CLEAVER OF SIN-Chapter 596: Types Of Love

Asher’s rapier tore through the air with catastrophic impact, the earth tearing backwards with titanic force as it met no obstruction. Wind blasted violently in reverse, a chasm ripping open before him as though the land itself had been cleaved apart, while earthquakes boomed outward with trembling, devastating impact that sent shockwaves through everything in the vicinity.

Asher’s body came to a stop, and he didn’t need to be told, he had completely missed. He had believed that at that very moment he had finally secured his victory while still being underestimated, but it seemed that killing a peak Wavestar Life Ranker was not something as simple as eliminating assassins who fell beneath his blade without resistance.

Asher stood in silence as the destruction born from his missed attack sang around him, the aftermath roaring like a living entity. His body radiated Star Energy that was carefully disguised as Astra energy, the glow subtle yet immense in depth. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Asher was able to think clearly, as their battle reached a brief and fragile reprieve due to the shock of the previous exchange.

His subconscious thoughts began to rise into his conscious mind, surfacing one after another with clarity. The next moment, a smile slowly appeared on his lips, his usual battle-loving nature rising back to the surface with undeniable intensity. This was what he had been searching for all along, something, or rather someone, capable of pushing him to the very edge, to the brink of his limits, and it seemed this sick bastard named Debro was the perfect opponent to fulfill that desire.

His smile widened into a grin, his battle intent climbing rapidly as the thrill and adrenaline surged through his veins. With that, he began to walk forward with calm, measured steps, emerging from the churning debris and shattered stones that had formed a violent whirlwind around the battlefield due to his missed attack.

Each of his steps was calm yet heavy, echoing with a steady rhythm, as though he possessed endless stamina in that moment, his presence unwavering despite the destruction that surrounded him.

Before him stood Debro, clutching his own neck with a shocked expression etched across his face. He wasn’t injured, not even a single graze marked his body, but the shock remained, rooted deeply in the "what if."

What if he hadn’t evaded in time?

What if he hadn’t seen the attack coming?

What if he had been just a fraction of a second slower?

A storm of "what ifs" swirled within his mind as his hand lingered on his neck, as though confirming that his head was still attached. Slowly, his black eyes lifted, meeting Asher’s purple gaze, and the wide, almost unhinged grin that stretched across his face.

The twisted love he had felt moments ago flickered like a candle before a raging storm, unstable and shifting. There were many forms of love, and all were capable of evolution, capable of twisting into something far darker. There was gentle love, but there was also toxic love and wicked love, and it seemed that it was finally time for Asher to experience that darker side. Gentle affection would take the backseat now, as it had proven ineffective in this clash of monsters.

Sigh... if only there had been someone there to tell Asher to fasten his seatbelt, he was in for quite a ride.

What a pity.

With that, Debro vanished from where he stood. The earth beneath his feet didn’t even have time to react, it neither vibrated nor sank, as such reactions were simply too slow. By the time the ground responded, he was already upon Asher, his attack already in motion, the wind’s reaction and displacement lagging behind by an entire second. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

His katana tore towards Asher’s chest at blinding speed, so fast that even Asher’s Star Energy-enhanced form failed to follow. The moment he stood on the brink of being split open, his Battle Intuition, Instinctive Adaptation, and Optimal Movement Efficiency activated like three supernovas igniting simultaneously, boosting his reaction and motion into perfect, synchronized execution.

Asher’s rapier blurred upward before his chest as though it had teleported, intercepting the incoming strike. In the next instant, both swords collided with a sundering madness, the impact crashing into Asher like a battering ram. His body was sent flying backwards like a bullet fired from a sniper rifle, his form tearing through the air with uncontrollable velocity as he smashed through mountains and hills alike.

But Asher did not hesitate. He ignored the pain, he ignored the blood, he ignored everything. Rising to his feet with a wide, almost manic grin plastered across his face, he stood once more. Virelass was already healing him; the moment any injury began to manifest, she mended it before it could fully open, denying the damage the chance to settle.

The instant Asher regained his footing, Debro was already there again, his katana descending like a comet falling from outer space. But Asher reacted immediately, Instinctive Adaptation and Optimal Movement Efficiency activating once more as he dodged to the side with precision.

But it was a feint.

The moment Asher moved, Debro’s attack recalibrated mid-motion, shifting trajectory with terrifying ease. And in the next instant, his katana kissed flesh with a sickening sound. The sharp noise of tearing flesh echoed through the air as crimson blood splattered outward, painting the battlefield in violent streaks. Asher’s left arm was severed cleanly, hitting the ground with a heavy, final thud.

Yet Asher did not scream. To him, losing an arm meant nothing.

Instead, he retaliated.

With a savage swing of his rapier, a titanic burst of Star Energy erupted outward like a nuclear detonation. The explosion expanded violently, consuming everything in its path as over ten kilometers of land were reduced to nothing but ash and molten ruin. The earth liquefied into lava, the landscape blackened and scorched beyond recognition.

But it was still useless.

Through the devastation, Debro remained standing, untouched, as though the Star Energy meant absolutely nothing to him, as though it held no authority over his existence. His foot shot forward with blinding speed, like a dying star collapsing inward, targeting Asher’s gut with unstoppable force.

Instinctive Adaptation, Optimal Movement Efficiency, and Battle Intuition activated once more, pushing Asher’s body to react.

But it was too late.

While those abilities might have saved him against someone like Blue, they were meaningless against Debro. The difference between them was simply too vast, the gap insurmountable, the disparity in power overwhelming. Unless Asher could elevate his speed to an entirely new level, those abilities would not be enough. After all, they were not absolute, they could not bend reality itself.

And then it landed.

With the force of a cannon blast, Debro’s foot crashed into Asher’s chest with a mind-boggling impact, an overwhelming force capable of erasing kilometers from existence. Asher felt his bones shatter like brittle twigs, his chest caving inward with an eerie, disturbing sound as his body was sent flying once more like a ragdoll, the force of the attack reverberating through every fiber of his being as it traveled across his entire body.