Lord Shadow

That night seems awfully long and the storms instead of abating, rages even more.

Thunders fills the sky and lightning illuminated the dark night sky while heavy rain pour down on the mountain.

He was about to once again try to take his nap when his eyes widened. He sighed.

‘It seems that even when I am not searching for trouble, trouble looking for me’ he said to himself.

But there is an unmistakable trace of excitement in his tone

He never interacted with anyone for the four year of his life in this world. If one could consider trying to talk with the birds as conversation, then Azief could be considered to be talking a lot.

Tonight, while it also seems troublesome for him, he also felt that it is slightly different from his usual routine.

And while he is excited for something different, it did not make him forget that this could prove to be a chance for him to ascertain the level of power of the people of this world.

The reason he sighed is none other than because he could hear and felt that the battle is approaching his cave.

‘Hmm. This is not good’ he said to himself.

Instead of taking a nap like he planned, he looks through the gaps of the stones that hide his part of the cave from the cave exterior area.

From the gaps he could see a young man with long black hair wearing a flowing white robe is fighting three people dressed in black robe and had their lower half of their faces covered with black cloth.

The young man that is fighting these three people in black robed clothing had his entire robe drenched with red blood and blood and mud mixed to muddy his face.

There are also a few scratches on his arms and his thighs.

His face is full of anguish and he gritted his teeth as he defends himself from the assault of three people.

They all used swords as they deflect, parry, stabbed and hack each other.

The young man while his moves are not exactly lethal, amazingly enough it is able to deflect the huge saber coming toward his neck with a simple thud.

But for some reason Azief felt that there is something wrong with the move of that young man. Like something is not right with the flow of his swordsmanship

‘Too rigid’ He thought to himself, his eyes seem to be shining with golden light.

Then he saw how evade another attack and Azief clicked his tongue.

He should have use the force of the attack to force his sword to move, removing the excess move and connect it with his previous move which could have injured the other one on his back. Rigid’ he said it again, this time shaking his head.

The young man is an accomplished swordsman but his move is too rigid. It was like he is following some manual, moving exactly as the manual wrote

There is no adaptation on his move.

Just because one wields a sword, does not mean one could not use other part of the body. There is no such rule

There is the leg, the hand and even the forehead.

Rigid and unadaptable.

Azief was burned by the Purifying Fire and his body also have the Tribulation Thunder and the essence of the Extermination Thunder

With each purification it helps him to comprehend laws and even seeing sword moves he saw for the first time, he could deduce the kind of swordsmanship and the level of their swordsmanship with a glance

There is also the fact that he used to be Sword God in Azul Trials. It is incredible that he could deduce it only by looking at a glance and through the gaps of the stones.

If they fight I fort of him, there is no doubt that he could analyze all their sword moves and would find a counter to their moves.

Azief then focused on the other three people assaulting the young man

The three people all wear black clothes and they have the symbol of the sun sewn on their attire around their chest area.

They fought like they were the wind, their moves are lethal and design to kill. Azief could even see that three of those people, who wear all black all had red blood dripping from their sword

But if there is something that he could praise those three people, their moves while lethal and cruel, it is adaptable.

It is clear that the young man in the white robe level of swordsmanship is higher than those three but the three people adapt to the situation using the area and terrain to their advantage.

They attack from the bottom, from the top, from the side and used unconventional method to try to kill the young man.

Their slashes are fast and unpredictable, flying freely like the unconstrained wind. Like water that is being pushed by a powerful current their blades and sabers flows naturally.

They knew when to advance and when to retreat, when to defend and when to attack. Azief eyes analyze each movement and their footwork.

Of course it is not easy trying to see from the gaps of the stones but Azief now at least had a little understanding of this world martial arts.

Yes, they are practicing martial arts. Their slashes while is terrifying have no concept of Laws and essences of the Universe.

They fought and attack with the sound of wind being cut apart and the thunders roaring accompanying their dance of swords and sabers.

Azief then notices something. He sighed.

One of three people that attack the young man find an opening when the young man tries to hack the neck of one of those three with a sword move.

Like before Azief could see while the sword attack is refined and elegant, it is just that. What use of flourishing technique if it is not practical?

Azief is surprised that this young man has escaped death for so long.

His sword has intention, and as such, it could be countered.

His feet move and his wrist moves and so it could be countered.

The mind thinks a direction, the feet moves, the hand slashes and as such it could be countered.

His sword flows but like a wind being obstructed by a large boulder it is hindered by unnecessary force.

The force that could be released is even more than this but the sword on that young man hand is as useless as a stick

He felt that such a thing is a pity. A sword reduced to merely useless lump of metal in the hand of such person.

He must be some kind of a newbie in swordsmanship.

Azief knows that the young man swordsmanship is bad and inefficient because he is once a Sword God.

If he even has a branch of stick, he could not only deflect those three people attack, he could even pierce their neck, their chest and their head in three moves.

He could take the branch form the tree where is leaning from and kill all those three people as easily he could kill ants beneath his palm

***

Action is coming and the first contact of Azief with the inhabitanst of this world. Hope you enjoy the chapter and leave some commensta nd pelase vote for the story if you enjoy it