A Knights Essence.

Shinjo: Arcane Buff!

Shinjo activated his arcane buff and charged at Ansu, but Ansu vanished. Confused, Shinjo searched around, only to be blindsided as Ansu reappeared behind him, slamming his head to the ground.

Ansu: Slow.

Shinjo: Don't underestimate me, brat!

quickly recovering, Shinjo attempted to slash behind him, Ansu vanishes once more, leaving Shinjo swinging at empty air. Sensing the urgency of the situation, Shinjo quickly began to use virtue reconstruction to heal himself, but before he could complete the process, Ansu reappeared in front of him with blinding speed, fist clenched and poised for a devastating blow.

Reacting swiftly, Shinjo halted his healing and slashed through the air, causing a powerful explosion in front of him. From within the billowing dust, Ansu emerged unscathed, his determination unwavering as he swiftly engaged Shinjo in combat once more, their clash echoing through the chaos that surrounded them.

Shinjo: Explode!

As Shinjo unleashed a furious barrage of air slashes, each one detonating upon impact, Ansu emerged from the swirling dust seemingly unscathed, his resolve unwavering. Swiftly closing the distance between them, Ansu charged towards Shinjo with murderous intent.

In a swift and brutal move, Ansu's knight arms seized both Shinjo's shoulders, their metallic grip tightening with merciless force. Despite Shinjo's attempts to resist, the pressure exerted by Ansu's vice-like hold proved too much to bare, and with a sickening snap, Shinjo's shoulders gave away beneath the relentless pressure, sending waves of excruciating pain coursing through his body.

Shinjo: A-Ah!!

Ansu: I'm not done yet!

With a cry of anguish, Shinjo's sword slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground as he doubled over in pain. Seizing the opportunity, Ansu swiftly descended to Shinjo's level, his expression of a murderous smile.

In a merciless assault, Ansu unleashes a powerful blow to both Shinjo's knee caps with equal force, the sickening sound of the bones shattering on impact.

Shinjo: A-ah! a-ahh!!! p-please stop!

Ansu: Stop? you are asking me, to stop?

Shinjo turned and began crawling in the opposite direction, hindered by his broken shoulders and knee caps. Ansu advanced steadily, his approach relentless, as Shinjo struggled to escape.

Shinjo: I-I'm a high class veteran! y-you'll get in a lot of trouble by just laying a finger on me!

Ansu: I don't care, I could just kill you right now if I wanted to.

Shinjo shivered as Ansu's words sank in, the realization of his impending fate weighing heavily upon him. A sense of dread enveloped him, his heart sinking as he grasped the gravity of the situation. Panic seized him, his breath coming in quick pants, and fear causing him to lose control. In a moment of utter terror, Shinjo's resolve crumbled, and he wetted his pants, a physical manifestation of his overwhelming fear and desperation.

Ansu: Tch, such a pathetic state you are in, you disgusting piece of shit.

Ansu nonchalantly waved the blood off his armor claws, watching as it dripped onto the floor with a chilling indifference. With each step he took, the weight of his presence seemed to grow heavier, sending shivers down Shinjo's spine. As Ansu closed the distance, Shinjo's heart raced faster, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. Tears streamed down his face, a silent testament to the overwhelming fear that consumed him in the face of his impending doom.

Ansu: I'll show the truth, of a knight's essence.

Ansu's eyes widened, as he lunged forward with deadly intent, hoping to deliver the final, fatal blow to Shinjo. However, to his astonishment, his advance was abruptly halted by an invisible barrier, preventing him from reaching his target. In that moment, realization dawned upon Ansu as he recognized the familiar presence behind the protective shield.

Ansu: Ranger, get out of my way.

Ranger: Ansu! are you crazy?

Ansu: This is between me, and that shit head, don't get involved.

Ranger: Don't tell me you are planning on killing him! he's a veteran that fought for the Authority!

Ansu: I don't give a shit, I'll cut off his head a million times over if I had to.

Ranger: What's gotten into you Ansu?!?

Ansu: He killed my little brother, Araki.

As Ranger stood stunned by the sudden intervention, he turned his gaze towards Shinjo, whose struggles painted a picture of defeat and despair. Meeting Shinjo's gaze, Ranger felt a pang of empathy for the fallen warrior, recognizing the anguish and desperation reflected in his eyes.

Shinjo: Nonsense! there is no trace of such little brother! he's making it up! He just wanted to go berserk and kill a poor veteran like me.

Ansu's eyes blazed with anger and grief as he watched Shinjo seemingly disregard Araki's death. With a primal roar of frustration, he unleashed his fury upon Ranger's barrier, driving his claws into it with relentless force. Each blow reverberated through the barrier, causing it to tremble and crack under the onslaught of Ansu's rage. With each punch, the cracks grew wider, a testament to the intensity of Ansu's anguish and determination to break through.

Ansu: Don't fucking lie! I saw you take your sword, drill it deep into my brother! and with your stupid arcane technique! you killed him!

Ranger: Ansu! calm down!

Ansu: Don't tell me to calm down! he killed my brother! give me one reason why I should've kill him!

With a final, devastating blow, Ansu shattered Ranger's barrier into pieces, clearing the way for his relentless advance towards Shinjo, his murderous intent burning bright. However, before Ansu could reach his target, Ranger intervened, unable to stand by and watch as Ansu's wrath consumed him. With a swift and decisive movement, Ranger delivered a barrier-empowered kick to Ansu's side, sending him staggering off course. The force of the impact reverberated through Ansu's body, momentarily halting his assault and providing Shinjo with a fleeting moment of reprieve.

Ansu: Are you brain dead? I'm done convincing you, I guess I'm going to kill you as well now.

Ranger: You don't have to do this!

As Ansu moved with incredible speed towards his target, Ranger's instincts kicked into overdrive. Realizing the imminent danger, he swiftly conjured a cylindrical barrier next to Ansu, calculating the trajectory with precision. With a burst of energy, the barrier surged forward, pushing Ansu aside with formidable force, diverting his path away from Shinjo in a split-second maneuver. Ranger's quick thinking and expert manipulation of his barriers saved Shinjo from the brunt of Ansu's attack, providing a crucial moment of respite in the midst of the chaos.

Ranger: You said you'd kill me just to trick me...

Ansu: I told you to get out of my way! I don't want to hurt you!

Ranger: Shinjo! use virtue reconstruction!

Shinjo: I'm out of virtue!

Ranger: Shit...

As Ranger swiftly encased Shinjo within a protective circular barrier, shielding him from harm, Ansu's mind raced with calculations, seeking a way to overcome Ranger's defenses. However, his attention was drawn to a peculiar square shadow on the ground, signaling Ranger's strategic maneuver. Realization dawned upon Ansu as he looked up to see a square-spaced barrier descending from above, designed with precision to ensnare him.

With a surge of desperation, Ansu attempted to evade the trap, but Ranger's execution was flawless. In a swift and decisive motion, Ranger dropped the barrier, sealing Ansu within its confines. Trapped and unable to escape, Ansu found himself ensnared by Ranger's cunning strategy, his movements restricted and his options dwindling in the face of adversity.

Ranger: I don't want to do this, but you made me do it.

Ansu: Ranger! don't you get it? I'm the victim here!

As Ranger swiftly pushed the barrier down to the ground, the space within it constricted, leaving less room for Ansu to maneuver. With relentless pressure bearing down upon him, Ansu found himself trapped and immobilized, the squared barrier squeezing him tightly.

In a bold move, Ranger exerted further force, compressing the barrier even more tightly around Ansu, restricting his movements to the point of suffocation. As dust billowed within the confined space, obscuring Ansu's whereabouts from view, Ranger's calculated strategy left Ansu effectively concealed and incapacitated, his fate hanging in the balance within the confines of the squared barrier.