The first man never saw it coming. One moment, he was charging forward with the other 4-Star Master Knights, his blade raised high and mana swirling violently around him as they closed in on Valeria.
The next instant, a red flash sliced through his vision, silent, precise, and utterly merciless. His body split cleanly from shoulder to hip. For a heartbeat, he stood there, eyes wide in confusion, before his torso slid apart and crumpled to the cracked earth with a heavy thud. Blood arced outwards, splattering across the boots of nearby warriors.
Then chaos erupted on the battlefield. She vanished. A streak of crimson cut through the encirclement like lightning ripping through a storm cloud. The formation of Master Knights shattered instantly as the first boom rippled outward, its force flattening the ground beneath them. Shockwaves slammed into nearby trees, snapping trunks and sending debris spiraling into the air as if struck by an invisible hammer.
A second flash.
Bang.
