I knew Master Li was right. All of us were just going to hold him back by staying here when someone like Cassius von Noctis was present.
The gap between our power wasn't just wide—it was a chasm, the kind that made even the bravest warriors look foolish for trying to cross. We'd already accomplished the impossible by defeating Lazarus and Vale. Pushing our luck against a High Immortal would be suicide dressed as courage.
So I nodded, meeting my master's gaze with the respect he'd earned a thousand times over. "Thank you, Master."
And then, I turned around to escape.
That was my first mistake.
My second was believing I had a choice.
The air behind me compressed, folding like origami made of reality itself. A cold whisper of movement brushed my neck—the only warning my enhanced senses could provide. Not enough to dodge. Not enough to counter.
Just enough to understand I was about to die.
"ARTHUR!" Rachel screamed.
