Throne stomped down with all his might, making the forest tremble. Vyke pushed forward against the storm, his entire being held in place by the gale, before peering through the gap in his shield.
How is this possible...
The target, who had been over ten meters away just moments ago, had appeared right before him.
Holding a greatsword with both hands, he swept it across, his unfamiliar face conveying a clear message. Nothing more than ants. It was a simple Storm Art, yet he felt as if he had been struck head-on by an Ancient Dragon, sending him flying backward.
Thud, thud, thud!
He bounced across the ground before landing hard, his shield long since lost.
He struggled to steady himself, leaving a trail over ten meters long in the earth before finally coming to a halt.
Throne didn't move. Tilting his head, he saw several throwing knives coming his way and lightly waved his greatsword.
Whoosh—
The blade whipped up a fierce wind, blowing the knives away like scraps of paper.
With a stomp of his feet, pure strength allowed him to achieve the effect of Bloodhound's Step, appearing instantly before the retreating girl. He gripped her throat with his palm and lifted her into the air.
"It is difficult to master the strength required to step over an ant without crushing it to death while passing by."
His words were cold.
With a slight squeeze of his arm, the girl's eyes began to roll back, her legs kicking futilely at Throne. At that moment, a spear was hurled toward him. Throne let go and stepped aside, not even glancing at the spear embedded in the ground by his feet. He turned and swung his greatsword down with a roar.
Clang!! The greatsword sent the shield flying.
Vyke actively let go and lunged forward into a bow-step, a long, narrow mail-breaker in hand. However, before he could stab Throne, a raised whip-kick slammed into his abdomen.
Thud! A pale shockwave exploded behind him, and cracks appeared on his simple heavy armor. The young man spat out a mouthful of blood, instantly doubling over like a curled shrimp.
Fortunately, Tragoth descended from the sky. His massive warhammer smashed a crater several meters deep into the ground, the shockwave forcing the two sides apart.
"Are you all right?"
Vyke hurriedly helped up the gasping Eina, looking up with a hint of terror. The man appeared several meters away, unscathed. He shouldered his greatsword and cast a contemptuous gaze toward them.
Even the brave and fearless Tragoth did not dare to step forward lightly.
"The Roundtable Hold is nothing more than this."
Throne spoke coldly, though he felt a sense of relief in his heart. In just a few short months, his junior Vyke had grown from a complete novice to the level of a third-rate hero, possessing the tenacity of an unkillable cockroach. Throne had actually been serious just now.
As everyone knew, the 'cockroach' trait was a necessary condition for becoming a protagonist. In contrast, his own calculating and sometimes overly cautious nature made him feel more like a villain.
'But that's all. Even if some real Konoha cockroach showed up, they'd still die if they opposed me.'
Throne didn't like low-health turnarounds, nor did he like being hot-headed.
He put a finger in his mouth and gave a soft whistle. An armored warhorse galloped from the forest. At this moment, Torrent was not her usual lively self; instead, she seemed to be playing along with Throne, acting like an evil nightmare as she bared her teeth at the Tarnished.
"Don't think you're getting away!" Vyke roared, about to charge, but was firmly blocked by Tragoth.
Great Horn showed none of his usual humor today. He gripped his great hammer and stared fixedly at the opponent, feeling every nerve in his body trembling.
Throne didn't spare a glance for the Tarnished. He mounted his horse, holding his sword in one hand, and looked back with an arrogant side-eye.
"Don't bluff. It only exposes your weakness."
Neigh—
Torrent let out a highly mocking whinny.
Under their collective gaze, she broke into a trot and leisurely headed into the forest.
Throne despised playing the hot-blooded fool — but when it came to being a boss, he was all business.