Tairo and the other two knights stared at Nova in silence until the stocky knight unsheathed his sword and mocked, "This kid must've lost it. It's best if we use some force and shut him up for the next day or two."

The lean knight shot a glance toward Tairo and asked, "Should we…?"

Tairo raised a hand to stop them and, looking at Nova, said, "You've been cooperative for this long, and I don't want to hurt you. Are you sure you want to continue this madness of yours?"

Cynthia had asked him not to use force against Nova unless it was necessary, and he was willing to give this young man one last chance to cooperate before treating him like a true, lawless criminal.

Nova's eyes darted between the three before finally landing on Tairo. Shaking his head, he said, "There's no need to try to change my mind. In fact, I'm not even a knight of the Empire, so by law, you shouldn't have tried to take me wherever you want."

"What?!"

Three shouts echoed in unison.

Tairo, the first to calm down, said, "If you aren't a knight of the Empire, then how are you so strong? And why would you keep it a secret until now? It doesn't make any sense."

What greeted those questions was a nonchalant look from Nova as he retrieved Dreadscape from the Inventory under their wide-open eyes.

The lean knight stammered, "Is he a mage?"

But nobody answered him as Nova twirled the spear in his hand and said, "If I were you, I'd stop asking questions and start worrying about my life."

Those words snapped them out of their momentary daze. The three elite knights immediately sprang into action, each drawing their own sword as Tairo shouted, "Flank him!"

The two knights nodded and dashed toward each of Nova's flanks.

'Aura, third stage. Time to test it out,' Nova thought. A blood-red Aura, previously concealed, now surged forth like a raging tempest, coating both Dreadscape and his body in its violent glow.

From the rear, Tairo's eyes widened. "Pull back! He's not at the second stage!" he immediately shouted.

The stocky knight heard the order and, without hesitation, launched himself backward with all his might.

On the other side, however, as the lean knight prepared to do the same, Nova suddenly appeared before him. Eyes wide he looked at the spear tip, so fast it left only a shadow in its wake, being a hair's breadth away from impaling him.

I'm done for, the lean knight thought, right before the spear shot through his chest, bursting out his back and leaving a hole so wide his body was barely held together by a thread.

Nova retrieved his spear and muttered as the knight's body collapsed to the ground, "With Aura coating a weapon, even a random wooden stick can become lethal, much less my Dreadscape."

Meters away, Tairo and the stocky knight stared coldly at their comrade's lifeless body, then at Nova, who stood there as if he were nothing more than a passerby, not the man who had just killed him.

Their grips tightened on their weapons until their knuckles turned white, but their composure held. After all, they were elites.

"Wasn't he supposed to be just an average elite at the Flow stage? How did he turn out to be at the Manifestation stage? We didn't even notice any Aura from him until now," the stocky knight hissed, glaring at Nova as though his eyes alone could tear him apart.

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Tairo icily said, "We made a mistake blindly believing Cynthia's report. He must not have used his full strength when dealing with those knights and mages in the arena. Change of plans, we won't be bringing him back to the Empire."

"You mean?"

"Eliminate the target by any means necessary."

"Done talking?"

Both Tairo and the stocky knight's heads swiveled toward the side, where Nova now stood, calmly watching them. Instinctively, they both stepped back, widening the distance between themselves and him.

Seeing this, Nova sighed and began walking toward them at a steady pace. "All that talk, and you're still not coming at me?"

The two knights exchanged a glance. Tairo gave a slight nod, and a transparent Aura gushed from their bodies, slowly coating their swords. With a stomp, both Tairo and the stocky knight hurled themselves at Nova, who merely raised an eyebrow.

'Why do their Auras look different from mine?' he wondered, just as a roar rang out from the side.

Turning his head, he saw the stocky knight swinging his sword down at him. Smiling, Nova slipped smoothly out of the way and drove a fist into the knight's ribs. The transparent Aura shattered on impact, and the blow landed squarely.

A loud crack followed by a grunt echoed as the knight's body was hurled several meters away before crashing to the ground.

Nova turned to face Tairo, only to catch a flash from the corner of his eye. By the time he turned fully, a kick was already upon him, aimed straight at his face.

'Should I use Mana? No, that would defeat the purpose of fighting them.'

Too late to do anything, Tairo's kick slammed into Nova's face, forcing him back several steps before he regained his balance.

When he did, Nova nodded. "Nicely done."

Tairo didn't spare him a word. Instead, he glanced at his colleague, injured, but still breathing, before fixing his eyes back on Nova and he charged forward.

Having waited days for this fight, Nova didn't feel like waiting more and met him halfway. Soon, the air rang with clangs as they exchanged dozens of blows, locked in a brief stalemate.

As the fight dragged on, Nova couldn't help but smile, while Tairo's frown deepened with each passing moment. Finally, unable to contain himself, Tairo shouted angrily, "Why are you smiling? Do you find this situation fun? Even if you aren't a knight of the Empire, you're still one who protects his kingdom, what's so fun in fighting others?!"

Taken aback, Nova took a moment to register the words, his spear never stopped moving. "If I want to smile, I'll smile. If I want your head, I'll take it. And there's nothing you can do about it."

Tairo gritted his teeth at those reckless words. But just as he swung his sword again, the blunt side of Dreadscape slammed into his right arm, bending it at an unnatural angle.

"Urgh!"

A grunt escaped the knight's lips as Nova's voice rang out:

"What you call a knight is just someone who has understood themselves and their desires. It doesn't mean they're loyal to any kingdom or empire. As for me, I'm not a knight."

He raised his spear high into the sky and swung it down like a whip.

"Tairo!"

A shout echoed, but Tairo had already tuned out every sound. His pupils shrank to pinpoints as he stared at what could only be described with one word, death.

He braced his sword with his one good arm, raising it between himself and the descending spear, determined to absorb as much of the blow as possible before it struck his body.

But as the instants ticked by, the impact never came.

Instead, a deafening bang tore through the battlefield, followed by a shriek from the side. Tairo hesitated, should he hold his guard, or lower his sword and look? After a tense moment, he decided he had to see.

His head turned, and his body froze.

A few steps away, the stocky knight lay sprawled on the ground, his body mangled. Nova stood over him, lifting Dreadscape, blood dripping steadily down the shaft.

When Tairo's eyes met Nova's, their gazes locked and the two seemed to stare into each other's souls, and for that moment, time itself seemed to stretch into eternity.

At last, Tairo roared at the top of his lungs, his eyes bloodshot.

'Did he lose his mind already?' Nova thought, until he caught the fierce gleam in Tairo's eyes. He chuckled. 'He isn't done yet. Worthy of being called an elite knight of the empire, I guess.'

Gripping his sword tightly in one hand, Tairo muttered in a hoarse voice, "I should've done this sooner… the best I can do now is—"

His Aura erupted, rampaging both inside and outside his body, making Nova to raise an eyebrow.

When the rampage peaked, shredding his own armor, all the Aura gathered on Tairo's sword until it shone like a blazing sun. Then, with a roar, the knight unleashed his technique:

"Senna's Art: Second Sword — Sever the Heart!"

His whole arm trembled under the crushing weight of power concentrated into the blade as he swung.

A crescent beam of sword energy tore the air apart, hurtling toward Nova. This time, his eyes narrowed, and his stance shed its easygoing air.

'I didn't think he'd be able to wield Aura like this, it's going to be tricky' Nova thought. Veins bulged along his arms as he thrust Dreadscape forward with every last ounce of strength.

When the two forces met, sword crescent against spear, Nova groaned as the shockwave hurled him backward, his feet gouging the ground as the spear's head cracked

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