Gift

"Did I say you could leave?"

As Arkhan's sudden voice came, it sent a shiver down Tristan's spine as she instantly felt a rush of coldness piercing her heart.

She quickened her pace like a streak of crimson light, racing away outside the canyon.

However, as soon as she turned around the corner, she saw Arkhan standing not far ahead, his gaze cold and indifferent.

Tristan's face changed color and without hesitation, she changed direction and dashed toward another path.

The terrain of this canyon was intricate, and Tristan had never been here before, so she wasn't familiar with the paths. All she could think right now was getting away from that terrifying man as far as possible. As long as she could avoid him, it didn't matter which way she ran.

Yet, when she turned another corner, she saw Arkhan sitting calmly on a giant rock, his face serene as he watched her like a clown.

Tristan's expression shifted slightly and without pausing, she retraced her steps along the same path, searching for another way.

However, no matter which direction she fled, she always ended up facing the man waiting ahead, like an inescapable nightmare.

After half an hour of entanglement, Tristan finally despaired, realizing she couldn't shake off this man at all.

She realized that he was dead set on keeping her there.

"Must feel awful, being chased with no way out, huh?" Arkhan remarked, watching the breathless girl before him, his heart devoid of any pity.

No matter how sweet or lovely the girl might seem, to him, she was nothing but filthy and ugly.

"Bullying the weak, disregarding lives, selfish and cruel... I see nothing worthy of knighthood in you. Your inner self is far dirtier than your appearance, making someone like you a Knight of the Round Table is a complete insult to the Round Table's honor." Arkhan continued with a contemptuous tone.

Upon hearing that, Tristan gritted her teeth fiercely.

"Who do you think you are?! I'll do whatever I want, who are you to dictate to me?!"

"It doesn't matter who I am, what matters is I'm stronger than you, so I can do anything to you—just like what you did to those people..." Arkhan responded calmly, lifting Jizo Mitama, stepping closer to her. "Survival of the fittest, that's your law, right?"

"You don't understand what we're doing at all! Everything we do is for the future of humanity, for the future of this world!" Tristan screamed frantically.

"Don't make it sound so noble, you scum. No matter what kind of future, it shouldn't come at the cost of the present. Your king is far too arrogant."

Pitch-black flames spread along the blade of Jizo Mitama, bringing not heat but a bone-chilling cold that seemed to whisper deathly curses, ready to harvest lives at any moment.

Seeing the black flame, Tristan swallowed her saliva hard, involuntarily taking a step back.

"Even if you kill me, it won't matter. His Majesty's power is unstoppable, everything you do is futile!"

"No matter, at least I can give those you've harmed some peace of mind..." Arkhan paused, then continued. "As for your king, I'll personally correct his mistakes."

Suddenly, Tristan let out a sharp shriek as several black bone spurs quickly flew out from her back, each tip oozing a blood-like red, their power much greater than before.

Watching this, Arkhan's expression remained unchanged.

With a swift motion, Jizo Mitama descended, a black arc flashing through the air like a dark full moon.

*Whoosh—!*

Tristan's vision blurred, barely catching a glimpse of his movement before all the bone spurs were instantly severed, falling to the ground in a flurry.

For Arkhan, who possessed 'Eternal Arms Mastery', such an attack was nothing but child's play.

'No way, the difference in our power is too great...' Tristan's face turned as pale as paper, deepening her understanding of his immense power.

Facing such an enemy, unless the top few from the Round Table intervene, no number of people would be enough.

"No choice. Need to go all out..." Tristan decided, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes.

She straightened the fingers on her left arm and decisively slashed down toward her own right arm with her sharp nails.

*Splurt—!*

Her arm was severed, blood gushed out, her body staggered, and her beautiful face contorted with pain.

Seeing this unexpected scene, Arkhan furrowed his brows slightly.

'Why did this girl suddenly self-harm?'

However, just as he was thinking that, his right hand abruptly felt a strong numbness, his entire arm losing sensation as if it had been chopped off.

*Clang!*

Jizo Mitama dropped to the ground, its black flames slowly extinguishing.

Watching Arkhan's puzzled expression, Tristan's pale face revealed a smug smile.

"Hmph! How are you feeling? Feeling strange, can't sense your own right hand?"

Arkhan glanced at Tristan's severed hand on the ground and suddenly realized what had happened to him.

"I see... you shared your injuries with me, huh?"

As Tristan's right hand was severed, he also lost sensation in his right hand, clearly indicating a connection between them.

"Indeed, this is a Gift bestowed upon me by His Majesty, known as 'Domination'." Tristan grinned viciously. "Any injuries I suffer are transferred to others. The more severe my injury, the more severe theirs."

As the Knights of the Round Table, each member was bestowed with a different 'Gift' by the Lion King.

What Tristan received was a Gift called 'Domination'.

'Domination' allowed her to share injuries with her enemy, but the true power of this blessing lay in the long-distance killing.

As long as she had any part of her enemy's body, such as a nail or a strand of hair, she could turn it into her enemy's 'double' and kill them by killing this 'double'.

Moreover, this effect was not limited by distance; as long as the double existed, its main body would inevitably die.

However, from the beginning of the battle until now, Tristan hadn't even touched Arkhan once, so obviously, she couldn't obtain any of his body parts to be his double.

In her desperation, she could only use her own body as his double to achieve the effect of 'Domination'. Although she couldn't kill him since that meant she must commit suicide, at least she could harm him.

Tristan picked up her severed arm from the ground, attaching it to her empty right hand. With a flash of crimson light, her right arm reattached and returned to normal.

Yet, Arkhan's right hand still had no sensation, as if it didn't exist at all.

"Next, it's this hand's turn..." Tristan said cruelly, then proceeded to sever her left hand.

*Splurt—!*

Arkhan's left hand tingled strongly before his entire left arm lost sensation.

Now, both of his hands were useless.

Tristan picked up her left hand and gave it a little shake as she smirked at Arkhan.

"With no hands, what do you have to fight me with now?"

After saying that, she raised her right arm and pointed her finger toward him. Within a second, a blood-red energy blast burst forth from her fingertip, speeding toward him.

Arkhan bent down, stomped his foot, and whipped out his right leg like a whip, kicking the energy blast away!

*BOOM!*

The blood-red blast collided with a nearby boulder, smashing it into powder with a loud explosion-like noise.

"Even though I don't have hands, don't forget my feet are still here." Arkhan stated calmly, showing no panic whatsoever on his face.

For him, whether hands or feet, they could both be used as weapons.