The Savior

"So, is this how it ends for me, after everything I've fought for up to this point? It feels like just yesterday when I raided a tomb on Mount Severu and met Arukh, who eventually became a 'partner' I relied on so much..." Rayn poured all his despair into his thoughts.

Rayn's sharp gaze seemed to dull in its determination. The silence of the Paruwa Forest that afternoon felt like a haunting deathly symphony.

Then,

A loud sound from a sword blocking Gajhmaz's deadly attack startled everyone. An old man appeared, holding the sword that stopped the demon's attack.

"Hufft... that was close. I think all my joints would have popped if I had to withstand that attack two or three more times." The figure behind the sword that held back the demon spoke quietly.

After successfully blocking Gajhmaz's attack, the old man quickly swung his sword, cutting the demon's wrist and making Rayn fall to the ground along with a piece of the hand.

The figure went on to attack Gajhmaz, pushing the powerful creature back.

"Hohoho... who is this again? Another human who offers his life for nothing." Gajhmaz tried to intimidate the old man.

The old man approached Rayn and quickly moved him away from the battleground.

He lifted Rayn with both hands and glanced at Gajhmaz to deliver a few words to the creature, "Wait, he will only interfere later."

Gajhmaz, seeing this, just grinned in response to the old man's words.

The creature's face couldn't lie, showing great interest in the figure that had disrupted its enjoyment.

After the old man finished securing Rayn at the base of a large tree near the battle area, he turned around to face the creature that had been waiting for his arrival.

"From what I can see, you haven't fully obtained your true form," the old man said with a trembling voice.

"Of course, not. My full resurrection is much more powerful than this," the creature stared at its blackened body.

Gajhmaz, who had just experienced a 'rebirth,' had the body of the human who had previously used his powers. However, his entire body appeared to be surrounded by dense black smoke. In addition, all his muscles seemed to have grown as if they had their consciousness.

"Didn't you have wings?" The old man concluded something.

After activating his ability, the black smoke that previously surrounded his body seemed to expand. In addition, a bloody red aura emanated from his body, making him appear even more fierce.

"Trouble!... that's an enhancement ability. Wow, you really can't hold back, can you?" The old man started to distance himself from his opponent.

~

The abilities of Saith Weapon vary and are different for each character. Saith Weapon users can unleash a Casted Skill that utilizes the power of the Saith residing within the sacred object as an attack.

Just as Rayn did with his weapon. He could launch an attack called [Incision Storm] by harnessing the Saith's abilities within his dagger. In a Skill-activated state, Rayn had the ability to move very fast while unleashing a series of attacks, a 'casted' type of attack..

Saithe Weapon also had other abilities besides Casted Skill, one of which was strength enhancement (Enhance Skill), similar to what Gajhmaz did to his body. After Gajhmaz activated the [Berserker Auras] ability, his body gained a significant increase in strength.

All the muscle enhancements in his body made him more powerful and physically resilient than before, also strengthening the aura of death pressure possessed by the creature.

Saithe, who had risen and had a physical form, could automatically perform all the skills possessed by Saithe Weapon, which had previously become their physical body.

In truth, the abilities within the relic belonged to them, and when they were still in the form of Saithe Weapon, they only lent those abilities to the owner/user of Saithe Weapon.

After Gajhmaz activated [Berseker Aura], he rushed towards the old man who was his opponent. The creature launched a series of brutal sword swings with a large sword it held.

The old man seemed a little troubled in dealing with all the attacks directed at him. Sweat was seen dripping from the corners of the old man's cheeks, which were covered with white hairs.

The old man continued to try to avoid the attacks aimed at him. Occasionally, he tried to block them, but due to the difference in power between him and the creature he was fighting, he was always knocked back when he managed to parry an attack.

The chaotic state of the forest, with many trees flying due to Gajhmaz's indiscriminate attacks, made the place appear more spacious now.

As a result, the old man lost the natural shields he had previously used to fend off Gajhmaz's attacks. This was a significant disadvantage for the old man who was struggling to survive in the battle, especially as his stamina was gradually running out.

"Darn, I don't have much time left... it seems I must retreat now. Moreover, that kid will soon die if he doesn't get help as soon as possible." The old man worried about himself and the young man he was trying to save."

"What's the matter, old man? You look tired of avoiding me. Come on... I know your relic holds a powerful Saithe. Don't you want to transform and retaliate immediately? I know you can do it... why hesitate?! HAHAHA!" Gajhmaz exclaimed in joy as the intensity of their battle increased.

"The problem isn't whether I 'want to' or not, but I'm not sure about my weakened existential power in this state. With conditions like this, can I still control my consciousness if I exert more power than this... it would be very dangerous if Anglains goes wild and takes over my body," the old man thought to himself.

*****

Meanwhile,

Rayn sat exhausted leaning against a large tree at a considerable distance from the battleground.

Thanks to the old man, Gajhmaz had unknowingly been led away from Rayn as the battle continued, as if it had been planned by the elderly man who had come to his aid.

Rayn gradually lost consciousness, only witnessing a fierce battle through his blurred vision.

"Arukh, do you know that man?" Rayn used the remnants of his strength to communicate with Saithe, his partner.

"I don't know... but I feel familiar with the energy emanating from his Saithe Weapon. It's exactly the same as the energy emitted by Anglains, a warrior who rode the Naga Boja in the past," Arukh replied to Rayn.

*****

"All right, crazy sword, please help me... [Anglains Enhance Skill: Wings Of Dragon]" The old man released the remaining energy he had.

After the old man's ability was activated, his body was enveloped in an aura that formed a pair of dark blue wings, allowing him to move freely in the air like a bird with the power of the skies.

"You're impressive, old man!... keep dancing for me! Bwahahaa," Gajhmaz shouted.

The battle continued fiercely, with an exchange of attacks between Gajhmaz and the mysterious old man.

The old man used the advantage of his ability to fly in the battle, which further minimized Gajhmaz's ability to reach him.

As the battle progressed, the northern side of Paruwa Forest seemed to be rapidly obliterated, with trees flying due to the swings of the two skilled fighters' swords, and the ground where Gajhmaz stood was losing its shape.

Occasionally in the battle, the old man, struggling with fatigue, glanced at Rayn, who seemed to have completely lost consciousness.

He had to feel torn between focusing on the battle or saving the life of the young man he intended to help.

"As long as the duration of [Wings of Dragon] hasn't run out, I need to think about how I can escape with the young man from here and leave this Saithe behind," the old man thought amidst the battle.

Gajhmaz was now growing increasingly irritated as he watched the old man, who continued to evade his attacks by soaring into the sky.

"Hey, old bird!... you need to come down now!... [Gajhmaz Casted Skill: Slash of Destruction]" The creature unleashed a red energy slash aimed directly at his target in the sky.

In a life-and-death situation, the old man had a brilliant idea that would break the deadlock that had been bothering him all along.

"This is my chance!... I will use the massive energy bias from this creature's attack to cover my movements and leave this place." The old man found a way to escape from the futile battle.

Gajhmaz's attack finally launched toward the old man. Skillfully, the old man activated one of his relic's abilities that allowed him to dart swiftly, as if teleporting to where Rayn was, and he quickly carried the young man away from the battlefield.

*****

With the end of the powerful attack by the mighty Saithe, the dim sunlight of the late afternoon seemed to be refracted by the force of the energy wave unleashed.

Gajhmaz gazed at the sky with his shining eyes, eagerly awaiting the impact his powerful attack would have on his opponent. However, something surprising happened. Gajhmaz saw no trace of his intended target, as if his opponent had never been in front of him.

The creature laughed loudly after realizing this, shouting into the sky with frustration.

"You sly old bird!... It turns out you still have little tricks like this. You must have been waiting for me to unleash a powerful attack so you could escape with your peculiar technique. You bet on my attack to have the massive energy erase the residual energy from your skills and make me unable to track the remnants of your energy. It's okay, old man, I will soon find you and the young man you saved!" The Saithe rambled in anger, yet his face was still adorned with a sinister grin.

Every Saithe Weapon's ability required a consumption of existential energy to release, whether it was casting skill, enhance skill, or various other types of abilities. Every bit of energy that emerged from someone using the relic's abilities left behind remnants of energy, known as residual energy.

The old man had a deep understanding of how existential energy worked as the source of supernatural abilities in the world. He intentionally devised a strategy to escape from the creature without being pursued.

The old man utilized his knowledge of Saithe, which had the ability to sense energy down to the level of 'residue,' and that knowledge allowed him to wait for a moment when he could escape while erasing the remnants of his energy by leveraging his opponent's attack.