Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem-Chapter 633: The Same

Zach layered barrier after barrier around himself, his maids, Yan, Rienne, Anerias, and Anerias' familars. But nothing he did managed to even take the edge off the danger he felt as the man before them lightly swung and twirled the curved blades in his hands as if they were alive.

"There's no need to be afraid. I didn't come here to kill anyone," The man said, taking a slow but eager step forward.

"Then why did you come here?" Zach asked. The man's presence was chilling, but fear wasn't enough to make Zach shut up. Besides, any second the man spent talking was a second Zach had to try and find a way to survive.

"I came to Emberise because it was on the way. I was thinking that I might get a chance to see some of Friebel's masterpieces up close. Then, I caught word of this 'challenge.' It was interesting.

"One man against all of Emberise. I had to see it for myself. So far, you have not disappointed, Zach. But you have more to give, right?" The man's grin widened as he stepped forward, his tall frame shrinking slightly as he leaned forward hungrily.

"I can feel it. You can show me more. Don't you want to release it all? To stop holding back for fear of maiming or killing someone?" The man asked, taking another step while lightly swinging his sabers, cutting the air.

"I've seen it, you know. That frustration you feel when a fight ends before your blood starts to boil. When your opponent just crumbles before you. It's so boring!" The man's voice rang throughout the forge-filled compound. His words echoed with power. It was enough to knock out the pile of defeated challengers and send the rest running.

The other challengers finally realized that whoever he was, this stranger was dangerous. A fight with someone like that could easily turn spectators into casualties.

But as they turned to run, they realized that they had already started fleeing.

The man's presence had pushed cowards and weaklings away as soon as he revealed it.

He wasn't interested in anyone too weak to stand in his presence anyway.

He only looked at Zach.

Under the weight of the man's gaze, Zach frowned.

The man's words weren't inaccurate.

Zach wanted to go all out and feel the limits of his strength so that he could break through them once again and continue soaring into the sky. He wanted to climb higher and go further. He wanted to see more. He wanted to see things from a higher vantage point.

Strength was a necessary requirement.

"I wouldn't say—"

"You long for the violence you can unleash with your fists! The havoc you can wreak if you put your mind to it! Don't you?!" The man shouted, interrupting Zach's attempt to claim the opposite.

"No—"

"Don't lie to yourself, Zach! Your hands thirst for blood!"

Zach's frown deepened, and irritation slowly crept up his face. He tried to suppress it.

"How would—"

"I know it better than anyone! I am the same!" The man shouted. Six steps away from Zach. Four steps away from Yanael.

"I don't give two shits about wealth. Other treasures bore me. All I need are my Twin Blood Essence Sabers. Cowards and those who don't seek strength or growth…Don't even get me started…!" The man finished with irritated exhaustion. Five steps to Zach. Three to Yanael.

"All I need in life is the satisfaction of a good, bloody fight against someone who can stay their ground or beat me within an inch of my life!"

The man was tall and burly. But it was only when he swung his arm like a reaper's scythe that his full reach revealed itself.

Two steps away from Yanael, and his weapon flashed. The only hint that he had moved to those who couldn't see it was the swish of something cutting through the air and the ringing sound of metal against metal as Yanael blocked his blade with her own.

But whereas she used both hands to keep her sword up, the man only needed to press lightly with one to lock her in place.

The light in the man's eyes shone brighter as he looked at the golden-haired maid before him, seemingly for the first time. Yanael also caught his interest as she blocked his attack.

The man realized something as he glanced at the other maids. He had been too focused on Zach.

Zach wasn't the only impressive one. He wasn't the only one worth fighting.

A mad grin twisted the man's face as he cut down an arrow of fire aimed at the back of his head with his other saber. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Coming to Emberise had been the right decision.

Even if Zach and his familiars were still a little too green, it was far better than what he had expected when he came to the city. They would serve as a perfect warmup for what was to come.

A surge of blessed energy ran through Yanael and her sword.

The basics she had honed like her life depended on it wouldn't be enough. She needed power. She threw the man's saber off her sword and unleashed a swift slash from the position her sword was in.

The plan was to push the man's weapon back far enough and make use of the opening Mandra had provided to cut him in half.

That didn't happen.

Even as Mandra fired another fire arrow to keep his left side occupied, his right arm didn't move nearly as far as Yanael had hoped. It was also faster than she had expected.

He intercepted her slash before she could even get close. Since he stopped it before she gathered momentum, there wasn't much power in her slash.

But he still stopped it with humiliating ease.

Yanael engaged the man in a battle of strength and will, even if she knew it was lost from the start. She wanted to keep his attention on her.

But as if he had eyes on the back of his head, he kept dodging Yanael's attacks. He even deflected them in such a way that Alzara couldn't approach recklessly.

Two exchanges were all he needed to establish dominance.

This wasn't just an uphill battle from the start.

They were standing in front of a sheer cliff face that they couldn't see the top of.