Klein did not waste a second. He threw himself directly at the possessed who had tried to surprise him from behind. His katana sliced through the air in a fast and powerful arc, and the strike was clean, delivered with precision. The possessed raised his black claws in time to block the blade. The impact was violent. Even though Klein had not used his full strength, the shock was enough to drive the monster’s feet into the ground and create a small crater around his soles.

Before Klein could withdraw his weapon, the possessed firmly grabbed his left arm with his free hand. His claws sank slightly into the sleeve without piercing the skin. At the same moment, the second possessed burst in from the side and delivered a violent slash toward Klein’s head.

He simply leaned backward, so that the claw passed a few centimeters from his face. Without losing his balance, he made a small jump and planted the soles of both feet into the stomach of the one holding him. The blow was so powerful that the possessed was thrown backward several meters before crashing heavily into a pile of debris. A sharp cracking sound rang out, accompanied by a groan of pain.

Klein landed back on his feet and immediately spun around in a quick rotation. His katana sliced through the torso of the second possessed in a single fluid motion. The blade split the flesh and bones with a wet and clean sound. The body opened in two before toppling to the side, and a blackish puddle quickly spread across the ground.

Barely had his feet touched the ground when a wave of demonic energy rushed toward him at full speed. Klein did not have time to dodge; so he swung his katana quickly.

< Aura Coating >

A cold blue crescent moon burst from the blade and struck the black wave head-on. The two energies collided in a small dull explosion, while a cloud of dust and ash rose around them. The recoil pushed Klein back a step, but he remained steady, his eyes fixed on the invisible enemy who had just attacked.

Klein stepped back several paces to create some distance. He calmly observed the situation. The three possessed were already getting back up. Their wounds were slowly closing under the effect of the demonic corruption. The one he had struck in the stomach was rising with a growl, his ribs still visible, as was the one he had sliced across the torso. The last one, the one who manipulated energy, had eyes shining with a brighter glow.

"You defend yourselves well," said Klein in a calm voice, almost detached.

Killing these three in one go was not a problem for him. But he was not really in a hurry. For once, he decided to play with them a little. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

With a powerful leap, he found himself face to face with the possessed with colossal strength. This one reacted quickly. He threw a powerful right straight punch toward Klein’s face. The black fist cut through the air with a whistle. Klein stopped his momentum short, avoided the blow with a slight movement of his head, then jumped into the air to pass behind the monster.

He turned halfway in mid-air and brought his right heel down on the back of the possessed’s neck. The blow sent the creature crashing violently against a wall of debris. The impact made the remaining stones tremble.

Without waiting, Klein threw himself at the one he had already slashed across the torso. Swinging his blade, he struck several times with disconcerting speed. Each blow cut off an additional piece: an arm, then a shoulder, then part of the chest. The possessed screamed and tried to fight back, but his movements were too slow. Klein finished with a vertical strike that opened his stomach from top to bottom. The body fell to pieces on the cobblestones with a wet sound of flesh.

Seeing this, the third possessed quickly raised his hands and sent two new waves of demonic energy toward Klein. The latter responded with two crossed energy slashes. The blue crescents shot through the air and struck the possessed’s stomach with force. The creature was thrown backward, bent in two by the pain. It slid several meters before stopping against a pile of rubble.

Klein remained standing in the middle of the street, his katana held in a relaxed hand. He was breathing normally, with no sign of shortness of breath. Around him, the bodies of the ordinary possessed still lay in twisted positions. The black blood formed large puddles that mixed with the gray ash.

The three more powerful possessed rose once again. Their wounds were closing slowly, but with more difficulty than before. They all stood up, wanting to continue the fight, but Klein did not share the same opinion.

The colossus who had already gotten up charged once more, but Klein was much faster. He grabbed him by the face, slamming him to the ground with a dull sound, thus creating a small crater. He took his katana and then plunged it into his heart before slicing off his head.

Turning toward the one whose regeneration was the most noticeable, he condensed energy into his katana before swinging it. Caught off guard, the possessed made a gesture to dodge, but the attack was so fast that it reached him in a few seconds before he was purified.

Klein then turned toward the last survivor of the group, and he began walking toward him with a calm step. Panicked, the man unleashed a barrage of energy waves, hoping to push back his attacker. However, Klein simply tilted his head to the side to avoid each impulse, without ever slowing his progress.

He finally stopped in front of his opponent, within blade range. With a flick of his wrist, he spun his katana and sliced off his head. The skull toppled into the void while the body remained standing for a fraction of a second before collapsing heavily onto the ground.

"Even deprived of humanity, you feel fear," murmured Klein while observing the remains. The blackened flesh began to decompose rapidly, releasing an acrid vapor. He listened for a moment to the hissing of putrefaction, then looked away.

He wiped his blade with a simple movement of his wrist. The black blood, still thick, flew off in fine droplets that stained the surrounding rubble. Klein sheathed his katana, then let his gaze wander over the battlefield.

He resumed his path without another word. His steps echoed calmly on the cobblestones slippery with blood, and the rhythmic sound of his soles seemed to be the only sign of life in this desolate setting. His face showed neither fatigue nor any particular satisfaction.

Klein adjusted his coat slightly and then headed toward the Tower of Sorcery.