The tip of the blade was menacing.
A half-formed smirk appeared on Toby’s face, but it froze abruptly.
“Swish!”
When Darnell was about two meters above the ground, he seemed to sense something. In an almost impossible move, his entire body suddenly shifted sideways.
Toby’s sword, aimed precisely, sliced through empty air. The next moment, Darnell, like a giant serpent flipping over, yanked an air conditioning unit loose.
The fifty-pound cooling unit came crashing down toward Toby’s head with a loud bang.
Facing the falling object, Toby wasn’t foolish enough to try and block it head-on. He sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the heavy metal block.
With a deafening crash, the unit hit the ground, sending dust flying and leaving a crater in the grass.
Whoosh!
At the same time, Darnell flung the air conditioner’s power cord, wrapping it around the sharp sword.
Toby instinctively flicked his wrist, snapping the cord, but he overlooked one critical detail-the cord was live.
Zzzt-
The severed cord sparked against the sword, and Toby yelped in pain, releasing his weapon.
His palm was burnt, and the sword fell to the ground. Toby seethed with anger. “You sneaky little-!”
Boom!
Taking advantage of Toby’s momentary pain, Darnell lunged forward, his right leg descending like a mountain, aiming to crush Toby’s skull.
Toby looked up, his brow twitching as he saw Darnell in mid-air. With no time to retrieve his sword, he raised his arms to block.
Thud!
Fists met feet in a dull impact. Toby felt an overwhelming force slam into his arm, nearly numbing it entirely.
The force traveled up his arm to his shoulder, leaving half his upper body momentarily paralyzed.
To absorb the crushing impact, Toby’s legs instinctively bent, and he staggered back six or seven steps.
As Darnell landed, his knees bent and then sprang, propelling him back into the air for another kick.
Whoosh!
Toby leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding Darnell’s leg.
Darnell’s momentum didn’t stop. His kicking leg landed, and with a push off the ground, he launched himself again.
Whoosh!
Twisting mid-air, Darnell’s right leg arced in a half-circle, executing a flawless spinning kick aimed at Toby’s head.
Every move was a display of raw, brutal power.
Toby’s face darkened as he continuously blocked with his arms.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of limbs colliding echoed repeatedly. With a final, thunderous impact, both men landed on the ground. Toby stumbled back another seven or eight steps, while Darnell retreated five or six.
For a moment, neither made a move.
They stood about ten paces apart, locking eyes.
“Toby, still strong as ever, huh?” Darnell grinned. “But you’ve disappointed me. A man of your stature resorting to sneak attacks.”
Toby narrowed his eyes. “You’re one to talk. Haven’t you schemed against me before?”
“You’re the elder, a respected figure in Baycliff. I thought you wouldn’t stoop that low.”
Darnell’s smile widened.
“Enough talk,” Toby snapped. “Did you kill Aryan Veale?”
Darnell tilted his head slightly. “Whether I did or didn’t, my answer will always be no.”
Only a fool would admit to murder.
“Still as shameless as ever,” Toby Ramsey sneered. “But even if you don’t admit it, I know it was you. He was a 7th-class warrior. There are only a handful of people who could kill him.”
Darnell chuckled. “Westergold is full of masters. A mere 7th-class warrior is nothing to brag about.”
“Whether you admit it or not, it doesn’t matter. Let’s call a truce for now.”
Toby’s voice turned icy. “We’ll set aside Aryan Veale’s death and our past grievances. For now, I’ll give you a warning. You’re in Whiteville for a mission, right? I won’t stand in your way.”
“Similarly, I’m here on business. Don’t get in my way. I don’t want another incident like Roberto happening again. Let’s not interfere with each other.”
“Otherwise, me, Diego Pickett, and Hades will come after you. Understood?”
Toby had dealt with Darnell before. In terms of skill, as long as Darnell didn’t pull out his infamous weapon, Bloodlust, Toby wasn’t afraid of him.
But Darnell wasn’t just known as the “Scarlet Bayonet”. He also bore the title “Desert Fox”. With him causing trouble, Toby knew their mission would be far more difficult.
He hoped for a temporary truce.
But Darnell simply shrugged. “I don’t understand.” It was clear Toby was after Areli. How would Darnell call a truce?
“Oh?” Toby’s eyes glinted coldly. “So… you’re determined to make an enemy of us?”
Darnell looked at him with a mocking smile. “Seems like you’ve been the ones causing me trouble.” He pointed to the sword on the ground.
“If I weren’t skilled, I’d be dead by your blade right now. Besides, the Baycliff people are known for being cunning and hypocritical. I don’t trust your promises.”
“So, whatever you say, I’m not interested.”
Toby’s arms tensed, and he roared, “Then die!”
With that, Toby erupted with an overwhelming fighting spirit, charging at Darnell like a cannonball.
So fast!
That was Darnell’s first thought. Toby closed the distance in an instant, his fists a blur of rapid, powerful strikes.
The sound of his fists cutting through the air was sharp and menacing.
Darnell sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the thunderous punch. The nearby sapling wasn’t so lucky-it snapped in two with a loud crack.
Darnell retreated.
One step, two steps, three steps, and four steps…
By the sixth step, he was less than two meters from a dead end.
At that moment, Toby switched from punches to a devastating roundhouse kick.
Knowing the power behind that kick, Darnell couldn’t afford to retreat further. If he backed into the corner, Toby would pummel him relentlessly.
So, as Toby’s leg swung toward him, Darnell countered with a low, vicious kick aimed straight at Toby’s groin.
A classic, dirty move-but effective.
“Cheap shot!” Toby hissed, shifting his leg to block Darnell’s kick.
Thud!
Their legs collided with a bone-jarring impact. Toby felt as if his shin had slammed into a rock, the pain shooting up his leg.
He didn’t have time to recover. Darnell was already lunging forward.
Crack!
Darnell’s foot hit the ground, shattering the leaf-covered earth and sending debris flying.
“Die!” Toby’s fighting spirit surged. He roared and charged again.
Whoosh!
Both men dropped low, their movements swift and feral, like predators closing in for the kill.
Whoosh-
As they neared each other, leaves and dirt flew into the air, the scene resembling two enraged beasts colliding head-on.
Each man acknowledged the other’s strength but was confident in his own power. And so, the two warriors clashed with brutal force.
Boom!
Their powerful bodies collided with a deafening crash, the impact sending shockwaves through the air.
The next moment, both men were flung backward, their bodies flying through the air.
Onlookers gasped, and people leaned out of nearby windows, shouting, “What’s going on?”
As Darnell and Toby hit the ground, a group of security guards and police officers rushed over, waving batons and yelling, “Stop! Stop!”
Someone had reported suspicious activity-people climbing drainpipes, stealing air conditioning units, and now, what looked like a brawl between criminals.
“Old friend, we’ll meet again,” Toby said, licking the blood from his lips as he glared at Darnell. “Remember my warning. Don’t get in my way.”
With that, he began to retreat.
“The air conditioner thief is getting away!” Darnell suddenly shouted, kneeling on the ground and pointing at Toby’s retreating figure. “Quick, catch him!”
Toby, mid-stride, nearly tripped at the absurd accusation. The security guards and eager bystanders closed in…