Chaos Order Outpost.

04:51 a.m. 18th Banem 1092.

[Angel Steps Activated!]

Beautiful white light exploded out of Kashi's body as he erupted with unfathomable power. The daeben, using the speed boost, quickly slid to his right. He winced as the powerful bolt brushed past him – the roiling winds around the spinning bolt cut his cheeks and drew blood, a testament to the bolt's overwhelming power. Luckily, the cut was the worst of the danger as the bolt smashed into the earth a microsecond later.

Kashi did not have time to celebrate his escape as the demon appeared in front of him with a rabid vengeance, bringing its fists down to collide with the daeben. Kashi initially wanted to counter with a punch of his own, but alarming bells shot off once again. The daeben's eyes widened in disbelief when the demon suddenly pulled back its arm and then danced to the side, revealing a massive bolt right behind him.

Once again, Kashi was forced into a desperate dodge. The daeben's heartbeat accelerated in stunned disbelief as he realized the earlier bolt had not been a mistake. Kashi had shot the arrows with [Homing Arrow] activated, which when the ki projection shrunk, caused them to initially miss the target. However, because Kashi had shot from bottom to top, the arrows had been able to curve around and turn back to strike their target.

Typically, this would be checkmate. After all, how difficult was it to block attacks from the back? But this monster demon's battle instincts were off the charts. Rather than focus on dodging, he used itself as bait to draw the arrows towards Kashi, with the aim of skewering the daeben with his own weapons.

Kashi, having realized the demon's sinister plot, strove to distance himself from it, but the centaur stubbornly stuck to Kashi like glue. The daeben grimaced as he darted around the pit with the centaur in tow. However, despite his grim expression, Kashi was secretly overjoyed, evident in his rapidly clenching right fist. The tense standoff forced Kashi to break his limits again and again. He could feel his mind getting clearer, and his reactions smoother with every bolt that crashed into the earth.

The duo displayed a strange, synergic dance as they attacked and countered each other while dodging the bolts. The bolts stabbed into the earth around them, soon filling the pit with multiple tiny pillars.

Eventually, only one arrow remained. Kashi accurately predicted its path and preemptively slid to his left.

Pa!

However, this time something changed. The centaur, after dodging, suddenly reached out with his ki projection and grabbed the arrow. Sparks flew as the spinning bolt rebelled against the hand that held it. If it were his bare hand, the demon would most likely have lost more than a pound of flesh, but as long as he supplied the ki projection with his ki, it could be forever ground down by the arrow to no avail.

The ki projection clamped down on the arrow and firmly held it in place. A microsecond later, dark mana poured out of the centaur's hand, consumed the mithril bolt, then dispersed to reveal a two-meter-long, gleaming black rod with a blade as long as Kashi's arm. This was the famed weapon of generals, the glaive.

Barely a second had passed between when Kashi had begun to dodge to the glaive's bath. Kashi was still in the process of avoiding the predicted attack when arcs of black lightning shot out of the glaive.

Kashi's eyes turned serious. Black Lightning! That was Tier 3 Magic! His Electricity Resistance was currently 175%, which was 75% Tier 2 resistance. As things stood, he had no resistance to Tier 3 Magic. In fact, he was in the red. If that lightning struck, he would suffer an additional 25% damage.

Kashi instantly knew he could no longer hold back. A booming roar shook the heavens and earth as dragon scales formed over the daeben's skin. Boom! A thunderous boom shook the pit as the lightning struck the drakon, and sent it flying across the air.

BAM!

Kashi stifled a groan as his back smashed into the wall. Black lightning sparked off the drakon's scales, revealing the scales had successfully reflected most of the damage. Kashi did not dare waste a second moment and swiftly kicked off the wall. The daeben's eyes narrowed as lightning bolts struck the hole he'd been embedded in moments prior.

Kashi was once again forced to dodge as the demon thrust his glaive forward, unleashing a deadly arc of electricity at the daeben. Kashi gritted his teeth as he dodged this way and that. The daeben felt like was going to go crazy any moment now. Fighting this blasted monster was like fighting a spearman with a 3o-meter reach. The lightning's crazy speed made it so by the time the demon stabbed forward, the electricity had reached the other end of the pit.

At that speed, Kashi's proximity meant nothing. Worse yet, the centaur's glaive skills were sublime and purposeful despite his madness. None of its strikes were shot at random. Each was meant to guide the daeben to a sure-kill position.

Kashi's eyes shone red as he found himself cornered between several lightning bolts. The only way out was to jump over the bolts, but the daeben knew that was what the centaur had been aiming for. However, unless he wanted to get zapped, Kashi had no choice but to comply.

CRACKLE!

Just as Kashi expected, immediately he jumped, a giant electric bolt five times thicker than the previous ones lunged at him. 'Excellent plan,' Kashi inwardly praised as he drew FPB. 'Unfortunately, not enough.' Pa! Ki exploded beneath Kashi's feet, sending him flying over the electric arc.

The demon paused, stunned as he watched the daeben vault over the arc. It never suspected the daeben would be capable of dodging that move. Perhaps, as a result of its shock, its follow-up was delayed by a breath.

A breath was all Kashi needed to unleash hell!

The demon's gaze turned serious as dozens of bolts blasted through the air with the ferocity of stinger missiles. The centaur instantly slid backward to gain some distance and then burst forward. He swung his glaive at the arrows as he charged after the daeben.

Kashi flitted around the pit as he shot the enraged centaur, but the majority of his arrows were shattered by the abominable monster's glaive, while the rest only managed to disrupt its ki armor for a moment before dispersing. The daeben gritted his teeth and summoned [Gilgamesh].

The demon paused and glared at the massive portal that appeared above the daeben. Boom! A surge of mana exploded around the centaur and then gathered at the beast's glaive, which was placed by his side, blade facing his rear. Large columns of wind gathered around the edge and emitted a shrill cry as they rotated at impossible speeds.

Uncaring of the demon's preparation, five thousand arrows shot out of the portal with extreme prejudice.

The demon centaur let out a defiant roar as he swung his spear upwards. WHOOOM!!!

What could only be described as a horrific hurricane blasted out of the glaive. The horrendous force either shattered or scattered the thousands of bolts, resulting in a crazy explosion of wind that sent both the demon and Kashi flying backward.

The demon was prepared for this and stabbed the glaive into the ground. Using the staff as a pivot, he spun around and turned the momentum into a forward charge.

Whoosh!

However, the centaur was met by several arrows that slowed its advance, which he was forced to parry out of his path.

Kashi, ever the opportunist, unceasingly sniped the centaur despite flying backward. His eyes were grim, but the corner of his lips was curled in a delighted grin. To think this monster could swat away [Gilgamesh] so easily! This was it! This was the challenge he had been waiting for this whole time!

Kashi's blood boiled as he grew hot with excitement. The daeben roared, "Come here!" the moment his feet touched the ground, and the like a bullet out of a gun chamber, he shot off toward the centaur. Since he could not gain any significant long-range advantage, it was time to attempt short-range combat.

Kashi's figure blurred as he burst across the pit in the blink of an eye. The demon, however, sensed his approach and accurately struck down at the daeben with unnerving precision.

Kashi, however, grinned as he picked one of the Hunter bolts from the ground. The bolt shone with a black light as Kashi poured his ki till it could hold no more. The daeben then raised the arrow over his head and blocked the incoming glaive.

Boom!

Kashi's feet sunk into the earth from the tremendous impact. But a grin spread across the daeben's face as he realized he had successfully blocked the strike.

The demon, enraged at this turn of events, roared and increased its arm strength. In response, Kashi surprisingly loosened his arm as he swiveled to the side. Using soft to defeat strong. The daeben guided the glaive to strike into the earth and then stomped his left foot on the blade, sinking it even deeper.

Kashi quickly nocked the giant arrow onto FPB and shot. Boom! The bolt launched with an explosive roar, aimed at the crystal in the centaur's chest. Kashi's eyes beamed as he awaited the expected blood splatter.

Pa!

Kashi's eyes went wide as the centaur let go of the glaive and caught the bolt. Thankfully, the impact sent the centaur skidding several meters backward at least or the daeben would have screamed foul. Kashi, however, was far from finished. The daeben kicked the glaive into the air, caught it, and then flung it at the skidding demon in one swift motion. Kashi then dashed forward, behind the glaive, with the intent of taking advantage when the centaur was put into a disadvantageous position.

The centaur's eyes narrowed as the glaive shot at him with the speed of a bullet. The monster once again showcased its superior agility and battle instincts as it channeled ki into the bolt in its hand, and then struck the glaive's blade skyward with a heavy blow.

As the glave spun in the air, the centaur flung the bolt back at Kashi, who rotated in place, grabbed the arrow's shaft, and then guided it back to the centaur with double the force.

By this time, however, the centaur had already grabbed his glaive's handle, which he used to smash the bolt back into the ground.

Kashi continued his charge unperturbed. He jumped onto the downed bolt, then booted off it, so he flew over the centaur. The centaur's eyes gleamed as it rapidly stabbed at the daeben, leaving several afterimages as a testament to the attack's speed.

Kashi grinned as he retaliated with several shots that shattered the centaur's glaive's momentum. As the daeben descended, his true purpose was revealed. He had somehow calculated the centaur's future position as it skidded backward and jumped in such a way that he would land on its back.

Kashi's reasoning was clear. A centaur's weakest spot was their back, as once someone sat on it, the centaur's arms would be unable to reach, thereby allowing the attacker to deal as much damage as possible before they were bucked off.

However, just as Kashi was about to land, his hairs stood on end. The daeben quickly kicked off the air and launched himself further back. Just in time it appeared, as a fist made of ki suddenly shot out of the demon's back and grabbed at the daeben's leg.

'This damned demon!' Kashi cursed as he realized the demon had tricked him again. The centaur's ki projection's true form was shapeless, which allowed it to manifest any body part he required from anywhere. This alone was proof of the monster's proficiency. Even Kashi's ki control had not yet reached that level.

This revelation, however, only excited him more.

The centaur, seeing its initial attack had failed, dug its rear hooves into the earth, spun around and then swiped at the descending Kashi with the ki-coated glaive.

Kashi's gaze turned severe as he summoned an arrow with which to parry the incoming strike. However, the daeben was stunned when nothing appeared in his hand. He became pale as he came to the realization that he had run out of arrows. To the panicked daeben's eyes, the glaive seemed to grow in size as it approached, carrying within it a portent of death.

[Ferulic's Spirit Activated!]

Boom!

Kashi gritted his teeth and decided to risk it all. The daeben's fist glowed with a green light as he utilized [Gaia], a skill that imbued his fist with earth energy. The daeben had never really used this skill as it did not really add much power to his blows, but right now, he did not have a choice.

Kashi needed to squeeze out everything he had!

Kacha!

Something seemed to break within Kashi's soul, and his fist suddenly burst with a magnificent, blinding light.

Light clashed against all-consuming darkness as the daeben's fist struck the glaive!

BOOOOM!!!

A/N: Please remember to grab your copy of Parallel Vol.1 and tell your friends to get one too. It's only $4! This'll help me get started on getting the next volume into production as well as increase the likelihood of me going full-time. 

Most importantly, however, please leave an Awesome Review! Those help the book get found more, interested parties.