A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

"Is it really okay for you to say so much to an outsider like me?" Bray thought that Ryukdo probably hadn't said these things to his own people.

"It is precisely because you are an outsider that I am able to say so much."

“Because you will leave someday, won’t you? You still have the courage to walk up here, and you will pass on what you hear and see here.” Ryukdo’s old eyes shone brightly, with an unextinguished fire within them.

Rykdo mistakenly thought Bray was from this era, which is why he said that to him. But who would have thought that Bray didn't belong to this era?

"You are very strong. I hope you can bring a different kind of brilliance to the Black Iron species."

“…” Bray fell silent.

He doesn't belong to this era; this era is merely a figment of imagination.

No matter how real it is, it's useless. No matter what Bray does, he can't change the fact that history has already happened.

He is not a white-faced man and does not possess the terrifying ability to reverse time.

No matter how hard you try, it's all in vain.

Bray closed his right eye and took a deep breath.

The air underground wasn't fresh, but taking a deep breath did clear Bray's head a bit.

"Being strong doesn't necessarily mean being useful."

“Yes, strength doesn’t necessarily work.” Ryukdo did not deny Bray’s words. No matter how strong an individual’s combat power is, it cannot protect all the Black Iron races within the range of Kapras.

“But at least it’s better than nothing, at least we can do something.” Ryukdo’s gaze was deep.

In such times, weakness is the original sin.

The statement that weakness is the original sin would certainly cause a great deal of controversy if said under normal circumstances.

But at this moment, in this era, no one can refute it.

"Do something? That's a real headache," Bray muttered to himself irritably.

Indeed, no matter what we do, the true history will not be changed.

However, it's never wrong to act according to your heart.

For example, even if Bray saved someone here, they would still die in actual history.

Would Bray just stand by and watch him get killed? The answer is no.

Why not save those who are easily saved? "If it were possible, I would also like the people of the village to leave."

“Nobody wants to be trapped in such a small place forever.” Ryukdo gazed intently at the stone gate guarding the village.

"Thud." Just as Bray was chatting with Ryukdo, a small stone fell from above.

Unconsciously, Bray reached out and caught the small stone.

"..."

"..."

Both Rykdo and Bray fell silent.

The surroundings were shaking, a tremor that even someone taking a short nap could probably notice.

The source of the shaking is directly above.

Bray glanced at the dark sky above with his right eye, his brow furrowing slightly.

“It seems your worries have now become a reality.” Bray closed his right eye, and the moment his mind’s eye opened, the entire space, and even everything outside the thick wall, was clearly imprinted in his mind.

There are now countless angels outside this village.

“Is that so…” Ryukdo only had a strong sense of foreboding, unlike Bray who could perceive the situation outside.

However, Ryukdo believed Bray.

"It was indeed sudden." Ryukdo had always felt that the village's disaster would come suddenly, but he never expected it to happen after he had said those words.

Bray wasn't lying, and the other person's expression didn't seem like he was lying at all.

"What should you do?" Bray said, silently gripping the two swords in his hands.

"What should we do?" Upon hearing Bray's question, Ryukdo inexplicably chuckled.

“Of course it’s a fight, we are the rebels,” Ryukdo said, his hunched back gradually straightening up.

Although the muscle bulge that I had imagined did not occur just now, his spirit and energy underwent a dramatic change in that instant.

He was capable and didn't look like an elderly man at all; rather, he looked like a thirty-year-old man in his prime.

Ryukdo picked up his cane and drew a sword from it.

“…” Bree raised an eyebrow as he looked at the changes in Ryukdo.

"Everyone, prepare for battle! Listen carefully, everyone!!!!" Ryukdo opened his tiger's mouth wide, and a deafening roar suddenly erupted.

The sound traveled clearly to every corner of the village.

The closest Bree to Rikdor was pushed back half a meter by the enormous roar.

"Boom!!!! Boom!!!!" After the roar ended, the village's stone gate shattered.

The shattered stones scattered all around, and the larger stones directly smashed some houses.

The tiger clan members who hadn't had a chance to escape were crushed almost instantly.

"Crack crack—" But the terrifying thing was far more than just the stone gate exploding.

A beam of light shone down from above.

That was the light that all the tigers longed for, the light that belonged to the outside world.

However, the light shining down at this moment brought not joy, but fear.

Cracks appeared in the wall above, and large chunks of the wall fell down, destroying the buildings in the village below.

Ryukdo narrowed his beastly eyes and looked up at the blinding light.

I haven't been outside for so long that even the faintest light feels blinding.

This is the light from the outside world; I haven't felt it for so long.

"Whoosh..." It all ended in just a few seconds, with a thick layer of dust still lingering around.

Light refracts through the dust, eventually becoming blurry and dim.

Amidst the dust, countless figures in agony can be vaguely seen.

The surviving tiger clan members struggled to climb out of the pile of wood, either helping their fellow clansmen or weeping over their lost loved ones.

Or perhaps, he picked up the nearest weapon, raised his head, and looked up at those high and mighty figures.

What could those tall figures be but angels?

"Now is the time for judgment, you termites who have settled beneath the Holy City." The angel at the forefront looked down upon all those below.

That angel was Remiel, a third-order angel, who was the commander of the angels behind him.

In those few seconds, the angel not only destroyed the defensive stone gate from the front, but also ripped open the ground above it.

The angels planned to rebuild a city on the ruins of this orc city.

That was a city that belonged only to angels, the holy city that Remiel spoke of.

“Then, let’s begin the cleaning,” Remiel said, silently raising his hand.

Several golden magic circles stacked together formed above the village.

“‘Baptism of Heaven.’” Remiel’s voice was filled with a sense of holiness.

But what He did was not holy at all; He wanted to empty the entire village, just as He called it "cleansing".

But those below won't just stand by and watch all this happen.

A sword was drawn, but the strike did not come from Bray's sword; it came from Ryukdo.

“The Eighteen Styles of the Flow, the Thirteen Calamities,” he murmured softly, his sword movements seemingly effortless.

However, at the same time, thirteen cracks appeared in the sky, and the heavy power contained within them attempted to shatter the space around Remiel.

"..." A hint of anger appeared on Remiel's handsome face.

He lowered his hand, and the golden magic arrays dissipated at any moment.

"Clang!" Remiel swung his arm forcefully, erasing the cracks.

However, in order to defend against Ryukdo's attack, He had to cancel the spell.

Bray looked at Ryukdo in surprise; he had never imagined he would encounter anyone else who used the "Eighteen Styles."

Isn't the "Eighteen Styles" an ancient school of martial arts...?

Wait a minute, it seems like the present is already the past.

After figuring this out, Bray had a look of sudden realization.

It's perfectly normal for people in ancient times to use ancient schools of thought, isn't it?

Of course, Ryukdo didn't notice Bray's surprised look; he was staring intently at Remiel.

“It’s you, the tiger that killed countless of our compatriots.” Remiel looked at Ryukdo with a half-smile.

This guy was the biggest problem we encountered when we destroyed the city.

“Unfortunately, now you’re all alone.” Remiel waved his hand, and several angels behind him rushed toward Ryukdor.

"Now is the moment of judgment, you ants of the Black Iron race." The several celestial beings attacked Ryukdo with their weapons at the same time, and then said coldly.

Faced with the angel talking to himself, Bray only took a few steps.

“You’re using the ‘Eighteen Styles’?” Bray said, lifting the broadsword that had been dragging on the ground and slashing down from above.

"Boom!!!" The angels were blasted away by the sword and rolled a long distance on the ground.

“That’s right.” Seeing Bray’s seemingly unassuming sword strike, Ryukdo raised an eyebrow slightly.

Bray is amazing. Although I knew he was amazing before, I still have to admit it now.

“This is the style, isn’t it?” Bray planted his broadsword in the ground, then crouched down, supporting the longsword with his right hand.

The blade drew a perfect circle, and the angel, who hadn't yet adjusted, was easily slain.

"Eighteen Styles" and "Mikazuki"

"Yes."

Rykdo never imagined that Bray would use the same style as him.

However, at this point, there's no need to dwell on trivial matters like what school of thought the other party belongs to.

Ryukdo could only sigh, truly a case of the younger generation surpassing the older, so strong at such a young age.

“Although it’s the same style, your movements are already a variant,” Rykdo said after glancing at Bray’s stance.

The stance of the "Eighteen Styles" is not usually as low as that of the Bray.

“Is that so?” Bray casually wiped the blood off the blade with his finger before drawing the broadsword.

“You two seem to have plenty of time on your hands.” Remiel’s lips curled into a strange smile after hearing their conversation.

“There’s no room for maneuver, but there’s no need to be so tense,” Ryukdo said in a voice that was no longer aged.

There's no need to be nervous; just give it your all.

The more chaotic your mind is, the less of your strength you can muster.

"Boom!! Boom!!!!" Remiel did nothing, but booming sounds began to emanate from around Ryukdo and Bray.

Besides Remiel, there were countless other angels.

Although the lower-ranking angels were far weaker than Remiel, they were more than capable of crushing the remaining tiger tribes.

As Ryukdo listened to the screams of his tribesmen around him, his ears twitched involuntarily.

Then he drew his sword.

Along with Ryukdo, Bray also drew his sword.

Although Bray didn't say anything, he knew what he should do now.

Two slashes struck Remiel in mid-air.