Baron Rivelle had long since fixed his gaze upon Asher. He was not the only one; even his Knight Commander had his eyes locked on the eighteen-year-old boy. In their minds, both men questioned themselves, wondering if they had ever possessed such an extraordinary level of battle intellect and combat prowess at that same tender age. The answer came without hesitation, it was a resounding no.

Baron Rivelle couldn't help but allow a faint smile to curl across his face. This was, after all, the very first time he had witnessed a Wargrave in action. His sharp, black eyes shifted momentarily to his own children, Caldor and Annabelle, who were several meters away, locked in combat with a group of monsters. Around them, grains of sand floated and whirled in controlled patterns as they fought. Compared to the Tenth Sun, however, his children's performance was undeniably lacking.

Still, the Baron felt no bitterness, nor did he let disappointment cloud his judgment. He would never make the mistake of seriously comparing his children to a Wargrave, nor would he harbor resentment toward them for failing to reach such an impossible standard. If he were to apply that same logic, then should he, Baron Rivelle himself, be able to stand toe-to-toe with Duke Azeron? The thought almost made him chuckle.

Baron Rivelle had to admit, Asher was simply too good. The young man attacked and protected others at the same time, an efficiency that spoke volumes about his battlefield control. The Baron's eyes shifted again, this time to his citizens, who floated gently in the air above, their previously terrified faces now calm as they observed the chaos below from the safety of their suspended positions.

'Even I can't manipulate Astra within the atmosphere,' Baron Rivelle thought to himself, his expression void of emotion. 'But on the other hand, it makes sense. With that devastating attack he unleashed earlier, his Astra manipulation must be far beyond average limits.' His thoughts continued, carrying a tone of reluctant admiration. 'Although he is weaker than me now, he won't remain that way for long as even his Astra manipulation already surpasses mine by far.'

His gaze flicked toward his Knight Commander, who had yet to utter a single word. They exchanged a silent nod, both turning their attention back to the breathtaking performance unfolding before them, the dazzling display of skill that only a Wargrave could produce.

Asher's figure blurred, turning into a streak of purple light as he moved across the battlefield. At that moment, he refrained from using any of his elemental powers, conserving what remained of his Astra reserves until Virelass could supply him with another thirty percent feedback. This wasn't a battlefield where recklessness could be afforded, running out of Astra would mean certain death.

Within seconds, Asher was already upon another monster. This one was another bipedal creature, resembling an octopus in form. It stood balanced on two thick tentacles, moving with surprising agility through the Barony's debris-strewn streets, while the remaining six tentacles each wielded a different weapon, slashing and thrusting with deadly precision.

As Asher closed in, the creature sensed him without even turning its head. Two of its tentacles rose swiftly, and from the circular suckers beneath them, several high-pressure jets of water burst forth, slicing through the air with rippling force.

Asher did not slow. His body became a blur, weaving effortlessly between the attacks, each movement calculated and graceful. He stepped aside at the perfect moments, letting the jets tear past him harmlessly. Then, in one fluid motion, he closed the distance and delivered a diagonal slash, his blade severing two of the octopus's limbs in a single, elegant strike.

The amputated tentacles hit the ground with wet thuds, writhing violently as though still alive. Asher moved immediately, preparing to finish the fight in one decisive blow. But the octopus turned abruptly to face him, its crimson eyes locking onto his figure as its remaining limbs swung forward in unison. Four weapons cut through the air from multiple angles, closing in on Asher with frightening speed.

Asher reacted in an instant. He didn't attempt to block or parry. Instead, he weaved between the incoming attacks as though he already knew their trajectories before they were even made. The moment the final strike passed harmlessly by, he shifted his stance, Virelass already snapping toward the creature's neck to deliver the killing blow.

But suddenly, a blur flashed across his vision, a motion too fast to ignore. His senses screamed danger. The fifth and sixth tentacles, the very ones he had severed moments ago, were regenerating.

'It can regenerate,' Asher realized coldly, though there was no time for lengthy thought in the midst of battle. Instinct took over. He raised his arms defensively, bracing himself just as the two regenerated limbs slammed into his vambraces with tremendous impact. The force sent him flying backward through the air like a projectile.

Even so, Asher was uninjured. He felt no pain, only the heavy thrum of pressure in his arms. He had blocked in time, and with his reinforced physique, even a direct hit would have done little more than sting.

As inertia carried him backward, his sharp eyes caught sight of a large crossbow-like weapon fitted into the ground nearby. Its harpoon was already loaded, the string taut, the weapon facing the opposite direction. Without hesitation, Asher extended his arm mid-air, his hand gripping the weapon's handle with precise timing.

Using the momentum of his spin, he twisted, flipping gracefully before landing in a crouch, both stabilizing himself and re-aiming the massive weapon toward the advancing octopus.

Without delay, he pulled the trigger. The harpoon shot forward with a heavy, slicing whoosh, tearing through the air toward its target. Yet the octopus did not flinch. It raised one of its tentacles, effortlessly deflecting the incoming projectile, a harpoon capable of skewering entire groups of monsters with ease.

The creature retaliated immediately, its tentacles surging forward in a blur. One of them lashed downward with crushing force. Asher sidestepped fluidly, avoiding the strike with the same calm ease as before. The tentacle smashed into the crossbow, shattering it instantly. Wood and metal shards exploded outward, the impact sending four spare harpoons spiraling into the air.

Without pause, Asher moved. His feet dug into the ground, propelling him forward with explosive speed. His eyes tracked the harpoons as they spun mid-air. In the next heartbeat, his figure blurred again, his foot striking the base of the harpoons one after another with impeccable control.

Each kick was followed by a resounding bang as the harpoons launched like bullets from a sniper rifle, whistling through the air toward the octopus. The creature moved to deflect them, its tentacles swinging in frantic defense. It managed to parry three, but the fourth slipped through, piercing its head with brutal lethality. Flesh tore apart like paper, and thick black blood splattered across the earth in dark, steaming droplets.

Asher's figure came to a controlled stop several meters away, his expression composed, his breathing steady despite the intensity of the clash. He didn't even glance back at the monster's collapsing body. Instead, his gaze snapped toward the towering city walls in the distance. Something had caught his attention.

'They're finally making a move,' he thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. Whatever it was that stirred beyond those walls, it demanded his full attention now. The octopus monster, defeated and bleeding out behind him, no longer mattered. The true battle was only just beginning.

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