Chapter 657 - Vertical Slits (2/2)

”Hehe, how interesting.”

Hanging upside-down, Aphestus seemed as though he was still able to react perfectly. His palms flipped over, causing two daggers to appear.

Each was three quarters of a foot long, shimmering beneath the setting sun.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The daggers and Sael's blade-like petals crossed, her fists' endless barrage being met and countered by Aphestus instantly.

At that moment, Sael's irises rotated by another petal, causing another flower tattoo to bloom on Aphestus' body.

In that small instant of time, Aphestus' body slowed by another measure. He mistimed his block, Sael's fists shooting by his guard and ripping toward his chest.

Aphestus reacted as quickly as he could, flexing the muscle dense tapestry that was his torso to swing himself to the side.

But, Sael's vines weren't stationary. Her gaze seemed to be able to counter everything, her sight seeing through Aphestus' intentions with ease.

In the instant Aphestus wanted to swing, Sael's vines countered his weight, resulting in him staying in place.

PUCHI!

The blue blades hovering around Sael's fists shot through Aphestus' chest, piercing toward his heart.

Her fury didn't seem to be satiated in the slightest. She wanted to watch her fists tear a whole through his body, to feel his blood running down her forearm.

Valiant Heart Mountain meant too many things to Sael. She did everything she had to do, even lowering her head when she didn't want to, for the sake of watching it thrive and survive.

There was little she cared more about than this. And of the few that existed, there was her master, a man she respected more than anyone else. Yet, not only was Hero Peak trying to force her dream to crumble, they were actually attacking her master in the process and dragging his name through the mud.

She couldn't tolerate it!

Sael roared, her fists driving forward. Her stance sunk downward, the petals around her ankles anchoring her into the ground as she pushed with all her might, the veins in her eyes practically bursting apart into a sea of red.

At that moment, Aphestus coughed, his body wracked with pain.

”Oof. Are you trying to kill me, big chested beauty?”

Sael's pupils constricted. She found her petal blades were stuck, not because Aphestus had caught her arm, but rather because she couldn't seem to slice through the bones of his rib cage.

Taking advantage of Sael's shock, Aphestus spun, rapidly slicing apart the vines around his ankle and landing nimbly to avoid the vines that covered the ground.

He looked down at his chest, watching the blood trickle down the blue tattoo that now covered it.

He looked back up and grinned, licking his lips.

But, all Sael saw were the vertical slits his pupils became.