"Hah... hah... hah...!"
Rain began to fall, drop by drop.
Before long, it turned into a torrential downpour, soaking his clothes in an instant.
But he couldn't afford to worry about something like that.
More importantly, he had to sense his surroundings and locate the enemy.
If he couldn't do that... he would die.
"I can't believe he's that strong..."
He thought about Zenoas.
He wielded that enormous greatsword as though it were a part of his own body.
There wasn't a single opening.
He unleashed a relentless series of attacks, his movements both bold and delicate.
Dodging or blocking them was extremely difficult.
"Urgh... guh..."
As he continued running, a sharp pain shot through his side, causing him to stagger.
It was a piercing pain that seemed to reverberate deep inside his body.
The pain grew stronger and stronger, as though desperately asserting its presence.
He had probably fractured one of his ribs, or perhaps cracked it.
He remembered the feeling from when he had broken bones several times during his days as a slave.
"I... have to endure it!"
It hurt terribly.
He felt as though he might lose consciousness at any moment.
But he couldn't stop here.
If Zenoas caught up with him in this situation, it would all be over.
"This is... pathetic..."
He had managed to fight Lena on equal terms, even if only for a short time.
He had defeated a monster pretending to be a god.
He had fought a duel against a rampaging lord and emerged victorious.
He had grown stronger.
He was no longer the weak person he had been when he was a slave.
Or so he had thought...
"Why... am I so weak...?"
He had been completely helpless against Zenoas.
All he could do was desperately defend himself against his attacks.
He couldn't land even a single proper blow, and now all he could do was flee in defeat.
But what was most pathetic of all was...
"...I'm scared..."
His hands were trembling.
He tried desperately to stop them, but they wouldn't.
When he fought Zenoas, he couldn't even imagine himself defeating him.
He could only envision a future where he lost.
Being blown away.
Being crushed beneath his feet.
Being cleaved in two.
His mind was filled with nothing but images of death, and he couldn't take even a single step forward.
He was afraid.
Afraid.
Afraid.
Pathetically, his heart had been completely consumed by fear.
"I have to... hurry... I have to get away...!"
He had to get as far away as possible.
Even as he staggered, he forced his aching body forward...
"Found you."
"Huh!?"
He cautiously looked back...
And there stood Zenoas, wearing the same expressionless face he had shown when they first met.
"Now, let's continue where we left off."
"Urgh... guh..."
"..."
Seeing him trembling, the fighting spirit suddenly vanished from Zenoas.
Disappointment filled his eyes as he let out a sigh.
"I thought you might be the one... but it seems I was mistaken."
"U-uaaaah..."
"Die here."
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