At the same time, he also wanted to take this opportunity to try to make this willful child change, becoming more sensible and composed.
Thus, Ash completely ignored the various gazes directed at him from all around and simply looked gently at Eris. That gaze was just like an elder earnestly teaching a junior, "If I unfortunately die today, you'll have to live well on your own from now on, so... promise me you won't recklessly get into conflicts with people like you used to. You have to learn to control your temper. You must become a sensible, good child."
Eris, whose heart had already been thrown into chaos despite feeling like she had been tricked, finally became serious upon hearing these words that sounded like a last will. Tears immediately fell from her eyes like beads from a broken string, sliding uncontrollably down her cheeks and soaking her already somewhat messy hair.
Her already trembling body shook even more violently at this moment, her heart filled completely with fear and reluctance. She simply couldn't agree and kept shaking her head.
"No, I don't want you to die!"
"What are you saying? We haven't even fought yet. And I said if. I'm just telling you some things in advance, just in case."
Ash grasped her trembling little hand and gently wiped the tears from Eris's cheek.
But the tears simply wouldn't stop no matter how much he wiped them. He could only helplessly look at her and continue:
"You silly girl... I already said it's only an if. And sooner or later, we'll have to separate anyway. But now is the most suitable time to say these things."
"It's not suitable! Not suitable at all!"
"You're always so willful and impulsive, so I'm worried about what you'll do if I'm not by your side."
"So as long as you're here, there won't be anything that can't be solved! You're so strong, how could anything happen to you?", Eris stubbornly retorted with tears at the corners of her eyes. Her voice was still as usual, as though she intended to overpower the other person through sheer volume.
'What do I do? This is completely not having the expected effect, and it feels like my eardrums are about to be torn apart. What was I supposed to act out next again? I kind of forgot. What do I do?', Ash tried not to let his expression change, yet he couldn't help feeling somewhat troubled.
In the end, he gave up on saying anything more. He merely gently patted Eris's head, then stood up again and looked toward the old woman who was watching him with deep regret.
"Is it enough already?", Reida might have been moved by their farewell. A complicated look flashed through her eyes, as though she felt regret over what was about to happen, "Although I, this old woman, don't have much time, I'll still try to give young people as much time as possible to say goodbye."
"What is this?"
"Consider it an apology to you."
"Your conscience is neither here nor there... What am I supposed to say about you?", Ash was somewhat dumbfounded and kept shaking his head.
Hearing this, Reida laughed. Yet there was another meaning in that smile.
"What you said is rather interesting, but don't misunderstand me. I only feel some regret, but it's only regret... I won't stop."
"Being not bad enough and not purely kind enough is the root of human suffering, that's all I wanted to say," As he spoke, he drew the long blade from his waist, then smiled, "This blade of mine has traveled far and wide with me, and I've killed countless lives... And how much of a chance do you have of winning?"
"You young people really are quite spirited, but empty bravado has no meaning to me," Reida answered unhurriedly. As she spoke, she slowly assumed her stance, and her entire air instantly changed, as though she had transformed from a kindly yet helpless old woman into a cold Grim Reaper who was about to decide life and death.
With a solemn expression, she lowered her voice and spoke the name of this strongest ultimate technique, "Within my 'Sword World of Deprivation,' do you still think you have any hope of surviving?"
At that instant, a strange sensation that was difficult to precisely describe with words instantly enveloped everything around them.
It was an intangible substance that seemed to run through everyone's body and mind. If it had to be described, it was like... an invisible net woven from death, wrapping everything tightly from all directions, making people feel as though they were trapped inside an airtight prison. Even breathing became extremely heavy, let alone trying to move even an inch.
And this was precisely the confidence that allowed Reida, despite the enormous disadvantage of her advanced age, to remain firmly seated in the position of Water God and command the fear of countless people.
The Water God school possessed the five ultimate techniques comprehended by the First Water God. As long as one could use three of them, one could be called a Water God. Of course, one still had to defeat the previous Water God.
Looking across the long history of the Water God lineage, there had never been a shortage of people with exceptional talent. Quite a few had successfully mastered four ultimate techniques through their extraordinary natural talent and tireless study. Yet only the First Water God had integrated all five ultimate techniques.
As for the current Water God, Reida, although she had only mastered three ultimate techniques, the ones she had learned were the two most difficult ones. She had also recombined the ultimate techniques and created what could be called the fantastical Sixth Ultimate Technique, Sword World of Deprivation.
Once it was unleashed, it was as though an invisible prison of death had been forged within this space. Regardless of whether the opponent was hiding in front, behind, left, right, above, or below, or anywhere within the three hundred and sixty degrees surrounding them, as long as they were within the range of this Sword World, they could not escape Reida's perception.
As soon as the other party moved even slightly, she could react to that movement and cut through everything.
"I heard that you're apparently the Sword Emperor, but...", Reida had only just assumed her stance and had yet to finish speaking when the suffocating atmosphere around them suddenly changed.
Six people simply couldn't endure this strange pressure, where even the slightest movement would immediately result in their lives being harvested by the Reaper's scythe.
The fear of something like a blade at their backs eroded their reason, causing their psychological defenses to rapidly collapse. Driven by instinct, they tried to escape from this place.
However, merely moving slightly caused the shadow of death to descend instantly.
A dazzling golden sword aura flashed past like a meteor. Immediately afterward, a chilling "splat" rang out.
In this terrifyingly silent space, the sound was especially piercing.
The six people were instantly cut in two by that incomparably fierce sword aura, as fragile as sheets of paper, with blood splashing out from the severed wounds.
The thick smell of blood also began spreading through the air, making the already tense and oppressive atmosphere even more horrifying.
Faced with such a terrifying scene, everyone around them became as silent as cicadas in winter, no longer daring to move even slightly. The entire space was filled with a deathly fear.
Yet Ash broke the silence. After thinking for a moment, he said, "You actually don't intend to attack first? Instead, you're using this defensive sword technique and waiting for me to make the first move?"
"I've heard about how strange you are. To be safe, of course I have to go all out," Hearing this, Reida smiled lightly. There wasn't the slightest trace of embarrassment in her smile at being overly cautious toward a junior despite being an older powerhouse. There was only the composure of someone who had experienced the world and a cautious attitude toward battle.
"It really is a good strategy. As it happens, I also want to use this opportunity to see just how powerful your ultimate technique is," Ash nodded with a smile.
At the very moment he nodded, Reida's body flickered, leaving afterimages, and golden sword aura shot toward him again.
The speed was so fast that ordinary people could only see that streak of golden light flashing past.
Sparks exploded in midair, yet they were unable to hurt him in the slightest. The sound of "clang!!" came a beat later before spreading throughout the surroundings.
Only afterward did everyone discover that the blade Ash had raised had blocked the incoming sword aura. However, this seemingly successful block was like poking a hornet's nest, bringing forth even more densely packed golden sword aura like raindrops.
For a moment, the dense sword aura and Ash's equally dense slashes became completely intertwined, forming a dazzling scene of flashing blades and swords.
Every collision between the sword aura and the blade burst into dazzling sparks, becoming increasingly dense. To the onlookers, it was as though a string of explosions had suddenly blossomed in the air before Ash.
Reida's figure merely swayed slightly. In contrast, Ash's hands and blade had already become completely impossible to see, as though they had disappeared.
Yet even so, the excessively dense sword aura still managed to create several shallow sword marks on Ash himself.
Seeing this, the surrounding crowd couldn't help sucking in a cold breath. More than a dozen people, for various reasons, either moved their bodies subconsciously because they were too nervous, were killed by the indiscriminate sword aura when they were caught in the intense battle, or had their legs go weak and fell to the ground, spilling blood on the spot.
The surrounding buildings were also unfortunately caught in it. Several houses were pierced through by the sword aura and even collapsed with a thunderous crash under their own inability to support themselves.
But even so, the main target still stubbornly stood in place, continuing his confrontation with Reida, without even suffering a light injury, but...
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