With almost all seven paths in high rank 2, Varian's ultimate blow could faintly surpass that of a peak rank 3.
But the red light that he slashed out radiated a fierce light that caused even the rank 4s to feel a sense of palpitations.
With the help of an artifact, Varian's attack crossed an impossible realm and reached a rank that should never be possible.
Prime Minister and Great Admiral were both fighting the bald slave. All three of them had varying degrees of injuries and didn't stop their battle even when Varian cleaned up the rank 3s.
But when the sword light approached, they all fell back, including the bald slave. Unexpectedly, the sword light twisted in the space as if an invisible hand was kneading it and piercing through the bald slave's chest.
"Hiss!"
All the audience watched on with an expression of horror.
Going from rank 3 to rank 4 was a major transition. It's common sense that even if rank 4s really stood up without defensive, it's hard for rank 3s to injure them significantly.
But Varian…
"Hmph!"
Lord Jorand's eyes stayed on Varian for a moment before he continued the battle with the Duke.
The unexpected variable scared and disgusted him.
"Die, old bastard! Die already!" He growled like a wild lion and took out his trump card.
A strand of glowing white light left his bosom and shone on the Duke. The Duke's skin wrinkled further and his back started to hunch as a wave of exhaustion washed over his body. Coupled with the injuries inflicted, the Duke's head grew dizzy.
Lord Jorand sighed under his breath. As he thought, he could end this battle whenever he wanted. The only reason he fought until now was to torture the duke.
But that boy's intervention pissed him off. More than killing the rank 2s or rank 3s, the thing that angered him the most was his words.
'How dare he say I am as bad as this old bastard?' Lord Jorand clenched his fist and laughed coldly.
But when he glanced at the spot where his bald slave was fighting the two rank 4s, he couldn't laugh anymore.
"W-What happened?"
It's like someone dug up his flesh six inches deep. The bald slave had a hideous gash starting right from his abdomen going all the way to his neck, passing just an inch beside his heart.
If he hadn't been a mini-giant he was, a six-inch gash would've wiped off his torso. And if he wasn't lucky enough to have dodged the attack at the last moment, the sword light would've penetrated his heart.
Even now, through that huge twitching wound that looked like a dug-up passage, his beating heart was visible.
"F-Fuck." Even though he remained calm when facing the duke, Lord Jorand couldn't help but swear at the chilling sight.
The bald slave was a powerful Adept and had insane control over his body. So, he should've already started to heal at least a tenth of that injury by now. His twitching muscles and insides were proof that he was trying to heal. But the wound that continued to exist was proof that he wasn't succeeding.
That sword, whatever it was, somehow was able to mess up an Adept—the awakener with the most perfect body—and prevent them from healing.
'Is that even possible?' Lord Jorand's gaze darted to the sword in Varian's hand.
An unpretentious black and red sword that had no runes, no inscriptions let alone a fucking aura gem. Whether the weapon was powerful or the person, the damage was done.
'I'll go hel—'
A shock pulsed through Lord Jorand's spine and he fell back trusting his instinct. Almost right after, the Duke appeared in the place he was, the horn on his forehead shining brightly.
Centaurian's racial ability. Strengthening themselves using the energy they store in their horn.
Even though the Duke was affected by the life strand, with this strengthening, he wouldn't fall for a while even if he and Akira fought together.
On the other hand—
"I'm really in a bit of a hurry. So, I appreciate it if you could just die." Varian's figure flashed as he fought against the bald slave alongside Prime Minister and Great Admiral.
The blows of that sword without the blood weren't as powerful as earlier. But they all did reach the range of 4th rank.
Varian himself wasn't winning against the bald man. He was losing every exchange in the battle. Any of the bald slave's attacks should've killed him. The only reason he was even standing alive was that he was using the sword to reduce the damage. Even then, he's already a bloody mess.
But the situation was already spiraling out of control. The two Centaurus rank 4s could already handle the bald slave when he was at his peak. Now heavily injured and interfered by Varian, they were quickly slicing away his life.
Without external help, he wouldn't survive a few more minutes.
"Akira, go help!" Lord Jorand said and withdrew his weapons.
"What about you?" The spymaster didn't leave right away and frowned at the Duke whose injuries were quickly healing away. "Even with all the disadvantages, his transformation makes him a monster."
Lord Jorand chuckled softly and glowing purple scales covered his face. His pupils turned vertical and his eyeballs turned green. He hissed with his forked tongue and said. "It just so happens, I'm also a monster. That old bastard killed my parents because he wanted a Centurian heir over a Naga. Today, a Naga will knock down the proud Centurian."
A huge cloud of green gas spread out from Lord Jorand and expanded at a rapid pace. Anything and everything it touched melted upon contact.
Akira was a split second late in getting out of the barrier and she almost lost her left hand.
Looking at the brown bone, she shuddered and glanced at the two silhouettes walking toward each other in the green cloud. "Monsters indeed."
Then, she turned to Varian among the rank 4s and her eyes burst with killing intent. Her figure blurred and her breath grew weaker and weaker.
She went invisible a second later, unless someone specifically searched that location, even her peers couldn't find her.
"Chief Of Intelligence Akira, on her mission."
She flashed forward and appeared behind Varian in an instant.
