Four Steps of Death was a technique that required its user to perform four specific actions that were connected.
The first three steps were a collection of quick movements to confuse the opponent. However, the real movement was hidden within the third step, which positioned the user in the opponent's blind spot. This was followed by the final step—a precise and well-controlled sword stroke.
"Ahhhh!" A scream echoed throughout the Blue Heart Inn as the man with the mace lost his arm. Along with his mace, it had fallen to the ground as he dropped to his knees from the pain. A couple of seconds later, the man's body made a loud thud as he was rendered unconscious on the bar floor.
Now, there was only the silver toothed man and two people that remained. However, none of them made the first move after realizing that they had severely underestimated the man before them.
"What are you two waiting for? Those idiots were just caught off guard! Surround him! We'll attack from every angle!" the silver toothed man commanded.
Although his two comrades were hesitant at first, they gave a small nod as they moved into position. One placed himself to Izroth's right side, and the other to his left. As for the silver toothed man, he gripped tightly onto the axe in his hands and kept his attention focused on Izroth.
"Are you still unwilling to talk?" Izroth said in a distant tone.
"Talk? The dead can't hear the words of the living!" The silver toothed man yelled as he charged forward.
When the silver toothed man acted, his comrades who positioned themselves to block off Izroth's side escape routes also rushed in with their weapons brandished. They wanted to catch him in a pincer attack!
Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!
The three men swung their weapons towards Izroth with all their might.
Clank!
The men's weapons struck one another's at the location Izroth stood just moments ago. Their target had vanished again! At least, this was their initial thought.
One of the men who attacked Izroth had a sudden loss of balance as he tripped over nothing and ended up on his back. When he looked forward, his eyes widened from disbelief. He saw a pair of legs standing upright; however, there was nothing else attached to them. Soon, the man's eyes were drawn to his own lower body, and he realized that from his knees on down, there was nothing there! Those were not just anyone's legs—they were his!
"Screw this! I'm outta here! That guy's insane!" One of the men shouted as they ran away. They were headed towards the exit of the Blue Heart Inn!
"You coward! Don't you dare run a-" The silver tooth man spoke, but he abruptly halted his words as he felt something trickling down his chest. The blade of a sword entered his view that had been driven into his back and through his heart. The blade receded from the silver toothed man's body as he collapsed in a state of shock.
…
"Monster…! That guy's a freakin' monster! I gotta warn the boss!" The man who had just escaped from the Blue Heart Inn was currently running for his life. He was frightened by what he had just witnessed—a one-sided slaughter! So what if he was called a coward? It was better to be alive as a coward than dead as a brave idiot!
Around five minutes later, he pushed open the door of a rundown building and rushed inside.
Immediately after the man forcibly pushed open the door, everyone's eyes in the room landed on him as the door closed behind him. This building had the feeling of a secret hideout to it, and so, everyone in the room went on full alert. However, after noticing that it was one of their men, they relaxed.
"Ha! It's just J.L. You were almost run through by our swords, ya stupid bastard." One of the people in the room joked.
The room was filled with shady individuals who were up to no good.
"B-boss Rox! Boss..!" At the moment, his breathing had become heavy and unsteady as he was clearly out of breath.
"J.L—what are you doing here? You're supposed to be waiting with the others for that punk to return." One of the men who sat down at one the end of a long table said. This man was the bartender that was at the Blue Heart Inn during Izroth's first visit. He was known as Rox by those outside the palace walls and was the owner of the Blue Heart Inn.
J.L was the nickname of the man who was presently out of breath as he attempted to explain the situation.
J.L tried to calm down and catch his breath as he replied, "B-boss…! That guy..! That guy…! Everyone's d-"
Bang!
Two thin sword marks appeared on the door before it was smashed from the outside. This entrance was different from J.L's as this person directly shattered the door. It was evident that they held no good intentions!
"We're under attack!" One of the men yelled as a dozen more of his comrades came sprinting out of the back rooms.
Izroth stepped into the building with a deathlike calmness. After discovering that J.L was most likely headed to seek help, Izroth decided to secretly follow him in hopes of being led to his target. Fortunately, it appeared that he was not mistaken in doing so.
Izroth swept his gaze across the crowd of thugs as his eyes landed on one individual in particular—Rox, a bartender and the owner of the Blue Heart Inn. This was the person he wanted to find.
When Izroth walked into the room, he received a wave of angry death glares.
"Tch, I thought it was a rival gang—not some stupid punk with a death wish." A muscular and intimidating man at least half a meter taller than Izroth said as he strolled in front of Izroth.
He then continued, "Hey, little brat, do you know the price of making us-"
"You're noisy," Izroth stated coldly as the sword in his hand flashed briefly before returning to its original position.
In the blink of an eye, the large muscular man went silent as his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he plunged downward like a tree being felled!
That sword strike was not one of the main attack techniques that belonged to the Sword Arts: Four Steps of Death but was the result of Viselo's Advanced Swordplay! This caused his blade to move like lightning in the eyes of those who watched.
Izroth stepped over the man's body and came to a stop at the end of the long table centered in the room. Encircling him was a group of at least twenty-five individuals who all had a look in their eyes as if they were prepared to jump on him any second. But, they were unmistakably waiting for the signal of the person-in-charge.
"Where is she?" Izroth questioned as he placed his gaze on Rox.
"I'll admit, you have some guts to enter my hideout alone. I can also admit that I underestimated the amount of skill you possess; however…" Rox stood to his feet as he picked up a knife lying around and stabbed it into the table.
He gave off a strong killing intent as he continued, "Your noble friend isn't here to protect you this time, brat. As for the girl…"
A grin found its way onto Rox's face as he pointed towards one of the back rooms and said, "She's right in there. Do you want to check on her? Go ahead. I won't stop you."
After Rox finished speaking, Izroth walked towards the back room that he pointed to. But, before Izroth even opened it, he could smell a pungent stench of death coming from behind the door that gave him a bad feeling.
Izroth kicked door the thin wooden door as he narrowed his eyes at the scene before him.
He walked through the room and saw dozens upon dozens of dead bodies piled on top of each other.
Suddenly, Izroth halted his steps as he stopped before one of the motionless bodies lying on the ground near the room's corner.
This body was of a young girl who appeared to be no older than four or five years of age.
This young girl was the one Izroth had given a name to—Selene.
