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nNormally, the drawbridge unfolds towards the entrance, but this time it is folding backward toward the inside of the city.

nThe chains holding it up slowly unraveled, their endless clinking and shifting resounding through the air.

nAnd finally, the drawbridge hit the other side with a loud BOOM before the slave traders wheeled us into our destination.

n“I miss Luna….” Aisa grumbled under her breath, trying to garner some pitiful attention from me.

n“That’s great… should’ve begged her to come then,” I rolled my eyes before blocking the woman’s complaints out of my head and focusing up.

nTup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup Tup

nThe sound of stone wheels clacking against a hard surface echoed through the long silence that befell the slaves and slave traders.

nWe all looked up at the spectacle, which towered and practically reigned over us with an iron fist, just threatening to take our lives within a split second.

nThe pressure and atmosphere were as heavy as a mountain, and each and every single person that we walked by had this depressed look on their face, yet… their systematical power was greater than both mine and Aisa’s combined.

nI thought we had grown strong, but it seemed we were just a frog in a well, finally getting raised up by the bucket and scooping us up from the bottom.

nIt was truly a fortress built with thick stone walls and a large castle in the middle of the capital built with pure metal and stone, emitting a dark aura that I could only assume was the most powerful demon lord to ever exist.

n“N-No shot. We’re gonna have to fight that guy… right?” Aisa stuttered upon feeling the same pressure as me.

n“Depends how well you act in front of him,” I wearily smiled before we reached our destination on the outskirts of the fortress, skimming just by the towering stone wall right beside us.

n“ALRIGHT! GET OUT! YOU WEAKLINGS!” A booming voice echoed through the atmosphere, and as a man clad in armor walked over to the slave traders, each and every single one backed off.

nIt seems they were used to this routine and didn’t complain in the slightest, making this guy’s job as easy as taking candy from a baby.

nHe inspected us with his roaming eyes, so both Aisa and I suppressed our presence, yet I knew this wouldn’t go well…

nEventually, his eyes locked on both of us, and Aisa quickly began to tap my hand, eventually just punching it as she began to panic.

n“Don’t worry… this is within expectations,” I muttered and suppressed the light smile attempting to crawl its way out.

nI put on a facade as the man walked closer to my cage, ripping open the metal lattice door with pure brute strength.

n“You two reek of power….” His cold eyes lay on us further, almost as if he was trying to get us to bow with just his overwhelming presence.

nMy nervous facade almost made him a bit disappointed, while Aisa’s terrified expression was utterly genuine.

nThe man’s pitch-black eyes, buzzed gray hair, and towering seven feet tall stature was very intimidating on top of his rabid bloodlust. Still, I had already taken this into consideration.

nStill within my predictions…

n“You two, stand up and follow me,” He ordered, but instead of letting us do it ourselves, he just grabbed us by our arms and yanked us out of the cage, throwing us onto the dirt ground surrounding this bare campsite.

nAs we both shuffled to our feet, Aisa kept glancing at me, feeling the man’s power only swell as he looked down on us from his towering height.

nEach step he took towards us was a threatening string of words to get us to bow yet again, but we stood strong and made sure to keep the distance between us.

nBefore we knew it, the slave traders had created a perimeter around us and the towering man, creating a makeshift arena which I presume was for us to fight.

n“Get ready,” I muttered, flexing my fingers to quickly summon my spear if need be.

n“Now, show me what you got. Otherwise, I’ll throw you both into the same hell hole as your other little cage friends,”

nI need more information on him… so…

nI glanced toward Aisa, and she almost let out a long sigh before stepping forward and calming her heart rate with the ever-so-special Hayha breathing technique.

nEach time she inhaled, an almost whistling sound cracked through the air, sending shivers down the spine of almost everybody present.

n“That’s good… fight me like you want to kill me,” The man smiled sadistically before tossing off the gauntlets.

nChivalry… that’s unexpected… not like Aisa gives a ** about that. Now, I hope you produce results within my expectations… otherwise, we’re **ed.𝒐𝓋𝓁xt.𝗇𝓔t

nFWOOSH

nThe battle commenced almost immediately, with Aisa taking the first move, dashing head-on and immediately ducking out of the way as a fist with the strength of a mountain grazed by her.

nThere were no extra and flashy moves within her movements, and no time was wasted as she circled around the man, forcing the guy to display an unbelievable amount of flexibility within his spine.

nHe twisted his torso around, using the momentum from the twist to charge up an even harder punch, but Aisa stayed calm and slid between the man’s legs, dodging the incoming attack.

nFWOOSH

nHis fist had created a gust of wind so powerful that it nearly sent the surrounding slave traders flying back into their own camp.

nThe man snapped his torso back around, only to find Aisa right in front of his face, her legs wrapped around his neck, and both of her hands wielding long daggers swung towards his eyes.

nHer hidden bloodlust exploded out, jolting the man’s body in an instant, but suddenly, she froze up just like the man who was in the face of death.

nAs I thought most are strong, slow, and stupid… but it seems not all of them are like that.

n“Gorge, that’s enough playing around.”

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