I only wanted to retire, but I ended up becoming an extremely popular character.

Chapter 98 I see you're in a hurry.

The "Lark," formed from "potential," trailed a shimmering tail and, like a swiftly flying bird, pounced on Zod's chest at incredible speed.

The two were too close.

So close that the beam of light was already at his chest the instant Zod realized the danger.

It was too late to block.

It's impossible to completely dodge "Hibari".

In the nick of time, Zod's body reacted faster than his mind.

Instead of trying to completely dodge the attack, he twisted to the side with all his might, diverting his vital organs from the attack.

It was abruptly moved away from the flight path of the "Skylark".

His heart narrowly escaped the direct impact, but the "Skylark's" wingspan, formed from concentrated energy, still managed to slash across Zod's left arm as it passed over his body.

The sleeve was instantly cut open with a clean gash, and blood gushed from the wound.

Zod felt a burning pain spread down his arm.

He gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound.

His gaze was fixed on Lieutenant Patrick in front of him.

As expected of the vanguard of enemy reinforcements, they certainly wouldn't send a mediocre force as the vanguard.

This Lieutenant Patrick was more difficult to deal with than any of the Holy Kingdom lieutenants he had encountered before.

Both his reaction speed and his control over the 'Hakuja' ability are superior to Lieutenant Eric's.

But it is not invincible.

Even though Zod hasn't mastered 'Potential Shaping' yet, it's just one of the techniques used by 'Hakuja'.

It is not a transformative ability like "potential release" or "potential overload".

As long as he gets a chance to get close, as long as he enters the range of the sword's edge, the outcome is still uncertain.

To survive, no one can stop him here.

The Holy Kingdom's army, which was flanking from behind, and the Holy Kingdom's reinforcements that might arrive at any time, all made Zod feel like he had a thorn in his side.

Time is everything!

Every passing second could fundamentally change the situation on the entire battlefield.

Ignoring the bleeding wound on his arm, Zod gripped the Imperial sword tightly and suddenly exerted force with his feet.

With a single leap, he lunged at Patrick like an arrow released from a bow—his sword aimed straight for Patrick's throat!

However, Patrick seemed to have anticipated this.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, and his wrist suddenly twitched.

The seemingly ordinary cross-shaped sword suddenly disintegrated in that instant.

The sword transformed into countless blades connected by chains, like a long silver whip, or a serpent leaping out of the abyss.

Each blade fragment, imbued with 'potential,' traced eerie arcs under the pull of the chains, twisting, swirling, and dancing in the air, lunging at Zod from all directions!

Zod's pupils suddenly contracted.

The momentum of his forward charge was abruptly halted, and his body twisted at an almost illogical angle, allowing the first wave of blades to whistle past his nose.

He rolled as he landed, and the second wave of blades embedded themselves in the ground where he had just been, sending dust flying.

But as soon as he stood up, the "snake" changed direction again and swept in from the side!

Zod raised his sword to parry, but at the same time he had to leap backward to barely avoid the chain sword's swift and unpredictable trajectory.

"Clang clang clang clang—"

—

A series of rapid metallic clanging sounds rang out.

Countless shards of blade rained down on his sword, each strike carrying an eerie force.

Some were fierce and heavy, some were delicate and cunning, and some suddenly turned at the moment of contact, almost piercing his shoulder blade.

The chain sword truly came to life in Patrick's hands, changing the angle and force of the attack with each swing.

Zod dodged and weaved before the snake-like attacks, parrying, dodging, retreating, and parrying again.

His physical strength was being depleted at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Patrick watched Zod's agile movements and couldn't help but feel a sense of respect.

As an Imperial Lieutenant, he should not even have mastered the "Kakuja" ability yet, and even if he had, he should not be so proficient.

This Imperial lieutenant's strength is already equivalent to that of a lieutenant.

The opponent in front of them was able to use his skills flexibly, and even under such a fierce offensive, he still had the time to observe the situation.

He had long heard that there was an Imperial lieutenant in Bell Tower Town who had single-handedly killed a lieutenant from the Holy Kingdom.

As a lieutenant himself, he naturally paid close attention to this kind of news.

At this moment, he looked at the young man in front of him who was gritting his teeth and persevering—could this be him?

Logically, he should have asked a question to confirm the other party's background.

But on second thought, it doesn't seem necessary.

Anyway, this Imperial lieutenant will soon become a corpse.

Why bother with all that?

He's destined to win this battle.

From Zod's impatient attack and the anxiety that was faintly visible between his brows, Patrick could clearly see that this young man longed for a quick victory, wanted to end the battle as soon as possible, and rush to the town of Segner.

Of course, it's more likely that Zod was aware of the disparity in troop strength between the two sides.

If Patrick is not dealt with quickly, the longer it drags on, the greater the disadvantage his troops will face.

The more eager the opponent is to win quickly, the less likely Patrick will let him succeed.

"You seem to be in a hurry." Patrick's lips curled into a sinister smile, his tone carrying the nonchalant ease of a cat toying with a mouse. "Where are you rushing off to?"

As long as he keeps his distance from Zod with his chain sword, Zod will not be able to win quickly, nor will he be able to pose a real threat to him.

He has plenty of time to play.

Based on the rate at which both sides expend energy, Zod will definitely be the first to fall.

And if Zod reveals any weakness, he will seize it without hesitation and completely crush this arrogant young man.

"Damn it," Zod cursed inwardly.

He understood that Patrick had seen through his intentions and that the other man had no intention of engaging in close combat.

No matter which direction Zod charged, the chain sword would be like a persistent venomous snake, chasing after him, coiling around him, biting him, and giving him no chance to breathe.

He could only parry and dodge, while simultaneously activating the "Iron Curtain" ability of the "Hakuja" to harden his body parts and withstand the attacks he couldn't avoid in time.

Even so, the blade of the chain sword still left wound after wound on his body, blood seeping through his uniform on his face, arms, and shoulders.

These wounds were not deep, and Zod avoided vital areas as much as possible.

More than his wounds, Zod's current crisis is the rapid depletion of his physical strength.

Thanks to the range advantage of his chain sword, Patrick hardly needed to move and expended very little energy.

But Zod was different. Every time he had to dodge the chain sword's attacks from all directions, he had to make short, quick movements. With just a longsword in his hand, it was impossible for him to completely block Patrick's attacks.

This caused Zod to exhaust his stamina much faster than Patrick.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"

Zod was panting heavily, and his speed had noticeably slowed down.