Chapter 80: Last chance
The moment Fin’s aura flared, the heavy door behind him hissed open.
The S-rank guard moved. Not walking, just... appearing inside the room, a blur of black armor moving with impossible speed. A fist wreathed in crackling black energy lashed out, aimed straight at Fin’s head.
Fin dodged purely on instinct, leaning back, the blow whistling past inches from his face. The air crackled where the fist passed, raw destructive power radiating from the missed strike. His senses screamed. This wasn’t the brute force of the beastmen; this was refined, lethal energy.
He skidded back across the floor, landing lightly in a low crouch, the green light in his eyes burning brighter. The initial shock faded, replaced by something else. A cold, sharp thrill.
A real fight.
Killing intent, raw and potent, poured off him, a tangible pressure joining his already overwhelming aura. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards.
The S-rank guard remained unfazed by the killing intent. He drew his sword in a single, fluid motion – a blade that seemed to drink the light, humming with contained power. He settled into a ready stance, prepared for lethal combat.
Clap.
A single, sharp clap echoed through the room, incongruously soft yet cutting through the tension like a knife.
The man in the chair hadn’t moved, hadn’t raised his voice. He simply clapped his hands together once.
Both Fin and the S-rank guard froze instinctively, the command bypassing conscious thought.