"Crack."

"This is more like it," Fre laughed out loud as his broken jaw repaired itself and snapped back into place. He stood up from the ruins.

His King-level aura burst outward, and the surroundings immediately changed.

Wind howled across the battlefield, and the remaining buildings collapsed under the pressure.

Bang!

Calus attacked, appearing a few meters from Fre and throwing a punch.

This time Fre met him head-on as their fists collided.

The air itself seemed to compress as a thunderous sound echoed.

Boom!

Wind like a raging turbine erupted as the ground beneath them shattered.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The two clashed violently.

When they were younger, the two usually sparred. Of course, Calus was always on top. But now, even with the system, Calus was the one being suppressed as Fre began to take the lead.

Very quickly they shot into the sky as their auras collided.

Thankfully, this was a small village at the edge of the Western Continent. Otherwise, thousands of lives would have been lost in this clash alone.

The two didn't stop. This fight was very different from their old sparring matches.

This time, they were fighting with the intent to kill.

Sensing an opportunity, Fre slipped to Calus' side and unleashed a punch.

Calus' eyes narrowed, but he was a beat too slow as the punch struck his head.

Bang!

Calus' neck snapped backward as his body crashed into the ground.

Boom!

Dust and smoke shot into the sky as his vision spun.

For a moment he didn't know what was happening. His mind felt dazed.

Of course, Fre didn't waste the opportunity and immediately rushed forward.

But just a few seconds later, he sensed a terrifying aura of death approaching from his side and hurriedly crossed his arms.

Paooo!

A violent wind arrived first, announcing the power behind the attack. Then an immense force traveled from his arms into his entire body.

Fre flew even faster than Calus had earlier, crashing into the ground and sinking a full meter deep.

His arms throbbed painfully. If the force had been even slightly stronger, they might have shattered.

Fre dragged himself out of the crater when a voice reached Calus.

"Calus, are you okay? I know this might be personal, but I can't just stand here and watch you get hurt. Let me help you defeat him."

Standing beside him, Mabi extended her hand.

Calus had already regained his senses. He grabbed her hand and stood up.

"Right... thank you, but—"

"I don't want to defeat him."

"I want to kill him," Calus said coldly.

Mabi smiled.

"I can do that too," she scoffed as she looked toward Fre.

She hated him for killing those children. No matter the reason, it had gone too far.

Fre felt a sense of dread wrap around his body when Mabi looked at him.

"That woman is dangerous..." Fre thought as he observed her carefully.

The three King-level experts stood facing each other.

Mabi was at the Peak King Realm (Nine-Star).

Fre was at the High King Realm (Eight-Star).

While Calus was at the Middle King Realm (Five-Star).

The clouds darkened as their auras spread far and wide. Beasts below the King Realm fled in terror.

Even experts in the Gold and Platinum Realms looked toward the battlefield with fear.

King-level experts were beings treated like ancestors. It was rare to even see one, let alone three fighting at once.

Doom!

The ground sank as violent winds collapsed and exploded outward when the three moved.

Mabi switched positions with Calus as she took the lead, charging forward while Calus supported from the side.

Seeing this, Fre didn't retreat. Instead, he charged straight toward Mabi.

Bang!

Their clash caused Fre's knees to buckle as a powerful force pushed him backward.

He didn't resist the force. Instead, he used it as leverage to push himself away and create distance from Mabi.

But at that moment Calus was already behind him, striking with a powerful kick.

Just as the leg was inches from Fre, he smirked.

"Perfect."

Fre muttered as he suddenly vanished.

In the next instant, he appeared behind Calus and threw a sharp knife aimed directly at his neck.

Calus' eyes widened.

He was the weakest among the three and couldn't react in time.

But Fre's attack suddenly failed.

Clang!

The knife struck something hard.

Mabi's forearm was raised in front of Calus, a faint white line appearing on her skin.

The knife fell to the ground as Fre frowned.

"Damn... what is this?"

Fre was shocked.

That knife wasn't ordinary. It was a Half-God level artifact.

Yet Mabi had deflected it with her bare arm, leaving nothing more than a white mark.

Just how strong was her body?

If she hit him directly, he might truly die instantly.

"Thank you," Calus said.

He had truly been caught off guard. If that attack had landed, he would have died.

"Don't mention it. Let's finish this," Mabi said calmly.

Calus nodded and the two charged forward.

This time they attacked together, their movements perfectly synchronized as if they were a single being with four arms and four legs.

Their bodies moved like twin serpents, their attacks unpredictable.

Bang!

Bang!

Boom! 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The battlefield trembled as Fre was forced to retreat continuously.

Their attack patterns kept shifting, leaving him no chance to counter.

He couldn't even target Calus.

If he attacked Calus directly, he risked leaving an opening that could allow Mabi to kill him instantly.

Calus had effectively become bait while Mabi pressed the attack.

Fre had to avoid her at all costs.

But eventually he made a mistake.

Calus kicked his knee, forcing him backward, and Mabi immediately charged in.

Bang!

Crack!

Silence spread across the battlefield.

Thunder rumbled as the clouds split open with lightning.

Fre stared in horror at Mabi's fist embedded in his side.

For a moment, the three of them froze.

Mabi stood in a punching stance, her fist pressed against his ribs as Fre's body leaned sideways.

Blood slowly flowed from his lips as unbearable pain exploded through his chest.

His ribs were shattered.

Worse still...

One of them had pierced his heart.

Bang!

Before Fre could react, Calus' knee slammed into his face.

Fre's body flew backward and crashed violently into the ground.

Cough! Cough!

He spat blood as he struggled to breathe.

His airway suddenly felt blocked.

The impact with the ground must have damaged his lungs.

Instantly, his power dropped dramatically.

He could barely use 40% of his peak strength.

"He is seriously injured. Be careful. He might self-destruct," Mabi said calmly while floating in the air.

Calus nodded.

The two of them charged toward Fre again.

Fre stared at the sky.

"Am I going to die here...?"

***********

2/10