Absolute Soul
98. Black Karma

Zraaat!!

Heru's body crashed far enough away as soon as she received Shear's Knives Sword, making Haikal who was still holding the Knives Reaper behind her scream, "Heru!"

Haikal's screams echoed so loud seeing Heru hit by the giant sword-shaped dagger from nearby, he wanted to immediately dart to catch Heru but the Knives Reaper could instantly finish him off as he let his guard down.

When a gush of boiling blood began to rise to fill Haikal's head, Heru's body suddenly spun in the air several times before setting his feet on the ground safely.

"I'm almost dead!" exclaiming Heru while feeling his body that is still intact is not injured other than scratches due to Knives Raid some time ago.

Haikal glared at Heru who was not only not severely injured, he was still even fit and able to move freely after being hit by an attack as big as Shear's Knives Sword, while the person who gave the attack just frowned realizing how Heru escaped the fatal attack.

Heru has a Soul Arc in the form of a pair of iron gloves named Twin Kong. Even if it includes ordinary Soul Arc that can be found anywhere, this kind of Soul Arc has incredible endurance that even Master-level Blazers find it difficult to destroy the defenses of this Soul Arc.

Twin Kong does sound very powerful for the size of an ordinary Soul Arc, but its range in attack and defense is limited to the user's arms only. Heru did not hesitate to hit the wall of Shear's blade because of the Twin Kong's resilience, but if his body was targeted it was another story.

Shear knows the weaknesses of all Warrior-type Blazers like Heru so that they target parts of the body that are not protected by Twin Kong, but he did not expect Heru to pull and put his hands together in front of his stomach to hold the Knives Sword attack firmly in a makeshift position.

Shear would not be surprised if it was Blazer who was experienced in life and death battles, but seeing the reaction of Heru who was only a first-rate Blazer candidate made the benchmark of Blazer's strength in his head falter.

Haikal, who saw his best friend succeed through Shear's fatal attack became calmer, he then floated a powerful kick on the stomach of the Knives Reaper who managed to throw the doll far back.

Haikal immediately approached Heru checking on his condition, he smiled wryly at Heru's fine, "You wedge rancid, don't make me die from a hanger."

"Well, I myself was a little surprised by the big attack just now, but there was nothing to worry about. I won't die that easily." Heru patted the chest boasting his survival instinct which was always active in the last seconds.

Haikal wants to say something to his best friend, but he undoes the intention after realizing Heru's survival instinct must be admitted to be greater than expected.

"Haha! Goody! Nice work!"

While Haikal and Heru still wanted to rest for a while, laughter sounded so loud from Shear's side. They could see the man laughing like a madman, but both Haikal and Heru realized Shear was not crazy.

Shear finished his laughter and pointed at Haikal and Heru, "You guys are great! Too great for a Blazer candidate size!"

"I never thought there would be a Blazer candidate capable of holding my Knives Sword from such a close distance! Then, there has never been a Blazer that is able to compensate and throw the Knives Reaper without using Soul Arc! You're the first, Heru Hartanto, Haikal Aldra!"

Shear laughed happily at Haikal and Heru's strength which turned out to be far beyond his shadow. He had always thought that the chairman who had told him to recruit or at least capture Haikal and Heru was only exaggerating the two, but now he knew very well the potential of these two young men.

He felt Haikal and Heru deserved to be recruited directly by their chairman.

It took Shear some time to stop her laughter, she then extended her hand to Haikal and Heru, "Join into Blackout, you two. I can guarantee that power, wealth, even power will fall into your hands if you join!"

Haikal and Heru both frowned as they felt something was wrong with Shear, but Haikal reacted first, "You think after attacking us with killing intent, opening the entrance for Verg, he said, slaughtering innocent people, we'll say 'yes' to your offer? Are you stupid or what?"

Shear chuckled softly in response to Haikal's exclamation, "Well, don't be so cold, everything we do is for our cause, Blackout. Some damage and small sacrifices of weak beings are needed for it."

Haikal clenched his hands hearing Shear's reply as if human life was something cheap for Blackout. He wanted to advance and lash out a punch, but before that a certain amount of his strength suddenly disappeared followed by a few flashes of light darting towards Shear.

Shear could see those flashes of light and aimed dozens of his flying daggers into a shield, holding all those attacks without any difficulty. He was looking small looking in a direction.

Haikal and Heru turned their heads in the direction Shear saw, where Jack was standing on a building with dozens of golden-green magic spears with cold looks.

"You—you Blackout think what a human life really is?!" With that cry Jack threw all his magic spears towards Shear.

Forehead Shear immediately shriveled at the number of magic spears that Jack threw, he clucked softly before holding off the blows of those spears once again using his knife wall. Unfortunately, the knife wall is not enough.

"Sad, the doll is indeed troublesome." Jack clucked softly before leaping down from the roof of the building approaching and patting Heru on the shoulder, "Put back first, let me and Haikal handle this guy."

Hearing that Heru immediately raised a protest not to accept, "I know I'm not as strong as you guys, but I can still fight!"

"Can fight? In such a situation?" Jack raised next to his eyebrows glanced at the scratches from the Knives Raid Shear attack.

Heru's wounds at first glance were not too deadly because they were not so deep, but the blood that was pouring from the scratches was not trivial.

Heru had already lost quite a lot of blood thanks to his fight against several Blackout members at once in the treatment room, even if it could be healed by the power of the lost blood Verna could not be returned.

Heru realizes his condition despite not being reprimanded by Jack, but at the same time he is frustrated to feel too weak. He was always the first to fall or get hurt compared to Haikal, Jack, or Salvia.

Haikal could understand Heru's feelings, as a friend who had felt similar things he wanted to comfort and encourage Heru, but at the same time Haikal did not want Heru's condition to fall worse than this.

"Heru, please you retreat to Verna's place," Haikal said patting Heru on the shoulder, making the reddish-haired youth both shocked and annoyed at being underestimated.

"Haikal, I'm ma—"

"Gru!"

Haikal's rising voice instantly silenced Heru, even Jack who had been silently watching Shear in the distance glanced at Haikal from the side.

Haikal looked at Heru with teary eyes, "Please go to Verna's place. I don't want to lose anyone I love more than this."

Both Heru and Jack could see that the look in Haikal's eyes contained a deep sadness as if they could cry at any moment, they both knew the reason behind Haikal's grief-filled gaze.

Heru bit his lips for a moment before sighing then turned around, "Alright, I'll go to Verna's place."

Haikal gave a small smile of relief that Heru indulged in his selfish desires, but before stepping Heru exclaimed to Haikal.

"But, on condition that you also have to come back later! Without wounds!" Heru pointed out Haikal did not accept if only he continued to be limited.

Haikal wanted to say it was impossible not to get hurt against the fugitive Blazer for 10 million Bold even for a genius like Jack, but Haikal swallowed the sentence back and raised his thumb with a smile, "Sure thing!"

Heru smiles for a moment and leaves Jack and Haikal, he runs small towards where Salvia, Verna, and Cecil are at Jack's directions.

Haikal put on a smile looking at Heru's missing back, then turned his body towards Shear in the distance who was now smiling cynically.

"Have you finished saying goodbye to your friend?" Shear raised her chin trying to provoke Haikal's emotions, "Toh, you will meet again at our headquarters. I'll beat you and I'll drag you to headquarters, and so will the blonde there." Shear glanced at Jack.

Jack smiled faintly replying to Shear's words before creating dozens to dozens of magic spears, "Just try if you can."

"Haikal, are you still strong?" Jack glanced at Haikal beside him, he felt that Haikal's soul energy should have decreased a lot because in addition to using the Berserk Plate constantly he also deployed a foreign technique called 'Black Karma'.

Jack did not know for sure the technique called 'Black Karma' that Haikal used, but he could guess that this technique required a lot of soul energy.

Haikal did not answer Jack but instead increased the pressure of his soul energy even further, followed by a reddish black spot of 'Black Karma' which now spread to reach his neck and legs in exchange for Berserk Plate which has disappeared.

Haikal's distinctive blackish-red aura radiated violently from his body, providing a powerful intimidation to anyone around him.

Cold sweat running down Jack's back felt the pressure of Haikal's soul energy he had never felt, while Haikal himself focused his attention on Shear who had now become more alert.

"Yes, I'll finish it in five minutes." Haikal's eyes cooled down looking at Shear from a distance, "I'll show you the true power of Black Karma."