"Arukh, are you sure we don't need to finish him?" said a man, holding a drawn dagger in front of his enemy, as the bright sunlight reflected off the blade.
"Rayn, he's not fully taken over. We just need to take his relic and leave," his companion replied.
"I'm amazed, you're quite different for a Saith. I've heard Saithe should possess a cruelty that even the heavens fear. What's with this soft attitude?" The man scoffed at his companion.
"Hahaha... Come on, you know me, Rayn," his friend replied once again.
"Fine, it's up to you."
The young man seemed to be talking to himself while smiling at the dagger he held.
In front of them, a man appeared to be enduring intense pain. His eyes were filled with despair and hatred directed at the young man in front of him.
"I won't let you take my prized relic!" the man shouted, pointing his relic at Rayn.
"I consider that your last words," Rayn said, expressionless.
The young man's eyes seemed to hold something dark, something that could consume everything. The 19-year-old's serious face made him look older than his actual age, burdened by the weight of life's challenges that had piled up on his shoulders.
"I just realized, you're the one behind the carriage incident where the nobles of the city of Malv were robbed while passing through Paruwa Forest all this time," shouted a disheveled man with many wounds covering his body.
"Indeed, and next, you, my lord," Rayn replied to the noble's accusation.
"You seem to have the wrong idea, Forest Bandit! I am different from the nobles who were your previous victims." The man charged at Rayn with his large black sword in hand.
Rayn rushed towards his opponent. A fierce clash between two men driven by the ambition to kill began.
The previously tranquil air quickly turned chaotic as the loud clashes of their weapons echoed through the forest.
The tall trees seemed to muffle the noise, keeping it confined within the dense woods.
Rayn dominated the fight, launching relentless attacks while his opponent could only defend. Eventually, Rayn managed to scratch his opponent's left arm, causing blood to flow.
"Argh!... you damned forest bandit! I'll make sure you pay!" the man yelled angrily.
The bloodied man launched a furious, blind attack at Rayn. However, Rayn managed to evade each strike with his extraordinary speed.
"You're slow," Rayn said, dodging his opponent's attacks.
"Damn you, you wretched bandit! I'll make sure you die at my hands," his enemy shouted.
Rayn had complete control over the fight, avoiding any injuries and continually dodging or blocking his opponent's attacks.
Finally, Rayn created some distance and prepared a special attack. He swiftly changed the grip on his relic from having the blade facing forward to having it reversed, with the blade pointing backward.
"Arukh, let's finish this. [Kein Arukh Casted Skill: Incision Storm]," Rayn chanted to activate his relic's power.
Kein Arukh was a Saithe Weapon owned by Rayn Morgia, shaped like a dagger with dragon engravings on its blade. Inside the relic, there was a Saithe named Ken Aruk, whose soul resided within the dagger.
Ken Aruk was a warrior from the era of the Tuma Kingdom, a formidable knight who had slain the King of the Tuma Kingdom and taken over the throne. He was known for his skill with a dagger and his unique ability to silently and swiftly kill his opponents.
This ability was passed on to Rayn when he became the user of the Saith Weapon Ken Arukh.
After activating the relic's power, Rayn gained a boost in speed, moving at the speed of a storm wind and directing his relic to slash his opponent in every path of his attacks, trapping his enemy in a relentless onslaught of Rayn's relic slashes.
A horrifying scene unfolded in the middle of Paruwa Forest, the backdrop of their battle.
Rayn stopped after his relentless attacks landed on his opponent, leaving the man lying on the ground.
The young man casually tied back his disheveled black curly hair, which had been tousled during the battle.
The deadly attack Rayn had just launched created a rain of blood that soaked the forest. The green grass beneath their feet seemed to transform into red roses, exuding the pungent scent of blood.
"You're terrifying, Rayn."
"Silence," Rayn replied briefly, his sharp gaze fixed on his defeated opponent.
The young man waved his dagger, causing the blood stains covering his relic's gleam to fall to the ground.
"I was surprised when I saw my prey had a Saith Weapon... but it seems you're no different from the nobles I've encountered so far. Perhaps you obtained that relic with the dirty money you've squeezed out of your people... You're truly unworthy of wielding it," the young man's words were filled with pent-up resentment.
"Very well, it's time to plunder."
Suddenly,
"Wait, Rayn!" His relic suddenly spoke to him.
Rayn stopped and began to carefully examine his fallen, blood-splattered opponent. He noticed something strange about the man he had just defeated.
The man Rayn had defeated seemed to mumble a sentence that Rayn could barely hear.
Rayn, suspicious, quickly moved closer to his fallen opponent to deliver a finishing blow.
However, when he got very close to the man, suddenly, a powerful explosion sent Rayn flying far from where his defeated enemy lay.
The explosion left behind a black energy field, shaped like an energy sphere, with tremendous energy pressure. The air in the area suddenly heated, as if in hell, and the gravitational force seemed to increase significantly, gathering around the energy sphere.
"Damn, what is this?" The young man furrowed his brow.
"Rayn, it seems you're in trouble now... your enemy has completely surrendered to the Saithe inhabiting his relic."
"Ugh, another complicating factor I have to deal with," Rayn said, somewhat annoyed.
The black energy sphere gradually developed cracks, making it look like a hatching egg. As the cracks filled the strange object, it finally began to 'hatch', revealing a terrifying creature with a frightening aura.
The creature emerged from the remnants of the energy sphere, its solid, pitch-black body surrounded by a dark aura that sent shivers down anyone who saw it.
The creature was a Saithe, a soul cursed by the heavens with the ambition of gaining a second life in the world of Fanna.
"Rayn, that is a Saithe that has taken over its user's body."
"This is strange; I've never heard of anything like this," the young man replied to his relic.
The Saithe reborn into the world relished the moment of its birth, as it was what they truly desired. Their ambition to leave Akhrat and be reborn in the world made them feel like they had triumphed over the Universe.
The Saithe was still closed its eyes when its physical form became clear to Rayn. The creature took a deep breath and exhaled with a long, satisfied tone.
"Hmmmmm... khuaaaaaaaaaaahh!!! Finally! Hahaha!" Its voice echoed in Rayn's ears.
Rayn stood frozen as the Saithe in front of him began to open its eyes. It had large yellow eyes with blood-red pupils, making it even more terrifying, and it held a large sword that intensified the aura of death surrounding the creature.
"I remember this feeling... the sensation when the wind gently brushes my skin. I remember this feeling when the sun's warmth provides such delightful comfort. Bwahahaha!... I've missed this moment, the moment when I return to snatch life from the Universe!... Universe, behold me!... I am one step closer to your destruction!" The creature rambled, every word exuding satisfaction.
"Will I die if I fight it now?" Rayn asked his relic, which housed another Saith.
"Your current abilities are not enough to face a creature like that, Rayn... running is your only way to stay alive," Arukh emphasized.
"Honestly... even if I run, I'm not sure the creature will let me escape easily."
"That's true."
"Damn, what kind of answer is that? At least do something. Remember, our souls are bound. If I die, you die... you said death for a Saithe is absolute nothingness. Aren't you concerned about that?" Rayn began to grumble to his partner.
"To be honest, I don't mind dying for the second time at all," Arukh replied.
As Rayn turned his gaze back to the Saithe in front of him, he was startled to find that the creature he should have been facing had suddenly disappeared from his view.
A tense gust of wind rushed into Rayn's ears, sounding like the deathly winds searching for their prey.
"Looking for me, human?... It's very unwise for a weak creature like you to turn your gaze away from an esteemed being like me." The creature suddenly whispered to Rayn from behind his ear.
Rayn immediately dashed away as quickly as he could, a sign of his readiness in a battle.
"Oh, you're quick too. It seems the Saithe in your relic has speed as its attribute, right? Well then, let me see how fast you can match up to me," the Saithe taunted.
The creature swiftly closed the distance between them and began launching a series of attacks at Rayn.
Though Rayn appeared overwhelmed, he still managed to fend off the relentless attacks of the mighty creature. The two engaged in a fast-paced battle, their speed causing the surrounding trees to sway wildly from the impact of their intense fight.
The southern part of Paruwa Forest, the site of their duel, became increasingly tumultuous and chaotic due to their fierce battle.
...
The intense battle showed signs of taking its toll. Rayn was exhausted and began to slow down, resulting in him having to endure a continuous onslaught of attacks from the formidable creature.
"Arukh, let's do it again. [Kein Arukh: Incision Storm], let's end this, accursed creature!" Rayn unleashed his best attack, hoping to win the battle.
Rayn moved like the wind with slashes directed at the powerful Saith he was battling.
However, this time, it was different. The move that usually could end his opponent's story felt like child's play in front of the mighty foe.
The Saithe evaded the series of attacks Rayn had laboriously launched.
Finally, the formidable creature grabbed Rayn's wrist, successfully stopping his movement.
Rayn, known for his arrogance and high self-confidence, now appeared cornered by a much stronger foe.
"Are you done, kid?" The Saithe looked at Rayn with a malicious grin.
Rayn finally got a clear look at the terrifying creature that had been frightening him all along. His sweat evaporated before it could touch the ground, and the horrifying aura made him feel like he was walking through hell.
"What kind of creature are you, really?" Rayn exclaimed in desperation.
"Hehehe... very well, you deserve to know my name, human, because in a moment, you'll be going to Akhrat. My name is Gajhmaz... one of the Saithe who managed to leave Akhrat and escape to the world of Fanna. My human name was Gaja Mahda, and I was a general in a mighty kingdom that conquered many enemy lands in its time. Rejoice!... it's a great honor for you to die by my hand! Hahahaha!" The creature spoke loudly.
"Akhrat? Fanna?... what is this creature talking about all this time?" Rayn wondered.
At this moment, Rayn could only remain silent, his body was being consumed by pain, and he was powerless in the grip of the terrifying creature that could end his life at any moment.
"Well, now I'll allow you to die!" Gajhmaz taunted as he directed his large sword toward Rayn's abdomen.
****************
Suddenly, a sword appeared to block the deadly attack aimed at the defenseless Rayn, held by Gajhmaz.