Chapter 753 Standing
Fergus' confidence came from genuine battle experience and tests. The man had every right to boast about his defensive prowess, and Khan had long since acknowledged his power.
However, every technique had flaws. Fergus' spell used his body as the foundation, which had weaknesses to begin with. Reinforcing and altering skin and muscles could hide and protect those critical points, but they didn't disappear.
The joints, the tendons, the various extremities, the spine, and other sensitive spots still existed under that shield of skin and muscles. The eyes were even more exposed, and Khan didn't hesitate to go for them.
Fergus obviously knew his weaknesses, too, but nothing could have prepared him for Khan's offensive. His list of abilities was long, but he still kept secrets, and the latest attack had brought an ominous revelation. Khan was a living weapon capable of turning mere air into a deadly instrument.
That capability seemed to border omnipotence, but Khan and Fergus knew limits existed. Khan's body was one of them. His fingers didn't break even without employing the [Blood Shield] but hurt, joining his left arm's joints.
Moreover, Khan's goal stretched past Fergus' left eye. He had initially hoped the attack would pierce his skull and dig into his brain, granting a quick victory. Yet, Fergus' insides had stopped that ethereal, deadly force.
Those considerations happened subconsciously. Neither Khan nor Fergus wasted time thinking about the event. They simply reacted to it, with Khan having a stark advantage.
The attack had surprised Fergus, freezing his brain for an instant. Instead, Khan didn't stop, and his feet moved as soon as the organ exploded.
Khan pulled back the knife and disappeared while Fergus was still realizing what was happening. It took the slamming of a piercing force on his back to make him snap back to reality but turning didn't provide answers.
Khan's agility was limitless. He could go up, down, right, and left freely without caring for footholds. He could move as he wished, and Fergus' missing eye had created a huge blind spot that Khan could exploit.
Fergus found himself spinning on his spot while Khan flew around him, keeping himself in the blind spot while slashing at the man's back. He wasn't giving the cursed knife much time to charge itself with his mana, but the Divine Reaper's moves slowly brought results.
Clearer marks began to appear on Fergus' dark blue back. Some belonged to slashes. Others were simple spots left from when the cursed knife had tried to pierce the skin. Khan had yet to achieve anything substantial, but the chance was drawing near.
Even experienced soldiers would need a while to get used to the sudden loss of one eye. Fergus' body followed instincts built throughout many battles, attempting to rely on an organ that was nothing more than a gory socket now. That gave Khan an edge to exploit, and Fergus eventually committed the awaited mistake.
Fergus and Khan were equally matched in terms of speed, but the latter had remained one step ahead after the exchange. Still, Fergus could shuffle things up, and his skin grew slightly paler in response to that.
Fergus' speed suddenly spiked. He spun on himself far faster than before, and his injured left arm rose into the air as soon as he spotted a faint shadow. His fingers even touched something solid before immersing themselves in the empty air again.
Things didn't end there. A sharp pain spread from the left side of Fergus' neck as soon as air enveloped his fingers. Khan had landed on his shoulder and had stabbed him, driving the knife inside him deeper than ever before.
With enough time and plotting, Khan could beat Fergus' defense, but another option existed. He could force him to change his body into something easier to damage to land a fatal blow. Everything else was just a matter of timing, and Khan rarely failed at that.
The conclusion came in the shape of the cursed knife stabbed deep into the base of Fergus' neck, with Khan pouring even more mana into it. Even fifth-level warriors would die without organs, and Khan planned to send one of the cursed knife's attacks directly inside Fergus' body.
Of course, Khan didn't underestimate his opponent. He believed a reaction was in order even after the blow. Yet, Fergus seemed to hesitate, allowing Khan to charge the knife.
Khan's senses gave the okay, so he lingered another second on Fergus' shoulder before giving the order to the knife. The weapon released the attack, but only a clanging noise oozed from the wound. A slash had definitely shot downward but didn't go past the blunt, fuming edges.
Warning signals invaded Khan's mind. He put strength into his legs, planning to return to the safety of the air. However, his grip on the knife was firm, and the weapon didn't leave the wound, making him waste a precious fraction of a second.
As Khan released his grip on the knife, a hand closed on his left ankle, and darkness tried to invade his mind. He couldn't breathe, and his eyes only saw dust and dirt. He was in the middle of a cloud of soil, probably indicating that Fergus had slammed him into the ground.
Khan tried to move, but his body didn't answer. His senses were all over the place, unable to understand the amount of damage he had suffered. Khan couldn't reach his arms or legs. He couldn't even feel them. However, Khan knew the battle wasn't over.
Wild urges took complete control of Khan's mind, echoing a clicking cry his mouth didn't hesitate to release. Mana followed, escaping his body in the shape of violent currents that destroyed everything in his surroundings. The cloud of dirt quickly disappeared, only to reveal a descending fist.
Fergus had lost his smirk. His face radiated pure killing intent as the chaos currents slammed on it. Khan's defensive spell tried to push him away and pierce his skin but only ended up delaying the inevitable.
Khan slowly regained control of his body. His arms and legs returned to him, but it was too late. The descending fist was already above his chest, leaving him with only one option.
The [Blood Shield] unfolded itself, clotting all the blood vessels that could be involved in the imminent clash. Then, the fist landed, and Khan heard something breaking. His rib cage partially gave in, but the attack didn't pierce it.
However, Fergus promptly swung his right arm, this time aiming the punch directly at Khan's head. He planned to finish it with that move, but the seriousness of Khan's gaze made him lower his gaze. He saw two fingers vaguely pointed at him before his world fell into complete darkness.
Khan saw Fergus' remaining eye explode, but the latter didn't stop the attack. The Major still had one fist stabbed in Khan's chest, so he could make out his position even when blind. The punch continued to descend toward Khan's face, but he rereleased his cry, launching destructive currents from his back.
The currents of chaos element dug through the terrain, creating some space. Fergus was pinning Khan down, but that small room allowed the latter to half-turn. The descending fist grazed Khan's left cheek before landing on the ground.
An explosion of dust unfolded, but Khan barely noticed it. He forcefully pushed himself to his left, slamming on the edge of the hole the exchange had created before kicking the air. His head slammed on the ground again, but he continued moving until he returned to the surface.
Khan didn't stop there. He kicked the air until he found himself high into the air. His body screamed, and warmth spread on his chest before stretching toward his abdomen. Yet, Khan didn't mind it. He only had eyes for the blind warrior below.
Fergus punched the ground a third time before stopping his offensive. He ran his palms over the hole's bottom before slowly straightening his position. He stood up, his closed eyelids leaking blood and other fluids while a smile slowly returned to his face.
Khan almost felt the urge to praise the Major. Fergus had lost both eyes, his left forearm had a huge cut, and the cursed knife was still in his neck, but nothing hinted at his desire to surrender. He wanted to fight and knew Khan wouldn't leave until he was dead.
That confidence and dedication were otherworldly, but Khan couldn't waste time dwelling on his respect for his opponent. He had yet to muster the courage to check his state, but he knew it couldn't be good. He had to finish that battle soon to tend to himself.
Since everything else had failed, Khan steeled his resolve and unleashed the [Blood Shield] across his left arm. He planned to use the clotted blood vessels as additional reinforcements for future uses of the Divine Reaper's moves. However, the foreign bloodlust inside his mind screamed, almost informing him about a specific event.
Khan felt confused, but the mental connection began conveying feelings that bordered joy, making him descend toward his opponent. Soon, he landed before Fergus, and the latter didn't move. He had died standing, killed by the weapon inside his neck.
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