CLEAVER OF SIN

Although the world did not segregate between men and women in terms of status, influence, or even access to power, the reality remained that men still dominated in many aspects of strength and authority, largely because they were genetically and physically more robust by nature.

The biological advantage tilted in their favor, and some men, intoxicated by this superiority, still looked down on women simply because of this natural difference.

Asher, hearing Darissa's question, arched an eyebrow in mild confusion, for he had clearly been misunderstood.

He was not the kind of man who went around spouting naive declarations like he would never fight a woman on the battlefield, nor was he one of those shallow, chivalrous, self-proclaimed heroes who refused to engage women out of misplaced ideals. That sort of nonsensical, sex-starved, hero-like crap was not his way of thinking.

Asher did not underestimate women simply because they were, on average, physically weaker. He knew far too well that power did not solely reside in muscle.

Many of the greatest powerhouses in history had been women. His own mother stood as a shining example, Lily of the Abyss, the Sovereign of the Separate Dimension, a name that resounded with fear and respect across the world. To him, gender was irrelevant when it came to strength.

For Asher, there existed only one definitive term: ENEMIES.

There was no male enemy, no female enemy, only opponents. He would kill and battle them all the same, without hesitation, without mercy, and without distinction.

"It seems I've been misunderstood," Asher said at last, his lips curving into a faint smile. "I'm merely not battling you because you are not interesting enough."

Darissa's martial stance wavered, her shoulders slackening as her body eased back into a normal posture. She said nothing, but his words cut deeper than a blade could. Though she did not voice it aloud, she knew exactly what he meant: she was simply too weak to be worth his time.

The realization stung, but instead of letting the pain shatter her pride, she clenched her teeth. Darissa said nothing in retaliation. She could not bark back empty words at him, for she knew they would mean nothing.

Instead, Asher's blunt dismissal lit a fire in her heart, motivating her to train harder. Her fist tightened around the hilt of her sword until her knuckles turned white, the pressure forcing out the tremor in her hands.

Asher saw her reaction, but he did not comment. Her emotions, her pride, her frustration, none of that had anything to do with him. She had asked him a question, and he had answered. That was all there was to it.

"Let's leave. We've already wasted three precious minutes here," Asher said, his voice calm but firm, before turning and walking toward the direction they had originally entered the cavern from.

Darissa simply nodded. She fell into step beside him, her thoughts turbulent yet focused. She knew she could not allow herself to be distracted right now.

When they reached the ground at the base of the pit, they both moved at once. Astra surged into Darissa's legs, flooding her muscles with strength as she kicked against the wall of the pit. Her back parallel to the ground as her feet clung to the stone surface, and then she launched herself upward, streaking toward the top like an arrow.

Asher followed effortlessly, his movements smooth, rhythmic, and precise. He matched her speed with ease, his presence almost casual compared to her own movement.

Within moments, they emerged from the pit. But before they could even set eyes upon the world above, danger struck. From both sides, various sneak attacks tore toward them, weapons and abilities cutting through the air with lethal intent.

But such cheap tricks were useless. Asher possessed the Omni Perception, an ability that made hidden attacks laughable in his presence, and Darissa could manipulate sound itself, twisting echoes and vibrations to detect subtle movements.

In a flash, their blades moved, rapier and sword, parrying the incoming strikes with clean, fluid motions. Asher dove to the right, Darissa to the left, their movements instinctive and graceful.

The criminals who had been lying in wait clicked their tongues in frustration. They had overheard sounds of battle from within the pit earlier and naturally assumed students were inside. Their plan had been simple: wait for them to emerge, then ambush them in a single devastating strike. But their scheme had failed utterly.

One of the criminals facing Asher slapped his palms together, activating his ability. Astra pulsed from his body, and Asher's sharp eyes locked on him, waiting to see what ability the man had unleashed.

A sudden fluttering filled the air. Wings. Countless wings.

Within seconds, birds of all kinds, sparrows, crows, hawks, even pigeons, materialized in the battlefield, swarming from every direction before shooting straight toward Asher.

Asher raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by the spectacle.

These were not beasts infused with Astra, nor magical creatures born of enchantment. They were just… ordinary birds.

'His ability is to control normal birds?' Asher mused silently. A sigh left his lips. 'No wonder he became a criminal.'

Still, while he scoffed at the display, his mind was already analyzing potential uses for such an ability had it been his own.

Spying? Espionage? Information gathering through networks of unnoticed watchers? There were, in truth, ways such power could have been terrifying if wielded intelligently.

Virelass, his rapier, materialized in his hand with a gleam. His figure blurred forward, his blade cutting through the birds with surgical precision. One after another, they fell lifelessly, their feathers scattering like snow.

Another criminal took the chance to strike, manipulating the earth beneath Asher's feet. The ground softened, collapsing into a quagmire that sought to swallow him whole.

But it was pointless. Astra gathered beneath Asher's soles, allowing him to stand on the unstable earth as if it were solid stone.

In a blink, he vanished, his form reappearing beside the nearest criminal. The man barely had time to blink before his world spun. His vision twisted as if his senses orbited the sky.

Then darkness.

The second criminal lunged, daggers flashing toward Asher's head. But Asher moved with calm brutality. He caught the man's wrist mid-strike, his other hand snapping forward to slam against the criminal's elbow. A sickening crack followed, the bones snapping clean in two.

The man screamed, his voice piercing the battlefield, only for Asher's finger to thrust into his throat, tearing it open in a single merciless motion. Blood gushed, and with a heavy thud, the criminal collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

Turning his gaze to the side, Asher saw that Darissa had already finished her own opponents. Her sword dripped faintly, her expression unreadable.

She glanced toward him. "Would you like to move together?" she asked, her tone careful.

Asher merely shook his head, silent. He knew her intent. She wanted to use him as a shield, a wall to absorb danger while she followed behind. But he did not voice it aloud. It simply did not matter to him what her plans were.

"See you at the Academy then, Tenth Sun," Darissa replied with a faint smirk before turning away. She checked her map, then blurred forward, vanishing into another direction.

Asher exhaled lightly, his gaze lifting toward the sky. High above the forest, the scoreboard floated, glowing brilliantly for all participants to see.

He was unsurprised to see his name perched at the very top. First place. Still, he could not deny the small thrill that came with racking up points so effortlessly.

With a final glance at the board, he turned and began walking toward his next destination.

'I hope I find someone… or something… interesting next,' Asher thought, his expression calm but expectant, the faintest smile tugging at the edge of his lips.