Their speed in breaking through was not slow, but calculating the time, if the enemy sprinted at full speed, they would only be faster.
"No matter. Only by keeping them hooked will they chase after us. If we vanished in a flash, the enemy would instead retreat."
Millicent paused, clearly hearing the implication in those words, and stammered, "Teacher, are you perhaps—"
Throne clenched his fist hard, his face filled with ferocity: "Yes, I am going to slaughter them all!"
Ignoring her aching legs and the pain of the rot, Millicent suddenly realized she was learning from a madman. He was very strong and very crazy.
In the current situation, he wasn't thinking about how to run away. That upright personality still made her shake her head.
"But that is impossible. The enemy is very powerful."
"Remember, in Ashina Style, there is no such thing as impossible. You have to try everything to know."
Throne said, enunciating every word, before suddenly stopping to rest by a large tree.
Millicent only then learned that her school was called Ashina Style, and asked confusedly, "Why aren't you running anymore?"
"Look at the tracks on the ground. The enemy has already circled ahead; they are waiting for us."
Throne closed his eyes and stuffed the last piece of dragon meat into his mouth, blood dripping down the corner of his lips.
Millicent hurriedly looked around and indeed saw signs of broken branches. She paused slightly and turned her head to look. This teacher might be a madman, but he was certainly a calm one. His observational skills were unmatched. The young girl was a pure person and couldn't help but grip her sword tighter: "Kill our way through again?"
"Yes. This time, stay close. They won't be as polite as the Kindred of Rot." Throne said calmly, wiped the corner of his mouth, and opened his golden eyes. He was indeed getting stronger the more he fought, but also more tired. However, exhaustion could be mitigated by reasonable allocation. A precision killing machine wasn't just about charging in blindly. Boom—
Muffled thunder sounded in the sky.
The weather in The Lands Between in early autumn changed at a moment's notice. The originally clear sky was now filled with dark clouds, and before long, a pattering rain began to fall. Throne shouldered the Dark Moon Greatsword and stepped forward wielding the Moonveil. His blue robe was quickly soaked by the rain, which then dripped from the hem.
Millicent, also wielding a katana, followed behind. Watching the back in front of her, for some reason, her originally tense heart relaxed. The two hadn't known each other long, and she hadn't figured this teacher out yet, but that sense of security was unquestionable.
Stepping onto the hillside, he saw dozens of figures scattered throughout the woods, all equipped with katanas and armor, silent as sculptures in the rain.
"You have come."
The old man in the center raised his head, rainwater streaming down the edge of his straw hat.
"I am the leader of the Inaba Clan. Please, enlighten me."
"Ashina Style. No need for enlightenment."
Throne did not state his name, his gaze becoming increasingly fierce.
"I originally thought you would be smarter, at least gathering enough companions before coming to seek death."
"I was merely interested in you. Judging by this aura, you are also from the Land of Reeds, aren't you?"
The violent killing intent intoxicated the old man. Even in their homeland, this was a top-tier expert.
It was just strange that he had never seen him before, and his appearance was a bit too young.
"You could say that."
Throne took a gentle breath, feeling the moist air in the rain, which carried a hint of blood.
"Actually, back in my homeland, I have another title—"
His right hand gripped the air where the sword hilt should be, his killing intent reaching its limit. Clang, clang, clang...
Triggered by the killing intent, the sound of drawing swords merged into one. The old man also drew the Rivers of Blood, focusing his mind: "Please, speak."
Bang! The person vanished instantly in the rain, leaving behind only a vacuum where a pale ring rippled out. The old man saw the person charging like a cannonball and heard an icy, extreme voice.
"Shura."
Clang—
With a dragon's roar, the long blade left its sheath. The blue-clad swordsman actually passed through the middle of the crowd. Five members of the Inaba Clan froze in place. A moment later, their bodies were torn apart, staining the rain-filled sky crimson. What a fast blade!
The old man's pupils constricted, thinking it was good he had called for people; this person was already stronger than him. Rain dripped down as a person suddenly appeared on the side, crouching low and sweeping the long blade across. Clang!! The two katanas collided, but it was the old man who stumbled back several steps.
Looking up, he saw the person had already jumped into mid-air, rolling down like a spinning top.
"Millicent, watch closely."
Great Shinobi Falling Slash! The magical sword energy tore a trace several meters long through the curtain of rain. Mud splattered up, only to be pierced by the scarlet katana. The old man was no amateur.
He dodged to the side and immediately lunged forward to stab, but before the blade arrived, he had already tilted his head to the side. Bang! The forceful, heavy straight kick made the air explode. The airflow actually tore his cloak. Then, with a hook of his foot, Throne grabbed his shoulder and rose from the ground just like a sit-up. Tighten abdomen, raise blade, slash down!
The straw hat was sliced in two. Inaba Clan members on the left and right thrust their swords forward. It seemed these people were not the honorable type who liked one-on-one duels. Throne actively released his leg and tapped lightly on the blade the old man held horizontally. He backflipped several meters away and landed in a half-squat.
Seeing a bloody scratch on his shoulder, he couldn't help but reveal a bloodthirsty smile.
"Retreat!"
The old man thought to himself that it was bad, and hurriedly raised his sword to meet him, pouring all his strength into it. Rivers of Blood! Continuous blood-colored blade beams appeared, and then on the other side, azure sword light occupied every inch of the air.
Secret Sword: Moonveil Vortex Cloud! Clang, clang, clang... The two colors of sword light collided, seemingly slicing every raindrop in two. The two Inaba Clan members were undoubtedly out of luck; the flesh and blood filling the sky dyed the rain curtain red.
"This swordsmanship..."
Millicent, who was currently clashing swords, looked up.
She only felt that this sword light was gorgeous and familiar, and she felt as if she had seen it somewhere before. But before she could think about it, the katanas from both sides brought her back to reality. These Inaba Clan members would not hold back; every strike was aimed at vital points. Millicent leaned back, rolling in the mud, mimicking Throne's attack on the lower body.
Leg-Severing Slash! The sweeping blade forced the enemies back. The Inaba Clan members were all battle-hardened and wouldn't just stand there like stumps to be hacked, but their thighs were cut, and after feeling the pain, they slowed for a moment.
Then, she saw the young girl slap the ground and soar lightly above their heads, ignoring the sword slashing down from her companion's back, and rolled down from the air. Falling Slash! A bloody scratch was carved on her back, but the sword in her hand also slashed into the Bloody Finger's forehead, causing the latter's expression to freeze instantly.
The Inaba Clan members were no amateurs; taking advantage of the moment Millicent was pulling out her sword, they took another step forward, long blades held high. Pfft. Millicent was preparing to block with her hand, but instead saw a blade tip emerge from the warrior's chest, followed by a spray of fresh blood, as he collapsed softly in front of her.
"As expected of Malenia's projection, this comprehension is simply terrifying."
Throne still held his back-kick pose, slowly lowering his leg, refocusing his gaze ahead, and revealing a cruel smile.
"Sorry, my blade is faster."
The old man was covered in wounds and panting heavily.
The opponent had used even more formidable power to forcefully cut through the Rivers of Blood, yet he felt not a shred of fear, and wiped his blood-drenched lips.
"Not bad. This is exactly the feeling that makes my whole body boil with excitement!"
"But no matter how much you boil, you are still no match for me."
Throne shook his longsword, suddenly revealing a meaningful expression.
"So that's it. You called for help."
More figures surged out from the woods. Although the old man was no match, he still held on tightly, preventing Throne from escaping immediately.
The black-cloaked, dual-steel-clawed Crow Mountain Assassin, whose subordinates were as ghostly as assassins; the "Purely Purple Bloody Finger" Eleonora, wielding a blood-red twinblade, whose subordinates were all heavy-armored Blood Knights. They had arrived from various places after receiving orders, and the speed was truly fast.
Bloody Fingers were mysterious; their leaders were unknown, their combat power was unknown, and they rarely acted in groups, let alone with different squads coordinating with each other.
"It seems I have quite a reputation, for even Mohg to pay such a heavy price." Throne laughed instead of being alarmed. He tilted his head slightly and saw Millicent had moved closer, her eyes filled with gravity.
"Teacher, what now?"
These Inaba Clan members were already troublesome enough; how were they to deal with another group of people? The key was that they had no time. Every extra second they delayed, the enemy would grow stronger. Millicent had already prepared herself to be abandoned. At the very least, she felt that with Throne's power, no one could stop him if he ran away alone.
But before she could offer a suggestion, that blood-dripping katana was already raised. Throne took down the Dark Moon Greatsword. With a katana in one hand and the greatsword in the other, he released a terrifying aura toward the Bloody Fingers who had just arrived at the battlefield.
"Of course, it's to teach these half-baked Bloody Fingers a lesson about what slaughter really is."
There are many ways to deal with an encirclement. In normal times, Throne would fight while retreating, using the space to split the enemies, and then deal with them one by one. But now he chose a more direct way. His heart seemed to have become pure, as if he had returned to the time in Ashina.
You Bloody Fingers who crave wounds, I will now teach you what a true chosen of Khorne is, and what a true Rivers of Blood is.
"This person is so strange."
Eleonora narrowed her eyes. This craving for blood was even purer than Lord Mohg's. If not for the corpses everywhere, she would have thought she had run into one of her own.
She had originally been leading a team patrolling Caelid and rushed over immediately after receiving the news. Before she could catch her breath, she saw the old man covered in wounds. As a top-tier Tarnished among the Bloody Fingers, she had never seen him so disheveled before. The Crow Mountain Assassin was much more silent.
He often led teams to entangle with Round Table Assassins and had originally been on his way to Limgrave to investigate the situation when he was also called over. Now, seeing the opponent's aura, the Inaba Clan leader, known for his bloodthirstiness, had conversely become a kindly old man.
"Cut the crap. Pin him down! Those creepers and dragons will be here soon!"
They had no chance to slowly understand the battle situation, nor even time to exchange intelligence with the old man, for the blood-stained swordsman had already bared his fangs. Two first-class heroes, one second-class powerhouse, plus nearly a hundred knight-level grunts—this kind of force was not weak in The Lands Between, but Throne's way of dealing with it was very simple.
The strongest power, the purest mindset, even that never-resting brain had frozen. Only this state could be called full power.
"Follow me closely. Kill!"
Without a word of nonsense, he charged up like a monster. Even if there were a hundred people on the opposite side, even if it were Radahn himself, it would be impossible to rout them in a short time. Bloodflame Blade, Swarm of Flies, Bloodboon...
Crimson incantations covered them like a storm. Millicent, following closely behind, didn't even know how to dodge, but then she saw a cyan ripple rise, and countless incantations were deflected into the night sky. No one could stop him! Throne pierced through this blood color from the front and swung the greatsword down at the Blood Knights who were hurriedly drawing their swords.
Whoosh—
A single sword split them evenly; armor, muscles, all were as fragile as paper. He pierced through the blood mist, stepping on the mangled corpses, the greatsword and katana swinging wildly. There was no exquisite swordsmanship to speak of. It was just a person stepping forward, with flesh and blood flying everywhere. Kill, kill, kill!
That robe was dyed red, and those golden eyes seemed to shine with a bloody light. In the blink of an eye, he pushed forward like a savage bull to the front of the three. The Bloody Fingers, known for their madness, had their pupils constrict, instinctively scattering to the sides.
"Stop him!"
Eleonora roared, but she saw that this person didn't even pay attention to the companions who had bypassed to the left and right, and just charged straight at her. No nonsense, a heavy greatsword slash. Clang!! The Dark Moon Greatsword struck the middle of the twinblade, making the female knight almost kneel on the ground. There was only one thought in her mind. What immense strength this guy has!
She had no time to think, retracting her sword and rolling backward. The long blade had pierced the ground, followed by an upward flick. A large patch of blood-soaked mud was kicked up. Throne didn't even look at the claws behind him or the katana on the side, just kept pushing forward, piercing through the mud wall. Ding—Pfft!
The old man paused, feeling that the katana had struck something hard, but then saw the claws pierce the opponent's back. Before he had time to cheer, Throne had already taken a step forward, dodging the second claw strike, and unleashed a violent barrage of attacks on the just-risen Eleonora. Clang! Clang! Clang! The greatsword and katana slashed continuously, each blow heavier than the last.
The female knight, who excelled in lightness, stumbled backward, and not paying attention for a moment, her back hit a tree. Bad. Looking up, Throne's not-so-tall figure had already lunged in front of her. The raised blade reflected the lightning exploding in the sky. Fortunately, a dozen subordinates had already surrounded them from all directions, attacking the enemy like madmen.
Her eyes were filled with sword light and blood-colored incantations, and Throne's response was also very direct. Blade Storm! The greatsword and katana turned into a meat grinder, just as if the Vortex Cloud Crossing had lost a bit of its lightness and grace.
Swordlight shredded the rain curtain again and again. The wet thuds of steel biting flesh blurred together into a single relentless rhythm. Thunder cracked the sky apart.
Another lightning bolt exploded, illuminating a large area of severed limbs tumbling through the air. A crimson waterfall drenched Millicent where she stood behind him, her silhouette outlined in the flash.