Ricky barely registered the blur before Jared was upon him. The Dragonslayer Sword gleamed in Jared’s hands, its lethal arc already driving toward Ricky’s chest.
Instinct took over as Ricky raised his blade in a desperate defense, but the sheer power behind Jared’s strike was unrelenting.
Spurt!
A heartbeat later, Jared’s blade punched through his guard, piercing his chest with ruthless precision. A crimson torrent erupted, staining the ground as Ricky staggered back.
His eyes widened, a cocktail of shock and disbelief twisting his features.
Jared stepped closer, withdrawing the Dragonslayer Sword in a fluid, almost casual motion. “I warned you,” he said, his voice like steel on stone. “But you had to court disaster.”
Lying on the ground, Niel watched the scene unfolding before his eyes. When he saw Ricky pierced through by Jared’s sword, he was utterly devastated.
He had initially believed he was spared from death, that he had been saved. But now, he found himself devoid of hope. Even if Ricky could have managed just a few moves against Jared, it might have bought enough time for his brother to rescue him. But Ricky was taken down in just two moves-slaughtered as easily as a chick.
The arcane array set up by Ricky and the other guards, something they had invested heavily in and cultivated through countless nights, had failed to withstand even a single strike from Jared’s sword.
“I was wrong! Please, don’t kill me… I beg you…” Ricky gasped, fresh blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes brimming with regret and despair.
Though he had witnessed Jared’s fight with Claude and knew Jared was no pushover, he had never imagined him to be this overwhelmingly strong. Even the prison’s painstakingly cultivated arcane array had been broken so effortlessly. If he had known, he would never have gone after Jared.
All he would have to face was punishment for letting Jared escape from the prison. Compared to losing his life, punishment was a trivial matter.
Jared watched Ricky as he admitted his mistake. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and a cruel smile spread across his face.
“I could spare your life, but you must do something for me,” Jared said, his tone sharp and unforgiving.
“What’s the matter?” Ricky asked cautiously.
Jared drew his Dragonslayer Sword, its edge gleaming menacingly, and pointed it at Niel, who lay helpless on the ground. “If you kill him, I’ll let you go.”
“But…” Ricky hesitated, his face clouded with uncertainty.
“You have three seconds to decide,” Jared said coldly. “Either you die, or he does.”
Ricky could feel the suffocating weight of Jared’s murderous intent. Trembling, he gripped his sword and began advancing toward Niel, his steps slow but deliberate.
“Apologies, Mr. Niel,” Ricky said regretfully, his voice tinged with sorrow. “But it seems you won’t make it anyway. I hope you can understand my predicament. After all, I have an elderly mother to care for and a child to raise.” As he spoke, he looked at Niel with a helpless expression.
“Ricky, do you understand the consequences if you kill me?” Niel’s voice trembled with fear and fury, a desperate edge sharpening his words. “My father will annihilate your entire family! He won’t rest until your entire lineage is wiped out!”
Niel hadn’t imagined Jared would go so far as to incite Ricky to kill him. It was a cruel and cunning ploy.
“That’s a problem for the future,” Ricky muttered, his tone resigned. “Right now, I need to focus on staying alive. I’m sorry…”
Without waiting another moment, Ricky tightened his grip on the long sword and swung it down toward Niel with grim determination.
Clang!
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing sound rang out. A beam of white light struck Ricky’s sword, cleaving it cleanly in two. The force of the blow sent Ricky stumbling backward several steps.
In the next instant, a man bearing a striking resemblance to Niel appeared, moving at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, he was standing before them.
“Teegan…” Niel’s voice broke as he recognized the newcomer. Tears streamed down his face. It was Teegan, his elder brother, who had come to his rescue.
Teegan’s long hair fluttered in the wind, his entire presence suffused with a mist-like spiritual energy. The long sword strapped to his back further emphasized the aura of a true swordsman. From the powerful energy radiating from him, it was clear Teegan had reached Ultimate Realm Level Five.
As his gaze fell on Niel’s pitiful state, a faint frown crossed Teegan’s face. His eyes then shifted toward Ricky, cold and piercing.
Under Teegan’s intense glare, Ricky’s body trembled. Desperately, he tried to explain, “Mr. Teegan, I…”
Whoosh!
But before he could finish, a streak of white light flashed. Teegan had moved-swift and decisive. His sword struck with unerring precision, slicing Ricky in two. The man fell lifeless to the ground, dead as a doornail.
The sword on Teegan’s back seemed as if it hadn’t moved at all. His speed was so swift that most onlookers couldn’t even register the strike.
