The battlefield shook violently beneath the relentless clashes. Dust, broken branches, and chunks of earth filled the air as trees crashed to the ground. Every collision sent another shockwave racing through the forest, tearing through the surrounding vegetation.
Yet Anos, the leader of the Five, remained completely still.
With his hands tucked into his pockets, he watched the destruction unfolding before him. Not even a speck of dust touched his robes, and the powerful shockwaves failed to move him an inch.
"I can see why you managed to defeat Alaska," Anos remarked, his voice carrying effortlessly through the chaos. "You're worthy of being called that man's disciple. The one everyone knows as the Unknown."
His gaze settled on Miyamoto.
"Your Renshi has been drained by your previous battle with Alaska, yet you're still holding your own. Impressive."
Behind him, two of his subordinates maintained glowing Renshi barriers to shield themselves from the flying debris. Their attention remained fixed on Miyamoto and the two men attacking him.
Miyamoto stood several meters away, breathing heavily. His arms ached from blocking the relentless assault, and sweat trickled down his face. Despite his exhaustion, he maintained a firm grip on his swords.
He couldn't keep fighting them this way.
"Art of Mojito... Second Connection, Unlimited Blades."
The air trembled.
Countless ethereal swords materialised above the battlefield, their sharp edges catching the faint moonlight. Miyamoto thrust his hand forward, sending the entire formation hurtling toward the two Avengers.
Both men activated Switch Mode, shifting positions to evade the first wave. But the swords continued pursuing them, forcing them to draw their weapons and deflect the incoming attacks.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
Sparks erupted as steel met steel. One blade slipped past an attacker's guard and cut into his shoulder, while another struck the ground beside him with enough force to split the earth.
"Damn it. These things don't stop!"
He barely managed to deflect another sword.
His partner spun around, cutting through three incoming blades before a fourth sliced through his cloak.
Miyamoto clenched his fist, controlling the remaining swords and redirecting them toward the two men from different angles.
Anos watched from behind them, showing no concern.
"Enough playing around. Finish this."
"Alright, alright. Understood."
One of the Avengers vanished with Switch Mode.
Miyamoto's eyes widened as the man reappeared directly in front of him, his sword already swinging toward his neck.
"Ding-dong."
"Tch."
Miyamoto twisted at the last moment. The blade missed his neck by a fraction, cutting through several strands of his hair.
Before he could counter, his opponent attacked again.
The man's sword moved with frightening speed, targeting Miyamoto's throat, chest, and arms in rapid succession. Miyamoto barely managed to block each strike. Every collision sent painful vibrations through his already aching hands.
Then the second attacker joined in.
He appeared on Miyamoto's opposite side and brought his sword down with overwhelming force.
BOOM.
Miyamoto caught the strike with both blades, but the impact drove him several steps backward. Before he could regain his footing, the first attacker closed in again, forcing him to turn and defend.
The two men had him caught between them.
One relied on precise, rapid strikes, giving Miyamoto no opportunity to recover. The other used his superior strength to overpower his guard, forcing him backward whenever their swords collided.
Miyamoto attempted to escape with Switch Mode, but the first man followed almost immediately while the second blocked his path.
Every attempt to create distance ended with another blade threatening his throat.
"Anos told us to finish this quickly," the stronger attacker growled. "We don't need to hold back anymore."
Miyamoto blocked another heavy strike, his boots digging into the soil.
Damn it. I'm running out of strength.
His arms trembled as he forced the enemy's sword away.
I used too much of my Renshi fighting Alaska. My body hasn't recovered yet.
His gaze shifted toward Anos.
The leader hadn't moved from his original position.
If I fall here, who will protect Master's children?
Miyamoto's expression hardened.
I won't let these bastards get anywhere near them. I know they have other objectives. There's no reason to send five people after me if all they want is to capture me.
He suddenly activated Switch Mode, disappearing from between the two attackers and reappearing several meters away.
The Avengers turned toward him, preparing to resume their assault.
But Miyamoto had stopped retreating.
His Renshi surged around his body, growing brighter and more intense with every passing second. The pressure spread through the forest, bending branches and sending loose stones rolling across the ground.
The two attackers paused.
Miyamoto slowly raised his head.
"I've already wasted most of my strength fighting Alaska. My body is barely holding up, and I know I can't win a prolonged battle against all of you."
His aura flared.
"But if protecting my master's children costs me my life, then so be it."
He thrust both palms toward the ground.
"Bloodline Technique, Range Domain."
BOOOOOOM.
The earth erupted.
An enormous section of the forest was torn apart. Trees were ripped from their roots, boulders shattered, and deep trenches spread across the battlefield. Countless fragments of earth rose into the air, suspended by Miyamoto's Renshi.
The ground beneath the Avengers continued cracking as the destructive pressure intensified.
The four subordinates immediately retreated, their expressions changing as they sensed the dangerous energy gathering around them.
For the first time, Anos narrowed his eyes.
"Both of you, retreat."
The two attackers obeyed without hesitation. They activated Switch Mode, escaping Miyamoto's immediate range before reappearing beside their leader.
They had sensed the murderous intent radiating from the floating fragments.
Anos studied the countless pieces of earth circling above the battlefield.
"I didn't expect him to have this much Renshi left after fighting Alaska," he muttered. "This man is more troublesome than I thought."
Miyamoto paid no attention to him.
He raised one hand, directing his Renshi toward the suspended fragments.
"Phase Two of the Chronicles, Unlimited Flames."
The fragments on one side suddenly burst into flames. Fire spread across their surfaces, transforming the chunks of earth into blazing projectiles.
Miyamoto raised his other hand.
"Phase Three of the Chronicles, Unlimited Ice."
The remaining fragments froze instantly. Thick layers of ice covered their surfaces, while sharp crystals formed along their edges.
The battlefield was now surrounded by two opposing forces: one burning with intense heat, the other radiating freezing cold.
Miyamoto brought his hands together.
With a sharp movement of his arms, he sent the fragments flying toward the Five.
The burning projectiles charged from the front, while the ice-covered ones descended from above and attacked from the sides. The Avengers scattered, using Switch Mode to avoid being caught between the two waves.
One of the men raised a Renshi barrier just as a blazing boulder crashed into it.
BOOM.
The barrier cracked, and the impact threw him backward. Before he could recover, an ice-covered fragment smashed into the ground beside him, sending sharp pieces of stone flying toward his face.
He barely managed to raise an arm to protect himself.
"Damn it. He's controlling all of them at once!"
Another attacker tried cutting through the incoming projectiles, but their sheer number forced him to abandon his position. Every time he destroyed one fragment, three more came rushing toward him.
The forest had become a battlefield of fire, ice, and shattered earth.
Anos, however, remained untouched.
His Renshi aura surrounded him like an invisible shield, deflecting any projectiles that came too close. Whenever a fragment threatened to strike him directly, he used Switch Mode to move out of its path.
Miyamoto watched him through the storm of destruction.
He's still not taking this seriously.
His breathing grew heavier.
The others are struggling to defend themselves, but that man keeps avoiding every attack without even taking a step.
Miyamoto clenched his teeth.
"Then I'll make sure you have no choice but to move."
He spread his arms wide.
"Phase Four of the Chronicles, Elements Manipulation."
The floating fragments abruptly changed direction.
Rather than charging toward Anos in a single wave, they began spinning around the battlefield at different angles. Their paths overlapped, turning the clearing into a maze of blazing rocks and frozen blades.
Miyamoto swept his arms forward.
The fragments rushed toward Anos from every direction.
For the first time, the leader was forced to change positions repeatedly. He used Switch Mode to evade a burning boulder, only to reappear directly in the path of several ice-covered fragments.
He shifted again.
A massive rock grazed his shoulder, tearing a small hole in his robe.
Anos landed several meters away and glanced down at the damaged fabric.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So you managed to touch me."
Miyamoto's eyes widened slightly.
That was barely a scratch. He still looks completely relaxed.
His body was beginning to give out. His breathing had become uneven, and controlling so many fragments was placing an enormous strain on his remaining Renshi.
But he couldn't stop now.
"HELL NO!"
His voice echoed through the ruined forest.
He raised both arms, forcing every remaining fragment into the sky. Fire and ice gathered overhead, forming a massive, rotating mass of destructive energy above the Five.
The four subordinates looked up in alarm.
"Get out of here..."
They activated Switch Mode, desperately trying to escape the area beneath the gathering fragments.
Anos glanced toward the sky before looking back at Miyamoto.
"So you're going to destroy the entire place just to stop us?"
Miyamoto's face twisted with exhaustion.
"If that's what it takes!"
He slammed both palms toward the ground.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire mass descended.
Fire and ice crashed into the battlefield in a devastating storm. Explosions tore through the forest, swallowing trees and reducing boulders to dust. The ground split apart, forming deep craters as wave after wave of destruction swept across the clearing.
The intense heat sent clouds of steam rising into the night, while the ice-covered fragments shattered against the earth, scattering sharp crystals in every direction.
The four subordinates struggled to survive the assault.
One man's Renshi barrier finally shattered under the repeated impacts. He immediately used Switch Mode to escape before a blazing fragment struck his position. Another was thrown off balance by an explosion and crashed into the ground, narrowly avoiding the next wave by teleporting away.
Even their combined efforts weren't enough to bring the storm under control.
Anos continued moving through the destruction with frightening precision.
He evaded the falling fragments by the smallest margins, never wasting a movement. His aura deflected the smaller debris, while Switch Mode carried him away from the larger attacks.
Miyamoto stared at him, sweat pouring down his face.
What the hell is this man? I've unleashed everything I have, and he's still standing.
His knees began to tremble.
I can't keep this up much longer.
Then Anos's expression changed.
His eyes shifted toward the distant horizon, where the destruction was beginning to spread beyond the forest.
"This has gone on long enough. We're attracting too much attention."
Before Miyamoto could react, Anos vanished.
Miyamoto's instincts screamed.
He tried activating Switch Mode, but his exhausted body responded a fraction of a second too slowly.
Anos appeared directly in front of him.
"Wha..."
Anos drove his fist toward Miyamoto's stomach.
Miyamoto immediately raised a Renshi barrier.
CRACK.
The barrier formed just in time, stopping Anos's fist inches from his body. Cracks spread across its surface as the force behind the blow threatened to break through.
Anos glanced at it, looking mildly impressed.
"Not bad."
Then his other fist moved.
This time, it was wrapped in densely concentrated Renshi.
Miyamoto barely managed to turn his body before the punch connected.
CRAAACK!
The barrier shattered.
Anos's fist slammed into Miyamoto's stomach, releasing a shockwave that sent him flying across the battlefield.
He crashed through one tree after another, each impact tearing at his already battered body. His swords slipped from his hands as he smashed through a rocky slope, breaking apart the cliff face before finally hitting the ground.
The earth beneath him cratered.
Miyamoto rolled across the dirt, coughing as he struggled to breathe. Pain surged through his entire body, and his vision blurred as he tried to push himself up.
But his arms refused to cooperate.
He could only lie there, staring at the night sky.
The destruction had carried him dangerously close to the border of the Kingdom of Eminence.
Several seconds later, Anos appeared at the edge of the crater.
He looked down at the battered swordsman before glancing toward the distant kingdom.
"We're getting too close to Eminence," he said quietly.
His gaze returned to Miyamoto.
"I think it's time you came back with us."