Rangga’s arrival, his face etched with a mixture of confusion and urgency, drew Aji’s immediate attention. The younger man paused mid-strike—his blade halting just inches from a dark disciple’s throat—as he turned to meet his brother-in-law’s gaze, a flicker of puzzlement crossing his own features.“We must go to aid those outside the walls!” Rangga declared, his voice tight with distress. The lines on his face spoke of a shock so profound it had left him struggling to comprehend what he had witnessed.“They are attacking beyond the compound too?” Aji’s brow furrowed with bewilderment. He had assumed the full force of the assault was focused on the Dragon Blade School itself—that the chaos within was the heart of their enemy’s design. He had never imagined it was merely a diversion, crafted to draw defenders away from the vulnerable villages beyond.“Worse than that,” Rangga replied, his jaw clenched with barely contained fury. “They are butchering innocent civilians—men, women, and c

With the Death Blade Cleave—signature technique of the Soul Hunter Sword School—the Duke Harsa pressed ceaselessly upon the noble warrior Aji, each swing of his colossal weapon carving through the air with a low, menacing hiss that echoed deep within Aji’s ears. The sharp sound of splintering wind was a stark warning: his adversary had unleashed the full measure of his might.Once a bandit who had found redemption through hardship’s cruel hand, Aji danced away from each thunderous strike with effortless grace, his movements fluid as flowing water. Long since had he gauged the limits of the towering warrior before him, whose massive frame was matched only by the greatsword he wielded as his chosen instrument of combat. Step by step, Aji parried and evaded the Captain’s relentless assault, his eyes fixed upon every shift in stance, every subtle tilt of the blade that betrayed Harsa’s intent.“Our duel has barely begun, yet you already draw forth your strongest art?” Aji murmured, a wry

In the aftermath of their earth-shaking collision, Aji wasted no time—his fingers moved with reverent precision to touch the ornate hilt of the Dragon of the Earth Blade at his back, drawing forth a gentle current of its primordial energy. Like warm liquid light, the power coursed through his veins, chasing away the faint but insidious taint of venom that had crept into his system during their clash. A fraction of a moment’s delay would have sealed his doom; the poison would have spread through his body like ink through water, paralyzing his limbs and clouding his mind beyond repair.With deliberate, measured steps, he advanced toward Suwarta, who was still regaining his footing amidst the dust and carnage of the battlefield. The elder warrior’s chest rose and fell in heavy, ragged breaths as he gathered his strength, his dark eyes fixed on Aji with newfound wariness. Though victory seemed within reach, Aji did not rush to deliver the final blow—caution was his watchword, for he knew

“If dividing your focus proves too great a burden,” the voice within persisted, “strike him down with all haste—before the venom can spread its blight across the land!”“By your will!” Aji answered, channeling the full current of his inner energy as he invoked the Wind-Step Technique, sending his form surging forward with supernatural swiftness. His mind was set not only on vanquishing his foe, but first on stemming the tide of toxic fumes that poured ceaselessly from the elder’s black staff—for the safety of all who dwelled beyond this battlefield weighed heavy upon his heart.Hard steel met enchanted wood in a deafening clash as Suwarta leaped high into the air, bringing his staff crashing down in a vertical arc that Aji turned aside with flawless precision. The force of impact sent the older man reeling backward, his body spinning once through the air before alighting softly upon the earth. Even so, his hands trembled violently from the shock of their collision, his knuckles white

“To think you might flee this place after sowing such chaos—do you truly believe I would let you go unpunished? Even if you were to hide within the deepest crevice of a beetle’s nest, I would hunt you down without rest until you are found!” Aji’s voice was not raised to a shout, yet it carried a weight of menace that cut through Suwarta like shards of ice. Each word echoed in the elder’s ears with the finality of a death knell.The Master of the Black Skull Academy felt as though he stood face to face with the very embodiment of Death itself—an immortal being come to claim what was owed. Aji’s wide, predatory grin seemed to tear at the very fabric of Suwarta’s deepest fears, leaving his mind reeling and his resolve shattered beneath the shadow of his impending end.In that moment, Aji’s thoughts turned to the lingering clouds of venom that still hung heavy around Ki Mangkubumi’s residence—a toxic legacy left by Suwarta’s dark arts. He knew he must return swiftly to purify the air with