Chapter 121: The Twin-Headed Leopard

The masked commander attacked the moment Adesewa stepped into the central courtyard.

His black spear pierced through the air with a sharp whistle, aimed directly at her throat. Adesewa tilted her head, allowing the weapon to pass beside her cheek, before striking the shaft with the back of her hand.

The impact knocked the spear aside and exposed the commander’s chest, but he recovered quickly, twisting his weapon into another thrust.

His technique was impressive. Every movement flowed into the next, and the spear’s considerable reach allowed him to threaten his opponent without entering striking distance. Unfortunately, Adesewa had spent decades fighting Awakeners who relied on precisely that advantage.

She slipped beneath his third thrust and punched him in the abdomen.

BOOM!

The commander flew backward, his boots carving deep trenches across the courtyard before he crashed into a damaged stone pillar. He immediately attempted to rise, but Adesewa had already closed the distance.

Her next punch struck his chest, shattering part of his armor and sending him tumbling across the pavement.

The commander rolled onto one knee and vomited a mouthful of blood.

From the western courtyard, Jet watched with astonishment. He had barely recovered from the previous night’s injuries, and the pressure radiating from the commander was already enough to make his body tense. Yet Adesewa was overwhelming the man without even activating her Divine Rune.

"That guy’s definitely stronger than the assassins who attacked me," Jet remarked, tightening his grip around the Vorpal Blade.

Cassian glanced toward the confrontation. "He is, but the Captain has decades of combat experience behind her. Strength matters, Jet, but knowing exactly when and where to strike matters just as much."

The commander wiped the blood from his mouth. His breathing had become ragged, and his confidence was rapidly disappearing. He had expected a difficult opponent, not someone capable of crushing him before he could properly establish his fighting rhythm.

"You arrogant bitch," he growled, forcing himself upright. "Don’t think you’ve won just because you landed a few punches."

Adesewa regarded him coldly. "If you have something worth showing me, now would be the time."

The commander’s expression twisted.

A violent surge of Mana erupted from his body.

Dark-red markings spread across his right arm, forming the image of a spear piercing three overlapping circles. Additional lines extended across his shoulder and down his spine, glowing as the black spear in his hands began vibrating.

His Divine Rune had awakened.

[Divine Rune: Gáe Bolg — The Piercing Spear]

[Rank: D]

[Type: Attack]

The commander raised his weapon, and the surrounding air trembled beneath the concentration of Mana gathering around its tip.

Ability: Piercing Fang!

He thrust forward.

A concentrated spear-shaped projectile erupted from the weapon, tearing through the courtyard with enough force to pulverize the stone pavement beneath its trajectory. Unlike his previous attacks, this strike was compressed into an extraordinarily narrow point, concentrating its destructive power rather than dispersing it.

Adesewa stepped aside.

The projectile passed her shoulder and struck the ruined mansion behind her, punching through several walls before disappearing into the building’s interior.

Jet stared at the destruction. "That attack went straight through the mansion," he muttered, visibly impressed despite himself.

Cassian nodded. "His Rune might only be D-Rank, but don’t underestimate someone who has spent years mastering its abilities."

The commander launched another Piercing Fang, immediately followed by a third. Each projectile traveled along a slightly different trajectory, attempting to restrict Adesewa’s movements and force her into a predictable position.

She avoided the first attack and deflected the second with a Mana-reinforced strike, but the third passed close enough to tear through the fabric covering her shoulder.

The commander seized the opportunity.

Ability: Hundredfold Thrust!

His spear blurred.

Dozens of thrusts erupted in rapid succession, each carrying a concentrated burst of Mana. The attacks overlapped so densely that the space before him appeared filled with countless spearheads, leaving almost no visible opening through which an opponent could approach.

Jet instinctively took a step forward, but Cassian immediately placed a hand against his shoulder.

"Stay back, Jet," Cassian warned, keeping his eyes on the battle. "The Captain doesn’t need our help, and entering that attack’s range would only put you in danger."

Jet reluctantly stopped.

Adesewa was already moving.

She slipped between the incoming thrusts with movements so precise that her body seemed to pass through gaps too narrow for a person to occupy. When the commander adjusted his aim, she changed her footing immediately, avoiding the next series of attacks without allowing herself to be cornered.

The commander’s expression grew increasingly strained.

His Hundredfold Thrust had reached complete Mastery through years of training. Every attack was delivered with maximum efficiency, eliminating unnecessary movements while maintaining relentless offensive pressure.

Yet Adesewa continued approaching.

"How are you doing that?!" the commander shouted, desperately increasing his attack speed.

Adesewa deflected another thrust before answering. "Your technique is excellent. Unfortunately, you’ve mistaken mastering a technique for mastering combat."

She stepped inside his reach and struck his jaw.

The commander staggered backward, blood spraying from his mouth.

Before Adesewa could follow up, he slammed his spear into the ground and unleashed his third ability.

Ability: Rupturing Spear!

The weapon’s dark-red markings flared.

A violent shockwave erupted from the spearhead, spreading outward in a destructive cone that shattered the courtyard’s stone surface. The attack tore through broken statues, demolished nearby walls, and sent enormous fragments of masonry flying toward the surrounding buildings.

Adesewa crossed her arms and endured the initial impact, her Mana reinforcing her body against the tremendous force.

The commander immediately retreated several meters.

He had mastered all three abilities of his D-Rank Divine Rune to their highest level. Piercing Fang provided concentrated penetration, Hundredfold Thrust overwhelmed opponents through relentless attacks, and Rupturing Spear delivered devastating destruction across a wider area.

Together, they formed the foundation of his fighting style.

Against most opponents near his level, that combination was lethal.

Against Adesewa, it had accomplished little beyond damaging the estate.

When the dust settled, she was still standing.

The commander stared at her in disbelief.

"Impossible..." he whispered.

Adesewa lowered her arms, examining the torn fabric of her sleeve before returning her attention to him.

"Three abilities, all mastered to an impressive degree," she acknowledged. "You’ve clearly spent years developing your Divine Rune. It’s unfortunate you chose to use that dedication for murder."

The commander tightened his grip around the spear.

Then dark-gold markings emerged along Adesewa’s neck.

They spread beneath her combat clothing and across the backs of both hands, forming the unmistakable image of a double-headed leopard standing upon intersecting roads. One head faced forward while the other looked backward, and hundreds of smaller markings resembling footprints traveled in opposite directions along her arms.

[Divine Rune: Agassou — The Twin-Headed Leopard]

[Rank: S]

[Authority: Pursuit]

Jet immediately recognized the markings.

During the expedition, he had witnessed Adesewa use Agassou against dangerous monsters, but this was his first opportunity to observe its Authority while she possessed the strength of a 5-Star Awakener.

The commander noticed the markings as well.

"An S-Rank Divine Rune?" he muttered, his expression darkening.

Adesewa raised her right hand. "Try keeping your distance."

The commander immediately retreated and unleashed Piercing Fang.

Adesewa stepped forward.

The distance separating them changed.

She hadn’t teleported, nor had she suddenly accelerated beyond his perception. The commander could clearly see her taking an ordinary step, yet the separation he had established no longer corresponded to the distance she needed to cross.

One moment, she stood beyond the reach of his spear.

The next, she was directly in front of him.

Her fist struck his abdomen.

BOOM!

The commander folded around the impact and flew backward, crashing through the remains of a stone fountain.

He scrambled upright, coughing blood, and immediately retreated another twenty meters.

Adesewa took a second step.

Twenty meters became less than two.

The commander’s eyes widened in terror. "What the hell is this ability?!"

"You’re my quarry," Adesewa answered calmly. "And you’ve already been caught."

He thrust his spear toward her chest, but she seized the shaft and drove her knee into his ribs. The impact shattered several bones, forcing another agonized cry from his throat.

Jet watched the confrontation with growing disbelief.

"She’s not moving faster," he realized, staring at the space between them. "She’s changing the distance itself."

Cassian nodded. "Agassou’s Authority concerns the relationship between hunter and quarry. Once the Captain establishes that relationship, simply running farther away doesn’t guarantee that the distance separating them will increase."

Jet swallowed.

He had already witnessed how terrifying Adesewa’s physical strength had become after reaching 5-Star. Combined with an Authority that could undermine an enemy’s attempts to escape, she was an absolute nightmare for anyone unfortunate enough to become her target.

The commander seemed to have reached the same conclusion.

He suddenly unleashed Rupturing Spear against the ground, using the explosion to throw himself backward. Without waiting to see whether Adesewa had been injured, he turned and sprinted toward the estate’s eastern boundary.

He had abandoned his assignment.

Survival was all that mattered now.

Adesewa watched him flee before beginning to walk.

The commander vaulted over a collapsed wall and raced down a service road, pouring every remaining fragment of Mana into his legs. He glanced backward only once, confirming that Adesewa wasn’t following directly behind him.

Relief flashed through his mind.

Then he turned forward.

Adesewa stood in his path.

The commander stumbled, nearly falling as he desperately tried to stop.

"HOW?!" he screamed.

Adesewa regarded him without sympathy. "You can change roads, directions, or the distance you travel. None of that changes the fact that you’re my quarry."

The commander’s hands trembled around his spear.

He had no intention of surrendering.

With a furious roar, he activated Hundredfold Thrust once more, unleashing everything he had left in a final desperate attack.

Adesewa stepped forward. The distance between them contracted again, allowing her to enter his reach before the barrage could develop fully. She caught his wrist, twisted his arm, and struck his elbow with enough force to shatter the joint.

The commander screamed. His spear slipped from his fingers.

Adesewa caught it before it touched the ground.

For the first time, genuine terror filled the man’s eyes.

"Wait!" he cried, staggering backward while clutching his ruined arm. "I can tell you things! I know people! Just give me..."

Adesewa didn’t allow him to finish.

She tightened her grip around the black spear, turned her body, and swung the weapon with overwhelming force.

The spearhead tore through the commander’s neck.

His severed head flew from his shoulders, and his body collapsed onto the service road.

Adesewa lowered the bloodstained weapon, looking down at the corpse with an expression devoid of pity.

The commander who had led the assault against the D’Aubigné family was dead.

And he had been killed by his own spear.