The snow crunched under the impact of the sudden movement.
The helmets snapped shut all at once; the sound of metal locking onto heads mingled with the sound of the leader opening his EIU Channels. The leader of Section B extended his arm forward, the veins in his forearm bulging for a moment before a hot, fast, red aura surged—like a spark of compressed fire cutting through the air until it settled in his palm.
In that same instant, ryo had rotated his wrist as an aura from an EIU Channel flowed into his hand.
The winds stirred.
The shards of the broken sword separated from the blade like a predatory pack, propelled by air pressure—shining metallic lines slicing through the atmosphere. One of the knights had not yet put on his helmet; his eyes widened.
But the leader's fist ignited.
Fire exploded in a short wave, hot enough to melt most of the shards in mid-air. The metal melted, warped, and evaporated.
Only one shard escaped.
It passed beside the flame and grazed the cheek of the unprotected knight.
Blood drew a dark line over the white snow, like red ink falling onto paper.
But no one turned.
The knight pulled the shard from his cheek with his hand, tossed it aside, wiped the blood with the back of his palm, and donned his helmet in silence. The leader stared toward ryo, his voice coming out cold and mocking:
"Bold… but you lack the power we possess."
ryo smiled—a slight, short smile.
"And is that why I killed one of you so easily?"
The leader's eyes narrowed. His voice rose, sharp, as he pointed:
"If you do not finish this mercenary without my intervention… I will burn you."
The others replied in one voice, fearful of the flames:
"Understood!"
Suddenly, the EIU Channels opened within all the knights, and auras exploded around them; different colors, varying densities. The ground beneath their feet shook slightly.
In response, ryo opened his channels.
Energy surged through his body, across his chest, arms, and legs, until his white aura appeared—transparent but distinct, swirling around him like a layer of compressed air.
With a quick kick, ryo flipped the fallen knight's sword from the snow, caught it, and launched at high speed to deliver a first strike.
The blade struck the first knight's shield, but nothing happened. A dry metallic echo. The shield did not budge.
The knight drew his sword and attacked.
ryo parried the strike with his sword quickly, but before he could regain his balance, a metallic-colored aura pulled the sword from his hand. It was another knight, eyes gleaming, moving metal by his will.
ryo retreated; the winds pushed his body back a step, then two—
But a fist collided with his face.
A third knight had appeared beside him, punching him with force. ryo's body moved only a single centimeter.
ryo's response was instantaneous.
His elbow was coated in the white aura of the EIU, and he launched sideways, slamming into the third knight's head. The sound was muffled, and the body flew, crashing into a tree trunk as snow fell from its branches and his back contorted.
But the danger did not stop.
The second knight directed the metallic sword through the air, a metallic aura surrounding it. The first knight lunged with his sword from the front. The fourth knight raised his hand, and the air warped, propelling the flying sword at a higher speed.
However, ryo jumped as the winds carried him upward, his body spinning, then he descended, delivering a direct low kick.
His foot collided with the first knight's helmet. Cracks spread across the metal like a glass web. The knight grabbed ryo's foot with both hands and retorted confidently:
"I've caught you, mercena—"
But before he could finish, ryo's smile widened as he interrupted him with confidence:
"I'm the one who caught you."
The air exploded beneath them. ryo rose, dragging the knight with him, then suddenly released his foot.
The knight began to fall.
"Wind!" he shouted loudly in fear.
The fourth knight understood, pushing the air to cushion the fall—
But ryo had already outpaced them.
He came down like a meteor.
His right kick, driven by massive air pressure, slammed into the fourth knight's chest. The armor shattered at the point of impact from the force, denting inward. The fourth knight's body was propelled violently backward, then slammed into a tree, which fell upon him.
Meanwhile, the first knight hit the ground, losing consciousness.
The third began to move again, staggering.
And the moment ryo landed on the ground—
The third knight appeared behind him. The sword that had been in the air lunged into his hand by the second knight's command. Only a single second separated the blade from ryo's back.
And the leader of Section B… gave a small smile.
To be continued...