Town Competition (12)

Khoru urged his machetes forward, threatening the young man's life. The young man put his hands up and dropped his small dagger as he said, "Fine. I'll tell you, just please don't take my life. That guy, Ao Zong, is from Dark Moon Town and is apart of Fiendish Sect! He's killing people!"

The young man's words penetrated Khoru's ears like sharp daggers.

...

"Hey, old man, is this true? Did you let some troublemaker from a fiendish sect into our competition?!" The annoyed voice of a man erupted outside of the stadium. He glared at an old man standing next to the man who initiated the competition.

"'Tis but a child. What's the worst that can happen? Yang Hu, take care of that child." The old man's voice and tone was carefree at first, but it became stern at the end. His eyes that were covered by his saggy eyelids peered into the stadium, right at Ao Zong.

"Yes, Supreme Elder Sheng Mung." Yang Hu said with his hands atop each other. A moment later, he disappeared.

...

"Hahahaha! Why don't you stop running, there's nothing to be afraid of! With my secret blood art and Martial Spirit, I'll give you a painless death!" Ao Zong's radical words sent shivers down the spines of everyone near him.

A few bodies lay on the ground with vicious wounds decorating them, like horrid Christmas trees with vile ornaments. Blood flowed from numerous bodies until connecting together to form a river. Ao Zong ignored the torches and went straight for the other competitors.

Unfortunately, his reign of terror was brought to an abrupt end when Yang Hu appeared. Ao Zong showed a confused expression before he suddenly realized that it was the man that expanded the stadium.

"A-Ah! B-Back away from m-" Before he could finish his words, Ao Zong was gripped by the head and brought to the ground so quickly that he didn't even know it happened until a moment later. His surroundings changed suddenly and he heard the voice of the supreme elder say, "You've been disqualified. Return from whence you came."

The supreme elder's words seem to carry the power of heaven and earth when they exited his mouth. Ao Zong's surroundings changed once more and familiar scenery appeared all around him.

"This is...Dark Moon Town?"

...

Khoru exited the cave bravely and then the forest, looking for Ao Zong who the young man claimed to have been lurking around, viciously hunting people. Unfortunately, all he discovered was a pile of bodies.

"Huh?" Where did he go? Was he really here or did these people fall to a trap?" Khoru didn't know what to believe. Luckily, all of the torches around the bodies remained there, so Khoru happily picked them up.

The number on his medallion changed 7 more times before the light dimmed once more. After that, he went back into the cave to find the young man from before. Contrary to Khoru's expectations, the young man remained where he was.

"W-Where's Ao Zong? And how are you still alive?" The young man was confused, expecting Khoru to have been slain in battle against Ao Zong. He observed Ao Zong's secret blood technique first-hand.

It was truly terrifying.

"How did you survive against Ao Zong's blood technique? It converts blood into power and can even initiate a blood transformation!" The young man refused to believe that Khoru managed to repel Ao Zong, even after watching his match.

"No, I didn't even encounter him. All I discovered was a mound of corpses. Care to explain?" Khoru responded with his machete's pointed towards the young man.

"He really was there when I came here! I promise!" The young man pleaded with his hands in the air. Khoru ignored the young man after a while and left the cave again. He proceeded through the forest this time, in search of torches.

After a while, Khoru encountered a normal person. They had simple black hair and black eyes, and they were using a small mace to chop down weeds and trees.

'Let's see how many credits I can milk from you.' Khoru thought as he ran through the forest with quieted footsteps.

'If I had a movement technique, I wouldn't make any sound.' He rushed through the trees and brandished his swords. The young man's hair stood up when he felt the presence of something dangerous behind him.

Contrary to Khoru's expectations, the young man dodged the attack almost instantly. Khoru looked around with a confused expression, trying to figure out what happened.

'Is he using a movement technique? Or is he just that fast?' Depending on the answer to Khoru's expression, the fight would be rather troublesome.

"Who are you?" The young man said with a cautious expression. He twirled his mace around as he slowly backed away.

Khoru didn't answer his question, and instead asked one, "How did you dodge my attack? If you tell me then I'll reveal my identity." Khoru wasn't too fond of killing random people with no reason, much less attacking them. But he couldn't trust anyone during the battle royale.

The young man's expression turned solemn and he didn't respond. All that came from his mouth was a quiet 'Hmph' and he completely disappeared. Khoru's pupils shrank and he suddenly slashed his swords forward.

They immediately clashed with something. Khoru looked in surprise at the young man that appeared directly in front of his swords, clashing against them with his mace.

"Give me your torches, and I'll let you go." The young man said. He jumped and swung his mace around with a threatening gaze.

A cold glint flashed in Khoru's eyes as he walked forward slowly. "You actually threatened me? Even though I don't know you, I have no choice but to hurt you now." Khoru rushed forward and activated his low devil aura for a split second, appeared behind the young man in an instant.

"Wha–" The young man shrieked in surprised as he felt Khoru's sword coming at him with terrifying speed. He jumped forward and appeared a few meters away from Khoru. Just as he turned to locate Khoru, he noticed that he was already gone.

"Where did he g–?!" The young man was dumbstruck when he felt Khoru's presence behind him again. The young man gritted his teeth as Khoru's swords pierced through his arms.