Life didn't get easier, even in another world.

POW

A punch landed on his face.

The punch hit him so hard that he felt dizzy. He staggered and powerlessly fell to the ground.

"Argh!"

Crack 

He could see his mask starting to crack and break apart.

The person that had punched him in the face raised his left leg.

"Haha!"

POOW

And kicked him in the chest.

"Cough! You- Huff- Bastard!"

Darren grabbed his chest and glared at the bastard that was clearly enjoying the situation.

"Maybe you shouldn't have told your friends to leave you and go?"

He sneered at them and leaned forward. He grabbed Darren by the hair, smashing his face with his knee.

"UGH!"

SLASH

BANGG

The Fifth let go of Darren's hair and moved his body a little bit. The white aura slash past his side without being able to scratch him even a little bit and hit the ground.

"You still alive there?"

He turned his head and looked at Carlson who was barely standing while holding his sword.

Behind him was a woman lying on the ground, unconscious, with blood oozing out of her parted lips.

"Hah!"

He sneered again and started walking towards the two of them.

'How?'

Carlson grabbed his sword tougher and swallowed his saliva.

'How can he be so strong?'

The man was able to single-handedly deal with the three of them without getting a single cut. He didn't even use a weapon, nor did he fight in full power. 

They knew that he was strong, but didn't think he would be able to do this.

Team leader Dains wouldn't have let the three of them deal with him alone if he had known how strong this person was.

Darren and Carlson were strong. Not just strong, they were too strong.

They weren't people whom you could take down easily.

That was probably why team leader Dains let the three of them deal with The Fifth because he knew how strong they were and trusted them.

But it went all wrong.

It almost looked like he was toying with them.

How could he be so strong?

He had met swordmasters before, but none of them were as crazy as this person.

'What should I do?'

Carlson peeked around.

People were busy fighting everywhere, but he could see that most of the Philomns members were taken down.

The others would return soon enough after taking care of the situation.

'Is it really okay to let them fight this maniac?'

Darren and himself were supposedly the best ones for fighting aura users. They also had Elsie's support who was one of the best mages when it came to supportive spells. 

Yet, they were defeated miserably.

What were the others supposed to do if the three of them couldn't do shit?

Three of the other unit members were kids which didn't have much experience. This person would crush them in an instant.

Rai and team leader Dains weren't suitable for fighting in close-range battles especially with a swordmaster this fast and the deputy team leader wasn't enough by herself.

They had to take care of things by themselves.

He could see Darren sitting on the ground with his head slumping on his neck.

'Ah, come on! Move your ass!'

He was sure that Darren also knew what they were supposed to do. Even if he was hit in the face, he wouldn't just pass out like that.

"Haah!"

Carlson took a deep. He leaned a little bit and strengthened his grip on the sword. 

White aura started to cover the edges of the blade.

It was the last time he would be able to use his aura, so he had to use it well.

"Not going to give up, huh?"

The Fifth raised one eyebrow and placed his hands on his hips.

"Okay, come at me!"

He said those words as if he was sure that they wouldn't be able to harm him at all.

"HAAAH!"

With a gasp, Carlson jolted like a bolt of lightning. He changed the direction in which he was holding his sword and moved his sword horizontally as he was approaching The Fifth.

Seeing that, The Fifth smiled.

"That's a new move- Huh?"

But his smile soon vanished.

Looking back, he could see Darren clinging to him. He had suddenly jumped up and grabbed his arms, preventing him from moving.

"You-!"

Before he could free himself from Darren, the sword was already at his neck.

"Hah!"

He chuckled as he watched the blade move his way.

BANGGGG

However, the blade couldn't pierce his skin.

The sword had hit an invisible 'something' and stopped moving.

"!!!"

BOMMM

And the two of them were pushed back by a force.

"UGH!"

"GAH!"

Darren and Carlson were both sent back. They rolled on the ground a few times before eventually stopping moving.

"T-that!"

"...!"

They knew what the thing they saw was.

The man had finally used his aura. His aura was what blocked Carlson's blade and pushed them back.

They were able to force him to the point that he used his aura... however, there was something strange there.

They could sense the aura whirling around that man, but couldn't see the man's aura with their eyes.

'It's invisible?'

Someone with an invisible aura?

"H-How?"

Darren couldn't help but ask.

An invisible aura wasn't something that one could achieve easily.

No.

Was it even possible to have an invisible aura?

Aura.

The force that is created from the power of Spirit, just like mana, but different at the same time.

One had to train his body to the extreme if he wanted to drive out aura from their spirit. The power would damage your own body if you didn't have a good physical condition.

The first time one could finally extract their aura, it would be a dull, blank, and powerless matter. 

It was only by training and honing the aura that it would get sharp and one could finally use it as they wanted. 

And the color would change as the aura user got better at controlling it.

The aura would turn to a specific color depending on the user and it would get shinier and clearer as one got stronger and stronger.

It was to the point that the swordmasters mostly had transparent auras. The more transparent and shiny, the stronger the aura would be.

But...

Invisible?

They couldn't understand at all.

"Hahaha! I know right? You must be truly shocked!"

The Fifth laughed while looking at the two men who were staring at him. He laughed and laughed, before suddenly stopping.

"Nah, not funny anymore."

The man looked at them and smiled.

"Let's finish this, okay?"

He said that

TAP

And took one step towards Darren.

"...."

Darren tried to move back, but his injured body wouldn't move as he wanted.

He could sense the man's aura condensing in one spot. He was sure that he wanted to kill them this time.

'Shit! Shit! Shit!'

He couldn't use any more aura. 

Why did they have to end up fighting this dude? 

They were here to find the culprit for the monsters' attack, not to discover a fucking swordmaster or whatever else and then get killed by him!

He could see his death getting closer and closer to him each time the man took one step forward.

"D-Daren!"

He heard Carlson's coarse voice, but couldn't take his eyes off of The Fifth to look at him.

Darren took a deep breath.

'I wish I could hug you once more, my blanket.'

"...."

Nah, that's definitely not what people think about before death, is it?

Shouldn't one feel regret or something in their last moments?

But Darren didn't have time for a flashback in memories to remember things and feel regret. The Fifth was getting closer and closer to him.

'Team leader...'

He could only think of that name. 

He could feel the condensed aura right before his face now and could see The Fifth face up close.

The condensed aura was right before his face.

Darren lowered his gaze and looked down, although he couldn't see it, he could clearly sense the sharp aura.

It was still right before his face.

And still there.

And there.

Again, there.

Darren looked up at the man. The Fifth was also looking down at him.

The aura was still there. 

"...."

"...."

And again, it was there.

Then, the aura moved.

It moved back.

"...."

"...."

The Fifth took one step back with a blank face. The aura also moved back with him.

Then, he took another step back.

"...."

"...."

He was staring at Darren with a blank face while moving back.

He blinked a few times and looked down, looking at his feet.

They were moving backward.

He blinked again and raised his gaze with a puzzled face.

"Huh?"

His condensed aura started to fall apart.

"...."

"...."

"...."

The three people looked at each other.

'What happened?'

The Fifth stood at the spot where he was last attacked by Carlson and didn't move at all after that.

"What? What the-? What did you do?"

He suddenly started to yell. He glared at the two men on the ground, but they were also as confused as he was. 

He twisted his body and tried to use his aura, but it was no use.

He was unable to move even one finger.

"What the hell did you-"

It was just then that he saw something.

He saw someone standing not too far away from them. Someone who wasn't there a few seconds ago.

There was a man with golden eyes and light blonde hair, wearing dusty and bloody chicken-patterned pajamas?

"...."

"...."

"...."

The three people looked at him with blank faces. 

In response to their gazes, the man finally opened his mouth.

"Fuck it all!"