Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 592: Insanity

Debro’s eyes tracked every attack Asher unleashed with effortless precision. Initially, he had planned to overwhelm the boy with sheer swordsmanship, refined battle experience, and a touch of superior physical power. After all, the Tenth Sun had only awakened a year ago; even if he was considered ridiculous by Wargrave standards, swordsmanship and battle experience were disciplines that demanded time, patience, and relentless refinement to truly master.

But to his absolute shock, Asher matched him in every conceivable aspect, speed for speed, strength for strength, basic sword technique for basic sword technique.

To him, it felt exaggerated, almost unreal, as though he were witnessing something that defied logic itself. He could not comprehend how such overwhelming improvement could occur in just over a year. Even with that disbelief lingering in his mind, he increased the tempo of his attacks, seamlessly combining thrusts with slashes, slashes with cuts, and cuts with cleaves in a continuous, unbroken chain of motion. His attacks were flawless, unpredictable, and relentless, yet Asher met him effortlessly, responding with an ease that bordered on the absurd.

Although Debro was not going all out, not yet, he had not even begun to move at his full physical capability, nor had he used his Astra energy, nor had he activated his awakened ability, nor even touched upon his personally created Katana techniques. Still, Asher was supposed to be weaker. What he had said earlier about the difference in Life Rank was not mere arrogance or empty words, it was an undeniable truth, one that had remained constant in the past, the present, and would remain so in the future.

And yet, right before his very eyes, someone had broken that LAW.

Still, amidst the shock that rippled through him, another emotion surfaced, happiness. A flicker at first, then something deeper, more profound. And why would he not be happy? Who would not feel joy witnessing the one they loved display such monstrous, unparalleled talent, talent that shattered what the world believed to be impossible?

As the battle progressed, he began to appreciate the flow, the rhythm, the unspoken harmony between their blades. To him, this was simply another way, another form, of spending time with the one he loved most; Asher.

Although Asher was fighting with lethal intent, every strike aimed to kill, to end, to erase, to Debro, each attack was little more than child’s play. Within the scope of his perception, sharp, refined, and absurdly heightened, he could dodge, block, or parry any of them at will, without effort, without strain.

But just as he himself had not gone all out, he also understood that Asher had not revealed everything. He knew the Wargraves possessed multiple elements, yet Asher had not used a single one. He knew of the terrifying potential of Soul-bound weapons, yet he had not seen Asher unleash any offensive ability tied to it. This was not Asher’s full strength, not even close.

In the next moment, Debro subtly increased the tempo once more, not out of necessity, but out of curiosity. He wanted to see how Asher would react, to see if he would falter, even slightly. Yet once again, Asher adapted seamlessly, adjusting to the rising tempo before it had even fully manifested, as though he had read the rhythm hidden within Debro’s shifting strength and blade control.

That alone left him in awe.

’Are all Wargraves like this?’ he wondered, the thought surfacing naturally. He had to consider the possibility. After all, he had never fought a Wargrave before, and they were all renowned as monsters among monsters. If Asher, someone labeled a failure, was capable of this, then what of the others?

The thought lingered only for a moment before he shook his head.

’No... only my Asher can be this talented,’ he concluded inwardly, dismissing the notion with quiet certainty.

Despite the life-or-death battle unfolding before him, he still had the leisure to entertain such thoughts, useless, unnecessary thoughts. That alone was a testament to how effortless this exchange was for him. He was simply a man of an entirely different caliber, a being that stood on a different plane altogether.

With his thoughts concluded, he transitioned instantly from defense to offense the moment he parried Asher’s incoming thrust. His katana flashed in a blinding arc toward Asher’s chest, swift and decisive. But Asher’s reaction was instantaneous. His wrist twisted fluidly as he drew back his blade from the side, intercepting the strike with graceful precision. The force of the collision surged into him, but he stood firm, unwavering.

His rapier moved again without pause, flowing naturally into a counterattack. Like a viper striking with lethal intent, he thrust forward once more, this time aiming directly for Debro’s eyes. But Debro merely shifted, taking a measured step back to evade beyond the rapier’s reach.

Yet Asher had anticipated that.

In the same fluid motion, he transitioned from a thrust into a downward diagonal slash, seamlessly altering his target from the eyes to the chest. The double switch was flawless, executed with terrifying ease.

But just as Asher had predicted Debro’s evasion, Debro had already predicted Asher’s adjustment. The calculation had been made before the movement even began. However, Debro was not a man who relished staying on the defensive. Even as he held back, restraining himself due to his twisted affection, his nature leaned toward overwhelming offense.

With a subtle flick of his wrist, his katana moved.

In a single second, it flashed five thousand times.

The next instant, an overwhelming cascade of silver streaks filled the devastated forest, each one sharp, precise, and brimming with flesh-rending intent. They layered upon one another in a storm of annihilation, before collapsing toward Asher in a final, unified strike that carried the speed and force of something capable of cutting through the very world itself.

Asher’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.

Five thousand attacks in a single second, it was absurd, beyond reason, beyond comprehension. And judging by the ease with which Debro had executed it, it was clear he could double or even triple that number within the same timeframe, or less, if he truly desired.

Without hesitation, Asher shifted into a defensive stance. He did not dare attempt to take all of them head-on. His body blurred into motion as he evaded those within his range, weaving through the storm with desperate precision. Those he could not dodge in time, he met directly, swinging Virelass to intercept them head-on, each clash sending tremors through his arms.

And with all five thousand attacks descended upon the forest simultaneously, another portion of the land was erased. A ten-kilometer radius was obliterated, twisted and shattered into unrecognizable fragments of what it once had been. Sword marks carved violently through the terrain, each one stretching for kilometers, some even further, leaving behind massive chasms that yawned open toward the sky as though Hell and the Abyss themselves were clawing their way to the surface.

A colossal cloud of dust rose into the heavens, towering over three thousand feet in height, forming a grotesque mushroom-like shape. It churned violently, twisting upon itself in chaotic turbulence, as though the very air had descended into madness.

And in that moment, as everything was consumed by ruin, destruction, and overwhelming force, the scene could be described by only a single word; INSANITY.