My Taming System Makes Me Overpowered

Gideon’s eyes widened behind his iron visor as Vince’s bare, scale-tipped hand locked onto the shaft of his colossal scythe.

Vince didn’t hesitate. With a casual, terrifying jerk of his arm, he yanked the massive iron titan forward like a ragdoll, throwing Gideon completely off-balance. In the same fluid motion, Vince brought Executioner’s Edge up in a brutal, sweeping upward diagonal arc.

CRACK-SLASH!

The dark violet blade sheared cleanly through Gideon’s heavy iron chestplate, shattering the enchanted metal like glass before tearing through flesh, muscle, and bone beneath. A massive spray of hot, crimson blood erupted into the air, showering the pulverized cobblestones.

Gideon didn’t even have time to scream. The light in his eyes vanished instantly as his towering, lifeless frame collapsed onto his knees, before slumping face-first into the mud with a dull, heavy thud.

`[TARGET ELIMINATED: Gideon (Scythe)]`

`[EXP & Rewards Deposited to System Inventory]`

The purple system notification flickered briefly in the corner of Vince’s vision, but he paid it no mind. He slowly lifted his blade, tracing a line of red along the edge with his tongue, a dark, predatory purr escaping his throat.

”One down...” Vince murmured, his glowing purple eyes sweeping over the surviving Crows. ”...four to go.”

A suffocating, primal dread washed over the alley.

Kira let out a sharp, horrified gasp. Sara’s hand froze against her rapier hilt, her face turning pale as death. To see Gideon—a man whose heavy iron armor had tanked siege engines—cleaved open in a single casual strike was a sight none of them were prepared for.

Vesper’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth groaned. His mind, refined through decades of high-stakes assassination, immediately cut through the panic to analyze the cold, brutal facts.

The domain! Vesper thought frantically, his blood running cold. The suppression radius is anchored to his location. As long as we are within forty yards of him, our mana channels are throttled by half and our bodies weigh five times as much!... just to be safe,...

”Fall back!” Vesper screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing off the iron-plated walls of the alley. ”Clear fifty yards from this position right now! Get out of the domain and regroup!”

I knew we had him cornered too easily, Vesper cursed internally, gritting his teeth as he leapt backward onto the high iron rafters. He let us trap him just to bring us all into range of this hellish field!

Sara didn’t need to be told twice. She grabbed Kira under her arm, slinging the winded alchemist over her shoulder as she pushed through the crushing 50% gravity penalty, sprinting down the rooftops toward the outer edge of the alley.

Vince looked up, watching Vesper’s dark cloak flutter as the commander fled across the roofs.

Smart bastard, Vince thought, a cold smile curling his lips. He figured out the boundary.

Vince’s boots dug into the cracked stone. In a flash of purple kinetic light, he vanished, launching himself high into the night sky to intercept Vesper mid-retreat. He materialized directly above Vesper, bringing Executioner’s Edge down in a lethal, air-splitting helm-cleave.

Vesper’s combat senses flared. At the absolute last millisecond, Vesper twisted his torso in mid-air, dodging the falling blade by a fraction of an inch.

*BOOM!*

The kinetic air pressure from Vince’s strike shattered the roof tiles beneath Vesper, sending stone splinters flying into the darkness. Vince didn’t miss a beat. As he landed on the roof, he pivoted on his heel, driving a lethal thrust with Executioner’s Edge straight toward Vesper’s exposed ribs.

”Not today!” a furious voice roared.

A massive, blood-red shadow cut through the air, diving between Vince and Vesper.

*CLANG!*

Brian intercepted the jab, catching the tip of Executioner’s Edge against the flat side of his giant war-cleaver. The sheer impact sent shockwaves through Brian’s arms, tearing the skin along his knuckles and driving his boots three inches deep into the roof tiles.

Brian gritted his teeth through the excruciating pain, locking his gaze onto Vince’s glowing purple eyes.

”I’ll hold him off!” Brian yelled over his shoulder, his voice strained and heavy. ”The three of you get out of the domain! Make sure you make it out of here alive!”

Vesper landed on a far ledge, glancing back with a heavy, conflicted expression. ”Brian—”

”GO!” Brian bellowed, the dark bull tattoo on his shoulder bursting into crimson light. ”Don’t let Gideon’s death be for nothing!”

Sara looked back, her eyes shining with unshed tears, but she kept running, pulling Kira along with her into the safety of the outer streets. Vesper bit his lip until it bled, turned his back, and vanished into the night shadows to reorganize their retreat.

Vince didn’t chase them. He slowly retracted Executioner’s Edge, looking down at the bare-chested warrior standing stubbornly in front of him.

”A suicide play?” Vince asked, his voice dripping with dark amusement. ”You know you can’t beat me here. You’re just throwing your life away.”

Brian let out a low, gravelly chuckle. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the shattered roof tiles, wiping his jaw with his forearm.

”Maybe,” Brian grunted, his eyes narrowing into slits of pure, unadulterated resolve. ”But in the Death Crows, we don’t leave brothers behind without paying the toll. If I can buy them two minutes to clear your field... then my life is a cheap price to pay.”

Brian closed his eyes for a fraction of a second. Deep within his chest, his internal mana core began to ignite—not in a controlled flow, but in a violent, irreversible burn.

”BULL DEMON: CRIMSON OVERDRIVE!”

ROAR!

A column of searing, blood-red fire erupted around Brian’s body. The thick veins across his chest and neck turned jet-black, bulging against his skin as his dark bull tattoo burned away his very life force, converting it into raw, monstrous physical energy.

The 50% gravity suppression pressing down on his shoulders was forcibly repelled by the sheer, violent eruption of crimson aura surrounding him.

`[WARNING: High-Density Mana Combustion Detected]`

`[Hostile Target Operating Beyond Physical Limiters]`

Vince’s smile widened, but the mockery in his eyes faded, replaced by a genuine, dark thrill.

He’s burning his own life span to override my suppression, Vince thought, his knuckles tightening around the hilt of Executioner’s Edge. Now that... that is commendable.

”Come on then, Vince!” Brian roared, his voice sounding like two grinding tectonic plates.

Brian lunged forward, the roof beneath him caving in under the force of his step. He swung his war-cleaver in a frantic, terrifying barrage of heavy, wide arcs, each strike trailing a wave of scorching blood-fire.

*CLANG! CLANG! BANG!*

Vince stepped back, parrying each strike with Executioner’s Edge. Sparks and crimson flames exploded into the night sky with every impact. The sheer weight behind Brian’s suicidal assault was staggering—even with Vince’s kinetic absorption active, the raw force of the blows rattled through his bones, driving him back step by step across the roof.

”Is that all?!” Brian shrieked, his eyes bleeding crimson as he raised his cleaver high overhead, gathering every last drop of his burning soul into the blade. ”CRAG-SPLITTING IMPACT!”

The giant blade blazed like a falling meteor, descending directly toward Vince’s head.

Vince planted his boots into the stone, dark-purple dragon scales instantly coating his arms and chest as his glowing purple eyes locked onto the descending flames.

”Show me what you’ve got!” Vince laughed, driving Executioner’s Edge upward to meet the strike head-on.