The clang of metal against metal rang through the dimly lit prison corridors as Keryu parried another of Alan’s vicious slashes.

The force of the strike sent vibrations up his arm, but he barely flinched, still keeping up the act of struggle.

Ben lunged from the side, his golden aura flaring like a wildfire, blade streaking towards Keryu’s ribs.

At the last second, Keryu twisted his body, the edge of the sword grazing his side instead of skewering him.

He gritted his teeth, using the momentum to roll backward before dashing toward the stairway leading to the upper floors.

“He’s running!” Alan snarled, his crimson eyes flashing in rage. “Keryu, you coward! You think you can escape?!”

Ben, just as furious, raised his sword. “Running means you’re going against the academy itself! There’s no turning back if you do this!”

Keryu scoffed, his voice echoing through the corridors. “You want me to sit there and die?! Like hell, I’m going to wait for my execution!”

His feet pounded against the stone as he raced up the spiraling stairwell, Alan and Ben hot on his heels.

Their auras crackled with deadly intent, but Keryu had no intention of fighting them just yet. Not until Natasha was safe.

They hadn’t noticed Natasha’s escape yet, but he was sure they would. Once they did, his plans would be for naught, so he needed insurance.

His sharp gaze flickered to the heavy iron bars lining the walls of the upper floors.

Criminals—murderers, exiled warriors, and those who had long been deemed unworthy of freedom—sat within, their eyes hollow, their bodies ragged.

With a smirk, Keryu reached out and clenched his fist.

CRACK!

The iron bars shattered under his raw power, snapping like twigs. One by one, doors flew open. At first, there was silence. Then—

A chorus of mad laughter, growls, and battle cries filled the air as the criminals surged, flooding the stairway like a tidal wave. The prison descended into utter chaos.

Alan skidded to a halt, his expression twisting into one of horror. “Damn it! You released them all?!”

Ben was already cutting down some of the escaping prisoners, his blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. “You bastard! Do you know what you’ve done?!”

Ben had already activated his full power with three stars swirling on his chest. He was only a three-star, star-formation realm expert but was killing five-star and even six-star experts who were trying to escape.

Alan, however, was different. With eight stars swirling on his chest, he showed his peak star-formation realm powers, cutting down as many criminals as possible.

It was true that he was a villain, but only for Keryu and not for the innocents. He didn’t want the criminals causing trouble outside and harming other students.

Keryu, on the other hand, stopped atop the stairwell, glancing back.

The sight of chaos, of countless figures swarming out, brought a satisfied glint to his eyes. ‘That should be enough. Natasha will be able to escape now.’

Turning, he rolled his shoulders and faced his pursuers. “Alright,” he said, his tone shifting. “You wanted a fight, didn’t you? I was holding back because I had something to take care of. But now…”

His crimson eyes glowed with eerie intensity. “Let’s see how you handle me at my full strength.”

Alan’s grip on his sword tightened. “You arrogant—!”

BOOM!

Keryu moved faster than either of them expected. His fist slammed into Alan’s gut, sending him crashing through the stone wall like a cannonball.

Ben barely had time to react before Keryu turned on him. Their swords met in a violent clash, but when Ben felt the impact, his eyes widened in horror. ‘Too strong!’

Keryu’s blade shimmered, dark energy crackling along its surface.

The decay element coiled around it like hungry tendrils, eating away at the very air. He twisted his weapon, shattering Ben’s defense with raw, overwhelming power.

Ben flew backward, skidding across the stone floor, his arms trembling. His breath came in ragged gasps. “W-What… what is this power?!”

Alan, coughing up blood, pulled himself from the rubble. “You…! You think we’ll let you win?!”

Keryu laughed, his voice dripping with amusement. “Let me? You fools don’t get it, do you? You never had a chance!”

He flicked his wrist, sending out a shockwave of decaying energy. The air rippled as the energy surged, consuming everything in its path.

Alan barely dodged, feeling the heat singe his coat. Ben, teeth clenched, charged forward again.

Screech!

Keryu caught Ben’s blade with his bare hand, the decay coiling around the weapon. The metal rusted before Ben’s eyes, crumbling into dust.

“No…” Ben gasped. His sword—his very symbol of strength—had been reduced to nothing.

Keryu smirked. “Pathetic.”

Alan roared in fury, attacking from behind. But Keryu merely stepped aside, delivering a devastating kick to Alan’s ribs, sending him flying… again.

Blood splattered the floor where Alan landed.

Ben’s knees buckled. Desperation flickered in his eyes as he tried to summon his magic. “I won’t… let you… win…!”

Keryu appeared before him in a blink. He grasped Ben’s throat, lifting him off the ground. “Win? I already have.”

BOOM!

A final explosion of dark energy sent Alan and Ben sprawling across the ruined prison floor. Their bodies trembled, battered and broken.

Keryu stepped back, rolling his shoulders as he exhaled. The fight was over.

It was true that Alan couldn’t use his vampire powers, but Keryu never planned to let the guy use them since they were annoying.

For now, Keryu was sure that Natasha was free.

With a satisfied smirk, he turned away, wanting to rush out since he knew how Ben, the protagonist, functioned.

The guy was knocked unconscious, but who knew when he would wake up?

Things could get annoying if Ben woke up.

But just as he took a step, his instincts screamed at him.

Shhk!

With a sharp intake of breath, he twisted his body, barely avoiding the jagged remains of Ben’s sword as it slammed into the ground where he had been standing.

The blade, which should have been reduced to nothing, vibrated violently as if refusing to accept its destruction.

It was as if it was being mended by an otherworldly power.

Keryu’s eyes flicked to Ben, and his stomach sank. The man stood rigid, his eyes hollow, his body trembling slightly before stilling. The aura around him changed.

“Ah, hell.” Keryu’s lips curled into a grimace. “Sword Saint form… just my damn luck.”

He realized his attack didn’t make the guy lose consciousness but enter an annoying semi-conscious state. This form was one of Ben’s cheats—the Sword Saint form.

In this form, Ben recalled every instinct, ability, and movement of his past life. The most annoying thing was that the guy was a sword saint—someone who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship—in his past life.

Ben’s blank eyes locked onto Keryu, but there was no recognition, no hatred—only instinct and battle. He moved, and the ground beneath him cracked.

Whoosh!

Ben lunged, his body a blur. His power, despite still being the same, had now reached a new level.

Keryu barely had time to sidestep before another strike came, then another. His decay energy surged, coating his fists as he aimed a direct hit at Ben’s ribs.

Szzzzt!

The moment his decay made contact, it fizzled out.

Keryu’s expression darkened. “Right. Anti-magic.”

Another one of Ben’s cheats—something he had learned in this life from his master.

Ben’s blade arm came up in a sweeping arc, and Keryu leaped back just in time to avoid getting sliced clean through.

The guy was faster now, more precise, and completely unrelenting. In this state, pain meant nothing to him—he would keep going until Keryu was dead.

‘Fine,’ growled Keryu. ‘If magic won’t work, I’ll rip him apart the old-fashioned way.’

Keryu knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was worth a try. If he could remove Ben from the equation, maybe it would be better.

Ducking under another swing, Keryu darted in, his scaled fist rocketing forward. Ben did not react, nor did he dodge—he took the full impact to the gut.

BOOM!

Ben’s body caved inward from the force, but he didn’t flinch. He didn’t even stumble. His arm shot forward in retaliation, grazing Keryu’s shoulder. A thin line of blood appeared.

Keryu clicked his tongue. “Persistent bastard.”

His crimson eyes flashed. He wouldn’t waste time anymore. A clawed hand, coated in dark, hungry scales, reached for Ben’s chest.

Shlkk!

Straight for the heart.

But the moment his fingers touched Ben’s chest, a searing light erupted.

FWOOOSH!

A force slammed into Keryu, sending him hurtling backward like a cannonball.

He crashed into the far wall, embedding deep into the cracked stone. A faint ringing filled his ears as he coughed, narrowing his eyes in frustration.

‘What the hell was that?’

His gaze flickered back toward Ben, where he caught sight of something unusual.

Around his neck, the pendant—now shattered—had emitted that protective burst of energy. And standing before him was…

A man.

An old man. Disheveled hair, a wrinkled robe barely hanging onto his shoulders, and the laziest, most unimpressed expression Keryu had ever seen.

The man stretched, yawning, blinking at his surroundings in bleary confusion. “Eh…? What’s all this ruckus?”

Silence.

Even Ben, locked in his instinct-driven rampage, remained frozen. His entire body was tense as if every fiber of his being knew—feared—who this man was.

The old man finally looked at Ben, eyes flicking to the shattered pendant. A flicker of realization crossed his features.

“Ah. I was summoned, huh?” He muttered, rubbing his chin. Then, slowly, his expression changed.

Gone was the sleepy, confused old man.

His back straightened. His gaze sharpened. The air itself grew heavy under his presence.

Keryu, still stuck in the wall, felt the weight of those eyes on him.

He cursed under his breath.

Of all the people, of all the times…

“Of course.” Keryu groaned, rubbing his temple as frustration rippled through him. “Just my damn luck.”

But that didn’t mean he was accepting his defeat.

He had won the moment Natasha escaped; now, he was stalling for time.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep