I only wanted to retire, but I ended up becoming an extremely popular character.

Chapter 106 Even a captain can't stop me from advancing!

On the battlefield, the symphony of blood and iron never ceases.

Although the Imperial soldiers were outnumbered, they were highly skilled and fearless.

Groups of three to five people stood back to back in a tight circle, managing to withstand an attack that outnumbered them several times over.

The Holy Kingdom's soldiers had a numerical advantage; for every soldier who fell, more soldiers would surge up from the rear to fill the gap.

Captain Axel swung his sword, felling an Imperial soldier, his gaze sweeping across the chaotic battlefield like that of a hawk.

He saw the figure weaving through the crowd.

The Imperial lieutenant was also moving in his direction.

Every step was precise and ruthless, every movement clean and efficient. As the sword flashed, a Holy Kingdom soldier fell to the ground; he sidestepped the sword and kicked another Holy Kingdom soldier away; with a backhand strike, a third person clutched his throat and collapsed.

Every Holy Kingdom soldier who stood in his way fell without exception; not one could make him stay for even a second longer.

"Interesting." Axel licked his chapped lips, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

The light carried the fighting spirit of a hunter encountering a ferocious prey.

He clenched his fists and took a step towards the direction of that figure.

Imperial soldiers along the way tried to stop him, but he skillfully dealt with them one by one using his 'Kakuja' abilities.

The distance is getting closer.

Forty steps — Twenty steps —

Zod saw him too.

That imposing figure was so conspicuous on the chaotic battlefield that he seemed like a moving reef, cutting through the crowd as he surged toward him.

That towering figure, those thick arms, and the black rings tightly clasped on his fingers silently proclaimed that this was a formidable opponent.

Their eyes met in the air, without any pleasantries or probing, and without even a trace of extra expression.

On this battlefield where bloodlust reigns, only the weapons in one's hands speak volumes.

Zod's fingers tightened slightly on the hilt of his sword, his palms sweating, sticky and icy.

They quickened their pace and rushed toward each other.

Zod's pace quickened, but his heart pounded wildly, and adrenaline surged forth as he was driven by tension and fear.

Even before he had faced Captain Axel, Zod knew that this man was strong, stronger than any lieutenant he had ever fought before.

The overwhelming sense of oppression, the chilling feeling of being stared at by a ferocious beast, sent a shiver down his spine.

To say that Zod wasn't afraid would be a lie.

He feared he would die at Axel's hands, feared this journey to another world would end there, feared that he would perish before he could truly witness the prosperity of this world, because of a war that was not his.

If he could find a way out, Zod would turn around and flee immediately, escape this bloody battlefield.

He's just an insignificant nobody who just wants to live like a salted fish. What's wrong with that?

But fate can be so cruel.

His only escape route had been blocked by Captain Axel.

The city of Sarlom behind them was a living hell.

He can only rely on himself.

To survive, you must defeat the enemy before you.

Even if the other party is a captain from the Holy Kingdom, even if the other party is so strong that it makes one's legs go weak.

But reason tells Zod that to survive this battle, he must fight to the death.

Zod steeled his heart, gritted his teeth, and suppressed all his fear deep within his heart.

The fear hadn't disappeared; it was still churning and howling there, but he couldn't care less about that now.

He pointed his sword forward, heading towards that towering figure.

"Even a captain can't stop me!" Zod muttered to himself.

This was certainly not said to Captain Axel; it was said to himself.

Just as the two were about to engage in battle, Captain Axel vanished from his spot.

In the blink of an eye, Captain Axel appeared before Zod. He did not use a pistol, nor did he use the Holy Kingdom's standard weapon—the Holy Kingdom's cross sword.

Instead, he simply threw a punch at Zod.

Zod's pupils contracted sharply, and he hastily raised his sword to parry.

"boom--!"

The instant the Imperial longsword collided with Axel's fist, the black rings tightly bound to his knuckles suddenly burst forth with blinding flames!

The loud noise was like a muffled thunderclap, and the shockwave spread outwards from the point of impact, bringing smoke and heat.

The force of the explosion made Zod's arm go numb.

Indeed, the black ring worn on Axel's knuckles was not an ordinary iron ring.

It is a special ring that explodes upon impact with any object when infused with "potential".

At the moment the ring exploded, Axel had already used the "Hakuja" ability "Iron Wall" to harden his hands by covering them with "potential".

Therefore, even if the ring explodes, Axel's ten fingers will remain unharmed and will not be blown off.

The rings he wore on his ten fingers were his weapons.

Because his punches could cause explosive damage to his opponents, Captain Axel was also known as "Explosive Punch" Axel.

The smoke and dust from the explosion billowed out, obscuring Zod's vision, leaving only a hazy gray mist before him.

We must keep our distance.

Zod gritted his teeth, preparing to leap backward to escape the dust and regain his sight before continuing the fight.

But Axel didn't give him a chance at all.

Just as Zod took a step, a horizontal kick tore through the dust like lightning, aiming straight for his side!

The speed was astonishing, striking directly at vital points, leaving no time to dodge.

Zod sensed something was wrong and could only hurriedly use "Iron Defense" to harden his flanks for defense.

Steel Defense —

Axel's side kick landed squarely on Zod's side, sending him flying more than ten meters through the air. He rolled several times on the ground before finally crashing into a protruding rock and coming to a stop.

Even with the use of 'Iron Defense', Axel's brute force still caused Zod considerable damage.

Zod could almost conclude that Axel's side kick also contained 'potential', otherwise, it wouldn't have been so powerful.

A sharp pain shot through his side, like countless steel needles piercing his body simultaneously. Zod felt a sweet taste in his throat, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.

He endured the excruciating pain in his abdomen and struggled to his feet.

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, Captain Axel's towering figure emerged unhurriedly from the smoke.

He stopped a few steps in front of Zod, looking down at the struggling Zod, and asked the question that mattered most to him: "Was it you who defeated Patrick? Is he dead or alive now?"

"But your strength—doesn't seem sufficient to defeat Patrick."

Zod raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly straightened his back.

The excruciating pain in his side caused cold sweat to bead on his forehead, but he gritted his teeth and refused to let his expression betray him.

"I don't know anything about Patrick."

That was the truth; he really didn't recognize the name Patrick.

But while he said that, he already had a guess in his heart.

The lieutenant he had just killed with his "Shadow Step" must have been Patrick.

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