Chapter 360: Abigor attacking!

CRASH!

A young man dressed in a black shirt slammed into the wooden wall of a nearby house.

THUD!

His body fell heavily to the ground, sending splinters flying from the damaged wall.

"Cough!"

Blood spilled from his mouth as he struggled to catch his breath.

His messy black hair clung to his sweaty forehead, while his dark gray eyes, almost indistinguishable from black, remained fixed on the figure standing before him.

"This wasn’t what I expected." Ken Takeane slowly pushed himself upright, tightening his grip on the katana in his left hand.

His breathing was ragged, and pain throbbed throughout his body. Nevertheless, he forced himself to stand straight.

He couldn’t afford to show weakness in front of this opponent.

After all, the man standing before him was no ordinary enemy.

Ken glanced at his surroundings.

This area had once been part of a peaceful elven residential district. However, the sudden burning of the World Tree had thrown the entire city into chaos. Most of the residents had already evacuated, leaving the streets eerily deserted.

Although the flames hadn’t directly attacked the citizens, the mere fact that their sacred World Tree was burning had triggered the highest level of emergency.

Nobody knew what might happen next.

And Ken had chosen precisely this moment to sneak away from the resort where the Novaris Academy students were staying.

Unfortunately, someone had been waiting for him.

He stood approximately 190 centimeters tall, with a powerful, muscular build. Burgundy hair fell around his face, while two horns protruded from his forehead, unmistakably identifying him as a demon.

His violet eyes possessed narrow, vertical pupils, and a dark brown steel armor covered his body.

Ken recognized him immediately. "I didn’t expect you to be here, Abigor."

The demon chuckled. But then his expression quickly turned vicious. "You thought you could kill Estrie, steal the Eye of the Nameless, and simply walk away?"

Abigor extended his hand toward Ken. "Give it back!"

Ken looked at the outstretched hand before raising his gaze to meet Abigor’s eyes. Then, despite his injuries, he smirked.

"Nope."

BOOM!

Abigor’s mana erupted.

"YOU LITTLE—!"

He thrust his open palm forward. In an instant, an invisible force seized Ken’s body.

"Argh!"

Ken’s feet left the ground as he was violently pulled toward Abigor.

The surrounding air distorted, and loose stones began sliding across the street toward the demon.

Ken immediately recognized the sensation. "What an annoying power!"

Abigor possessed a Gravity Affinity, allowing him to manipulate gravitational forces through various spells. He could increase the weight of his opponents, distort their movements, or pull them toward himself with overwhelming force.

Against an ordinary swordsman, such an ability could make approaching him nearly impossible.

Unfortunately for Abigor, Ken wasn’t an ordinary swordsman.

"Tch! Your powers really are annoying!"

Even as his body flew through the air, Ken remained composed.

His left hand held the scabbard of his katana, while his right hand rested firmly on the hilt.

He took a controlled breath. His shoulders relaxed. His gaze narrowed.

For a fleeting moment, the pain in his body seemed to disappear from his awareness.

Abigor immediately noticed the change.

’Don’t tell me—’

"Dammit!"

He tried to react, but Ken was already moving.

[Tenchi Style: First Form — Quick Severance]

CLICK.

The sound of a blade sliding back into its scabbard rang through the street.

It was an almost insignificant sound.

Yet, at the very same instant, an impossibly fast slash swept toward Abigor.

The demon barely managed to shift his head.

SHING!

Two small objects spun through the air.

The tips of Abigor’s horns.

"ARGHH!"

It was painful as he released Ken from his gravitational pull.

Ken landed lightly on his feet.

Before Abigor could recover, he dashed sideways, circling the demon with his katana held low.

He had no intention of allowing his opponent to regain control of the battle.

’That was close.’

Ken’s expression remained calm, but his thoughts were anything but.

He had managed to injure Abigor, yet the attack hadn’t been enough to inflict serious damage.

Worse, the technique had consumed a considerable amount of mana.

’One clean strike might be enough to turn this around. But if I miss again, I’m in trouble.’

Abigor touched the cut horns at the tip. He remained silent.

Then his face twisted with fury. "You... actually dare to cut my horns?"

His violet eyes blazed. "I’LL RIP YOU APART!"

BOOOOOOM!

The ground beneath Abigor’s feet cracked.

An overwhelming wave of mana spread throughout the street, causing the remaining wooden structures to creak under the pressure.

Ken immediately stopped moving. His instincts screamed at him. Something was coming.

[Gravity Field]

Abigor slammed his palm downward.

RUMBLE!

The gravitational force surrounding the street changed abruptly.

Ken felt his body grow several times heavier.

His knees nearly buckled as the immense pressure pressed him toward the ground. Cracks spread beneath his boots, and the stones around him sank under the increased force.

’Damn it!’

He poured mana into his legs, forcing himself to remain upright.

Abigor grinned.

"How does it feel, little swordsman? Your precious sword won’t help you if you can’t even move!"

He raised his other hand.

Several chunks of stone ripped free from the street and floated into the air.

"Now, let’s see how you handle this!"

With a flick of his wrist, the stones shot toward Ken.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Ken’s eyes sharpened.

He couldn’t evade them through ordinary movement. The gravitational field was restricting his body, making every step feel like he was dragging a mountain behind him.

So he didn’t try to dodge. Instead, he swung his katana.

CLANG! CRACK!

The first stone split in half. Ken twisted his wrist, redirecting the blade to intercept the second.

The third came from his blind spot.

He barely turned in time, deflecting it with the flat of his sword.

BOOM!

The impact forced him backward.

Pain shot through his arms. Before he could regain his balance, Abigor raised his hand again. Another magic circle formed.

[Gravity Compression]

The invisible pressure around Ken suddenly intensified.

CRACK!

The ground beneath his feet shattered.Ken dropped to one knee, his teeth clenched as the increased gravity crushed down on his body.

His muscles trembled. His injured ribs screamed in protest as I they were slowly breaking inside.