Contrary to what the captain hoped for, Benedict turned tail and started running! He was helpless. After being beaten senselessly from the previous fight, he had no interest in another bitter fight. His body might be healed but his mental trauma was still extreme. Who wanted to live through another round of that? He was not a masochist! The guards were speechless. He ambushed one and then started fleeing at the first sign of trouble. The first guard held onto his wound as his eyebrows twitched uncontrollably. He felt unlucky to have charged in first. The second grimaced and chased! He was not about to let some kid get away from him. Benedict charged deeper into the gardens with his opponent following close behind.
Just as the captain was about to intervene again, he raised an eyebrow. "This kid…"
Benedict kept watching his rear while staying at a steady pace. On the surface, the guard seemed to be catching up. However, this was all a part of Benedict's plan. As expected, when he passed a large rock, he hopped on with two feet and used force to reverse his momentum. He shot back like a spring! His blade was ready to slash the guard's head straight off! His skill had improved with his body's condition, allowing him to perform a nearly perfect strike! Except the guard was already expecting such a situation. It was not enough to catch him off-guard. The two clashed mid-air with the guard taking three steps back. A thin cut emerged on his shoulder.
Benedict kept up the pressure and used the Hawken Style quickly. Although his opponent was alone, his aura was not weaker than the three opponents Benedict faced prior! Moreover, it was a stark difference compared to Elizabeth's situation. She used the earth-type spell Stone Shard to immediately pierce her opponent's lower torso. This cut his effective combat strength to half. Benedict's opponent, though, was at full strength! Benedict hacked down as the guard parried it. He returned a sharp upward slash. Benedict pivoted with his feet, dodging it, while retaliating. He aimed at his opponent's knees! The man backed up and eyed him amusingly.
"I don't know who you are, kid, but you're dreaming if you think you can leave. Just give yourself up willingly and I promise I'll go easy on you."
"Tell me honestly…" Benedict narrowed his eyes. "What is the Whispering Shadow doing by collaborating with the Lannisail Household?"
"Oh? Who told you such lies?" the guard raised his sword. "Why would you think that was true?"
Benedict also took a stance pre-emptively. "I didn't think it was true either. The Lannisail Household is one of the top Grand Nobility Households in the kingdom. For them to be involved with the Whispering Shadow is unthinkable."
The guard snorted. "Of course. How could we-"
Before he could continue, Benedict interrupted, "Until I saw the two leaders of the Second Hand."
"Nonsense! Absolutely nonsense!" the man shook his head, but he was inwardly shocked. The wariness in his eyes grew and his feet shifted just a tiny bit. With a little strength, he could pounce at any moment! Benedict noticed it clearly.
"I could never mistake the vice-captain's aura. She was radiating bloodlust so strong that one could nearly smell blood in the air. She nearly killed me twice. Now, where is Princess Elizabeth!"
The guard was thoroughly shaken now. Their kidnapping of the heir apparent was done perfectly. No one could trace the deed to them. There was no way a kid like Benedict could determine the truth! Benedict did not forgo this opportunity. His eyes turned frigid as winter. While the guard was distracted, he immediately entered the third stance! His killing intent burst through the roof!
Before, he was still unsure whether Elizabeth was really kidnapped or not. There was no proof that the Lannisail Household was involved either! It could just be an unlucky series of coincidences that the Second Hand appeared at this time. That was why Benedict never aimed to kill anyone unnecessarily. Only when he was backed into a corner did he not hold back. Now though, Benedict saw all the proof he needed. This guard gave everything away! He might not have said anything, but his subtle reactions did. Instead of denying it outright or being surprised, he reared his killing intent and sword. Those were the actions of the guilty!
Benedict grew infuriated as he charged forward. His mind lapsed back to New Havens when he first met Elizabeth. That night, she lost her family as the town was washed with blood and fire. For someone as young as her to bear such a tragedy was pitiful beyond belief. When she ran away from Algard, she was kidnapped by the Xingyuu Empire and nearly died. When she fought against Emperor Lianghu and killed him, she found that Lord Korogin had already passed away! When she became heir apparent, the Second Hand kidnapped her again! Although Elizabeth was a strong girl, Benedict grew infuriated in her place. Why do you have to bother her? Why can you not leave her alone? Why!
On the other hand, the guard quickly suppressed his chaotic mind and refocused. He was truly professional. There were not many that could recompose themselves in a blink of an eye, especially in the heat of battle. Unfortunately, no matter what, he could never completely eradicate those lingering thoughts. Thoughts like… How did Benedict find out? Is the kingdom coming? Or are they already here? Should I flee now? After all, the Whispering Shadow might be a powerful existence, but against the true overlords of the human world like the Alzar Kingdom, could it compare? These guards were not chickens ready for the slaughter. They were human! They would never sacrifice themselves so easily. Everyone treasured their own life! This dulled his battle senses and resolve, balancing the scales of battle in Benedict's favor.
Benedict attacked with ferocious momentum. He became blinded by his own anger! Using the first stance, he entered his opponent's weak spots constantly. Wherever a hole in defenses would appear, he would fill it in. Using the second stance, he defended and countered with poignant accuracy. When he needed to defend, he would defend. When he needed to attack, he would attack. His hesitation was non-existent, whittled away from the many battles and wars he fought in! Using the third stance, he could capitalize on the few opportunities and retaliate with deadly precision. His awareness for opportunity was excellent!
The first stance, second stance, third stance… He used them all consecutively! His transitions were becoming quicker and smoother as his body adapted to the battle. Benedict seemed to be attacking without thinking. Like Shirley, he moved instinctively! This created a natural flow or rhythm that he could never achieve otherwise! His combat prowess had never reached such heights before…
But it was not enough. His opponent was a bona-fide sword master! Bodily accomplishments such as Fundamental Realm or Perception Realm had no bearing on a person's weapon mastery. Sure, a Perception Realm could boast stronger power than a Fundamental Realm any day. In terms of technique though, there was no such clear winner. A sword master Fundamental Realm might defeat a sword novice Perception Realm! That was the difference between having power and knowing how to use it!
To his opponent, Benedict's moves were too monotonous and repetitive. That made them predictable. Benedict might have the temporary edge in momentum, but he could not capitalize on it. For example, if an opening appeared to his left, Benedict would always advance with two steps, turn with his ankles, and slash from the right without question! This allowed his opponent to control the tempo by reacting beforehand and countering. So, while Benedict appeared to have the upper hand, he did not! Although Benedict familiarized himself with the first two stances and made headway on the third, he was still, in a way, bound by the Hawken Style! He could not break out of this cycle.