection of his finger appeared from within the crack, and as if it had been timed just right, it moved down and directly pressed against Ren's moving figure.

BOOOM—!

The attack landed squarely on Ren's body, and he spat a mouthful of blood as his body continued to hurl away from Jezebeth.

Ren's body took the full force of the attack, and as his body continued to fly away from him, he spat out a mouthful of blood and coughed up more.

Jezebeth did not pass up such an opportunity and followed him from behind, eventually appearing right in front of him and pressing his hand against his face as he did so.

Swoosh—!

Attempting to contort his body and evade Jezebeth's hand, Ren acted swiftly but fell slightly short. His efforts proved futile as Jezebeth's hand firmly made contact with his face and grasped onto it tightly.

BANG—!

Exerting an immense force, Jezebeth's hand unleashed a surge of power, propelling Ren's body through the air with great momentum. Seizing the opportunity without hesitation, Jezebeth swiftly positioned himself directly beneath Ren, extending his knee in a forceful thrust.

"Aukh!"

Spit flew from Ren's mouth as he landed directly on Jezebeth's knee.

Though faint, Jezebeth could make out a faint cracking sound, and he knew that Ren had sustained some injuries.

Still… He didn't let go.

Jezebeth wasn't the type of person to show mercy to those against him.

Grabbing Ren by the hair, he raised his head toward him and punched at his face.

BANG—!

His fist landed squarely in his face.

BANG—!

He didn't stop at just one punch.

BANG—!

Jezebeth's fist was encased in a white and black glow as he continued to punch Ren's face with all of his strength while simultaneously driving his fist further forward.

BANG—!

It wasn't long before his fist was coated in Ren's blood as it dripped down from his fist.

The warm, viscous fluid trickled down, forming streams that traced intricate patterns along his fingers, carrying with it the evidence of the fierce impact.

A metallic scent filled the air, mingling with the intensity of the moment, as Jezebeth's resolute gaze remained fixed upon the sight.

The sight of Ren's blood became a stark reminder of all the struggle he had to go through just to get to this point, etching a lasting impression upon Jezebeth's conscience even as the battle raged on.

Extending his hand forward and staring at Ren's limping figure in front of him, Jezebeth tried to reach out with his hand to absorb the laws in his body, but just as he tried, as Jezebeth's hand inched closer, a sudden rift materialized in the surrounding space, originating from the vicinity of his arm.

Within the crevice, a spectral manifestation of a sword took shape, its gleaming presence amplifying the already charged atmosphere.

WIIIIIIIIING—!

Jezebeth was left with no other option, so he let go of Ren's body as it descended from the sky.

satisfied with what he did, Jezebeth pressed his hands together, and that was when two

and pressed directly onto Ren's body which was falling down from

BOOOOM—!

came crashing down from the sky, landing against the ground beneath and creating a massive crater

have done

could hear the sudden gasp of anxiety coming from those

he looked down, and that was where he caught sight of Ren

of his mouth,

eyes were wide open,

WIIIING—!

As expected.

Jexezbeth was just barely able to avoid the incoming attack, but just as he did, a hand

BAANG—!

mouth, Jezebeth felt something tug at the back of his head, and his head was brought up once more before he saw the

BAANG—!

One that he didn't particularly like, but as he tried to move his body, his head was pulled at again,

BAANG—!

bit as his vision blurred. Reaching out with his hand, he grasped at the forearm that was grasping at his hand, and he

breaking, and whatever was grasping at his head

Ren's arm, which was bent

to go on the offensive again. As if he was going to let such

arm was injured, Jezebeth aimed for Ren's right

Swoosh!

punch directly at the side of Ren's exposed abdomen. Complex golden runes manifested all over his hand, and

BANG—!

into contact with something, the space crumbled, and a large explosion reverberated. Dust flew into the air, blocking his vision, but with one swipe of his hand, the dust settled, and

his fist, complex golden runes revolved around Ren's

Swoosh!

fist back and counterattacked with a kick, which Ren avoided by bending his

BANG—!

around them, and before

that the light that was coming from the sky above them began to dim, and all that they were able

as they continued to

BANG—!

Jezebeth's face, sending him crashing against the ground. Ren took the moment

Rumble! Rumble!

close to him began to twist, and all of a sudden, a powerful force erupted from out of his

Cr— Crack!

formed in the area above him, and the tip of a sword appeared from

ground began to crack, and

pale at the sight of the sword, and the mana that was contained within his body began to drain at a

"Ukh!"

pay off, and

surrounding them came to a sudden standstill,

Creack! Creak!

the immense pressure that the sword was producing, but he didn't care and fixed his eyes on Jezebeth, who was staring at the sword in

"Go."

his finger at

Rumble! Rumble!

massively, and the earth around them collapsed. Wherever the sword passed, it would leave nothing

the cacophony and devastation, Jezebeth maintained an unwavering composure, fixating his gaze upon the approaching sword with an

succumbing to a serene stillness that permeated both his external surroundings and the recesses of his own

have given up, but Ren knew... he knew that this

world, intertwining

directly behind the sword, his hand instinctively reaching out to

"..."

*Grip*

as the unstoppable momentum of the sword abruptly halted under Jezebeth's

the gravity of the situation to sink in, as the sixth movement,

astonishment didn't

"Argkhhhhh!"

armor encasing Jezebeth's body shattered, revealing the raw, sinewy

an imposing presence, exuding

Jezebeth's hand began to move with a deliberate purpose, manipulating the sword's trajectory until

"I.. h… how?!"

his own sword, Ren was left utterly shocked, and

he clenched his teeth,

shattered into hundreds of pieces, and he puked up

"Pfttt."

back as a result, and it

instinct, he moved his hand away from his mouth

BANG—!

fist landed squarely against another, and he was pushed several steps back. He felt his blood boil at the collision, but he bore through

thrust a

BANG—!

once again connected with

BANG—!

a while until, eventually,

"Seal."

snakes. The chains came from everywhere. Above him, the side of the crater, and beneath the ground, coiling around every part of

runes covered his entire body. The chains that were surrounding him showed signs of cracking, but they didn't break immediately, and that

that moment, he appeared right in front of Ren and punched directly

BANG—!

his fist against his abdomen, Jezebeth watched as Ren's expression distorted with pain, and his body floated up. The chains that were binding

he looked down, he saw Ren's body coming at him from

opened up his palm. Golden runes appeared all over his hand, and just as Ren's body was about

Swoosh!

happened so fast that

an overwhelming force that jolted against the side of his cheek, Jezebeth's vision distorted, spinning wildly as

descent was nothing short of astonishing; a faint vapor cloud appeared behind him as

"!!"

eyes widened in disbelief at the sight that awaited him—a vast multitude of sword projections adorned with intricate golden runes erupted from the very

magnitude of the spectacle sent shockwaves through Jezebeth's core, forcing him to employ every available resource