CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 813: Flamberge [GT Ranking Bonus - ]

But Asher couldn’t help but reason that this lazy Emovira was a bit naive. Did it really expect the people who had captured it to set it free later on?

The next moment, Asher felt a hand tear through his gut, emerging from his back with ease. His eyes widened in pure shock as they fell upon Xal’Thar, who now stood before him with a lazy expression. The being had been sitting one moment, and the next it was standing before him as though it had teleported.

Asher didn’t hesitate. He immediately punched forward without holding back, his fist rocketing towards Xal’Thar’s chest. Asher’s fist met nothing but air as an overwhelming torrent of wind and pressure burst forward in a titanic impact, shredding everything before him into bits and smithereens. Everything was covered in dust and blown backward, cracks spreading across the walls like spiderwebs.

"Damn, you really want to kill me, huh?" Xal’Thar’s voice came from the side.

Asher’s eyes snapped toward the source of the voice. There stood Xal’Thar, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest in a calm demeanor as he stared at the destruction Asher had caused, having dodged the attack with ease.

’Teleportation?’ Asher thought to himself, but he discarded the idea immediately. He hadn’t sensed space being manipulated, nor had he sensed Astra Energy being used during either of the two times Xal’Thar had moved.

Xal’Thar’s black eyes turned to Asher as he spoke with a smile. "I suppose you have some skill. After all, I couldn’t even catch you off guard, which is a first for me." His tone was calm, as though the whole thing were a game to him.

When Xal’Thar had plunged his hand through Asher’s gut, Asher had been able to react by phasing through the attack through sheer instinct. If not, Virelass might have been healing him right now, trying to grow new internal organs.

Asher remained on guard as he stared at Xal’Thar, who was still speaking. He drew his rapier as he waited for an opening, not bothering to reply to any of the words that left the Emovira’s mouth.

The moment Asher saw an opening, he vanished from where he stood, his body appearing before Xal’Thar in less than a second, his rapier singing forward as he thrust towards the being’s forehead with lethal intent.

As the attack was about to land, Asher felt his blade instantly come to a stop. There was no explosion or sound accompanying the collision. Absolutely nothing. There stood Xal’Thar, who had stopped the attack with a single finger as though it were the weakest and most pathetic attack he had ever seen in existence.

Xal’Thar raised his other hand, his index finger holding back his middle finger. Then he released it, flicking his middle finger against Asher’s forehead. Asher’s senses screamed in warning, and he immediately vanished from where he stood. The moment he dodged, everything behind him was immediately erased in absolute totality. Chunks of earth were torn outward, walls ripped apart, and even the door Asher had stepped through burst backward.

Asher, who had teleported away, watched with a frown as he tried to understand how a mere flick of a finger could erase everything in its path. His mind spun as he began to go through a list of abilities that could allow Xal’Thar to perform such a ridiculous feat.

As for the possibility of the being being a Rank 8 Emovira, Asher hadn’t dismissed it entirely. If Xal’Thar gave him any reason to believe that was the case, then he would immediately escape. There was no need to risk his life.

Xal’Thar stood calmly as he spoke. "You really are a bit strong and possess some skill. It seems I might have to put a bit of effort into this." He stated this as he finally unsheathed the sword hanging at his waist; a flamberge.

Astra Energy immediately pulsed through Asher’s body as he instantly entered combat mode, his eyes remaining fixed on Xal’Thar. The being smirked and then instantly vanished from where it stood, appearing before Asher like a ghost, his flamberge singing toward Asher’s neck with blitzing speed.

Asher’s reaction was instantaneous. His body bent as he became parallel to the ground, instantly dodging the attack. The moment he did, everything behind and around him was consumed by madness as slashes tore through it all.

Xal’Thar’s eyes snapped toward Asher, his body recalibrating with zero delay as his flamberge came down toward Asher’s chest. Seeing this, Asher immediately vanished from where he stood as he teleported away. The moment he disappeared, Xal’Thar’s sword tore a kilometer-wide chasm across the room with maddening efficiency.

Asher appeared above the being. Lightning crackled into existence along the silver blade as he immediately slashed downward with obliterating force. Xal’Thar’s reaction was immediate, his flamberge blurring as he met Asher’s rapier with nothing but a smile.

With calamitous destruction, the collision of both blades burst outward with thunderous force. The earth beneath their feet immediately shattered, dust swallowing everything whole. The moment Asher landed on his feet, both of them vanished in twin blurs as they exchanged an endless rain of sword attacks with astonishing ease.

Rapid exchanges of attacks erupted between them as they both aimed for nothing but vital organs. Yet each time it seemed one of them was about to gain the upper hand, the other would immediately recalibrate and either dodge or block.

The wind screamed with every motion of their blades, ravines tearing open while the earth shook with every step they took. Nothing but silver flashes filled the air as they entered a domain where only the sword existed.

Although Asher was already enhancing himself with Astra Energy, Xal’Thar matched the speed effortlessly without missing a beat. Not only that, but the being’s speed and strength were increasing with every passing moment.

With booming force, Asher’s body shot backward as Xal’Thar’s strength suddenly skyrocketed, catching him off guard in the middle of a parry. Asher twisted his body and landed on his feet like an agile cat.

But the moment he landed, Xal’Thar was there again, his blade already tearing toward Asher’s shoulder and chest in a downward slash as he aimed to split him apart. Asher simply used a footwork technique he had created, his body turning into a still afterimage as he sidestepped to the side with calm ease.

But he didn’t just dodge; he attacked. With lightning coursing through Virelass, he slashed at Xal’Thar’s neck with breakneck speed. Xal’Thar’s eyes snapped toward the incoming attack before he leaned backward, skillfully dodging it with ease.

Asher immediately put some distance between himself and Xal’Thar. But Xal’Thar didn’t chase. Instead, he caught a pile of stones and pebbles midair and threw them toward Asher with a lazy motion.

Asher’s hand blurred as he moved to deflect the seemingly useless pebbles. But the moment his blade met one of them, Asher felt an impossible force behind it. The first pebble caused him to skid backward, and as the second and the rest arrived, Asher simply phased through them, not bothering to take them head-on.

Xal’Thar smirked as he appeared behind Asher with immense speed, but Asher had already tracked him. He leaned forward, dodging a slash that immediately collapsed everything within a five-kilometer radius.

Asher turned immediately, Virelass blurring in his hand as he aimed to tear open Xal’Thar’s stomach, but Xal’Thar’s speed seemed to increase once more as he vanished from his position again, his figure reappearing a few meters away.