Raven retreated in desperation, his leg kick connecting with Morro's torso to create the precious distance he needed. Before Morro could regain his footing and give chase, Raven assumed a familiar stance—one that promised devastation.
His sword was elevated above his left shoulder, the blade humming with barely contained power as Raven's Negacion flowed from his arm into the steel. There could be no doubt about what came next—he was preparing King's Negacion.
The desert warrior appeared to grow weaker with each passing second, his body trembling from exhaustion and blood loss, yet he was gathering energy for something truly monumental. The very air around him began to shimmer and warp, reality itself seeming to bend under the weight of the raw power accumulating.
Then, with a desperate roar, Raven swung his sword in a perfect arc, extending his arm fully as his gaze locked to the right. A massive and incredibly tall blue sword beam erupted from the blade, shooting toward Morro with terrifying velocity. It was enormous—Raven's parting gift to the village swordsman.
Morro immediately raised his own blade to intercept the beam, the force of the impact knocking him backward step by agonizing step. His feet dug trenches in the dirt as he struggled to maintain his position against the overwhelming power.
Damn it, if this gets through... Morro risked a glance over his shoulder and his heart stopped. An old man stood motionless just behind him, his eyes wide with terror, frozen like a deer caught in the path of a forest fire.
The beam's destructive power increased exponentially, threatening to overwhelm Morro's defenses completely. Finally, with a desperate cry, he couldn't hold it any longer and released his block.
The great beam passed like an avenging deity through the first wooden house, annihilating it in an instant, then the second, and the third, finally stopping over a fifth structure that stood at the edge of the village square. Screams of terror echoed through the village as houses exploded into splinters.
Morro was horrified beyond words. The old man—Kaiza—was grievously wounded. The beam had nearly cut him in half, his torso laid open to the world.
"Oh fuck—" Morro whispered, his voice filled with unspeakable horror as he watched the old man collapse like a marionette with its strings cut.
As Raven began to withdraw, Morro shouted after him, but it came out as nothing more than a hoarse roar of rage and grief.
"We'll meet again. Remember, I always pay my debts," Raven called back.
"In Vage Desert, we say our desert reaches the whole world."
"You'll pay for this. Someday I'll kill you," Raven shouted as he began retreating, wounded but unbowed, using Movement Negacion in his legs to speed up his departure. Morro could chase him and probably catch him, but there was an injured civilian behind him—he couldn't just ignore that.
Morro started running, his own injuries forgotten in the face of the greater need. The old man screamed in agony, the sound tearing through the morning air like the cry of a wounded animal. Women cried out in horror, men rushed forward to help but stopped at the sight of the carnage.
He was still alive, thankfully. The beam had cut through his torso and intestines, but somehow life still flickered within him.
"Calm down, Kaiza!" Then Morro saw a crying boy huddled near the ruined house—it was Minari, with dark hair and dark eyes filled with terror. The old man was the last family he had in this world.
"Calm down, Minari! I'll save him!"
Suddenly, Morro perceived something else—Raven, even in retreat, fired another sword beam.
It was smaller than the last one, but Morro had to defend against it, or Kaiza would surely die.
Morro held the beam, which gradually grew smaller, but powerful energy began flowing from the sword into him, injuring his grip and sending waves of agony up his arm.
Morro responded by spreading the destructive force throughout his entire body. It was all he could do.
For the next ten seconds, he suffered, having to endure the torment as his body absorbed the energy.
The beam became smaller and smaller until finally it extinguished, leaving Morro gasping for breath.
Morro had many small wounds on his nose, forehead, and everywhere the energy had touched him, but his life was not in danger. The pain was intense, but he had felt much worse during his time in Blackwater.
Immediately, without healing himself, he used Healing Negacion—another branch of Negacion based on healing using Negacion energy.
It was costly. Morro was exhausted, but he had to act quickly.
The old man screamed even more in agony because the Healing Negacion technique he was using was very aggressive—he had no choice.
He had to hurry. Another moment and the old man would lose too much blood.
He continued the healing, his hands glowing with the soft blue light of Healing Negacion energy. The process was excruciating for Kaiza—every cell being forced to regenerate, every nerve ending screaming as the energy knitted flesh and muscle back together. Morro could feel the old man's pain through their connection, but he couldn't stop. Not now.
Minute by minute, the healing continued. Sweat poured down Morro's face, his own exhaustion growing with each passing second. The energy drain was tremendous, but he pushed through it, focusing only on saving Kaiza's life. The old man's screams gradually weakened as the wound began to close, the catastrophic injury slowly responding to the aggressive treatment.
The old man screamed, but Morro did everything he could, pouring more and more energy into the healing technique. He could feel the beam's path through Kaiza's torso—the severed intestines, the damaged organs, the shattered bone. Healing Negacion was forcing everything back together, but it was a brutal, violent process that left the patient in agony.
Finally, Morro completely healed the wound. Although the old man would feel pain and weakness for a few days after this, he should survive.
He hugged Minari, who had no mother or father, and stroked his hair gently. "It's okay now. He's going to be okay."
Morro lifted the old man onto his back, his muscles straining under the weight. He hurried to the nearest house, kicking the door open gently. "I need help! This man is badly injured!"
A woman with dark hair tied back in a practical bun rushed forward. Her eyes widened at the sight of Kaiza's bloodied form. "Bring him here! Quick!"
It was Tsunami—the same woman whose child had screamed during the earlier fighting in the village square. She immediately cleared a space on a simple wooden bed. "Lay him down. I'll take care of him for now."
As Morro gently placed Kaiza on the bed, Tsunami began checking his vital signs, her movements efficient and experienced. "You did good, swordsman. You saved his life."
Other villagers began emerging from hiding places, their faces pale with shock at the destruction.
"I'll be back soon," Morro said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "I need to contact the local Kensei Headquarters."
Morro ignored his own wounds and started running to his house, making sure once more that Raven hadn't returned.