Seong quickly regained his composure after the initial shock of having his attack blocked.
Even if his senses were impaired, his skills were still functional.
Despite his sharp strike, the defensive shield didn’t break, and Hindel had to take three steps back after receiving a powerful blow enhanced with rotational force.
Given that his senses were still blocked, it wouldn't have been surprising if he had fallen.
But his training and experience kept him from toppling over, as his muscles instinctively resisted the urge to collapse.
It was an incredible sight, yet Seong was no longer astonished by it.
If he couldn't handle such an attack, it would be troubling.
“Phew.”
Since Hindel’s senses were still blocked, Seong didn’t waste the opportunity.
The shield formed by the sword’s aura remained intact, but Seong had a plan.
He used one of the effects attached to his Anemore Slayer, activating a whirlwind alongside his flight.
The winds began gently but soon turned into a fierce storm that engulfed Hindel from behind.
The winds slashed at him with the sharpness of a blade, leaving countless shallow wounds, though none were fatal.
Even though multiple hits landed, it seemed the attack counted as a single strike.
The hands, born from the spirits of the dead and the whirlwinds, reached out and grabbed Hindel’s arms.
Yet, with his senses still not restored, Seong moved swiftly and took to the air, preparing to strike Hindel from behind.
With a swift motion, he swung his sword.
Whoosh! Slash!
The blow wasn’t incredibly strong since it was delivered in mid-air, but darkness erupted from the sword. Two spectral hands appeared and bound Hindel’s legs.
Seong had created a chain of darkness that held Hindel firmly in place.
Seeing the seal of death grow stronger, Seong swiftly launched a bone arrow.
The arrow flew toward Hindel’s neck, and just as it was about to strike—
Flash!
Hindel’s senses returned, and his eyes snapped open.
With the return of his senses, he swiftly spun in the air, using his sword to deflect the bone arrow that had been aimed at his neck.
Two seconds had already passed.
Seong had hoped to activate the death seal, but it had failed.
However, Seong was calm.
“It’s too early to succeed.”
He remained focused, but Hindel, still shaken, landed on the ground with an eerie sensation filling him.
‘...Incredible.’
Seong had used an unblockable attack from the start, blocking Hindel’s senses to create an opportunity.
Looking at his own dwindling health, Seong knew that the strike had been substantial.
Moreover, the dark hands that had grabbed his arms and legs and refused to release him couldn’t be dismissed.
‘My movements are slower.’
It must have been due to those hands.
Hindel had to stop holding back and fight with everything he had. He had learned this lesson the hard way, particularly after facing Fiora.
Even now, he tried to conserve his strength.
‘This isn’t mercy or kindness, it’s arrogance and disrespect.’
Seong reflected on it internally, realizing Hindel was holding back against someone like him.
But now, Hindel had no choice but to fight at his full potential.
After the delay caused by the dark hands, Hindel gathered his resolve.
“I apologize. I’ll be serious now,” Hindel said, emphasizing the word “serious” as he stepped forward.
It was just a simple movement, but it was different.
The very air around Hindel shifted.
Normally, one would feel the pressure of the air grow heavier in such moments, but Hindel’s presence caused the opposite.
The air around him seemed to distort.
It wasn’t just a change in space; the atmosphere itself was shaking.
The air pressure around him, and the gravity itself, lightened.
Freed from gravity’s restraint, Hindel kicked his foot lightly, and with a powerful burst, he shot toward Seong.
The change in air pressure and gravity allowed him to move faster than ever before.
Seong, still trying to catch up, quickly activated two skills.
One was the Wind Shield, a set option that could be used twice a day to protect his body, and the other...
A purple liquid formed above Seong’s head, exuding a foreboding, smoky aura.
The liquid, unable to resist gravity, fell swiftly, dripping over Seong.
Whoosh—sizzle!
The liquid spread over his body, seeping in and emitting an ominous sound.
[Used 『Poison: Pain Paralysis』.]
[You will not feel any pain for one minute.]
[While unable to feel pain, your concentration increases.]
Despite the pain, Seong remained undeterred, continuing to unleash his skills without interruption.
Even though he used the Wind Shield, uncertainty prompted him to activate another skill.
As Seong prepared, Hindel was already in front of him, drawing his sword back.
Flash——!
Crack———!
Light flashed, and something pierced the Wind Shield.
Before Seong even heard the sound of the shield breaking, the light flashed again, and he swiftly turned his body. Hindel’s sword swept past where he had been standing.
Had Seong tried to block with a blood curtain, he would have been pierced by that sword.
After the Wind Shield was pierced, cracks appeared throughout the shield, and it collapsed.
Seong attempted to retreat using his flight, but Hindel quickly adjusted his position to prevent the distance from growing.
Whoosh!
Boom—!
Both were in motion, but now it was clear who was faster. Hindel, now freed from gravity, relentlessly pursued Seong, launching a barrage of attacks.
The strikes were not the same dazzling thrusts as before, but they were still devastating.
‘I can’t get hit.’
Seong continued to dodge using the knockback effect of the Wind Ring, pushing himself or Hindel back each time to avoid the blows.
Read 𝓁atest chapters at fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm Only.
‘As expected of Seong-nim.’
Even though he had used the skill twice, and it was limited to three uses per day, Seong’s precise movements kept him just ahead.
Hindel’s repeated strikes, one after the other, were met with Seong’s rapid dodges, causing the onlookers to be stunned.
“How is he dodging all of that!? Should we really call him Seong-nim?”
“...I’ve never seen Hindel’s Glorious Strike miss before. It’s rare to see anyone dodge his regular swordplay, but to avoid it like this... I didn’t expect this.”
“...Neither did I.”
Plang, Adeline, and Layaden all watched in awe, unable to hide their surprise.
The thought of stopping them crossed their minds, but who among them could interrupt such a battle?
No one could.
They could only hope for a conclusion and observe.
Looking at the battle, it was clear Seong was dodging successfully, but he was clearly on the defensive now.
Hindel, determined to establish his position, took a deep breath, and his eyes flashed with intensity.
“Hmph!”
Breathing in, Hindel’s gaze changed.
His golden, radiant eyes became mysterious, with a gaze that seemed to contain the entire night sky and starlight.
The aura surrounding his sword mirrored this transformation, forming a galaxy-like sword aura that erupted with power.
Seong didn’t waste time. With his eyes gleaming with a teal light, he activated his skill and conjured a teal spear in his opposite hand.
Without hesitation, he launched the spear.
Although Hindel was faster in movement and attack speed, the delay in completing Seong's skill was much shorter.
The spear cut through the air as Hindel gauged the distance and realized that there was no way to dodge.
Even if his skill was completed before impact, there was no chance to avoid the spear.
Having experienced Seong's abilities before, Hindel knew the spear ignored all forms of defense.
Realizing this, he gritted his teeth and canceled his skill, narrowly avoiding the spear.
It was a small gain, but Seong had already vanished by the time Hindel looked around after the attack had been avoided.
What he had initially thought was a bloodstorm was now revealed to be a sea of blood-soaked swords—at least a hundred of them, lined up in the air.
“It’s not easy. But...???”
As Hindel prepared to activate his skill, he suddenly sensed something was wrong.
The world around him fell into an eerie silence.
It felt as though time had stopped.
Hindel, for the first time, realized he could no longer move.
The darkness was closing in on him.
One of the shadowy hands that had been holding his arms and legs was now reaching for his neck.
He couldn’t see it, but he could feel the grip tightening around his neck.
The hands that had been restraining his arms and legs were now moving closer to his throat, and his body was being overtaken with a deep sense of dread.
But what truly terrified him was not the hands.
Something more—a transcendental force was standing behind him.
This feeling was far more terrifying than anything he had felt before, even when facing Fiora.
The sensation was not the wetness of fear creeping along his spine; it was a chilling coldness, freezing him to the bone.
As the dark hands closed around Hindel’s neck, the pressure intensified.
Then, the presence behind him stirred.
With disturbing slowness, the being gripped five outstretched shadowy hands, their power overwhelming.
“Ugh!”
The pain was unbearable as the hands tightened around him, and soon, Hindel found himself trapped, unable to resist.
The sensation of the hands cutting into his neck was sharp, as though they were going to sever his head.
The sound of his neck being cut echoed through the stillness.
Crack——!
His head was severed from his body, and blood poured from the wound.
“Cough... Cough...”
Hindel stumbled back, coughing up blood as he fled the scene.
Despite the pain, he quickly activated healing and mental enhancement skills, feeling the power of starlight envelop him, but the vivid sensation of the cut could not be ignored.
Fear began to swell within his eyes as he realized the extent of the power facing him.
Gasping for air, Hindel looked toward the blood-soaked swords still hovering in the air, a bitter realization sinking in.
He lifted his sword to face them, but this time, his hand trembled, unable to steady the blade.
The battle had reached an entirely new level.