Chapter 41. The Battle of 3rd District(5)

Gray was standing with both of his arms dangling in front of him like bells, blood flowing profusely. Yet, there wasn't a shred of pain on his face.

Even Ghislaine, who looked at him, was sweating a bit.

But her blood was boiling inside, a true reflection of her race's fighting nature.

"What a monster."

This was the first time Ghislaine had encountered someone like him. She didn't want to admit it, but the man standing before her was undoubtedly more talented than her or anyone in Avalon.

And that was all the more reason to kill him. She didn't ponder too much, but her animalistic instincts warned her to finish him off as quickly as possible to prevent any future dangers.

Whoosh...

With a deep breath, she took her stance and positioned her sword in front of her, assuming the most basic move in swordsmanship.

The Forward Slash.

Bang!

The stars inside her began to spin rapidly, and her aura instantly surged, forming a mane-like presence around her.

Her one-eyed blindfold was torn, revealing her green-colored pupil. Slowly, her aura gathered around her sword.

"Heh... I am invincible. No matter what you do, it's impossible to defeat me!"

Gray shouted, his voice laced with arrogance. He had discovered his unnatural talent that paved the way for him to become the strongest. So, what else did he have to fear?

He stood there, filled with arrogance and a firm belief in his talent, thinking he could easily fend off any of Ghislaine's attacks.

Although both of his hands had been slashed by Ghislaine, he remained arrogantly undeterred. In that moment, it was clear that he had become consumed by his own talent.

It was no longer arrogance; it was foolishness.

And this foolishness carried a heavy price.

Taking a step back and summoning all of her strength, Ghislaine spared no effort. This attack would be her peak.

The strongest attack from a 3rd-tier aura user, Ghislaine Dedoldia.

<3rd Tier Aura Technique - Aura Slash!>

She slashed straight at him. Her green aura, concentrated around her sword, shot towards Gray with a razor-sharp sword intent, even though he was seemingly out of reach.

"T-This..."

It was too late. Gray had realized that the current slash heading towards him was an attack he couldn't block.

Desperation set in, and he attempted to escape.

But it was too late, just like before.

As soon as he turned his back, the slash closed in on him, and the next second...

Splash!

His massive body was sliced in two. Desperation filled his face as he slowly fell, muttering words.

"This isn't swordsmanship..."

The 3rd-tier aura swordsmanship made him realize why Kane had warned him about it. The 3rd Tier was no longer within the realm of normal humans.

"T-this is a true monster..."

With his final words, he closed his eyes. And with that, Gray, the right-hand man of Boros, met his end.

---

"Are you kidding?!"

While Asagi and Ghislaine completed their tasks, Ren faced the final boss—the ruler of the 3rd District—Werewolf Boros. A grim smile played on Ren's lips.

"That presence..."

For the first time since his reincarnation, he felt it—the primal fear.

Boros remained motionless, but his presence... It was unbelievable.

Facing Boros in front of him, Ren realized that Boros's title, "The Ruler of the 3rd District," was no joke.

The overwhelming presence alone made Ren break out in a profuse sweat.

"Did I underestimate him?"

He didn't want to admit it, but deep down, Ren knew he had underestimated Boros in some way.

"But that doesn't change anything. Even if I underestimated him, my decision remains the same. If I want to become the ruler, I have to defeat him."

From the moment he resolved to become the King, he knew it wouldn't be an easy path.

Now, he faced his first stepping stone on the journey to becoming the greatest king.

"Ha-ha-ha... Let's do it. I can't lose as the leader."

True men laugh in the face of death. It wasn't death, but it certainly wasn't far from it.

With a laugh to dispel the mounting anxieties within him, Ren took a step forward.

"Heh! It seems the newly proclaimed ruler has at least some guts!"

Unperturbed by Ren, Boros wore a bloodthirsty smile as he advanced towards him.

Werewolves, demi-humans in particular, were exceptionally dangerous. Their bloodthirsty nature surpassed that of other demi-humans.

"What an intense killing intent!"

One wrong step, and without a doubt, his head would go flying.

Hooo~

"Satan Gravity - Activate!"

A green glow enveloped Ren's body, and aura rings began to accelerate and form around him.

His eyes focused intensely on Boros, ensuring he didn't miss a single move.

Whoosh!

"Huh? Where did he go?"

In a split second, Boros vanished from Ren's sight.

"Damn!"

Ren quickly turned back and blocked the sudden claw slash from Boros, but the force behind the blow was too much to bear.

"Aura Reinforcement + Aura Enhancement!"

He swiftly utilized both techniques to strengthen his defense, attempting to withstand the attack. However, he was still sent flying and crashed into the wall.

"Damn... If it weren't for gravity, I would be finished."

In that moment, his Ether Gear activated, generating anti-gravity to reduce the impact. Without it, his spine would have snapped in two, ending his dreams right then and there.

"So, this is the power of a 3rd-tier aura user?"

Ren had sparred occasionally with Artoria and Ghislaine, but facing Boros showcased a whole new level of strength.

"That aura generation... He's at the peak of the 3rd tier."

Both Artoria and Ghislaine had recently reached the 3rd tier, but Boros appeared to be at the pinnacle, on the verge of breaking through to the 4th tier.

The disparity in experience between them was vast.

"What an infuriating enemy I have to deal with!"