The Devil’s Cage

Sou!

The lit cigarette swept across the air with a trail of light and reached Kieran’s face.

Kieran repositioned his body and dodged the cigarette. [Python-W2] was already in his hand.

Bang!

Muzzle flash lit up as the bullet was fired in a straight line at Ren who followed his flying cigarette like its shadow.

Being misty like smoke, Ren easily dodged the first bullet but the follow-up shots trailed it like a shadow.

Bang Bang Bang!

Each bullet fired was precisely aimed at Ren’s body, capturing his movements but still, Ren dodged them with ease yet he was quite surprised.

With his special technique, there were only a handful of people who could catch up to his movements.

Bang!

Another shot was fired, forcing Ren to dodge once more. Even though it was without real damage, the bullet still grazed the shoulder part of his wind coat, tearing a small opening.

”Sharpshooter!?” Ditko cried in surprise.

Kieran had always been using fire attacks against his foe in Ditko’s impression, he never would have thought Kieran would possess such a sharpshooting skill. Even more so when he saw one of the bullets graze Ren’s wind coat, tearing an opening. His face turned sour quickly.

Outsiders might not know but as a huntsman himself, he knew the wind coats of the Fiend Exorcists were specially made, common attacks wouldn’t land a scratch on it, let alone damaging it.

”Specialized bullets?!” Ditko speculated, so did Ren.

”Amazing shooting skills! Seems like I have to be a little more serious!”

Ren said before he vanished from his spot.

A fraction of a second later, he appeared before Kieran.

Fuuung!

A hand chop was aimed towards the back of Kieran’s neck.

Before the chop could strike Kieran’s neck, the air-breaking wind already messed up his hair and coat.

Kieran didn’t turn around though, at that very moment, he couldn’t anymore.

Once he turned, even if he could dodge the chop, he would fall into Ren’s relentless follow-up attacks! It was possible for Ren based on the speed he displayed.

Faster than a flash of lightning, a decision was made.

He leaned his torso forward, raising his right leg back up.

Pak!

The kick was like a whip struck at thin air.

Bang!

As Kieran leaned his torso forward, Ren’s chop missed his target. His horizontal chop quickly switched into a downward slash, the air-breaking sound had gotten even fiercer and colder as if his hand was really a blade trying to slash Kieran off.

Ren’s hand blade didn’t only want to block Kieran’s backward kick but also chop off his leg altogether and with Kieran’s sudden explosive posture, it was impossible for him to dodge the hand blade.

Fuuu!

A split second before Ren’s hand slashed off Kieran’s calf, Kieran’s calf suddenly deviated from course in a strange way, followed by a hissing sound similar to a real snake. The backward lifted calf didn’t only evade the slash from Ren, the tip of Kieran’s feet was aimed at Ren’s throat.

[Viper Kick]!

The Fiend Exorcist was astonished when facing off against [Viper Kick] but he didn’t panic.

Ren tilted his head backward, dodging Kieran’s sharp kick.

However, the strange thing happened once again as Kieran’s leg altered its offensive course amid another hissing.

From a horizontal sweep to a downward crushing kick, it forced Ren to back away again.

Kieran’s kick landed hard on the ground and a small crater was formed on the asphalt road.

”What a strange kicking technique!”

Ren exclaimed, however his figure moved towards Kieran again like lightning, trying to catch Kieran off guard while he was trying to get a firm stand after retracting his kick.

Another blow of the hand blade was slashed towards the back of Kieran’s neck.

Bang Bang Bang!

Repeated gunshots sounded right away.

Although Kieran picked the Transcendence option of [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] to boost his aiming and bullet’s effect, it didn’t compromise his reloading speed.

In fact, Transcendence level [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm]’s reloading speed was enough to shame a common speed shooter.

Three shots were fired in a triangular shape, aiming at Ren’s forehead and two both side which was his evading trajectory.

Ren’s options were left with moving away from range or a leap to the sky.

Though regardless of the choice made, Kieran could continue firing and recover his firm stand.

Out of Kieran’s expectation though, Ren didn’t dodge the bullets.

He swung his hand blade up and down, knocking the bullets away like they were nothing.

The bullets Kieran fired were disarmed with just a simple swing. It was clear because Kieran was within range to witness the feat!

Kieran could even see the blurred trajectory of the knocked bullets and the sparks from the collision.

Ren could block bullets with his bare hands!

Perhaps with Kieran’s current stats, common firearms would pose a minimal threat to him and his Intuition allowed him to identify the bullet’s trajectory, allowing him to dodge with ease.

But blocking bullets with bare hands?

Kieran couldn’t do so. Maybe common firearms wouldn’t cause any serious damage even if hit but Kieran couldn’t escape unscathed. He would at least suffer some chafed skin or cuts.

The Fiend Exorcist before his eyes, however, didn’t only ignored the threats from a gun from point blank and he came out unharmed.

[Python-W2] was no ordinary gun either, plus his Transcendence [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm]’s skill buffs, Kieran could even pierce a small tank’s armor.

”So this is the true strength of a Fiend Exorcist?” Kieran’s heart skipped a beat.

After a slight pause from the blocking, Ren continued his slash forward.

Kieran, however, didn’t plan to give up just yet.

A bewitching dark red glimmer shone as [Arrogant Word] appeared in Kieran’s right hand. After a quick flip of the greatsword, it was moved behind Kieran.

CHANG!

The clash sounded like a big sonorous sound from an iron bell.

Kieran even staggered a little upon contact with the hand blade.

The tremendous power that came from [Arrogant Word] upon contact almost caused Kieran to fall because of his unstable posture but even if he staggered, Kieran still dished out [Arrogant Word] at the second chop from Ren.

Fuuung!

Amid the heavy air-breaking sound, Ren backed off. After landing his hand blade onto [Arrogant Word]’s blade body, he knew he couldn’t withstand the sharp edge of the greatsword.

”Nice weapon you have there!”

Ren looked at the greatsword in Kieran’s hand, nodded and praised it.

He then dashed out at Kieran once more.

Wuuung!

Kieran dished out another slash following the opportunity.

The sharp edge undoubtedly slashed Ren’s body without the slightest resistance yet no blood was spilled. The body that was slashed in half vanished like smoke before Kieran’s eyes.

At the same time, another air-breaking sound came from behind his brain.

Even without a second look, Kieran already imagined it was another hand blade aiming at his the back of his neck.

”I’m underestimated!”

The thought bloomed in Kieran’s mind instantly.

Kieran would be an idiot if he couldn’t react to Ren’s attack relentlessly at a single spot.

Rage boiled up in Kieran’s heart.

He knew he should be calm during battle but it didn’t affect his next move.

Ren wasn’t at his full power, neither was Kieran!

The strength that made up the player was not only limited to the player’s attributes and skills.

There was also the equipment!

Rom Room Rooooar!

Beastly roars sounded as faint mirages started to take form above Kieran.

A colossal crocodile with a vicious aura laid on the ground.

A giant rhino with a rampant temper stood up tall with heavy armor around its body.

A majestic lion with a golden mane and sparkling brilliance gazed at the area with its grand presence.

Plus the spider that crawled out of the lava river from hell, it was covered by layers of wicked demonic entities.

A lingering radiance was still shining on Kieran’s body but dimmer than the mirages around him yet it moved according to his will, fusing the radiance of his own into the crocodile, rhino, lion and spider’s aura.

RAOOOOOOOR!

A powerful cyclone burst up into the sky, it cracked the land and pierced the clouds.

Ren quickly backed off, staring at Kieran with an anxious and doubtful look.

”Come on! Again!”

Kieran turned around, swinging [Arrogant Word] fiercely as his body flew out like an arrow let loose.