"Impure Impact Shield!"
Sakeer let out a cold snort.
BOOM!
A surge of black energy exploded outward from him, spreading in a violent shockwave.
"What is this—? AAHH!"
Hamusuke, the Wise King of the Forest, who had been descending from the sky, was caught mid-air by the devastating force. The sheer impact sent him flying back once more, his body crashing through the trees before slamming into the ground dozens of meters away with a thunderous crack.
Sakeer wasted no time.
"Fly."
Activating his magic, he soared into the air, lifting off the ground in an instant.
Dazed, Hamusuke pushed himself up, his vision swimming. A thin trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
The previous impact—though unable to break through his formidable defenses—had clearly caused some internal damage.
THUD!
The earth trembled as he slammed a clawed foot down, sending a cloud of rotting leaves and dirt into the air.
Then—with wild, crimson eyes, he lunged forward.
"Damn you, human! You wretched, contemptible pest!"
Hamusuke rushed toward Sakeer's previous position with reckless fury, but—
It was empty.
His target was no longer there.
Only then did he realize—
Sakeer was now floating high above him, watching.
"Coward! Get down here and fight me!" Hamusuke roared, his voice shaking the trees.
But Sakeer ignored him.
For the next five to six minutes, he remained motionless in the air, waiting.
Waiting—for the blindness to fade.
As soon as his vision fully cleared, Sakeer lowered his gaze.
His cold, calculating eyes met Hamusuke's murderous crimson stare.
In that single moment—
The battle resumed.
"Die!"
Sakeer dove down, his speed even faster than before. The sheer velocity sent powerful gusts of wind billowing through his loose robes, making them rattle violently.
"Get out of my sight!"
Hamusuke, bracing himself, reared up on his hind legs.
His two massive forelimbs lifted, revealing gleaming black claws—razor-sharp and poised to strike.
At the same time, his thick, scaly taillashed upward like a whip.
CRACK!
The blackened tail sliced through the air at blinding speed, aiming directly at Sakeer's path.
But—
Sakeer tilted mid-air, his body twisting in a controlled roll.
The deadly tail strike barely grazed past him.
At this speed, it took less than a breath before the two warriors were face-to-face once more.
Hamusuke's claws lashed forward, slicing through the air with deadly precision.
At the same time—his coiled tail snapped backward, forming a pincer-like attack from both front and rear.
The exact same attack pattern from their previous exchange.
But unlike before—
Sakeer's lips curled into a smirk.
A glint of mockery flashed in his eyes.
"Do you know why I let you use the same attack again?"
His voice rang out clearly, sending a chill down Hamusuke's spine.
"Dark Wave!"
SWOOSH!
A concentrated blast of dark energy erupted from Sakeer's body, piercing straight through Hamusuke.
Instantly—
The Wise King of the Forest froze.
His tail, his claws—every part of him was locked in place.
Sakeer's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"Of course, I lured you in."
His grip tightened on his weapon.
"Did you really think your so-called defense made you invincible?"
The magic greatsword in Sakeer's hand vanished—replaced by a simple, ordinary iron sword.
But despite its lack of enchantment—
The deadly glint in his eyes only intensified.
"Fourfold Slash of Light—Break!"
Four razor-sharp sword slashes materialized in mid-air, merging into one concentrated strike aimed directly at—
Hamusuke's eyes.
This was an attack designed specifically to counter Hamusuke's monstrous defenses.
Unlike the anime version, where Brain used "Domain" to increase accuracy—
Sakeer relied on an opposite approach.
To the untrained eye, "Fourfold Slash of Light" appeared as four simultaneous strikes—
But in reality, each attack was executed in precise succession.
Now, with his strength far beyond his past self, Sakeer had fully grasped the technique.
Instead of four separate slashes—he had combined them into one, multiplying the force into a single devastating strike.
A technique inspired from Gagaran of "Blue Roses", where fifteen consecutive hits could be unleashed in a single breath.
SHNK!
The blade hissed through the air.
Hamusuke's instincts screamed at him to defend—
But it was too late.
All he could do was slam his eyelids shut—
But even they weren't enough to stop this strike.
SHRED!
The thick eyelids tore apart like paper.
His massive, fist-sized eyeball lay completely exposed.
And in the next second—
STAB!
The blade pierced straight through.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!!"
A scream erupted from Hamusuke, shaking the very foundation of the jungle.
The pain—unbearable, all-consuming—surged through his body in waves.
He thrashed violently, blinded by the agony.
Sakeer tightened his grip, ready to end it—
Now.
His sword arm tensed, aiming to drive the blade deeper, straight into Hamusuke's skull—
But—
THUD!
In a fit of blind panic, Hamusuke twisted his body violently, the sheer force ripping the iron sword from his eye socket.
Blood splattered across the ground.
His pained howls echoed through the jungle.
Then—without a second thought—
Hamusuke turned tail and ran.
His massive form crashed through the trees, retreating deep into the forest, disappearing into the shadows.
Sakeer watched him flee, his cold gaze unwavering.
His blade dripped with blood.