The air was thick and harsh, reeking of sweat and filth from the ragged crowd. Before them, by the entrance to Iris's house, stood a barbaric man.

He had dark, short hair and a scar across his left eye. This was no man. His presence spoke of war.

The man wore a loosened black shirt that showed his bare and scarred torso. He also had high, ankle-length black boots that were practical and military-inspired, while his expression remained nonchalant.

He was the commander of the commoners' district.

He stood there, hand on the hilt of his odachi sword, while other men held Iris captive and dragged her into a nearby wagon, to which she calmly complied.

The sight made Halo's blood boil. This was what he feared.

Everything was staged. Iris had wanted him to get out of the house to save himself. But why? With her intellect, they could've fought them off!

He stood paralyzed in the crowd, watching them shove Iris into the wagon. Before it could roll away, his body moved on its own, carrying him to the commander.

Iris's actions made him feel like a coward.

But she simply watched him with a blunt expression as the carriage rolled away. For the first time in months, he saw no trace of emotion in the Child of Sacrifice's eyes.

"You need to get back, kid. This place isn't safe yet."

The commander's voice was deep and daunting. The kind that made babies cry in their sleep.

Halo let out a sigh.

He felt terrible. He needed to bring Iris back and get her to explain why she did all that.

He casually removed the black scarf from his head.

The crowd panicked, murmurs erupting as locals retreated and adventurers approached eagerly.

"It's you!"

The commander angrily drew his sword from the scabbard.

"You twisted freak. I will kill you!"

He began approaching Halo with rage in his eyes.

Halo was surrounded. If the commander didn't kill him in one swing, the adventurers would do the honors, yet he was calm.

With a thought, his clones, Tough and Light, detached from his body and took form.

The crowd panicked as they watched him summon his daggers and take his stance. His eyes were on one thing: Iris. And nothing was going to stop him.

In a single breath, the commander took a heavy step and swung. Halo reacted just in time to block, but the blow sent him bouncing off the ground.

The force rattled him to his core, filling his nose with the taste of blood. He staggered to his feet and spat crimson on the floor.

Some of the adventurers tried to join in, but Light and Tough were on their necks, both attacking with everything they had.

Laughter!

"You are a tough one. Not many can survive my first strike."

Halo's legs buckled and trembled. True, that wasn't a normal strike.

"See? My ability triples whatever strength I use. You're already done."

Without saying much, the commander pounded on him in a relentless assault.

One strike!

Another!

Then another!

Then another…

Each of them landed with a force enough to knock down an elephant. It was brutal and barbaric.

Halo had no room to breathe. The strikes were predictable and easy to block but even that had its own psychological effects.

He hesitated on countless occasions, but if he didn't block, that would be the end of him.

Before long, his hands were shaking, bruised from the relentless assault. A sharp sound rang in his head, loud and piercing, as his vision turned hazy. His chest felt sore and parched, his nose filled with nothing but the smell of blood.

He clenched his teeth and in a desperate attempt to shift the momentum, lunged at the commander head-on.

The attempt caught the commander off guard. But before Halo could close in, the man burst into psychotic laughter.

"You think my ability only works with swords, huh?!"

Halo saw nothing. Maybe he did, but his mind registered nothing. The next thing he knew, unbearable pain shot through his chin as he slammed into the ground.

Blood trickled from his nose. He glanced at Light and Tough, both engrossed in their fight with the adventurers. They were winning, but he couldn't boast the same.

He needed time to adjust, to let his muscles settle. Then he was certain he could win.

Actually, he was glad he hadn't been cocky enough to set his three-minute timer. That would have killed him.

"This is no fun. Ren and Spector died by your hands, didn't they? I will let you pay for that, slowly and quietly, but I want to see you fight for your life."

A light smile tugged on Halo's lips.

'Oh right. I nearly forgot. He's an idiot.'

The commander confidently sat cross legged on the floor, and gestured to Halo.

"I'm giving you one minute to get into your best form. Just one."

Halo fell to his knees and tilted to the night sky.

The commander was strong, but thank god the bastard was brainless. Halo didn't need much. Half a minute would be enough.

He closed his eyes and let his muscles go slack, breathing hard, bones settling into the calm. A few practice moves, grip flexing, hands moving slow and fast, up and down, side to side. When his mind cleared, he stood.

The commander stared at him, confused.

"You still have about forty seconds, kid. You will need it."

Halo forced a creepy smile.

The plan came together, tailor-made for someone this dumb and brutal.

He bounced on his toes, casual, and motioned for the man to get up.

Laughter!

"I like your spirit!"

Before the words even settled, he launched into the air and landed heavy enough to shake the ground.

But before his feet even touched down, Halo was on him. Both daggers shot toward his head in one clean strike.

The commander's sweat betrayed his fear, the force sending him sliding back on his heels.

Halo sighed.

"Your three minutes start now!"

The commander smiled malevolently.

"That's the spirit!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.