Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

That toothy smile paused for a moment for the first time.

Red glanced down at the stray strands of hair falling down.

Subaru Natsuki's next sword strike has arrived, or rather, his third!

The three sword strikes, delivered almost simultaneously, locked onto Red's head, chest, and ankle.

This time, Reid didn't overestimate himself and tried to catch the chopsticks with his bare feet. Instead, he kicked off with both legs and jumped backward.

"Tsk! Your speed is ridiculously slow, but you think you can beat me just by being fast? Wishful thinking!!"

Natsuki Subaru withdrew from the Starry Night, squinting his eyes without saying a word, adopting a disdainful posture.

He slowly sheathed the Holy Sword.

"You madman! You've already lost."

He raised his hand and pointed to the trampled grass at Red's feet.

"According to the rules you just mentioned, your foot has already moved, so let me pass."

Reid looked annoyed and tucked the two chopsticks back into his waistband.

"Whether you pass or not is up to me! If I don't say you passed, you didn't. If you want to pass, you'll have to defeat me in a real fight first!"

But he didn't let Natsuki Subaru off the hook at all.

He then lifted his foot and stomped heavily on the ground.

The crack sped across the grass, disappearing in the blink of an eye beneath the sword in the stone that Subaru had previously tossed aside. The entire sword was propelled into the air by the immense force, spinning several times before landing precisely in Red's hands.

The moment his five fingers came together, the red-haired man's aura completely changed.

It seems there's nothing in this world he can't sever!

Natsuki Subaru's breath hitched slightly, not because he was frightened by the man in front of him.

Subaru Natsuki had also faced someone whose terrifying aura was several times greater than that of the man before him.

What truly stunned Subaru Natsuki was the instant when Red unleashed an aura that seemed capable of burning mountains and boiling seas.

He seemed to have a clearer understanding of the level of the Heaven-Hating Sword...

This made Subaru Natsuki want to try again, to see if he could break through in battle...

"Why aren't you moving? Are you too scared to move because of my sword-wielding move?" Reid's voice was as arrogant as ever.

That arrogance, when seen by Subaru Natsuki, only made him laugh even more wildly than Red.

"What a fine example of making a vow and then breaking it!"

"It seems that today I have no choice but to settle this with you, whether it's a fight to the death!"

"However, you've got one thing wrong!"

"Now, you are the challenger!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Subaru Natsuki entered the [Starry Night] state again.

At the same time, Red also revealed an arrogant smile!

The entire grassland suddenly slowed down.

The flying grass clippings stopped in mid-air, the distant clouds remained still, but Natsuki Subaru had already spurred himself forward, and the Sanctuary Sword, which had just been sheathed, once again slashed at Red.

At this moment, the Starlight Sword Saint Tian Feng's "Starry Night" and the Prison Strategist Tian Feng's "Hate the Heavens" revealed their strongest power.

Speed ​​and hatred fueled each other; before the sword even fell, Reid was already surrounded by afterimages left by Subaru Natsuki from different directions.

Judging solely from his performance at this moment, Natsuki Subaru is already in no way inferior to Tian Feng back then.

But even that didn't seem enough against Red, who wielded a sword...

To Natsuki Subaru's surprise, the red-haired man, who clearly did not have the ability to enter the starlight, was still able to block his attack!

And it's not the kind of awkward blocking that I experienced when using chopsticks before.

Instead...

Red grinned, showing off his white teeth, and darted left and right across the grass, swinging his sword at a speed that could keep up with the starry night.

Each swing of the sword seemed haphazard, yet it always managed to accurately block the Holy Domain Sword.

clang!clang!clang!

The clang of metal clashed in unison.

No matter which direction Subaru appears from, no matter how fast the sword speed is pushed by the Heavenly Sword Technique, the sword in the stone that Red holds will be there waiting first.

He changed his stance, and Red changed his angle;

He used the afterimage to conceal the sword's edge, and Red didn't even bother to turn his eyes, using a backhand to force Subaru Natsuki's true killing move back to its original path.

Red's maniacal grin grew wider and wider.

He blocked dozens of swords in succession, and finally opened his mouth, a long string of merciless taunts coming down from the sword's edge.

"That's it? It's all the same dead-man sword moves over and over again. You get tired of seeing them after a few glances. Is that all there is to it?"

"I thought you had some amazing swordsmanship talent, that you could master such a powerful sword technique to this level, but after fighting for so long, you're still just using the same few moves over and over!"

"You can't even come up with a decent variation. Your talent is so terrible, it's almost pitiful for the poor guy who taught you swordsmanship!"

Natsuki Subaru ignored him and continued to swing his sword.

Red proudly proclaimed, "Your next sword strike is written all over your face, you greenhorn!"

With a twist of its blade, the Stone Sword once again pressed the Sacred Sword to the ground.

"I don't care how much effort you put in to improve your swordsmanship to this level with such poor talent!"

"However, with your current abilities, it's impossible for you to take that step!"

As the last three words fell, Red's sword suddenly accelerated.

So fast!

Not only is the sword fast, but the sword intent is also fast.

Even Natsuki Subaru couldn't keep up as the starry night approached!

Natsuki Subaru frowned slightly, realizing the inappropriateness of his actions just now—

Oh no, I made a boastful statement too soon; I've become arrogant!

Red's sword tip flicked upwards, striking Natsuki Subaru's wrist precisely.

The Sacred Sword flew out of his hand, spinning in the air and embedding itself in the distant grass. Before he could retract his arm, the sword light that followed had already swept past his shoulder.

Fresh blood spurted out.

The severed arm lay on the grass, the five fingers that remained gripping the sword still bent.

Natsuki Subaru did not scream.

He didn't even stop walking. The blood spurting from his right shoulder was still flying in the air when his left hand was already closed with five fingers, using his hand as a sword to stab at Red's throat.

Red thought that losing his arm would stop this small fry, and he had just started to smile.

As a result, they discovered that Subaru Natsuki's left hand was already right in front of them.

His wrist paused almost imperceptibly, his sky-blue eyes widened slightly, his smile first turned to surprise, and then he grinned again.

"You still won't stop after all this? Are you some kind of madman who came out of nowhere? Since you're in such a hurry to tear yourself apart, I'll grant your wish!"

The sword in the stone swept across once more.

Another arm flew off Natsuki Subaru's shoulder.

"Pleiades!"

"father!"

The rift between Elsa and Clarissa simultaneously bursts onto the battlefield.

With a roar, Capela's arms transformed into nine dragon heads, lunging at Red from the side.

The red-haired man didn't even glance at them. He circled the sword in the stone in front of him, deflecting the incoming blades, powers, and beast heads.

Subaru Natsuki continued forward.

Having lost both arms, he lowered his shoulders and rammed into Red's chest, as if he would never give up this charge as long as he had a breath left.

Red stared at his face for a moment, a hint of unreadable silence creeping into his maniacal grin.

He sidestepped, turned the sword in the stone, and struck Subaru Natsuki on the back of the head with the hilt.

boom!

Natsuki Subaru's vision went black, his body lost all strength, and he collapsed face down onto the grass.

Capela caught him and immediately used his powers to heal Subaru's wounds.

Clarissa ran to the other side and picked up the two severed arms with trembling hands.

Elsa tried to pounce on Red to stop him from pressing his advantage, but to her surprise, Red simply stuck his sword into the ground, making it clear that he would not continue the pursuit.

Worried about Subaru's safety, and knowing she was no match for the enemy, Elsa could only grit her teeth and retreat to Subaru's side.

Capela enhanced his physical abilities and carried Subaru away from the trial space.

Elsa and Clarissa, one picking up the Sacred Sword and the other supporting the unconscious Shaula, followed cautiously behind.

Red did not stop him.

He still wore that arrogant grin that showed his teeth, but his sky-blue eyes followed the unconscious Natsuki Subaru until the group's figures completely disappeared.

......

While Subaru Natsuki fell into a coma, Reinhard and his group continued to circle in the desert.

Several hours had passed since they left the tavern, but the scenery before them remained unchanged.

The wind and sand obscured the night sky, and undulating sand dunes repeatedly appeared ahead of the road. Even the marks they deliberately left would always return to their feet after walking a certain distance.

"Let's stop for a moment, everyone!"

Felix, who was the weakest in terms of physical strength, was finally about to give up. He stopped first, raised his arms to shield himself from the sandstorm blowing in his face, and his cat ears were almost completely filled with sand.

"There's no point in us continuing like this. We haven't found the direction of the Sage's Tower at all, and we'll just be worn down and killed by this spatial turbulence."

Reinhard did not stop.

"We can't stop."

He gazed into the depths of the sandstorm, his eyes unusually heavy.

"Subaru must have already entered the Sage's Tower. We must race against time!"

"Reinhard, what makes you so sure?"

Felix chased after him and stood in front of Reinhard.

"What makes you so sure that Subaru Natsuki can enter the Sage's Tower?"

"He may have already died in the desert!"

"The remains we just saw might be his!"

"In the end, he's just a crazy guy with some abilities who can't feel pain. There's no need for us to desperately follow a madman and compete to see who's faster, is there?"

Reinhard shook his head, walked around him, and continued forward.

"No, I believe Subaru is still alive; he must have already entered the Sage's Tower..."

That's just your guess!

“I agree with Reinhardt’s idea.”

Julius also silently passed by Felix.

He is now just as eager to see Subaru Natsuki.

He wanted to know what the relationship was between Flugel and Subaru Natsuki!

Not only for himself, but also for his lord Anastasia.

Felix could only look at Russell Ferro behind him.