A SHORTCUT BECOMES A DEAD-END.

***In the Continent 'Eclipse of the Oceans'..

***In the territory of one of the arms of the Imperial Court(Silver Wing Clan)..

***Saccurrus(Home of the wild)..

***On the streets of Quashonãßing..

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On the streets outside a small restaurant, sudden action bursts forth as five random people suddenly begin a crazy run through the streets while displaying the superhuman might of cultivators.

Under the lead of their female leader, the five member squad suddenly behind to race through the pedestrian filled streets. Amongst the five members of the squad, the lowest cultivation rank is of begginer-level Rank two.

The physical abilities of a warrior at peak level rank one can already be considered peak-human. If cultivators(especially warriors) can hit this threshold at rank one then a breakthrough to rank two would definitely propel them into the superhuman category.

This rank two might is on full display on the streets as dust rises under the steps of the five racing individuals. Multiple people gets pushed back violently as gusts of winds tears through the air.

Although the five people are racing at different speeds, even the slowest amongst them is covering almost two meters per second and they are not even circulating their mana!.

Screams rings out in the streets as people scatter though not everyone can react to the speed on display and these unfortunate people either gets flung away or avoided as the running continues.

"On my tail.", A powerful femine voice filled with mana rings out as the person in front urges the others forward.

A left turn is fast approaching at the end of the streets though the female boss has other plans in mind as she looks at a multi-floored traditional building up ahead.

"Brace for impact!.", The female boss yells while internally cursing on the fact that her squad are without appropriate armours.

Hearing the boss's words, the racing squad gets the message as mana trails farmiliar patterns through their mana veins.

Trailing through the path of a defensive technique they have all learnt, their breaths becomes steamy hot as their skin thightens against their bones. Their steps becomes even more powerful and the strongest warrior in the team(Hatu) even manages to leave cracks on the road as he charges forward even fast while becoming almost a blur.

With the female squad leader at the head of the race, the squad is moving powerfully into impact with the building. About five meters from impact, the squad leader circulates herana briefly for the first time as she suddenly jumps upwards at the building.

Shooting herself like a missile, the woman smashes through the second floor of the building with a devastating impact that sends wood crumbling and scattering everywhere. Using her fingers like claws, the boss lady turns and digs a line into the floor to stop her own devastating momentum.

"Aaaarrgghhhh!..".

A sharp scream of panic resounds in the background but the female boss pays no attraction as she looks towards the smashed wall with squinted eyes.

*BANG!*}×.*BANG!*}×..

A second after, two more holes are shashed through the wall as two people fly inside while tumbling on the ground with muted groans to stop their momentum.

Barely a second more passes when the already shattered wall is invaded powerfully once more.

Two individuals fly through the holes already made in the wall with one of them(Hatu) smashing the floor inwards upon impact.

"Let's go!.", The female boss orders while turning to race through the other wall. Apparently, the lady-boss plan is smashing holes through the building in order to forcefully create a shortcut to the center of Quashonãßing.

About to continue running, the lady-boss eyes suddenly gleans with danger.

"Prepare for battle!.", The female boss yells at her team-mates and the next instant, a new person flies through the hole already made in the wall with a sliver flair being held in his right hand.

[DESCRIPTION(FLAIR): A flair is a traditional heavy weapon that consists of a short chain which has one of its end attached to a small rod and it's other end attached to an heavy and spiked metal bob.√image is in paragraph comment.]

The squad is quick in reaction to the new-comer as they all move towards their boss while circulating their manas.

Seemingly from under Hatu's skin, heavy and thick molten flows out and begins to cover his hands and finger all the way to his elbow. Mana pumps through Hatu's veins as the dense liquid metal begins to take the form of a pair of heavy gauntlets with layered functions.

Summoning his weapons, Hatu's pathway is on full display as only Rank two and above members of the warriors pathways can summon bound-weapons out of themselves.

Looking at the unwelcome newcomer, Hatu's breaths are heavy as the mana he circulates makes the gauntlets covering his hands glow faintly.

Another member of the squad(Akion) proves to be if the same pathway as Hatu as he summons a leather red kite-shield out of himself. The lether-red shield is two-feet(2ft) wide and three-and-half(3½ft) tall and its design is just like that of a kite though with much rounder edges.

Another person to summons something out of herself is the female boss herself. Her skin becomes a colour of desolate grey colour with subtle dark scale-lines. Her canines gets a little sharper and her pupils becomes more vertical though her physical transformation is obviously not a result of a pathway.

The female boss obviously has some bloodline power coming to play with her physical transformation though the long swords that melts into shape out of her hand speaks on the warrior's pathway.

Each sword in the female boss hands has its blade one-and-half feet(1½ft) long and three fingers wide. The swords hade brown handles and reflective sliver blades that ends in a pointed tip.

Four seconds after the unknown person enters, the entire squad is already geared up for battle. Every member of the squad is speard out and behind their female leader as they keep their sights on the other person who is carrying a dangerous looking flair in his hand.

Black fitted robes, leather brown leather vest and more black fabric wrapped around his lips and forehead. The other guy looks like the stereotype martial assassin but instead of carrying the conventional dagger, he is carrying with him a flair that has obviously tasted blood and bones more than a few times.

No side of this encounter makes a move for seconds though the pressure is thick in the air as they access one another.

Looking at the other guy, the female boss already vertical pupils narrows as she determines his rank and pathway.

PEAK-LEVEL RANK-TWO WARRIOR!.

This mysterious other party is the same rank as the female boss who is the highest ranking person on the squad.

In a one-on-one encounter with this other person, the female squad leader wouldn't be too shaken though with her squad behind her.. things becomes a lot more complex.

Although the least rank on her squad is beginner-level rank-two, the lady-boss knows that she might not be able to prevent someone from losing their life if the attacker proves determined.

"Who are you?.", The female boss asks calmly at the other person who is covered in dark robes.

Keeping mute, the other party seems rather relaxed for someone who is outnumbered as he takes two slow steps forward while increase the tension in the atmosphere.

"I don't know if we have by any chance offended you but I promise to repay you if you would allow a civil conversation.", The female leader proposes without showing fear or hesitation.

"If you leave now you wouldn't have any problems. My target lies on your men and anyone who stands in my way.", The dark robed man says calmly with a soft tilt of his head.

"If you must get to them then you must get through me.", The lady-boss says although she internally curses her squad-members as it is obvious that they have stepped on some massive toes.

Listening to the lady's words, the dark-robed man tilts his head as he actively circulates his mana.

"So be it.", the dark robed man says coldly and after this, both sides know that no words are further needed.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I KNOW SOME READERS MAY BE CONFUSED AS TO WHY I AM WRITING THIS BATTLE-SCENE WHEN IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MAIN STORYLINE.

THE REASON BEHIND THIS BATTLE-SCENE IS TO SHOW READERS A GLIMPSE OF THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF CERTAIN PATHWAYS AND PATHWAY COMBINATIONS.

IT WOULD ALSO SHOW A BIT OF PATHWAYS UNIQUE ABILITIES AS WELL AS BLOODLINE MANIFESTATIONS IN BATTLE.

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