Chapter 361: Skill alone won’t save

Abigor walked toward him. He glanced at the katana in Ken’s hand.

"Your swordsmanship is far better than I expected. That first attack nearly took my head off."

His smile turned cruel. "But skill alone won’t save you."

Abigor lifted his palm. "Especially when you’re fighting someone on an entirely different level."

A violent gravitational force dragged Ken forward.

However, the moment his body began moving, Ken’s eyes flashed.

He had been waiting for this.

Rather than resisting the pull, he allowed it to accelerate him toward Abigor.

His right hand tightened around the katana’s hilt. His left hand steadied the scabbard.

He drew in a breath. ’If he wants to bring me closer, I’ll use that momentum.’

[Tenchi Style: Second Form — Crescent Severance]

Ken swung his katana in a sweeping horizontal arc. The blade traced a curved path through the air, resembling a crescent moon.

At first, the slash seemed aimed directly at Abigor’s chest.

The demon immediately raised his arm to defend himself. But halfway through the movement, Ken adjusted the angle of his blade.

Without losing speed, the sword’s trajectory shifted.

The crescent-shaped slash curved around Abigor’s raised arm, slipping past his defense and turning toward his exposed neck.

Abigor’s pupils contracted.

’What?!’

He immediately twisted his body and attempted to increase the gravitational force around Ken’s sword.

The blade slowed. But it didn’t stop.

SHING!

A shallow cut appeared across Abigor’s shoulder.

Blood sprayed into the air.

Ken’s eyes gleamed. ’Got him!’

Then Abigor smiled. "Not bad."

His free hand snapped toward Ken.

"But you’re still too slow! Tell me where is that object and I will give you a painless death."

BOOOOOOM!

The gravity surrounding Ken’s body suddenly reversed direction. Instead of pulling him toward Abigor, it violently repelled him.

Ken’s eyes widened. He had no time to adjust his stance. The force struck him squarely in the chest.

CRACK!

"GHAAH!"

His body flew backward like a cannonball. He crashed through the wooden wall of another house before slamming into a thick support beam.

The entire structure shuddered.

Crack!

A sound of something breaking came out from Ken’s body, intense pain shot through his ribs.

Ken fell to the floor amid broken planks and dust.His katana remained in his hand, but his fingers had gone numb from the impact.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, head pounding and eyes blurry.

’Shit...’

He tried to rise. His arms trembled.

His chest felt as though it had been crushed by a giant hammer, and every breath sent sharp pain through his ribs.

He had landed a second attack on Abigor.

Yet, in exchange, he had suffered a devastating counterattack.

Outside, footsteps approached through the rubble.

Abigor’s voice echoed through the damaged house.

"But there’s a difference between being talented and being strong enough to kill me."

Ken forced himself to look up.

Abigor stood in the ruined doorway, brushing dust from his dark brown armor. Blood still trickled from his shoulder, and the tips of his horns were missing.

His expression, however, showed no sign of fear.

Only anger. "You killed Estrie. You stole the Eye of the Nameless. And now you’ve made me feel pain twice."

His violet eyes narrowed."I was planning to take you alive."

He raised his hand.

"But I’ve changed my mind. I will torture you here and make you spill out everything!!"

The mana surrounding him surged once more.

Ken’s expression hardened.

He tried to push himself upright, but his injured body refused to cooperate immediately.

’He’s stronger than me... he’s at refined core high... or maybe mythril low?’

There was no point denying it.

Ken’s swordsmanship had allowed him to threaten Abigor despite the difference in their abilities. His first form had nearly struck a decisive blow, while his second form had bypassed the demon’s defense and drawn blood.

Abigor was someone who fought more with magic than weapon and physically.

He also possessed far greater reserves of mana, overwhelming physical strength, and an affinity that could suppress Ken’s movements.

Every exchange was becoming more dangerous.

And Ken was running out of strength.

Just as Abigor was about to deliver another attack.

His instincts screamed.

Abigor immediately turned toward the source of the light, only to see an enormous vertical slash of golden energy hurtling toward him. The attack seemed capable of cutting through everything in its path, threatening to reduce him to nothing if it landed.

"Shit!"

Without hesitation, Abigor kicked off the ground and lunged several meters backward.

The golden slash swept past the spot where he had been standing a moment earlier before crashing into a nearby tree.

BOOOOOOM!!

The massive tree exploded into splinters, its trunk cleaved apart by the devastating attack.

Abigor landed several meters away, his expression darkening as he turned toward the attacker.

A young man stood there, holding a sword in both hands. He had messy black hair, a strong build, and striking hazel eyes. Golden light enveloped his blade, radiating a powerful aura that made it clear he wasn’t an ordinary student.

Abigor narrowed his violet eyes.

"Who are you?"

Although he maintained his composure, his body had grown slightly tense.

The young man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at Abigor before shifting his gaze toward the injured swordsman struggling to stand nearby.

"Just a student who came looking for a lost friend."

It was Damien Ashworth.

His eyes settled on Ken, taking in his battered condition. Blood stained Ken’s clothes, his breathing was ragged, and he could barely remain standing.

Damien’s expression grew serious. "Are you okay, Ken?"

He began walking toward his friend.

However, before he could take more than a few steps, an invisible force seized his body.

"Huh?"

Damien’s eyes widened as his feet suddenly left the ground.

WHOOSH!

His body was dragged through the air toward Abigor.

"Wh-what the hell?!"

Caught completely off guard, Damien struggled against the strange force pulling him forward.

Abigor’s lips curled into a cruel smile.

"Another fool who wants to die?"

But before Damien could reach him, a thin blue streak suddenly appeared in the air.

It shot toward Abigor’s forehead with astonishing speed.

The attack came so suddenly that even Abigor barely had time to react.

His instincts took over. He tilted his head sharply to the side.

WHOOSH!

The arrow passed dangerously close to his cheek before crashing into the wooden house behind him.

BOOM!!

The impact blew apart a section of the wall, sending wooden fragments scattering across the street.

Abigor’s concentration faltered for an instant.

That was all Damien needed. The gravitational force holding him weakened, and he dropped to the ground.

THUD!

He landed on his feet, staggering slightly before quickly regaining his balance.

Abigor’s expression twisted with irritation.

"Now, who’s up there?!"

His gaze shot toward the tall tree beside the ruined house.

A woman stood on one of its thick branches, looking down at him with glowing yellow eyes. She held a bow in her hands, her posture steady and composed despite the chaos below.

The arrow she had just fired had been aimed directly at Abigor’s forehead.

She had missed only because he had reacted in time.

Abigor stared at her, his violet eyes narrowing.

And judging by the precision and speed of that arrow, this one wasn’t someone he could afford to ignore.

The woman remained silent, calmly keeping her bow trained on him.

Below, Damien tightened his grip on his golden-lit sword while Ken struggled to steady himself.

Abigor had intended to finish off a wounded swordsman.

Instead, he had suddenly found himself facing three opponents.