Loud blasts and disorientating lights covered everything.

The pungent smell before a storm arrives mixed with a smoky charred scent announced the presence of the king of all elemental magic. Lightning.

Being 355 times faster than the speed of sound, it is almost unavoidable once someone is targeted.

Traditional protection is ineffective as well when even the best insulators will heat up and burn.

Of course, the mana needed to command such a powerful element is immense as well.

The Ents are the only beings on Axis Mundi that could draw enough magic by itself to use lightning powerful enough against an army. On knowing the targets are Omega level threats, the nobles know that they must bring a platoon.

Lightning spears and electric snakes immediately flooded the area.

The mana creations were wiped out immediately. Then, the roaring flashes swallowed Kairos and Relestia.

A great and terrible boom along with searing white light scorched the grounds. If the city had not been protected with a multitude of spells, all the buildings in this area would had been knocked down.

As the flashes dimmed, two figures ran out from the storm, hardly hindered.

Kairos only had minor burns and wounds. Behind him, Relestia remained unharmed with him shielding.

The army looked surprised. The Ents did not have much time to gather mana, but their lightning storm is more than a dozen times stronger than a regular thundercloud bolt.

A non-magical lightning strike kills one-third of its victims; fewer if they are warriors. This is due to the fact that the majority of the energy goes over the surface of a person in a process known as external flashover.

Normal lightning is not dangerous to a cultivator unless the voltage is delivered inside the body and remains there without departing.

Magical lightning is no different, except that it has a higher voltage and may be aimed towards an adversary.

This bombardment may be enough to kill most Aura Masters and even stout dwarven warriors, but it isn't enough to worry Kairos and Relestia.

Of course, if it is a Ki technique, it is going to be dangerous. This kind is more compact, with a grid as large as a man's waist and mows anything down in a straight line. The force alone is like a giant hammer blow and if you survive you'll have to deal with the currents that continue to ravage through your body.

In fact, the strongest lightning art Kairos have seen is his own creation, the Heavenly Lightning Storm technique that he wields. Even the Greater Storm Spirit, Tempest, can throw out such tiny sparks with a snap. It's no wonder that the Ents' spells did not faze him.

Moreover, from Gaia's classification, Ents should be of the wood element, to use an unsuitable element only diminishes the firepower.

The two charged into the enemy ranks through the opening created from the previous explosions.

Anyone who fought across a battlefield can tell you that cutting through 500 soldiers is as difficult as skipping stone past the lake, and just as easy.

In other words, those that can, can, and those that can't, can't.

With enough strength and momentum, enemies in front of you will crumble like dusty sand, but if you were stopped for even a moment, they will engulf you like a quagmire.

They cut through scores of oaks and Vine Treants that tried standing before them.

Bulky trunks tried to block the two and tendrils shot out with blinding speed, no less dangerous than the spear a knight would carry.

Magic came from the ranks behind where the dryads are. Further still, the Ents, after their failure, churned up mana for a new kind of spell. Arcane missiles, the homing kind.

Those spells, although weak, will avoid friendly fire and provide covering fire.

Faced with over four hundred enemies and innumerous attacks, the two charged forward even more fiercely than before. Kairos easily traverse forward unchallenged. At his speed, he can easily dodge or seek cover from most attacks – even the homing ones – and the few missiles that he could not avoid he easily cut down. Relestia, less experienced, found herself unable to completely block the rain of attacks that she failed to avoid, but she remained unharmed because Kairos is next to her. Besides, the three dragonlings were ordered to protect her. These little ones are too young to actually harm anyone, but their natural speed allowed them to knock aside arrows and spells without being seen. They are unfair existence in this place.

Aisa, on the other hand, did not participate... as per usual, she can only deal with beings who do not belong to this realm.

With a few quick strokes, Kairos slashed down all the tendrils and he jump straight into the embrace of the Oak Treant in his way.

With a great crash, the wood broke into smithereens and dropped to the ground dead. Kairos was slowed down a pace to take down those surrounding him and immediately Relestia switched in with a long thin blade.

The weapon of hers is purchased from the dwarven blacksmith alley. It is sharp, durable, and enchanted, but besides that it is nothing special. Still, compared to the regular army's equipment, it is far more elaborate.

Paired with her swordplay, she easily cut through most defences. As a wave of enemies fell and Relestia's charge was slowed down, Kairos took over.

Just like that the two of them pressed forward.

"Tia," he said while breathing heavily.

"Yes, Kai?"

"Listen carefully. There are two things you need to watch out in this fight: Blood loss and energy use. Both are slow poisons that will muddle your mind and get you killed. Avoid cuts as much as you can. A dozen scratches is the same as a deep wound.

Plan ahead your movement and your every blow. It is more vital to not miss an attack than it is to make a solid blow because of the energy you will waste."

The princess' movements quickly changed. What Kairos said was also taught to her before by her instructors and it was a timely reminder. Her steps became more compacted, her elbows tucked in, and she half crouched to keep her stance low and area smaller.

In the midst of battle, Kairos was looking out for her. Whenever an unseen arrow or magic was fired, he will shield her with his body. But as she becomes competent in this fight, he plans to slowly release his grasp, because if he doesn't let go, how can she fly?

The troops surrounding him have begun to notice his unusual physique. Being invulnerable to most attacks makes him a monster of their nightmares but none noticed the gritted teeth as Kairos endured each blow.

If it was before, these attacks definitely cannot harm him. His body is tough enough to withstand blows from Paramount Cultivators.

But at this point, even moving too quickly hurts.

Kairos calmed himself down. While Relestia is learning how to fight in a war, he needs to train his combat arts as well.

His progress over the years had been a crawl. It isn't that he is slow. Well, compared to geniuses, maybe, but he is well in the normal range now thanks to the Origin Cultivation Method slowly refining his inherent talents. As opposed to becoming more proficient in something the more he dabbles into it, it is his limits that grow.

Still, it is anything but fast. At the pace his battles are growing and his enemies becoming stronger than before, Kairos cannot afford to stay S rank.

What he needs is a life-and-death battle. A jolt in his systems after being pushed to the brink.

Unfortunately, being in constant danger and nearly dead for the past few months didn't seem enough.

In fact, Kairos knows exactly where his problem lies. Every fight he had recently, he confidently believed that he could survive. Not only so, but no one also close to him had died and he achieved the results he wanted without fail.

It is a good thing of course, but the last time he had a cultivation spurt, it was after facing the orcs in battle.

Compared to back then, there was one thing different from the life-and-death battles he faced now: Kairos had constantly thought everyone, including himself, are going to be goners.

And despite be hopelessness, but they bravely inched forward still.

That battle madness in him, that iron in his bones, that fearlessness that wielded the Swallow against countless foes stronger than himself – he needs to pick them up again.

His mind, wondrous it may be, had limited his abandon knowing that he will succeed.

Today, he shall walk forth unchecked.

Except for the princess, the people he wants to protect is not in this land. Lulatia, Clef, and Boink, have strict orders to save her should anything happen. Even now, they watch nearby awaiting to move.

Right now, there is no task he must complete or else all is lost. No one needs him to guide them towards victory.

Therefore, he can afford to die in this fight.

If he is gone, Saint Empire will still be there. The Snowdrifts already have instructions on how to continue even without him. Princess Relestia will be able to get back to Gaia with a kingdom of gnomes helping her. Even the dwarves who now owes Kairos a large favour will protect her.

Finally. Unrestrained.

Kairos peeked at Relestia. He doesn't intent to perish, of course, but a slight look of guilt crossed his face.

He had not told her about his condition.

Words cannot describe the waves of pain he is in.

Adrenaline and endorphin pumped into his blood as he ran towards his enemies.

A fire seems to light on his body.

As the attacks come, his focus sharpened.

Every single movement was caught with his Heavenly Sight. Although the spell has the word 'sight' in its name, it takes in all the information that Kairos is accessing, including sounds, feel, and if he is using, Soul Perception. The reason it is named as such is due to the spell showing up prompters in his vision.

Dozens upon dozens of alerts flooded his view from all sides, warning him to take action.

The best course of action was computed almost instantly.

"Charge."

Of all the possibilities, this one was picked out. There are too many attacks to dodge, too many to shield.

Sometimes, the best defence is a good offense.

After all, a dead person cannot continue rain attacks on you.

He followed a route that appeared in his vision. Breaking through the scores of Treants violently. At the corner of his eyes, he makes certain that Relestia could hold her on and seeing that she seemed fine in the short time he turn to focus on his fight.

At first things were too chaotic for him to react that swiftly, but this is only the start.

Blood flowed down his nose as someone struck a blow on his chest.

No need to introspect, Kairos could tell that his lung had raptured from that.

Well, there are two lungs anyway. He mused that he has a backup and continued his way.

His skin is tougher than their thorns so the damage he is taking is internal rather than external. But inside, wounded as it is, any impact can be deadly.

By his calculations, there is no way for him to survive a prolonged battle. This is even more dangerous than fighting Exterminus. In fact, for a shorter interval, Kairos can even match up against opponents at Syriong's level.

Fortunately, sometimes, the best offense is a good defence. His seemingly invulnerability wreak havoc to his enemies' hearts.

The soldiers are devastated facing a target that not only they cannot take down but appears to not even suffer a scratch.

In a larger battle, low morale can be worse than poison. At least, those dead and dying are the can hardly actively cause harm; they are the least active a person can become after all.

But a frightened army. That is a hot tangle of mess.

Soldiers trip over themselves in fear. Panicking they slash wildly and force their ways backwards into those trying to charge ahead.

Kairos fully displayed the legitimacy of his title earned on the battlefield, The Unstoppable.

It was given to him by Esley to raise the morale of the soldiers.

Of course, Jim added the acronym, MOM, behind. It stands for Monster of Monsters, but in full it reads as 'The Unstoppable Mom', unfortunately.

Esley almost sent Jim flying into the martial jail for that, but thankfully the joke remained within among the leaders.

A small smile curve on his lips.

There is no way he plans to die in this fight.

There are many things he looks forward in the future.

Though, he does not see a way to survive either since the purpose here is to carve out a path of survival.

At the beginning it was easy as he made used of his enemies' discoordination and panic, but things quickly turned hard past the fifteen-minute mark.

His hands trembled uncontrollably. His stamina is like a leaking barrel.

There is no miracle coming. He must find the way out before his body gives up on itself.

He can escape, that is always a choice. Even bringing Relestia to safety is no issue.

But he will only die later if he ran away now. Kairos had traded for the best results while taking the least amount of damage, but it had added up.

He did not realise when he went beyond his body's limits and passed the point of no return.

It's hard to tell. Perhaps since he landed on the Axis that has no Heavenly Energies, this result is inevitable.

Kairos looked at the countless alarms flooding his visions. The soldiers that are starting to reform their attack.

Should his life end, he wants it to go out like a flare instead of a candlelight snuffed.

His eyes turned fiery. His steps became heavier than before, as if intending to knock down those in his way.

He suddenly misses his Swallow tremendously. That weapon is made for the battlefield.

"Formless Style, Absolute Defence Stance!"

In the din of a battle, a quiet whisper from a warrior surrounded. On his side, a war maiden was the only one that heard him.

She looked over.

Kairos took on a new form, holding his sword defensively, but he did not wait for the blows to come.

Unlike before, Kairos attacks had turned far more aggressive and brutal, and he confidently walked forward cutting deep into the enemy ranks.

He had left her side but brought the soldiers with him and the pressure on her blade instantly lightens. A proud flame seemed to burn in her heart. Despite the taller treants surrounding him, Kairos was the one towering over them like a giant as his foes scramble back fearfully.

The man she loves is invincible like the heroes of old. No, perhaps even more.

The warrior strode forward like an oppressive mountain, unflinching before spears formed from twines and magic. The attacks that reach him fell like a house of cards.

He parried blades and rebounded magic back to the casters. He controlled the attacks that come to him like a rock that changed the flow of the river and easily let them fall uselessly to the ground. The few blows that he cannot avoid, he softened the force.

This is the four essences of the Formless Style defence: Parry, Redirection, Receive, and Nullify.

Of course, the soldiers fell around him. Their lives ended were by their own attacks.

Someone once said that if you give him a pivot, a lever, and an axis, he can lift the entire world.

That may be an exaggeration but to take a coming fist and return it to the sender's face is actually quite simple.

Sometimes, the best offense is a good defence.

Just like this he pressed on to the thirty minutes mark, but he still hasn't found .

Relestia is doing far better than expected. Her talent seemed limitless. Her proficiency quickly improved and as a cultivator that has a stronger life force than those here, she tirelessly cut down any that dare challenge her.

By now the soldiers are reforming their ranks and mounting a stronger attack than before. After a batch of them were killed, another group fled from fear and cut down by their own commanders, those left have stronger fighting spirits.

The princess, immersed with her improvements, only felt the challenge welcoming. She did not realise Kairos had disappeared into the heart of the enemy ranks.

What is there to worry when only he beats up others and not the other way round?

But Kairos' body is drenched with sweat as he faced the unceasing attacks.

He can remain invincible with the defensive stance, yet there are still hundreds around.

Suddenly, he lifted up his hand and pointed at a particularly large gnome standing further behind. An Oak Treant that is obviously the captain of the vanguards.

It had been responsible for most of the attacks against him. A difficult opponent that can quickly rally his subordinates and know now to come too close and personal.

Most of the troops gathered by the nobles might be a little wet behind their ears, but every squad is managed by highly paid war veterans.

The Oak Treant smiled at Kairos with a loud crackling accompanied by a hollow tree hole splitting horizontally across the face of its trunk.

It took the hand gesture as a form of provocation. There is no way he is foolish enough to fall for that.

However, at the next moment, the Treant felt a terrifying sensation. As if lightning had struck and a forest fire is beginning.

It could see nothing. Hear nothing.

Yet the sense of danger is very real.

Without knowing why, the gnome trusted its instincts and dove to the ground.

It did not notice anything wrong until something struck it right on its giant face in mid-dive.

It is the first time the Treant experienced why they said dry wood makes particularly good fuel.

A robust implosion turned the captain into ash before a pressurised explosion blasted outwards fling splinters and shrapnel at those around.

For the first time since he landed on Axis Mundi, Kairos had unsealed his combat arts.

He doesn't have access to the more Ki-heavy techniques, but the immolation finger is still usable.

One after another, Kairos swiftly identified and pointed at the leaders controlling this army, announcing their demise.

*BAM*

*BAM*

*BAM*

The gnomes turn to ashes and those too near became great balls of fire.

The army ran amok with their leaders killed like a headless chicken. But when it seemed hopeless to go against the two omega-level threats a scream changed everything.

A rare soldier that kept his calm saw their biggest threat coughed out blood.

Whatever that explosive technique was, it must have taken a whole lot out of him.

"The enemy is bleeding! He is not invincible!"

A great roar drew back the near-fleeing soldiers like a pack of hyenas that smelled blood.

Once Kairos coughed up his first mouthful of blood, it seemingly would not stop.

*Splosh*

Three large gulps of crimson liquid poured down his mouth like it was on the house.

The shout alarmed Relestia and she quickly located Kairos and tried to get to his side.

More soldiers stepped in and barred her way. They know it is vital not to let her get to his side. There is never a need for a specific reason to kick a man when he is down, much less in a war.

"So, you claim to come seeking retribution from our nation? Funny how you're doing that on your knees," someone gloated.

The others laughed. Their fear before forgotten.

"Tsk tsk tsk. He isn't technically on his knees yet. I think we need to remedy that for him and teach him how to beg properly."

Kairos slowly straightened his back and stared at the men mocking him.

The crowd instantly quietened.

A slight smile curved on his lips, "At least I can kill a few more before I let any of you watch me embarrassed."

With a swing of his hand, the two people who scoffed were slashed opened by a powerful sword aura.

Both were Vine Treants that looked like massive balls of tangled weeds with their cores in the middle.

"Ridiculed by vegetation," Kairos laughed at himself derisively.

His eyes glowed angrily. A dim golden light shone through his pupils.

To allow himself to be toyed by his foes is shameful. For them to taunt him means that he had not fought well enough to earn their respect.

A stronger wave of aura infused into his sword. This time, it is not the sharp and cold sensation of a sword aura, but one heavy and stills the air.

The atmosphere seems to thicken, and everything dimmed.

"K...ki...Kill Aura... It's the Kill Aura!"

"You're kidding me."

"No way we can fight someone who wields that. Move back! Let me out!"

People started scrambling backwards. Screaming and shoving turned these men into brawlers instead of soldiers.

"Get the hell out of my way!"

"HALT!"

A deep voice suddenly suppressed the chaos.

There are still some soldiers in control. The leader of the whole 500 strong army is a famed warrior hired at great cost by Thunderstalk who is the most powerful of nobles beneath the king.

This man may not be a good commander and lesser than many Stage 9 warriors, but he had once fought with two top class fighters and walked out unharmed.

As a Bull-Oak Treant, or more commonly known as the Ironwood Treant, his gnarled fists are as dense as his head, and few can stop him. Fewer can take him down.

His shout proved to be the perfect timing... for Kairos.

With the dark aura swirling around his sword, he cleaved downwards with a mighty swing.

A roar like wailing spirits followed the sword slash as it flew across the soldiers, straight towards Ironwood.

Contradictory to the loudness, those standing between Kairos and his target disappeared silently as if consumed by the shadows.

The Ironwood Treant bulked himself up and blocked the slash with both his arms.

The powerful bark of the gnome cracked and groan as the strike reached.

Unlike traditional methods of attacking, Auras last longer and will persist until dispelled. The more powerful it is the longer it can last.

When Kairos' sword slash struck, it did not fade away.

A frightening amount of force whiplashed the Treant.

Seconds passed with no one daring to help. The great big tree turned dark quickly as its leaves dried and discoloured.

A terrible groan escaped its trunk and then like a crashed brick, the Treant crumbled.

A frightening realisation spread across the soldiers like a pestilence gripping their hearts. This is not 'Kill Aura'.

That kind has a chance of survival, after all it is an attempt to take your life.

No, this is the infamous Death Aura.

A right to judge who should live or die.

Not only so. The aura itself is not omnipotent. Even strong Death Aura warriors cannot take down a robust enemy with enough vitality, but when the soldiers looked at Ironwood's remains, they can only shudder in fear.

Even now the blackened pieces dried the grass they landed on, seeping into the ground and killing anything it touched.

The potency of such an Aura Art will last for years and death will remain in this place the entire time.

All of them knows that their commander is a tough one. Was a tough one.

Furthermore, gnomes are a sentient race of plants with especially strong vitality, and amongst them the treants are the best.

Even a Class 9 Death Aura Master should not be able to kill him in a single strike.

The army stared silently at their dead commander.

Right now, even if they know Kairos is gravely wounded, no one dares to swing their blades at him.

But this time again, a change came.

Instead of a scream, it was the blare of a trumpet that encouraged everyone.

"Reinforcements!"

"The reinforcements have arrived!"

Kairos smiled bitterly. Heknew that more are coming but it was as though fate wanted to hasten his stepstowards the next life.