Born In Ashes: The Enigma-Chapter 263: Let’s Cut Your Ears (Part 2)

"Your control over the light element has improved greatly. You can now even bend light around yourself to prevent it from reflecting your figure and your attacks in other people’s eyes," Azrael said calmly.

As soon as he spoke, more attacks flew toward him. The troublesome part was that they came from all directions, indicating that Elyara was continuously moving.

Even though Azrael dodged them using his Wings of Wind, several arrows still brushed past him, nearly grazing him due to their sheer number and perfect concealment.

"Although it’s a good method, it’s not enough if you want to defeat me..." Azrael muttered under his breath.

Instantly, the entire training ground filled with hundreds of wind blades swirling in every direction.

It was the same technique he had used to locate the Epic Rank warrior of the security forces during their previous battle.

And just as Azrael expected, within seconds, one of his wind blades struck something, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

However, his smile quickly stiffened when suddenly more than fifty identical figures of Elyara appeared across the training ground, each one looking perfectly lifelike.

One of the figures was struck by a wind blade, and from the feedback Azrael received, it felt as though it had hit something solid.

That confirmed they weren’t mere illusions but physical constructs made of condensed light-element energy.

"Since I saw you using this method to locate that guy on Planet Fras, did you really think I wouldn’t prepare something to counter it?" Suddenly, Elyara’s voice echoed from behind him.

Azrael immediately tried to turn around, but before he could—

Swish! Swish! Swish! - -

Five blinding golden chains shot out and wrapped tightly around him, binding him in place.

Azrael tried to break free, but his expression changed when he realized that even with his full strength, he couldn’t shatter the chains.

Just as he was about to summon Fallen Star to cut through them—

"Take this!" Elyara shouted, and an arrow struck him squarely in the back, making him stagger forward.

However—

Elyara’s expression turned to shock when she saw her arrow fail to pierce through his defense and only dug slightly into his skin before shattering apart.

Because she was afraid of seriously injuring him, she hadn’t infused her arrow with her Heat Attribute, but even then, it should have been powerful enough to wound or even defeat a normal Epic Rank warrior.

Azrael didn’t care about her attack at all as his Unyielding Body at the middle level was more than enough to withstand the blow.

Moreover, the power of her attack had been reduced by eight percent due to his passive skill, Balance Severed, making the damage almost negligible.

"What kind of monster are you?!" Elyara shouted in disbelief, quickly condensing another arrowxthis one far more powerful than the last.

However, by that time, Azrael had already analyzed the nature of the skill binding him and sneered.

He could tell it wasn’t something that could be broken through normal means; it was a special ability meant to completely immobilize its target for a short period.

If it had been another Epic or even a Legend Rank warrior, breaking free would have been impossible. But Azrael was different.

Suddenly, a crimson aura flared around him as his Tyrant’s Intent erupted with overwhelming force and in an instant, it shattered all five chains binding him.

"What?!!!" Elyara gasped in disbelief, her jaw nearly dropping to the ground.

As the owner of the skill, she knew that even Legend Rank warriors shouldn’t have been able to break free from her binding ability.

Yet, Azrael had done so and with startling ease at that.

’I’ve seen him use that intent against that Legend Rank warrior before... but I never thought it could even nullify skill effects!’ She thought in shock as Azrael broke free completely and turned to face her.

Without hesitation, Elyara released the arrow she had just formed, aiming it directly at him.

But Azrael completely ignored her attack and took a single step forward.

As the arrow reached him, the Tyrant’s Intent around his body moved on its own, shattering the projectile before it could touch him.

At the same time, he appeared right in front of Elyara and, using seventy percent of his strength, threw a punch straight at her face.

"Damn it! Don’t you know you shouldn’t hit a lady in the face?!" Elyara cursed aloud, feeling a deep sense of danger.

She quickly lifted her Epic Rank bow to block the incoming strike.

Bang!

Azrael’s punch slammed into her bow with an explosive boom, sending shockwaves rippling in every direction as the ground beneath them cracked and splintered.

Elyara felt as though she’d been struck by a speeding train; her body was blasted backward like a missile, her insides churning violently before she crashed into the wall at the edge of the training ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Despite the pain, Elyara gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand, trying to turn invisible again.

However, before she could vanish, Azrael appeared right in front of her and swung Fallen Star down in a blinding arc.

Elyara had no choice but to abandon her attempt and raise her bow to block the strike.

Within seconds, she was completely on the defensive, barely managing to withstand Azrael’s relentless and powerful blows.

"If you don’t use your skills now, this will be over soon," Azrael warned, his next strike sending her flying backward once again.

Elyara gritted her teeth, barely maintaining her balance as hesitation flickered in her eyes.

Azrael immediately noticed that hesitation and narrowed his eyes, slashing at her again.

A sharp wind blade, enhanced by Fallen Star, tore through the air and sliced past her, cutting a few strands of her hair.

"If you’re worried it might be dangerous or that I won’t be able to block it, then you’re overthinking things," Azrael said calmly as he stopped concealing his Epic Rank aura.

The air around him trembled violently, and Elyara’s eyes widened as she felt the sheer pressure of his energy.

"You..." She pointed a trembling finger at him, her face flushing red as she remembered the confident words she had said earlier.

But she quickly composed herself, her expression hardening.

"Since you said so, I won’t hold back," She said in a serious voice and the Radiant Bow in her hand began to glow, a brilliant golden light condensing around her arrow until it burned white-hot, the surrounding air trembling from its overwhelming energy.

’That’s the same skill she used to kill that Epic Rank knight in the ruins...’ Azrael immediately recognized the skill.

But this time, now that Elyara had become an Epic Rank warrior herself, the power of her skill was far greater than before and she wasn’t done yet.

The next moment, she activated her bow’s unique ability.

(You have activated the Radiant Bow’s skill—Judgement.)

(The next arrow fired from the bow will have its power amplified by 100%.)

Instantly, the white-flaming arrow in her bow burned even brighter. The weapon itself began to tremble violently, emitting a grinding sound as though it were on the verge of breaking apart.

Azrael felt a deep sense of danger radiating from the arrow aimed at him. But instead of fear, a faint grin appeared on his lips.

"That’s how it should be," He muttered quietly, muscles tensing as he gripped Fallen Star.

"Don’t die," Elyara warned in a serious tone before releasing the arrow.

BOOOOOOM!

A thunderous explosion echoed as the arrow broke the sound barrier, transforming into a miniature sun. Its light was so intense that the entire field was bathed in pure white brilliance, and the ground all across the training field began to melt from the sheer heat.

Under the effect of True Focus, Azrael watched the incoming arrow that resembled a burning star.

As it drew near, he took a step forward and gripped the handle of Fallen Star. In an instant, swirling wind currents enveloped the sword’s blade, spinning violently around it.

Azrael spun in a perfect 360-degree motion to build momentum, and the next second, he hurled the sword forward like a javelin.

BOOOOOOM!

The sword broke the sound barrier as well, colliding with the incoming arrow within less than a second.

For an instant, both attacks froze midair, everything falling eerily silent.

But not even a second later—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

An apocalyptic explosion erupted, engulfing the entire field as all hell broke loose.