Nathan pushed off hard, sprinting toward the man, swinging his sword up and down rapidly, making his movements seem faster than before.
The man didn't flinch; he accepted it gladly, and with just one small upward movement, he managed to make the two blades clash.
CLANG!
Nathan continued to thrust his sword forward, penetrating his enemy's defense, small sparks flying as the two blades met.
However, the man's gaze on Nathan conveyed the full extent of his skill.
"Pathetic..." the man said coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion. He seemed to have no regard for Nathan, as he wasn't the one he wanted. "You should just sit still."
Without hesitation, the man gave his sword a slight push, effectively knocking it aside. However, it was enough to render Nathan's attack meaningless, sending him flying back several steps.
Unfortunately, Nathan didn't give up. He stopped his fall by stomping his foot on the ground, then lunged forward again toward his enemy.
"Still not!" Nathan exclaimed, "Haaa!"
He continued his counterattack with a horizontal slash, but was again parried with the dark blade. That didn't stop the next attack, as Nathan, with pinpoint accuracy, delivered a straight stab to the chest.
"That's it!"
In an instant, the man deflected the stab, sending it soaring upwards. This gave him another opportunity that was ultimately fatal and dangerous.
The dark energy gathered in one place, and his right leg was quickly enveloped in a growing dark red energy.
Then, in one swift movement, he managed to kick Nathan hard in the chest. All his internal organs were forced to feel the pain, and his heart stopped beating momentarily.
In an instant, Nathan's body, unable to withstand the impact, was thrown backward so fast that his back collided with a tree.
THUD!
Even the tree couldn't support Nathan's weight, causing the branches to crack and fall backward. Flynn and Infori stared in horror at Nathan, helpless after what appeared to be a fatal blow.
"Nathan!" they both exclaimed.
Flynn wanted to help, but unfortunately, Infori's clone was still guarding him. He lamented his current situation, stating that he was indeed in trouble.
(Damn! In times like these, I can't do anything...!)
Flynn then heard the man take a deep breath, then speak calmly as if the incident had been nothing.
"Hah..." he exhaled. "It would be best if you both surrender." Then, he turned to face Infori. This alerted Infori, who held his sword in front of him defensively. "Hand over that great artifact, or you'll suffer the same fate as that man."
"Well..." Infori said, panting. Then, he took a ring from his front left belt pocket—an iron ring with blue ornaments and a small white crystal. He put it on his left ring finger. Then he said, "Probably."
Without further thought, he activated the ring, a Tier-B or Unordinary artifact, by chanting, "Amplify Omnia — Double Up!"
After activating it with those words, a rectangle of shiny blue energy appeared above Infori's standing. The rectangle then descended rapidly, enveloping Infori's entire body in a blue-white aura and energy.
This doubled all of his physical strength, including the magic from his artifacts.
Everyone was shocked upon seeing this, and Flynn wondered what Infori would do next.
(What do you intend to do... Infori?)
"Dispel the darkness with your wind, change the sound of the wind filled with evil into good..."
The winds began to move calmly toward Infori's sword. The blade was now enveloped in a strong gust, sweeping away all the dust on the ground.
Everyone present seemed forced to move to witness this.
The man then ordered his two creatures to stop Infori. "Stop his movement!" The two finally charged toward Infori.
Infori threw his sword at the two creatures, and it was clear it would not work.
"...Eliminate those who seek to destroy the peace, and punish them for their actions!" Infori said, uttering his final words. "Come! Winds Rings — Wind O Twister!"
After chanting the incantation of the Winds Rings artifact skill, Infori immediately swung his sword horizontally, unleashing something far greater than a mere slash of wind.
He unleashed a tornado—a whirling wind that swirled violently, creating a massive vortex twice the size of the previous one, and it headed toward everyone present.
"...?!"
The two creatures were forced to stop in their tracks before they could reach their target. The man struggled to resist the powerful wind.
"...!"
Infori suddenly called out Flynn's name.
"Flynn!"
Flynn, struggling to resist the strong wind, heard Infori's voice and, with all his might, ran away from the Wind O Twister.
In the next second, the man had no intention of being blown away by the incredibly powerful wind. Therefore, he immediately launched a slash with his sword, which proved successful in dispelling the whirlwind.
WOOSHH
"Huh..." A long sigh rang out in the silent area. "...?" The man realized something strange after the whirlwind disappeared, clenching his fists tightly until they trembled.
But he quickly stopped, and took a deep breath.
"Huh..." His sigh seemed to reflect disappointment; he knew what had happened and was clearly very upset with it. "We'll settle this later, Infori the Believer."
⟨⟩ ⟨⟩ ⟨⟩
In the dense, tree-filled forest, Infori ran, carrying the helpless Nathan on his back. Along with Flynn, who had also run from their previous location.
"At least..." Infori said, his voice faltering slightly due to still being out of breath. "We can avoid them first."
"Yes," Flynn replied.
"We need to find a safe place to rest for a while…" Infori said. "And recover our bodies."
"You're right. We just need to keep running for a while."
"Okay."