Chapter 147 — The Blade Descends

Everyone watches as The Shadow Blade continued its descent.

Elder Sebastian fought with everything he had, but Jackson refused to let him through.

Levron stood beside the execution mechanism.

His hand remained on the lever.

The blade descended with increasing speed.

It seemed certain.

Lyra was going to die.

Lyra could feel the wind of the blade approaching her neck. She close her eyes and pictured her parents as the image of her parents appeared in her mind she thought to herself.

It looks like I'll be seeing you soon father and mother.

She let out a very calm breath.

Then—

CLANG!

The sound of metal striking metal exploded across the execution platform.

Everyone froze.

For a moment, nobody understood what had happened.

Then hundreds of eyes turned upward.

And what they saw made the entire square fall silent.

A young man stood beside Lyra.

His sword was extended upward with one hand.

The blade had caught the descending Shadow Blade and stopped it completely.

Victor. 2

He stood there with a wide smile on his face.

His eyes were fixed on Lyra.

"Hey."

Lyra's eyes widened.

She couldn't breathe.

That voice.

There was no way.

Slowly, she looked toward him.

Victor.

Standing directly beside her.

Holding back the Shadow Blade with one hand.

Lyra stared at him in complete disbelief.

"How…"

Her voice barely came out.

"How are you here?"

Victor glanced at her.

She looked completely stunned.

"I told you not to come!"

Victor frowned.

"Shut up."

Lyra's mouth dropped open.

Victor ignored her and looked toward Levron.

A grin appeared on his face.

"It's been a while."

Levron stood completely still.

His eyes were wide.

He had expected Lyra to be dead.

The blade should have already fallen.

Yet she was still alive.

And the human responsible for everything that had happened was standing beside her.

"You…"

His hand moved toward his sword.

Lyra immediately shouted.

"No!"

She looked toward Levron.

Victor flicked Liam's sword upward.

The Shadow Blade was knocked completely off its wooden mechanism.

The massive weapon flew through the air.

The crowd below erupted in panic.

"Get out of the way!"

The Shadow Blade crashed into the ground among the crowd.

Shadow Foxes scattered in every direction.

Victor casually looked at Lyra.

Then he reached down and grabbed her with one arm.

Before Lyra could react, Victor threw her over his shoulder.

"Whether you like it or not…" 1

He adjusted his grip.

"…you're getting rescued today." 1

"PUT ME DOWN!"

Lyra began struggling.

"Victor! You're only going to make this worse for yourself!"

Victor sighed.

"Calm down, will you?"

He gave her a light smack on the backside with the flat of his sword.

"You're not supposed to make it difficult for the rescuer."

Lyra froze.

Completely.

Her ears stood straight up.

Her eyes widened.

She slowly turned her head toward Victor.

She looked like she couldn't believe what had just happened.

Victor didn't notice.

Or perhaps he simply didn't care.

He looked toward Levron.

"So…"

Victor rested Liam's sword across his shoulder.

"Shall we get on with it?"

Levron's expression hardened.

He drew his sword.

"Put Lyra down."

His blade pointed directly at Victor.

"And your death will be quick."

Victor smiled.

"I do think this is going to be very quick."

His smile widened.

"At least not for me."

He moved Liam's sword back toward his ring.

Then he stored it.

Levron's eyes narrowed.

Victor raised one hand.

"One hand will be enough."

Levron stared at him.

"Quite the cocky human, aren't we?"

He lowered his stance.

"Let's see."

Victor disappeared.

Flash Step.

Levron's eyes widened.

What?!

He barely saw Victor move.

The young man appeared directly in front of him.

A tornado of Spiritual Energy was already forming around Victor's fist.

Static crackled through the air.

Monkey Fist.

Levron's body reacted instinctively.

But he was too late.

Victor's fist slammed directly into his face.

BOOM!

The impact was monstrous.

Levron's body shot backward at nearly the speed of sound.

He smashed through the building behind him.

Wood exploded outward.

His body continued through the structure before finally crashing into a stone wall.

BOOM! 1

Levron remained embedded in the wall for a moment.

Then he slid down.

His head hung forward.

He looked up.

His eyes were blank.

His entire body was frozen.

Chaotic Spiritual Energy surged through his veins, disrupting his ability to move.

He couldn't even stand.

Victor hadn't even used both hands.

Lyra stared at Levron.

Her mouth was slightly open.

Levron…

She couldn't believe it.

He had been one of the strongest people she had ever known.

A warrior capable of terrifying most other members of the clan.

And Victor had defeated him with one punch.

She slowly looked toward Victor.

What happened to you?

It hadn't been that long.

How had he changed so much?

What had he experienced while they were apart?

Victor looked toward the gathered Shadow Foxes.

Then he laughed.

"So…"

His voice echoed throughout the square.

"Who's next?"

Nobody moved.

Victor's grin widened. 1

"Anyone who tries to stop me from taking Lyra away today…"

He pointed toward the building where Levron lay motionless.

"…will end up just like the Shadow Fox you see lying over there."

The crowd remained frozen.

Then two figures slowly stepped forward.

Jackson.

And Sebastian.

The two had stopped fighting.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, neither spoke.

They had been enemies only seconds earlier.

But now there was a common threat standing before them.

The human.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed.

A thought suddenly crossed his mind.

If we use this human as the reason…

If Lyra was supposedly manipulated or influenced by him…

Perhaps there was still a way to save her.

Sebastian looked toward Jackson.

"Let's deal with this human first."

Jackson stared at Victor.

Then nodded.

"Agreed."

The two immediately dashed forward.

Victor's eyes widened.

"Two at once?"

He grinned.

"How did I get so lucky?"

He laughed.

Then he paused.

I've been hanging around the Lava Rock Monkeys way too much. I'm starting to sound like Monkasa. 1

Victor shook his head.

Jackson reached him first.

His sword thrust forward.

Victor simply stepped to the side.

The blade passed beside his body.

Victor planted his foot.

Then jumped.

His body twisted in midair.

His leg swung around.

BAM!

His heel slammed into Jackson's face.

The Patriarch's body flew sideways.

He crashed onto the stone ground and slid several feet before finally stopping.

Sebastian was already behind Victor.

His body blurred.

Shadow Step.

He intended to take advantage of the opening while Victor's attention was still on Jackson.

Victor didn't even look behind him.

His instincts had already sensed the movement.

He turned.

His palm shot backward.

BOOM!

It struck Sebastian directly in the chest.

The elder's eyes widened.

His body was launched across the platform.

He tumbled several times before crashing onto the ground.

He finally stopped directly in front of Gabby.

Jackson was on the ground.

Levron was buried inside a building.

And now Elder Sebastian was lying on the ground as well.

All three of them had been defeated in mere moments.

Gabby couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Neither could could anyone else. 1

Lyra simply stared at Victor.

She had no idea who the person standing in front of her was anymore.

The human she had once tried to kill.

The human she had eventually called her friend.

The human who had somehow crossed an entire territory and arrived at the exact moment she was supposed to die.

And now…

He had just defeated three of the strongest Shadow Foxes in the clan as though they were nothing.

Lyra's eyes remained fixed on him.

Victor…

What happened to you?