"Attack!"
With the young Cat Person's low growl, the killing intent in the field reached its peak.
'Whoosh!'
A male Pallum rushed forward with his sword. Using his small stature to its fullest, he darted in with astonishing agility and thrust directly at an opening in Ryoji's stance.
'He's full of openings!' the Pallum sneered inwardly.
Surrounded by so many enemies, Ryoji wasn't even standing in a proper combat stance. He looked completely relaxed, almost like an ordinary person who knew nothing about fighting. 'All those rumors about him being an unparalleled swordsman... people must have been fooled by his pretty face.'
The instant he moved, the other three Pallums acted as well, as though sharing a single mind. Attacking from three different directions, they swung their hammer, spear, and axe at exactly the same moment.
Their timing was flawless. Their teamwork was so perfect that each seemed to know the others' intentions without a word, instinctively choosing the ideal attack.
"The Gulliver brothers are only Level 5 individually," the young Cat Person murmured, narrowing his eyes and watching Ryoji without blinking. "But the four of them together can even defeat an ordinary Level 6. He's only Level 5. He should lose instantly."
Yet there wasn't the slightest hint of panic on Ryoji's face.
In one smooth motion, he extended both hands, and two swords appeared in his grasp. Facing the four-pronged assault head-on, he swept one blade left and the other right, intercepting the sword and spear that arrived first.
'He's meeting them head-on?' The Cat Person almost laughed. 'What an idiot. In a situation like this, the correct move is to break out of the encirclement first, then use your speed to pick them off one by one. If you fight them head-on, your defense will collapse instantly. Even if he somehow blocks the sword and spear, there's no way he can stop the hammer and axe.'
At least... that's what he had believed.
What happened next completely caught him off guard.
Ryoji's twin blades precisely caught the incoming sword and spear. With two elegant semicircular arcs, he redirected both attacks, the sword slammed into the incoming hammer, while the spear crashed into the descending axe.
"We can't stop it!" The sword-wielding and spear-wielding Pallums were horrified.
Their weapons felt as though they had been caught in invisible spider silk, dragged completely off course by an irresistible force before crashing into their brothers' attacks. The other two had no time to react, and their perfectly coordinated assault fell apart in an instant.
Taking advantage of their confusion, Ryoji stepped forward. Like the wind itself, he exploded into motion with 'Divine Speed', charging straight toward the spear-wielding Pallum.
"So fast!"
The Pallum hadn't even regained control of his weapon before his vision blurred. A silent flash of light swept across him. The strike was so fast that no ordinary eye could follow it; the Pallum never had a chance to resist. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed flat on his back.
"Ger!" The other three cried out in shock and fury as they charged together.
But even the combined attack of all four had been dismantled with a single exchange; three opponents were even less of a threat. Barely ten seconds later, the remaining three Pallums fell one after another, unconscious.
The young Cat Person's gloomy gaze swept over the four fallen warriors.
"Relax," Ryoji said, casually spinning the twin swords in his hands. "My swords are merciful. They won't take anyone's life without my permission."
Ryoji looked completely at ease, as though he had done nothing special. The spectators, however, were stunned, shock and unease spreading across their faces.
"He beat the Gulliver Brothers that easily?" Even the elf holding the white staff couldn't hide his surprise.
"He's no ordinary opponent." The elf wielding the black magic sword wore an equally grim expression.
They had assumed the brothers would be more than enough to deal with him, but instead, they had been defeated with embarrassing ease. At this point, even if the two of them joined the fight, they weren't confident they could gain the upper hand.
Both of them were Level 6 adventurers, one was Hildrsleif, the other Dáinsleif. Known throughout Orario as the Black and White Knights, they were veteran first-class adventurers. If even they weren't certain they could win, then there was probably only one person left who could…
'Boom!'
Before anyone could finish the thought, the roar of rushing wind exploded across the field. A black blur shot forward, tearing through the air like a cannonball.
Allen, the young Cat Person, had made his move personally.
The instant he charged, it felt as though the atmosphere itself was shaken. His speed whipped up violent gusts that swept across the meadow, forcing everyone nearby to retreat in alarm.
"Allen's actually getting serious?"
"In a way, that means even he sees this guy as a threat."
"But now it's over. That kid doesn't stand a chance."
The spectators quickly backed away, but none of them looked worried. Their confidence in Allen was absolute.
Allen Fromel, the 'Vana Freya'. One of Orario's elite Level 6 adventurers. More importantly, he was acknowledged as the fastest adventurer in all of Orario.
'So fast!' Even Ryoji couldn't help being surprised.
After reaching Level 5, he had thought his speed was already exceptional. Even Bete, the fastest runner in the Loki Familia, couldn't keep up with him anymore. Yet Allen was even faster.
'Too bad. Speed means nothing against me.'
Ryoji pushed off the ground.
'Boom!'
Magic power surged through his legs. In a single instant, he exploded forward with a burst of 'Divine Speed' that left everyone watching speechless.
The air split apart as a deafening shockwave rolled across the meadow. Violent winds scattered dirt and flower petals in every direction, turning the peaceful field into utter chaos.
"Hm?" As Allen sprinted forward, he caught sight of someone in the corner of his eye.
It was Ryoji, running beside him with an effortless smile.
"What?!" Allen's eyes widened in disbelief.
Impossible! He was the fastest adventurer in Orario! Not only was he Level 6, but he also possessed multiple Skills that boosted his speed. How could a mere Level 5 possibly catch up to him?
Refusing to accept it, Allen gritted his teeth and accelerated even further, determined to prove he was faster. What he didn't know was that his speed would only become fuel for Ryoji's own growth.
'Smack!'
The figure beside him caught up once more, and a loud slap landed squarely across Allen's face. The force sent him tumbling across the ground.
"I told you before," Ryoji said, "the next time you look at me like that, I'm giving you a few slaps."
"When did you ever say that?!" Allen sprang back to his feet through gritted teeth, a bright red handprint standing out clearly on his face.
"I said it to myself." Ryoji flashed a radiant grin.
The spectators collectively stopped breathing, a few of them even staring at him in a daze, completely captivated by that smile.
"You bastard!" Allen roared, his eyes bloodshot as his face burned with humiliation and his killing intent surged to its peak.
"That's enough."
Just as he was about to attack again, a deep, steady voice sounded from behind him. A tall, powerfully built Boaz walked into the meadow, his expression unreadable.
"Freya-sama wishes to see him. All of you, stand down."
(End of Chapter)
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