Death Was Shown Mercy.

[Same Midnight]

Almost could see the green forest before him, Liam felt relieved, finally, water. With the last strength of his, he sprinted towards the new area.

Surprisingly for him, he hits an invisible wall just few inches away to get into the area.

"Come on, you don't have to be in a rush."

Liam quickly raised his head to know who was speaking and couldn't detect anyone.

"You can't detect my presence? You are not even in the pawn rank? Makes more sense why you would want to eliminate any rivals."

"Uhm excuse me but isn't it quite rude to still be hiding your identity after placing a barrier before me?" Liam suddenly got annoyed with the speaker's taunts.

"Quite hot blooded, I see." Said Collins as he finally reveal himself to Liam.

After some few seconds of silence, Liam broke the silence by asking the obvious question.

"W-who are you?"

"The one who you asked for his head. Is it that you don't understand how being a parader works or you are just stupid?" Collins asked as he squats to answer Liam who is still on the floor.

"Uhm… I don't quite get what you're saying right now." Liam responded as Collins' statement threw him off completely.

"Let me just ask you this, how weak are you? Like, weak enough to have yourself backed up by an assassination?"

"I still don't get what you're saying, Mr and I can't even see your face."

Collins then stands up and shows his back at Liam, revealing his summoned ego weapon, a shield crafted with gold and what looks like a glossy white precious stone.

"Still playing dumb, huh? Fine, before your death, allow me to honour the culture of the art of duels.

My name is Collins Armstrong and to you, I am a pawn ranked shield knight parader.

Don't bother letting me know of your name for that would be known later when your death has been announced."

Just after his introduction, Collins lifted his shield high and slammed it right at Liam who was lucky to dodge on time.

"Quite the good reflex but you need more than that to save yourself."

Liam quickly summons his chained sickles and swings them at him only for Collins to effortlessly smack the two sickles off from him.

Using that chance, Liam controlled the chains to wrap around Collins' legs and tried dragging him to the ground which was nothing but a comedic act to Collins.

With a smirk, Collins pulled off a stance; shield upfront and being held by his right hand, right leg arched a bit while the left one is stretched out behind him as well as the left arm, like a rugby player.

Liam, still on the floor, knowing that he really needs to dodge it or else, he might actually die, withdraws his sickles and quickly gets up.

"Now, whatever your name is, probably the reaper class parader amongst us all, I hope you land in hell and tongue kiss the devil for me."

"Now, I really don't want to die." Liam thought to himself as he readies his sickles.

It's been made clear to him that he has no option than to subdue his opponent and then prove that he has no sense of what is going on.

There was a short silence between the two and within that short moment of silence, their eyes locked into each other.

On Liam's perspective, he is trying to analyse every possible outcome of Collins' future actions while as for Collins…

His eyes is all focused in Liam's neck with one objective in mind, cutting it off.

"Huarrgh!!"

Collins lets out a war cry, indicating his intention to go on with attacking.

In that instance of Collins charging at Liam, Liam throws his two sickles at him, which made a poor attempt on getting to him but go past him as they stick into the ground.

Of course, that wasn't a poor attempt nor a baseless one, rather, it was truly intended as the chains crossed each other before sticking into the ground, thereby, creating an obstacle in front of Collins.

Not bothered, Collins went on with his charge, with his shield upfront like a raging bull.

As soon as Collins got close to where the chains crossed each other, Liam set his chains in flames and pulled the sickles back.

This action caused the two sickles to wrap around Collins' waist and was simultaneously pulled towards Liam.

As soon as he got close to an attacking range, Liam didn't hesitate to throw himself up into the air in order to deliver a roundhouse kick.

Unfortunately for him, Collins shield dropped and stick into the ground.

Collins reached out with his right hand and grabbed Liam's leg which was still making its way to Collins' face.

Savagely like a beast, Collins threw Liam around, first on the ground, secondly against his shield before letting him off afar.

Liam on the other hand, got through the pain and managed to resummon his sickles, threw it around Collins' neck, successfully making his chains wrap around his neck.

As he got to the ground like a thrown timber, he focused his core strength on his legs as he draws Collins off the ground towards himself.

Collins this time around was surprised and couldn't react on time.

He had no other option but to get through such an embarrassment, as he is someone with pride, noble like pride.

A palm engulfed his face, firmly holding onto it and obstructing his sight.

Collins was slammed to the ground and while on it, Liam resummons his left sickle with the intention to strike at his opponent.

Collins responded by grabbing Liam's head from the back and forced an impact between Liam's head and the hand in which he used in holding onto him.

That was enough to buy some seconds for Collins and of course, he made no waste with every second spared.

He strikes first with his fist on Liam's face, a normal punch, unlike the second one which came in like a gunshot as he used his core strength on it.

The second strike was heavy enough to get Liam far off from him.

"Alright!! You do have experience but I guess it's time to play with you, little one!!"

Collins commented out loud as he slowly gets up on his feet.

Liam watched as Collins slowly walked up to him.

Difficulty in his breathing, unbearable pain on his left cheek and forehead.

Liam struggled with calling forth his sickles and with his last will, the chains engulfed in flames.

This time around, his arms glowed a beautiful neon blue light and lit up in flames shortly after.

The once blonde haired lad, slowly was going white, with his grey eyes transitioning to blood red.

Seeing the changes on Liam, Collins casually inspected his fists with a straight face.

A calm ton e can be noticed from his voice this time around, although he had been emotionless but it wasn't same for his speeches.

"Seems like you are finally having a taste of the 'knight rank'. Congrats on your promotion from the 'pawn rank' to knighthood, but that isn't going to save you from my justice."

Just as he was done with his statement, he clashed both of his fists against each other and as he separated them, a glass like barrier was created around his hands.

At the sight of his fists, Liam let's out a breath in total defeat.

Right there and then, Liam has made the conclusion that he isn't making it out.

Without hesitation, he lets out a smirk to have one last enjoyment on his final battle and then rushed at Collins.

In a blink of an eye, Liam could no longer see Collins who was previously in front of him but instead, his fist which was covered with a barrier.

"Eh?"

Liam subconsciously let out the expression in confusion before Collins' fist finally kissed Liam's face.

"Boom"

Like the sound of a fired cannon ball, the impact made not just that sound but with the same shockwave the cannon ball creates.

The impact was enough to not just send Liam off but create a disgusting art out of his face.

During Liam's flight, a trail of blood from his face followed after him.

Despite the traumatic punch he threw at Liam, Collins wasn't satisfied.

In a nanosecond, he appeared again before Liam and before Liam could land, another punch was delivered but more dreadful than the last one.

With that punch, the strike was enough to get Liam's head stuck into the ground.

Grabbing onto his hanging legs, drags him out while uprooting some soil from the ground and wavered him from the right to his left.

As his body was midway to meet the ground, Collins covered his knee with the same barrier and kissed Liam's face with it before singlehandedly slamming his body back to his right side, onto the ground, close to the hole his head made.

He wasted no time and got on top of him as he delivers series of strikes to his face.

This went on for seconds before his view suddenly transitioned into the sight of robbed skull with burning red lit eyes.

Just as his view got transitioned back to the normal sight of Liam's disgustful face, his danger senses got triggered and he quickly covered his whole self with the glass like barrier.

Just after that, he felt Liam's palm, which was still engulfed in soul flames, make contact with his barrier before dropping off onto the ground.

For a second, nothing happened, throwing Collins into confusion, only for his barrier to suddenly get engulfed in flames, completely burning off his barrier into visible ashes.

This got Collins a bit scared as he quickly got off Liam and distanced himself from him in order to observe what was going on.

Some few seconds passed by and nothing happened.

This triggered his pride as he went back in with an elbow drop to his face.

"It seems like you have done enough, Mr Collins."

A voice was heard as Collins quickly turned around to see who it was.

Before his sight was a middle aged bald man in a long wool coat with the emblem of the academy.

"Don't worry, no need to have your guard up for I am just a professor, dispatched by the academy's overseer.

Now, let go of the boy, young one."

The professor ordered and Collins did as the middle aged man ordered but slowly.

The professor came close to Liam's body and checked up on him.

Fingers on his neck, below his nostrils and ears to his chest.

"No sign of pulses on the neck, no sign of breathing form the nostrils and no heartbeat is observed from his chest, moreover, his body is already growing cold despite the burning flames on his arms."

The professor then looked towards the expressionless Collins before continuing with his statement,

"Congratulations Mr Collins, you have successfully killed your opponent."

"Huh?"

Collins expressed with a surprised face as he was baffled with the professor's statement.

"I'm not mistaken lad, your opponent is now dead."