9

Going insane... No, I guess that's not the right word to use, especially in this battle. I dashed forward, launching a series of punches at Byron while Naville fought against Nick.

"Damn it..." No matter how many times I attacked Byron, my punches never reached him, as if he was protected by an invisible shield from all directions. It was definitely Nick's doing!

"It's useless. You'll never be able to break through the defense your brother created for me!" Byron, who had been standing calmly the whole time, started swinging his sword, launching counterattacks.

Having no weapon, I dodged by leaping backward. My sword was already broken from the fight with my brother earlier, so all I could do was continue evading, trying to ensure Byron's sword strikes wouldn't touch me. But that was proving to be very difficult.

Byron kept swinging his sword rapidly without reducing the number of his attacks. This was a bad situation; he kept pushing me, forcing me to keep retreating and evading. I had to think of a way to counterattack.

Before long, Byron stood with a solid stance. Without any hesitation, he swung his sword horizontally. The force behind his swing was much stronger than before, creating a gust of wind. Fortunately, I managed to evade by lying flat on the ground.

I tried to attack again, this time using my legs. However, once again, my strike failed to touch Byron. I immediately leaped backward, maintaining distance while trying to find a gap in the shield created by my brother.

"You're Nick Salazar's little brother, right?" Suddenly, Byron seemed to engage me in conversation. "You may not be as powerful as your brother, but what if you become my personal guard? You'll surely become stronger than you are now. What do you say?"

"Sorry." I didn't know if he was playing around with me or not, but I decided to respond seriously. "I have no interest in becoming a lapdog for nobles!"

"Your words are piercing, huh..." Byron fell silent for a moment. "If you're seeking death, let me grant your wish!"

***

Meanwhile, on the other side, Naville was engaged in a fierce battle against Nick. The young man used his unique technique to blind his opponent temporarily. However, that brief moment couldn't be maximized.

The Thestral Beast attacked Nick while his vision was impaired, but its powerful kick failed to inflict any wounds on him. Nick seemed to protect himself with a strong invisible shield. He was indeed a tough opponent.

"Your name is Naville Donatien, right?" Nick suddenly addressed Naville. "I actually came here to invite you to join me. Your rare Beast has decent power, although it's not comparable to my Beast. What if you become my subordinate, Naville Donatien?"

Naville shook his head. "Being personally invited by someone like you does make me feel proud. But unfortunately, you're too late, as I've already promised to be Ars' friend, Nick Salazar."

"The power possessed by my little brother is indeed unique, but the fact remains that I'm stronger than him. Why are you so insistent on keeping your promise to him?"

"What I mentioned earlier was just one reason. The second reason why I don't want to join you is that I don't want to associate myself with someone who becomes a subordinate of the Nevaeh family again!"

"If you desire their destruction, I can do it for you overnight. I don't care much about those noble families."

"That's a tempting offer, but..." Despite knowing that his attacks would be in vain, Naville still launched an attack on Nick with his Thestral Beast. "Someone else made that offer before you!"

"Fool." Nick immediately summoned his Dragon Beast to strike Naville's Thestral, sending it flying far away. Without wasting any time, he dashed forward and swung his sword vertically.

Unable to dodge, Naville could only take a step back, causing Nick's sword to leave a gash on his left cheek. Naville collapsed to the ground.

"Argh!!!" Naville covered the wound on his cheek with both hands.

"You could have lived longer, but you chose to be a threat to me. I won't let you live past today." Nick raised his sword.

***

Is my journey coming to an end? No, I won't let it end here!

No matter how many times I scream in my head that I don't want to die, it doesn't change the fact that I'm lying here helpless. My energy is depleted, my whole body aches. Byron steps on my chest, and his sword is pointed straight at my face.

"I'm in a good mood, so do you have any last words?" Byron asks, feeling victorious. "I'll listen if you have any."

"It's not over yet!" I try to move my hands and feet, but it's futile.

"If that's the case, then die."

I close my eyes as Byron raises his sword. I haven't accepted my fate ending here! No! I haven't accomplished anything in this world yet!

Bang ….

A resounding sound echoes in my head, I don't know where it came from, but it brings back my consciousness.

Is this death?

I try to hold on to my consciousness, but it feels like my soul has left my body. I... can't see anything anymore, just darkness.

***

A few moments earlier, where Naville was. He didn't see clearly how Nick swung his sword, but he clearly felt the sword swiftly swinging towards him from above. He wanted to dodge, but his legs couldn't move anymore, and his wound was incredibly painful. However…

Bang ….

The sound instantly reverberates in Naville's head. Along with the sound, Naville feels his consciousness fading. His eyes, which were still able to see moments ago, can now only see pitch-black darkness. It feels like he's experiencing the unique power of his Beast. But the difference is that his consciousness feels like it's fading away.

Naville doesn't know or understand what this is, but he hopes that it's not something bad. I still don't want to die, damn it..., Naville screams in his heart.

***

Heaven? Hell? Nirvana? Valhalla?

Will my soul be in one of those places after death? Then, what does dying feel like? My whole body is in so much pain... but they say that the soul can't feel pain like the body does. Is that a false teaching? This clearly hurts!

"Shit..." I try to slowly open my eyes.

"Finally, you're awake, Ars..."

Wait... that voice, I feel like I've heard it somewhere before.