"Ting." A slender needle struck Elliott's blade with such force that he inwardly marveled at the sheer internal energy behind it.
"Haha... Ryan, I told you to train your inner energy more. See? You're no match for a true internal master," a man dressed similarly to Ryan called out as he emerged from the forest, landing gracefully atop a boulder.
Ryan, who had already retreated to the newcomer's side, scoffed. "Nathan, you're not much better. His internal strength is on par with yours."
Nathan grinned. "Oh really? Then I suppose I'll have to take this seriously."
With a flick of his wrist, a gust of palm wind surged forward, sweeping over Isabella.Rockefeller and Elliott like a tempest. Isabella.Rockefeller immediately sensed that this man was far stronger than Ryan, but Elliott remained unfazed.
From their earlier exchange, Elliott deduced that Nathan specialized in internal techniques, while Ryan likely trained in external martial arts—specifically, swift blade techniques.
Yet neither of them seemed to be the hidden assailant who had launched the needle. That one was still lurking, waiting to strike.
Nathan noticed Elliott's ears twitching—a sign that the blind swordsman was aware of the hidden threat. Impressed by Elliott's perception, Nathan decided to end this quickly. "Kid, brace yourself!"
He leapt forward, his palm radiating a faint cyan glow as he struck. Isabella.Rockefeller's heart clenched at the sight—this man was clearly formidable. Could Elliott really handle him?
Elliott's ears caught the direction of the incoming strike. With a fluid motion, his blade danced in an arc before thrusting straight toward Nathan's palm.
Nathan's eyes widened mid-air. He retracted his strike, twisted his body by stepping on his own foot, and flipped backward to his original position.
Landing smoothly, Nathan smirked. "Hah! Ryan, you're useless. How could you lose to a blind man?"
Ryan's face darkened upon realizing he had been fighting a blind opponent—and still failed to gain the upper hand. "You were just forced back too! What right do you have to mock me?"
Nathan chuckled. "Fine. Let's finish this fast." He exchanged a glance with Ryan, and the two lunged at Elliott simultaneously.
Elliott parried their attacks while keeping his senses sharp for the true master still in hiding. Though he dodged Nathan's palm strikes and Ryan's slashes, their agility outpaced his.
My skills are still lacking, Elliott lamented. If only I had Gabriel's lightness technique—these two would already be dead. But he had to conserve energy for the hidden threat.
At seventy percent of his full strength, this stalemate couldn't last. He needed a plan—
Then, a rustle of leaves to his left. A faint smile curled on Elliott's lips, baffling Nathan and Ryan before he suddenly unleashed his Sword-Breaking Form, forcing them back.
In one swift motion, he grabbed Isabella.Rockefeller and leapt toward the sound—just as a barrage of needles shot from the trees. Isabella.Rockefeller gasped, instinctively clutching Elliott tighter.
Pulling her close, Elliott spun his blade in a fierce whirlwind, deflecting every needle before reversing his grip and slashing toward the tree—