First Kill

Lightning coursed around Alex as he sped through the secret passage, the coordinates his mother sent burning into his mind. The weight of her command to flee gnawed at him, but he forced it aside, focusing on reaching there as fast as possible.

The passage opened into the castle's outskirts, the cool night air rushing over him. But a sharp whistling sound sliced through the air the moment he stepped outside.

An arrow!

Alex twisted his body, narrowly dodging the projectile as it grazed past his arm. He turned, his eyes locking onto two figures perched high on the nearby ridges. Both wielded elegant, curved bows that gleamed faintly in the moonlight, their strings drawn back and ready to release.

"You're fast," one of them called out over the distance. "But not fast enough."

Two more figures stepped forward from the shadows below, each radiating the deadly aura of expert rank masters. One spun a glaive effortlessly, its blade slicing arcs through the air, while the other had twin daggers glowing faintly with condensed wind energy.

Alex clenched his teeth. "Four of you? I don't have time for this."

The archer on the left smirked. "You'll make time, always wanted to kill royalty".

They attacked in unison. The archers fired a barrage of wind-charged arrows, their precision deadly. The glaive master charged head-on, his strikes cleaving through the air with crushing force, while the dagger wielder darted to Alex's flank, moving like a ghost in the shadows.

Alex's katana was already in motion, golden lightning flaring along its edge. He deflected the arrows with precise, calculated swings, sparks, and wind scattering with each strike. The glaive came down in a sweeping arc, but Alex sidestepped at the last second, his blade lashing out in retaliation.

The glaive master managed to block, but the force of the impact sent him skidding back.

More arrows rained down, forcing Alex to leap into the air. Lightning burst from his feet, propelling him higher as he twisted midair to avoid the deadly projectiles.

The dagger wielder appeared above him in a flash, both blades aiming for Alex's neck.

Alex reacted instantly, his katana meeting the attack in a clash of sparks and thunder. He drove the attacker back with electrical energy, landing gracefully as he caught his breath.

As he held the side of his ribs, the part where Morgan attacked hit him. As it still hasn't healed fully.

The relentless assault left him cornered, his mind racing. He couldn't afford to waste any more time.

No choice, he thought, as he lowered his blade. Lightning gathered around him, not just in his weapon, but pulsing within his very being.

"Thunder Control: Katana Form," he murmured, his voice calm but cold, "Third Art—Eye of the World."

The world shifted.

The air around him shifted. Time seemed to slow as the thunder element surged into his brain, stimulating his perception beyond natural limits. The world around him sharpened, every movement stretching into near-stillness

The next arrow left its bow, but in Alex's eyes, it crawled forward at a snail's pace. The glaive master lunged, his attack heavy and deliberate, but Alex could see every nuance of the motion as though it were frozen.

Now.

In a flash of golden light, Alex moved.

He stepped to the side, his katana slicing cleanly through the incoming arrow mid-flight. Sparks danced in the slowed world as he pivoted, ducking beneath the glaive master's sweeping attack. His blade lashed out, a precise strike aimed at the man's exposed side.

The glaive wielder barely registered the attack before the katana infused with lightning cut through his chest sending him to permanent slumber.

Alex didn't stop. He turned toward the archers, still drawing their bows in his altered perception. A single burst of lightning carried him across the field in a blink. His katana slashed once, a golden arc cutting through both figures. Their lifeless bodies crumpled to the ground as their arrows clattered harmlessly.

The dagger wielder lunged from behind, twin blades aiming for Alex's back.

Alex sidestepped, spinning to meet the attack. Time slowed further, his senses focusing on the deadly precision of the incoming strike. With a single, decisive motion, Alex thrust his katana forward. The blade pierced through the attacker's chest, lightning surging into his body and stopping his heart instantly.

 Alex stood amidst the carnage, his katana crackling with residual energy. Blood soaked the ground around him, as the final enemy fell, steam rising where lightning had scorched the earth.

He exhaled sharply, releasing the Eye of the World technique, as it placed a strain on the eye if used for an extended period. The world snapped back to its normal speed, the silence only broken by the faint hum of dissipating energy.

Alex sheathed his katana and turned toward the coordinates his mother had sent. His movements were calm but purposeful, his eyes hard, and dead. There was no time to dwell on the lives he had just taken.

He was running out of time.

….

The reinforcements came swiftly, their synchronized footsteps shaking the ground like a storm. Alex's enhanced senses caught the flickering forms of twenty elite warriors fanning out, each exuding the precise, deadly presence of expert rank masters. Their weapons glinted under the moonlight, charged with the elemental powers of their respective clans.

But what made Alex's breath catch was the towering figure at their center. A man clad in green, swirling robes stepped forward, his aura oppressive and suffocating.

Master rank, Alex realized grimly. His golden eyes flickered with the lightning coursing through his body. Even without a direct clash, the sheer weight of the man's presence pressed down on him like a mountain.

The master rank warrior raised a hand, his voice calm but edged with menace. "Don't let him escape. Surround him."

The elites surged forward like a tide. Alex didn't hesitate. Lightning erupted around him, golden sparks snapping and crackling as he bolted into the forest. His speed turned the world into a blur, each step tearing through the terrain with explosive power. Trees blurred into streaks of green, and the wind screamed past his ears as he pushed his body to its limit.

Behind him, the elites struggled to keep pace, their shouts growing fainter with each passing second. Alex allowed himself a small smirk—none of them could match his speed.

But the oppressive aura didn't fade.

The master rank warrior was following, his presence closing in like an inevitable storm.

….

Alex's muscles screamed in protest as he tore through the dense forest. The air shimmered with residual lightning, his body leaving a trail of scorched ground and shattered foliage. Despite his speed, the master rank warrior kept gaining ground, his movements unnervingly smooth and efficient.

Alex gritted his teeth, his mind racing. He couldn't afford to let the man catch him—every second counted.

Time to slow things down.

The forest was silent for a heartbeat, and the air was charged with tension. Alex's golden lightning flickered around him like a living force, while the master-rank warrior stood motionless, his sword glinting ominously under the pale moonlight. Around him, faint currents of wind swirled, ruffling his dark robes and carrying leaves into the air.

"You've caused quite a mess, boy killing four of my men," the warrior said, his voice low but carrying a dangerous edge. "Do you think you can outrun me forever?"

Alex gripped his katana tighter, his breath steady but his muscles tensed. "I don't plan to run anymore; I will make you all pay."

The master rank warrior chuckled darkly. "Then you've chosen death."

With a flick of his wrist, the winds around the man surged to life, transforming into visible streams of pale green energy. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he dashed forward, his sword slicing through the air with a gale-like roar.

Alex barely sidestepped the strike, his katana whipping up to parry the follow-up attack. Their blades met with a thunderous crash, the force rippling outwards and shattering nearby trees. The wind tore through the clearing, uprooting shrubs and sending debris flying like projectiles.

The master rank didn't relent.

He leaped back, slashing the air with precision. Each stroke unleashed razor-sharp wind blades, streaks of green energy cutting through the space between them.

Alex ducked and weaved, his movements fluid as the golden lightning around him flared. He charged forward, his katana a streak of light as it aimed for the warrior's chest.

The man raised his hand, and a wall of condensed wind materialized, deflecting the attack. Alex's blade skidded across the barrier, sparks flying as the energy clashed.

"Wind Control: Tempest Surge," the master rank intoned.

The wind barrier exploded outward, a shockwave that sent Alex hurtling backward. He slammed into a tree, the force splintering the trunk and sending it crashing to the ground.

Alex gritted his teeth, the golden lightning intensifying as he forced himself to his feet.

"Thunder Control: Katana Form—Second Art. Unlimited Blade!"

Lightning coursed through Alex's veins as he activated the second art of thunder control. The energy surged from his core, channeling into his arms and flowing seamlessly into his katana. His hands trembled for a moment before stabilizing, the lightning enhancing his grip and empowering his muscles with a sharp precision that made each movement blindingly fast.

The strikes came one after another, each slash quicker and more devastating than the last. The air hummed with the sheer force of his attacks, and with every swing, arcs of lightning danced along the blade, striking the ground and leaving deep scars in the earth. The technique didn't just amplify his physical prowess—it sharpened his senses.

Alex's eyes and mind seemed to race alongside the currents of electricity. His vision sharpened, allowing him to track even the smallest movement of his opponent with remarkable clarity. His perception of time slowed slightly—not to the degree of Eye of the World, but enough to give him an edge in reading his opponent's attacks and countering with pinpoint accuracy.

Yet, the power came at a steep cost. Each second drained 2% of his mana reserve, and as the seconds ticked by, the drain compounded, gnawing at his strength. The longer he maintained the technique, the more the fatigue began to creep in, his body straining under the immense power coursing through it.

Even as the toll mounted, the art drove him forward. His slashes became a symphony of destruction, each resonating with thunderous force. The sheer speed and momentum made it seem the katana was alive, cutting through the air with an unstoppable fury.

"Wind Control: Gale Barrage."

The Master rank warrior was also not ideal as he also struck with an art of his own, his blades shot toward Alex's like a hailstorm, each spinning with deadly precision.

Alex's eyes flashed as he activated Eye of the World with endless blades knowing his current perception wouldn't be able to follow the warrior's movements. Time slowed, the spinning wind blades moving a bit slower even with his heightened perception. He dodged and deflected them with razor-thin precision, his katana flashing with golden light as both blades clashed with each other.

"You're quick," the warrior admitted, his eyes narrowing. "But speed alone isn't enough to beat me."

He thrust his blade downward, and the winds around him converged into a massive vortex. The tornado roared to life, tearing through the forest and reducing everything in its path to splinters.

Alex crouched low, his golden lightning anchoring him to the ground as the winds threatened to sweep him away. He dashed forward, his katana aimed at the eye of the storm.

Their blades met again, and the force of the clash cracked the ground beneath them. Lightning and wind surged outward, ripping through the trees and leaving a wasteland of charred earth and shattered trunks.

The master rank warrior stepped back, breathing heavily but far from done. He raised his free hand, and the winds shifted, forming dozens of spinning blades around him.

The master rank warrior was waiting.