CLEAVER OF SIN-Chapter 568: Final Thought

Asher did not even bother to glance at the two he had just killed, their bodies dropping like flies as he blurred toward the remaining four who had reacted to his deflected dart attacks. He did not hesitate; the moment he arrived, his rapier flashed four times in a single sweeping motion, fluid and merciless, and with that, another four bodies struck the ground, dead before they could even comprehend what was happening or register the inevitability of their demise.

Asher’s speed increased yet again, his figure blurring through the incoming numbers as he ignored them entirely, dismissing their presence as insignificant. Within a second, he arrived before the dart user, the tip of his blade already thrusting forward with manic force and unrestrained precision.

But surprisingly, the assailant dodged as though he had read Asher’s attack in advance. The movement was not frantic nor desperate, it was deliberate, calculated. Yet the moment he evaded, Asher followed as though he too had read the man, just as the man had seemingly read him, their motions intertwining in a silent contest of perception and prediction.

His rapier repositioned seamlessly as Virelass sang toward the man’s neck once more, the blade humming through the air with lethal elegance. But again, the man dodged as though he could see the future itself, his movement swift, economical, and disturbingly precise, leaving no wasted motion behind.

Asher’s purple eyes narrowed, ’is he seeing the future or what?’ he thought to himself.

Although the ability seemed far-fetched and absurdly overpowered, Asher did not put it past the man he was currently battling. Besides, even if the man possessed an ability like that, Asher had already guessed it would carry numerous restrictions and would likely be of a lower quality. If it were otherwise, the man would not be here, relegated to the role of expendable cannon fodder, thrown into chaos as a disposable pawn.

But just because someone could see the future did not mean they possessed the capacity to react to it. What was the point of glimpsing what was to come if one lacked the speed or strength to alter it? With that thought, Asher’s speed boomed violently as he shot forward like a released arrow.

The man’s eyes widened in shock behind his mask, the faint tremor of disbelief flashing through them, but Asher could not care less. His rapier slashed through the man’s forehead in a clean, merciless arc, tearing open his skull and ending whatever predictive advantage he might have possessed.

Asher did not spare him a glance. He was already gone. The moment he vanished from that spot, a spear tore into the ground where he had formerly stood, shattering stone and sending debris scattering outward. He appeared again a meter away, his rapier flashing in a silvery blur; another life was taken before its owner could even comprehend how death had arrived so abruptly.

Immediately, Asher sensed the flow of Astra energy being channeled into the earth beneath his feet. The shift in pressure was subtle yet unmistakable. He did not hesitate; he abandoned the man he was about to kill and leaped into the air. The instant he became airborne, massive earth spikes tore upward with cruel and violent motion, ripping through the ground like the fangs of a primordial beast.

Asher’s body twisted midair with unnatural grace as he adjusted his trajectory and landed in another position. The moment his feet kissed the earth, the ground beneath him exploded with catastrophic force, tearing everything within a several-meter radius into cinders and dust. The shockwave rippled outward, scattering sand and fractured stone in every direction.

The assailants’ eyes remained fixed on the location that had just exploded, anticipation flickering within them as they waited to see Asher’s corpse among the wreckage. But when the dust and smoke gradually cleared, nothing could be seen, no blood, no remains, no sign of him whatsoever.

"Where is that fucke—" one of them began to speak, his voice edged with frustration and disbelief. But before he could even finish his sentence, his head was cleanly separated from his body. It spun briefly through the air before his corpse collapsed to the ground with a dull, final thud.

Asher’s figure appeared within their midst yet again, as though reality itself had bent to accommodate his will. He had simply teleported out of the explosion’s range earlier, escaping before the destructive force could so much as graze him.

’I have to finish this early. I do not know how long the fight between that Rank 6 Emovira and the Wavestar Life Ranker will last,’ Asher thought as he blurred into motion once more. As he moved, his eyes focused on a few individuals standing at the rear, merely watching the cannon fodder die without the slightest intention of intervening.

Asher did not need anyone to tell him that these people possessed significant combat prowess. They had not joined the rest in their reckless charge toward death. Instead, they observed, calm, patient, calculating, watching both him and their expendable teammates. Each of them ranged from the Swiftstar Life Rank to the Firmstar Life Rank, their auras steady and restrained, betraying experience rather than panic. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

As Asher was deep in thought, the sand beneath his feet shifted unnaturally. From it, another assailant burst forth in an explosive surge of motion, their dagger slicing toward Asher’s neck with missile-like speed and surgical precision. But Asher possessed full 360-degree vision; there was no blind spot to exploit.

He simply dipped to the side with minimal effort, his rapier flashing upward from below in a singular, decisive arc that severed the assailant’s arm and neck in one fluid, merciless motion.

Before Asher could even blink, tens of compressed winds, condensed and sharpened to lethal density, shot out from the side like bullets. The air screamed as they tore through it. Asher did not hesitate. He blurred into motion, leaving phantom afterimages in his wake. The moment he dodged the first few, he accelerated further, his form shooting forward as he weaved between each attack with impossible finesse.

Within a breath, he arrived before the ability user responsible. Without ceremony, he thrust his rapier directly into the man’s heart, the blade piercing through flesh and bone before tearing out from the man’s back in a violent spray.

Asher did not pause. He withdrew Virelass smoothly and leaped into the air. His forefoot connected with the man’s temple before the corpse could collapse to the ground. With booming force, the body shot sideways under controlled impact, slamming into another assailant with the crushing momentum of a falling comet. Asher did not even need to check; the sheer violence of the collision ensured the other man’s immediate death.

Beneath his feet, shadow-like tentacles erupted from the ground, writhing upward toward the space above his head before intertwining as though seeking to seal him within a cage of darkness. Asher did not panic. With a single, almost casual swing of his rapier, the shadowy construct was torn apart as though it had been nothing more than fragile sand, dispersing into harmless wisps.

But before he could move again, another shadow snaked around him from behind, binding him in place by latching onto his own shadow. The connection was sudden and restrictive, momentarily anchoring him. Seizing the opportunity, another assailant capitalized instantly. Her spear tore through the air toward Asher’s forehead as she silently screamed, ’I’ve got you,’ within her mind, triumph surging through her veins.

But that was her final thought.

In the next instant, her perception of reality inverted violently. The world seemed to twist, her balance collapsing as her corpse struck the earth lifelessly. The Asher she had been attacking was already gone. A binding ability of that level was far too weak to restrain him. He had forcefully torn himself free through sheer physical strength alone, shattering the shadow’s hold as though it had never existed.