One hour earlier.

The generals' speech had just ended, and the captains were about to head out to rest.

Without any hesitation, Michael approached Victoria. Her peerless face frowned. She was certainly going to lecture him for the next few hours about how reckless he had acted once again.

But before her lips could purse, he flashed her a warm smile. "Thank you for aiding me in the battle. I am sure you want to lecture me, but I am too tired at the moment. Can this wait for the next day?"

Even if she was upset, Victoria didn't want to push him too much. Not to mention that she was at her limit herself. So she nodded in silence.

"Thank you." Michael's smile widened before requesting to be sent to a more isolated tent.

The request puzzled her, but she didn't mind fulfilling it.

Just when Michael was about to head to rest, Roy's voice stopped him.

"Wait a moment, please!" The man said before bowing to both Victoria and Michael.

"I want to apologize for my rude behavior earlier. Had it not been for you to realize we were about to be ambushed, all of us would be dead by now."

Michael was greatly surprised by seeing the regret on the man's face. People that could realize their mistakes were rare.

"We all make mistakes, it's part of being human. What we should strive to do is learn from them and become better versions of ourselves." He said before heading to his tent.

'He looks so young. So why is it that when I speak to him, I feel like I am in the presence of a wise sage?' Roy wondered inwardly, seeing Michael's back.

Letting out an exhausted sigh when he got to his tent, Michael summoned Devil's Tongue.

'Do you feel like you have killed enough to evolve?' He asked with anticipation.

'No, my hunger for life is bottomless. You must kill a planet's worth of souls to satisfy my desires! Though looking at your soul, this will not be your first time.' The soul weapon replied joyfully.

"Figured as much." Michael mumbled. His techniques had leveled up during the battle, so he wasn't about to complain. He had gained a lot.

'But I must ask, why did you want to be assigned apart from the other tents?' The sword asked.

'Because that makes me an easy target.' Michael answered without hesitation.

Devil's Tongue was puzzled by the answer. Didn't most people want the opposite thing?

'You really are mad! HAHAHA!' Not knowing how to react, it began to laugh.

Finishing his conversation with the sword, Michael sat on the bed.

'Please tell me that my intuition is wrong and that my mind is just taking every glance as a threat.' He hoped silently.

But to his misfortune, a few minutes later, a voice called out from the other side of the tent.

"Captain Michael? Victoria has sent me with urgent orders."

Naturally, he was able to recognize Carlos's voice with ease.

'And here I thought that I was just going crazy…' Michael cleared his throat before speaking.

"Does she? I just talked with her, and she didn't mention anything."

Carlos didn't seem to panic. "As I said, something urgent came up, and you are required to come immediately."

Carlos's plan was quite simple. He had to kill Michael. But there was no way he would beat him in a fair confrontation. However, what about now that he was exhausted from the recent battle? If there was a chance to strike, it would be now!

Michael remained silent for a few seconds, contemplating something. Once he had made his choice, he showed himself from the veil of the tent.

Swoosh!

The second Carlos saw his silhouette, he thrust his blade forward, piercing Michael's stomach. He was about to retract it and stab him in the neck next, but he was unable to retrieve the blade.

A second after Michael felt his stomach being pierced, he put his hand over Carlos's blade, locking it in place.

'What kind of strength?! I can't budge him!' Carlos cried inwardly. Despite using everything he had, he couldn't budge the blade even an inch.

Still in great shock, he lifted his gaze, stopping at Michael's eyes that had begun to glow red, staring emotionlessly at Carlos's very existence.

Seemingly unbothered about having his stomach gutted, Michael spoke coldly.

"Since I knew that you were up to no good, I investigated you a little and learned that you were part of the Immortal Legion. Even if you were to openly go against me, I wouldn't be able to do much to you since your faction will protect you…"

His gaze dropped to the blade that was still embedded in his gut.

"But with you trying to take my life, I have the right to retaliate… A right even the Emperor himself can't deny me."

Wordlessly, he picked up Carlos like a toy and threw him inside the tent.

"Good thing that we are far from the other tents. No one will be able to hear you screaming."

Managing to snap out of his daze, Carlos tried to react, but Michael activated Dash, stopping just over him.

"Not only did you try to kill a fellow comrade while we are still in the middle of war, but you didn't even have the guts to go after me in a fair battle."

BOOM!

Michael's fist hit Carlos square in the face, spilling blood.

"Even when you spill everything you know… Your end won't be fast nor pretty, since I hate people like you."

For the next several minutes, which seemed like an eternity in Carlos's eyes, he was assaulted by Michael's merciless fists.

Sadly, Carlos stayed silent. Michael had guessed that he had attacked him under someone else's orders and that these same people would go after Carlos's family if he were to reveal any details.

But Michael wasn't nice enough to forgive someone for attacking him in his exhausted state, even if their family was at stake. He had made many mistakes in his prior life, but this wasn't one mistake that he was willing to repeat.

At a certain point, the veil of the tent moved, a third person entering.

"What the hell happened here?" Claire asked in shock, seeing the scene before her.

'This went better than expected. I now even have a high-standing witness able to prove my words true.' Michael thought, stopping his assault as he slowly stood up.

"This man attempted to take my life." He said, pointing to the blade still embedded in his abdomen. Taking it out would open the wound, so he kept it there.

"So I acted in self-defense. If he is to die due to that… It would simply be the consequence of his own actions."

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