Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 585: Distracted

Debro could be seen flickering through a series of attacks, evading and weaving through every assault the Rank 6 Emovira he was fighting unleashed. Although he was a Wavestar Life Ranker, a full rank above the Rank 6 Emovira, the creature before him was no ordinary being. The Rank 6 Emovira was intelligent, far more intelligent than most at its level, and possessed the rare ability to fight above its own rank, pushing its capabilities beyond what should have been its natural limits.

The most exhausting part of the battle, however, was not the Emovira’s strength, nor its endless attacks, but the fact that this Rank 6 Emovira, a positive type, was not even attempting to escape. Debro understood this all too well. Because of the experiments that had been performed on it, because of the torment it had endured and the rage festering within it, the Emovira had no intention of retreating. It would fight to the death without hesitation, driven purely by anger and fury.

If the positive Emovira had chosen to escape, Debro would not have even bothered to give chase. Although losing a Rank 6 Emovira would be considered a loss, he knew that when he reported back to the organization he served, he would not receive any punishment. An Emovira as low as Rank 6 was nothing more than a common ”commodity” in their eyes, replaceable, expendable, insignificant in the grand scheme of their operations.

His body vanished once more, phasing out of existence as he reappeared high in the sky. The location he had just left erupted instantly in an overwhelming burst of brilliance, an explosion so intense that it erased kilometres of forest with ridiculous ease. The land tore open violently, chasms splitting apart the earth as though it were fragile glass, while sinkholes yawned wide, stretching downward like gaping maws reaching toward the heavens.

The battlefield here was nothing compared to the battlefield Asher had just come from. Here, kilometres of terrain were erased with a single attack. A single strike from either Debro or the Rank 6 Emovira was more than enough to level an entire noble territory without effort, should they choose to unleash their full power.

From the Swiftstar Life Rank, the fifth rank within the Life Rank hierarchy, destructive power and combat ability increased tremendously. It was at this level that a true separation was established: the dividing line between geniuses and monsters. Below the Swiftstar Life Rank, geniuses could still fight above their rank, defying expectations through talent and skill.

However, from the Swiftstar Life Rank and upwards, such feats became nearly impossible. Only monsters, abnormal existences like the Wargraves, or the Wargrave Vice Commander of the Knight Order, Cassandra, could transcend their limits and battle across Life Ranks.

During Asher’s battle with Number One through Number Six, they had only managed to destroy no more than a two-kilometre radius of the forest. That was because none of them had unleashed an attack devastating enough to produce such large-scale destruction. Their innate awakened abilities simply did not grant them that level of overwhelming power. Even if they had possessed such abilities, they would still pale in comparison to the sheer destructive force currently being displayed by the Rank 6 Emovira and Debro.

Debro floated in the sky with calm, effortless ease. Although he was kilometres away from Asher and the other members of his organization, he could still sense the battle taking place there. Yet, at this moment, his mind was not focused on the fight before him. Instead, it was consumed entirely by thoughts of Asher. No matter how he tried, he could not fully concentrate on the ongoing battle without that strikingly handsome boy flashing repeatedly through his mind.

Although he had later come to understand that what had occurred within the underground bunker had been nothing more than an illusion, that he had not truly engaged in anything physical with Asher, it did not matter to him. Debro felt no anger, no resentment. To him, the illusion had been perfect, flawless in every conceivable way. His body had reacted as though it were real, his hormones had surged, and he had enjoyed every single moment of it without exception.

”You dare think of another while battling me?” the Rank 6 Emovira roared from below, its voice filled with rage as it launched itself into the sky like a blazing arrow.

Debro’s eyes shifted lazily toward the incoming Emovira. He shook his head slightly, a tired expression crossing his face as he spoke, ”With such anger, one might think you are a negative Emovira instead of a positive one.” His tone was calm, almost bored. The moment he finished speaking, his body vanished once again, disappearing from where he stood as though he were toying with the Emovira.

Debro did not hurry, nor did he show any intention of saving his so-called comrades. To him, the experimental site had already been exposed and destroyed. At that point, whether the others lived or died no longer mattered. They were all expendable, mere tools that could be replaced whenever the organization desired.

As long as the perpetrators behind the destruction were dealt with, he would face no consequences for failing the mission. After all, it was not as though this was the first experimental site that had been destroyed. Losses like this were expected.

The moment Debro dodged, the Rank 6 Emovira’s attack tore through the sky with overwhelming force. The clouds above burst apart violently, scattering in all directions as rain began to pour down from the ruptured clouds. But, with a simple wave of Debro’s hand, the falling rain vanished entirely before it could even reach the ground.

”I don’t like being wet... unless I’m sweating from pleasure,” he said lazily, his tone indifferent and detached. Although his words were directed at the Emovira, his gaze continued to drift toward Asher’s location, as though his attention remained elsewhere.

The Emovira closed the distance once more, its claw slicing through the air with a deafening scream as it aimed directly for Debro’s forehead. Yet, even without looking, Debro tilted his body slightly, dodging the attack with effortless precision, as though he were merely dealing with an unruly child. The Emovira pressed on, unleashing a barrage of attacks, but Debro moved through them all without focus or urgency, barely paying attention.

It was almost as if he were waiting, waiting for Asher to finish whatever he was dealing with.

But the more the Emovira’s attacks failed, the more its rage intensified. Every ability it unleashed, every surge of power it displayed, was effortlessly avoided. To Debro, none of it held any weight.

Although the Emovira could fight above its rank, Debro was a Radiant Wavestar Life Ranker, the very peak of his Life Rank. In his eyes, the Emovira’s combat prowess meant nothing. It was no different from watching a child throw a tantrum, lashing out in frustration without effect.

The Rank 6 Emovira was losing control. Memories surged violently within its mind, the experiments, the pain, the restraints, the chains, the countless incisions. It remembered its organs being harvested, removed, and then cruelly replanted. Every moment of suffering burned within its consciousness, fueling its rage to unimaginable levels.

And yet, even now, standing before the one it wished to destroy, it could do nothing. Its ability, its intelligence, its power, everything it possessed amounted to nothing in the face of absolute, overwhelming strength.

Its anger erupted once more, Astra energy flaring violently from its body before bursting outward like a detonating star. The explosion surged forward at point-blank range, slamming directly into Debro’s chest with catastrophic force. But once again, Debro simply raised his hand and with a casual almost dismissive motion, he erased the explosion entirely, as though swatting away a mere fly.

”All that anger... for what? Nothing,” Debro said with a quiet sigh as the Astra energy vanished without a trace. ”While you might be a genius... I too am a genius,” he added, his expression unchanged, his voice devoid of emotion.

He paused briefly, his gaze drifting once more, ”so... keep entertaining me until I decide I’m ready to capture you,” he concluded, his tone final, as though the outcome had already been decided from the very beginning.