Chapter 182: The Speed at the Edge of Divinity

Ryuosho of the Thunderblade raised his weapon, thunder crackling menacingly as he prepared to strike down the slothful Ryuosho. His murderous intent surged like a biting cold wave, the thunder around him growing ever more violent as though it sought to obliterate everything in its path. Yet at that precise moment, a solitary figure slowly approached from the distant battlefield.

It was Shingin.

His steps were unhurried but deliberate, his demeanor like a soulless husk, devoid of vitality. His vacant gaze wandered as he muttered softly to himself, "Rayl… dead… Mr. William… gone… Ryuosho… why… are there two?"

The Lightning Ryuosho paused mid-swing at the sound of Shingin's voice, his killing intent faltering. He turned hastily, concern and urgency coloring his tone. "Shingin? Rayl and William… are gone? Shingin, pull yourself together!"

The slothful Ryuosho also took notice, his sneer momentarily softening. Yet, sensing an opportunity, he interjected quickly, "Shingin, this guy is the imposter! Look at the wounds on my body—he did this! He's been going around in my guise, committing atrocities, and now he wants to silence me!"

But Shingin gave no response. His eyes remained unfocused, as if unable to make sense of what was before him.

"Shingin! Look closely—he's lying to you!" Lightning Ryuosho's voice turned stern as the lightning on his blade flickered fiercely. "Your mother might be in danger. We need to act fast—"

Before he could finish, his instincts screamed a warning. His gaze snapped in another direction, and his expression darkened. Biyu was gone.

"Where's Aunt Biyu?" Lightning Ryuosho's voice trembled as unease surged within him.

The slothful Ryuosho's focus shifted as well, his voice laced with a sudden tension. "Aunt… Aunt Biyu? Where is she? Where did she go!?"

Lightning Ryuosho's eyes frantically scanned the darkness, but Shingin's mother, Biyu, had vanished without a trace. Not even a sound marked her disappearance.

Yet Shingin seemed deaf to their alarm. His voice turned cold, chilling to the bone: "Return her… I said, return her…"

In that instant, the atmosphere grew oppressive. A sinister energy began to emanate from Shingin, cold and corrosive, coiling like tendrils of the abyss.

Lightning Ryuosho's expression hardened, his voice filled with urgency. "Shingin, calm down! We'll find your mother together!"

Shingin's face was pale as he murmured, "She… she's gone…?"

The slothful Ryuosho, sensing the growing tension, growled anxiously, "Shingin, don't be a fool—he's leading you to your death—!"

"Silence!" Shingin's voice cut like a shard of ice. He raised his hand, and the dark energy coalesced into razor-sharp tendrils pointing directly between the two rivals. "One of you is real, and one is false. I don't need arguments. I need the truth."

An invisible force erupted from Shingin, radiating outward like a tempest. Both Ryuoshos stepped back, their expressions wary yet tinged with apprehension.

The slothful Ryuosho tried to provoke further, while Lightning Ryuosho's killing intent surged with electrifying intensity. Thunder roared around him, fierce as an approaching storm. Each clap of thunder reverberated with a destructive power, his eyes burning with unrestrained fury. His animosity toward the slothful Ryuosho was palpable, the air itself vibrating under the weight of his wrath.

But Shingin's words abruptly cut through the chaos, his voice faint and conflicted: "Why… are you… so desperate to kill him? You never used to be like this…"

The thunder momentarily froze at his words, and Lightning Ryuosho's gaze tightened. He hesitated, his body still radiating hostility, but inner turmoil churned. His rage remained, but doubt crept in, casting a shadow over his judgment.

Lightning Ryuosho frowned, his voice heavy with a trace of sorrow. "I can't believe you'd say that. I never thought even you wouldn't trust me, Shingin."

The slothful Ryuosho sneered, his tone filled with mockery and disdain. "I've never hidden the fact that I'm the real Ryuosho. If it were me, I'd capture and interrogate, not resort to killing outright—"

Before he could finish, he raised his hand, summoning lightning that condensed into a spear. The spear tore through the air, hurtling toward a distant target.

Lightning Ryuosho's pupils shrank, alarm flaring within him. His instincts screamed danger. Without hesitation, his entire body erupted with lightning, his speed instantly breaking the sound barrier and then surpassing light itself. He surged forward in an almost teleportational burst, racing toward the spear.

There was no room for hesitation. Lightning coursed through him, igniting his every nerve and muscle. The pain and power intertwined, driving him forward. His singular thought was to reach the spear and intercept its deadly trajectory.

Time seemed to stretch infinitely as he raced against death. The lightning spear, crackling with destruction, tore through the void, threatening to consume all in its path. He could feel every ounce of his being strained to its limits, but he pushed through the agony, determined to intercept.

The battlefield froze in awe as Lightning Ryuosho's speed transcended mortal comprehension, skimming the edge of divinity itself.