The bearskin-dressed Outrider had spiky, black hair with no eyebrows and beady, black eyes, layered in scars and possessing a body with unnaturally wide arms and a muscle density far beyond that of a human.

Simply put, he would be relying on skill rather than power for this encounter.

Just as he flipped his knife in his hand, he was forced to jump backward as the Outrider sprung forward with surprising speed, slamming his man-sized club down into the ground.

THUD.

“–!”

Even witnessing the result of the club swing before, he felt its strength more than ever as he witnessed the soil cave in, propelling out as chunks of dirt and rock spewed out from the powerful impact.

I have to avoid that! He thought.

Before he could properly return to his feet, he was taken by surprise as another figure appeared by his side–SQUELCH.

From his body, his right arm was flung off, flipping through the air as a trail of blood gushed out into the rain-filled air.historical

As he looked to the side in shock, he found a towering demi-human man: he was albino without a speck of hair on his head, but arms layered in bristly, black fur. In the demi-human man’s hand, who neared three meters in height, he wielded a blood-slick ax, holding a twisted smile.

Shit, he thought._.

As the club-wielding Outrider rushed towards him again, he rolled to the side, also having to weave through a swing of an ax as the blade passed right by his scalp. He purposefully brought himself closer to his lobbed-off arm, allowing it to reattach itself through his mystical, black threads with heightened regeneration.

Bringing himself to his feet, wielding nothing but his small knife that could hardly be classified as a weapon, he faced the demi-human pair.

They were drooling just staring at him, looking at him with eyes that saw only prey; a fresh meal.

For the first time in a long time, he felt his blood pump through his veins with a certain warmth–adrenaline.

He knew his own limits well; the fate that was planned for him if he ended up in the hands of the Outriders was something that not even his abnormal existence could defy. The steam from the spilt water from the giant pot could be seen, catching the corner of his eye. It was a reminder for him: if he is cooked in that pot, not even he could return from being boiled and consumed.

That’s right. I can’t be given the pleasure of dying and meeting with you again just yet. I’ve got to live. If I die, who’s going to keep that brat out of trouble? He thought.

“..Alright, then. I’ll show you barbarians what the ‘Godless Style’ is all about,” he said.

Sliding down his bare chest, the rain continued to fall on the dreadful corner of the world-class forest; he readied himself with his blade held between his fingers.

It seemed the pair of bulky demi-humans didn’t understand him as they didn’t say anything before rushing at him.

Both at once? Alright, then, he thought.

The speed they launched towards him was unorthodox when taking their size into account, but he slipped through as they got within range of him; between both of their bodies and past their swings, he fell through like a passing cloud.

“Graagh?!”

“Gah!”

As he passed by them, a few successive lacerations were left on the Outrider warriors’ bodies, slashing them across their arms and chest.

Still, as he turned around to face the two, he found that the attacks he left hardly fazed the towering barbarians as they roared out, spinning around and once again launching an assault towards him.

The Outriders had skin that was like a natural set of armor; it was thick and tough like a steel hide, making it impossible to cut for a normal person. Even with his technique and honed strength, it was difficult to cut when pushed into awkward angles.

The bearskin-wearing club-wielder slobbered before swinging down, attempting to split his skull, but he slipped through the attack, gaining distance at the same time. In a brutal counter, he used his palm to slam his blade straight into the left eye of the club-using warrior, sending it in deep.

“Raaagh! Graa!” The Outrider warrior roared out in pain.

Blood squirted out from the pierced eye, causing the massive demi-human tribesman to thrash about, swinging his club wildly in an agonized rage.

The albino Outrider moved back as his companion thrashed around in a blind rage, not realizing that the dark-skinned man was already up to something else.

All I need is a blade. Doesn’t need to be steel or sharp–just something, he thought.

“Tubala!” The Albino demi-human yelled.

Rushing towards him with the ax capable of bisecting a full-grown man in a single swing, the albino Outrider yelled out unintelligible words, swinging his ax wildly in an attempt to cut him up.

He evaded the ax swings, though as it came towards his head, he sacrificed fingers from his left hand to deflect it from smashing his skull in.

SQUELCH.

Three fingers from his hand were chopped off seamlessly, though he didn’t flinch as he reached into his mouth, yanking teeth out before flicking them towards the demi-human, like bullets.

“Ghh-?!”

There was surprising velocity to the bullet-used teeth that he yanked out, keeping the demi-human warrior at bay as they pierced his flesh, aiming for his eyes.

Due to his regenerative factor, the teeth he plucked popped back within moments of him removing them–the same happened for his lost digits as they returned to his left hand.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the bear coat-wearing demi-human whose eye he destroyed finally regaining his senses, huffing and sweating, slobbering on himself as he began storming towards him once more.

Crap. That didn’t buy as much time as I wanted. Both at once is problematic, he thought.

As the albino demi-human roared out, slamming the ax down towards his head with a two-handed grip that could fell a tree in a single blow, he quickly flicked a couple teeth into both of the demi-human’s beady, red eyes.

“Arggh!” The albino Outrider yelled.

With that moment of distraction given to him, he kicked with all of his strength, slamming his shin against the family jewels of the demi-human, holding nothing back.

“Graaagh!”

Even the beastly man that towered high was reduced to a squealing mess after his nether was attacked, leaving him keeling over and dropping his ax.

The giant ax fell right into his grip, as intended.

It came into his possession just as the club-wielding warrior reached his position, to which he looked up with utmost malice buried in his platinum eyes.

“A proper weapon at last.”

“Gra–?”

Before the bearskin warrior could even react, the club he wielded was cut through and his head was flung from his shoulders.

The ax was slick with the blood of the demi-human, washed off in the rainfall just as the albino warrior looked up at the scar-layered man who looked down at him.

“Vernana! Geru! Geru!” The Outrider warrior pleaded.

–None of it was heard.

With utmost impunity and zero hesitation, the steel of the ax slammed down straight into the skull of the warrior, instantly snuffing out his flame.

As he removed the ax from the demi-human’s skull, he looked up as his torso was bathed in the rain.

All around him, bushes rustled and warcries could be heard, but all he did was smile just a bit.

“..Looks like the cavalry has arrived. Come get me, then,” he challenged.

With nothing but an ax in hand, Vandread was surrounded by the entirety of the Outrider clan, backed into an inescapable corner.