Aside from them, there were only two others present: Dragon God Orsted and the girl standing beside him.
Although none of them had seen Orsted's actions clearly, it was undeniable that he had just attacked Wood and Rudeus.
Once they realized what had happened, Eris, Ruijerd, and the Magic Wolf King charged at Orsted in a fit of rage.
Meanwhile, Rudeus, clearly distressed, rushed toward Wood, who had been flung far away by the attack.
He hadn't understood why Wood had suddenly kicked him away, but after seeing how far Wood had flown from the impact, it became clear. The power of that shockwave was immense. Had Wood not pushed him aside, Rudeus might be in a life-threatening condition right now.
Although Rudeus had trained in swordsmanship for some time, making him physically stronger than the average mage, it wasn't by much.
Wood, on the other hand, was a bona fide "Sword King," his body having undergone rigorous training. His muscle density was comparable to that of a magical beast. Even with all that, Wood had been sent flying tens of meters away after taking the full force of the shockwave. Rudeus could only imagine how far he would have been thrown if he had taken the hit himself.
On the other side, in their fury, Eris and the others no longer cared that they were facing the Dragon God himself. Without hesitation, they formed a triangle formation and attacked Orsted.
In the next second, their expressions changed to one of utter disbelief as they stared at Orsted.
Eris, an advanced swordswoman, and Ruijerd, whose strength was on par with that of a Sword King, found their blades and spear tips easily caught between Orsted's fingers.
As for the Magic Wolf King, the worst fate awaited him. Being the first to lunge at Orsted, he was sent flying with a single kick.
Despite Orsted appearing no bigger than an average person, the massive Magic Wolf King, weighing several tons, was launched like a piece of trash with that one strike.
A sickening "crack!" echoed through the air.
With a slight twist of his fingers, Orsted snapped Eris's steel sword as if it were made of brittle plastic.
Before Eris, who was stunned, could recover and retaliate with her other dagger, the sheer force of the wind pressure sent her flying. Her body smashed into a nearby wall, embedding itself in the stone.
Orsted had held back against Eris. If the shockwave he had used was on the same level as the one that hit Wood, Eris wouldn't have survived with such minor injuries.
Unlike Eris, who was only an advanced swordswoman, Ruijerd wasn't someone who could be defeated so easily.
Although Orsted had caught his spear, Ruijerd used it as a pivot to twist his body, increasing the force applied to the spear, eventually breaking free from Orsted's grip.
However, just as Ruijerd regained control of his spear and aimed a counterattack at Orsted's head, Orsted once again caught the spearhead before it reached him.
"Eris Boreas, Ruijerd Supardia... I'm not after either of you. But if you continue to interfere, I won't hesitate to kill you as well," Orsted stated coldly.
Eris and Ruijerd had never met Dragon God Orsted before, yet Orsted knew both of their names.
This was because, in countless of Orsted's past lives, both Eris and Ruijerd had grown into powerful figures who played key roles in the fight against the Human God.
This was also one of the reasons why Orsted had shown mercy to Eris. Though she was merely an advanced swordswoman at the moment, Orsted knew she had the potential to become a top-tier Sword Saint in the future—possibly even strong enough to defeat a Sword King.
"Saint-Class Fire Magic: Flashing Flames!"
A massive crimson magic circle formed in front of Rudeus's staff, the Proud Water Dragon King. Torrents of violent flames shot toward Orsted like a flash of light.
Orsted tossed Ruijerd and his cursed spear aside with ease.
As for Rudeus's fire magic, Orsted simply waved his hand. The powerful flames were scattered in mid-air as if they were nothing more than fireworks, each one intercepted by his lightning-fast punches.
More and more fireballs erupted from Rudeus's staff like grenades. Orsted, initially handling them with one hand, eventually had to use both to keep up.
Meanwhile, from a distant pile of rubble, Wood burst out, his gaze locked on Orsted, who was busy fending off the flaming onslaught. Without a second thought, Wood drew his twin blades and dashed toward him.
"Six Powers—Shave!"
Wood's foot slammed into the ground, creating a deep crater in the icy terrain. As his body shot forward, the sound of air being shattered echoed with each step.
Orsted's usually emotionless eyes showed a flicker of surprise as he observed Wood's rapid approach.
He had encountered strong swordsmen before, but a "Sword King" of Wood's age was something that even surprised Orsted.
Moreover, the speed at which Wood was moving was beyond that of an ordinary Sword King. Orsted, with his keen eye, could tell that Wood was using an advanced movement technique, one that required an extraordinary level of physical conditioning.
In a mere blink of an eye, Wood closed the distance between them, covering nearly a hundred meters in an instant.
Though Wood's back was turned to Rudeus, the fireballs from Rudeus's attack deftly avoided hitting him as if they were guided.
This was partly due to Rudeus's exceptional control over his magic, but it was also thanks to Wood's masterful use of Observation Haki.
"Hyakki Yagyō Sword Style—Two-Sword Technique: Hand-Washing Demon!"
The Hand-Washing Demon, known for its raw power, was a yokai. In this case, the technique channeled the full strength of Wood's body into a devastating slash!
It was a simple yet brutal attack, focused entirely on pure power. The sword energy was contained within the blade, while all of Wood's strength was directed into a single blow.
Sensing the danger of the incoming attack, Orsted stopped deflecting Rudeus's magic and crossed his arms in front of his chest to block Wood's strike.
"Clang!"
Wood's blade struck Orsted's arms, the sound of steel clashing with stone resonating in the air.
A powerful shockwave erupted from the point of impact, followed by a force that sent both combatants flying apart.
Wood had charged in with a hundred-meter sprint, and his attack had focused entirely on raw strength. Yet when his blade struck Orsted's arms, it felt as though he had hit an impenetrable diamond rather than flesh.
The force of the recoil traveled up through Wood's swords and into his arms, numbing his hands.
Had it not been for the fact that his blades were no ordinary weapons, Wood feared they might have shattered from the sheer impact.
Wood's swords were crafted from materials taken from the Nine-Headed Dragon, forged to be incredibly hard and sharp, with excellent magic-conducting properties.
In theory, he could use his swords as a staff to cast powerful magic if necessary.
But right now, the absurdity of the situation was clear: it felt as though his blades, meant to cut through anything, were in danger of snapping against Orsted's flesh.
Dragon God Orsted was truly on a level beyond comprehension.
After the clash, both fighters were pushed back by the force. However, while Wood slid nearly ten meters across the ground before coming to a stop, Orsted had only taken a single step back.
Casually, Orsted tore off his sleeves, revealing unscathed skin beneath—completely unharmed by Wood's mighty strike.
"No way! That attack could've taken down even Ghislaine, but it didn't even scratch him! And he blocked it with his arms! Is this guy even human?"
Eris, witnessing the scene, couldn't believe her eyes.
Wood's final strike had left the ground around them shattered like a spiderweb, yet Orsted's body remained unscathed. He hadn't even bled!
"Your strength is impressive," Orsted remarked, "For someone so young to have such power... given enough time, you might have reached my level one day.
But since you are connected to the Human God, allowing you to grow stronger would only spell trouble. It is better to eliminate you before you can become a true threat."
Eris and the others were shocked by Orsted's ability to withstand Wood's attacks without injury, but Orsted himself was equally astonished by the potential of the young swordsman standing before him.
Orsted could tell Wood was only twelve years old, yet he was already on par with a Sword King, possessing enough strength to push Orsted back.
Rudeus, though not as physically gifted as Wood, also had an extraordinary amount of mana for his age. The fact that he could cast Saint-level magic without chanting was a testament to his overwhelming talent.
Of course, in Orsted's mind, the source of their power likely came from the Human God.
Just as Orsted had been pursuing the Human God for ages, the Human God, in turn, sought ways to defeat Orsted. These two boys, marked by the thick aura of the Human God, seemed to be part of that plan.
"Eris, Ruijerd, Magic Wolf King—leave now! His targets are Rudeus and me. There's no need for you to stay and die with us!"
Wood didn't know what Orsted was thinking, nor did he understand who the Human God was.
But one thing was clear to him: based on that last exchange, Dragon God Orsted was an enemy they couldn't hope to defeat, no matter how hard they tried.
Rather than have everyone die here, it was better to save as many as possible.
"What the hell are you saying?! There's no way I'm running and leaving you behind! I refuse to believe that, together, we can't beat him!"
Eris, unable to accept Wood's plea, picked up her fallen dagger and charged back toward Orsted.
Ruijerd didn't say anything, but his actions spoke volumes. He tightened his grip on his spear and sprinted toward Orsted's back.
Facing their combined assault, Orsted didn't even spare them a glance. In an instant, he vanished from their sight.
Eris's dagger and Ruijerd's spear struck only empty air. Orsted was no longer where he had been standing.
"Wood! Watch out! He's aiming for your heart!"
Though neither Eris nor Ruijerd could keep up with Orsted's speed, Rudeus had seen it. Thanks to the Human God's guidance, he had received the power of the Magic Eye from the Demon Emperor Kishirika—a power that allowed him to see a few seconds into the future.
And just now, Rudeus had glimpsed Orsted reappearing in front of Wood and thrusting his hand through Wood's chest.
Normally, using the Magic Eye drained Rudeus's mental energy, but with Orsted as the target, the strain was immense.
As soon as he issued his warning, Rudeus felt as though his eye was about to explode. The pain was so intense that blood flowed from his eye, and he collapsed to the ground, clutching his face.
On the other side, Wood had already sensed danger through his Observation Haki. However, Orsted's speed made it impossible to tell where the attack would come from until he heard Rudeus's warning.
Orsted was aiming for his heart, which meant he'd be coming from the front.
But even if Wood reacted and tried to dodge, could he really evade the Dragon God's attack?
Even if he managed to avoid this strike, what about the next? Rudeus's ability clearly put an immense strain on him. How many more times could he use it against Orsted?
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 400+ at p@treon.com/Betek (@->a)