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The ground kicked up dust with every step, and the air reeked of torn-up earth and trampled grass. In the distance, trees cracked under blows strong enough to bring them down, their leaves rustling under bursts of invisible force. I watched from a rock, still dazed, after a man had appeared out of nowhere, spoken a few words—and kicked me so hard I was nearly buried into the ground.
—That's all you've got? You thought you could kill me with this level? Pathetic... —said the man with long, red hair. His body looked like it had been carved from stone, and his beard—same deep crimson—was fine as silk.
—Tks... Y-you just caught me off guard... it won't happen again...
He stared at me intensely, but the smirk on his face betrayed complete confidence—as if he had never lost a fight.
—You don't realize how bad today's situation really is, do you? Tell me, what's your name, you flame-bearded bastard? —I asked, struggling to my feet, one hand on my ribs.
—Heh, does it hurt that much? That was just a small kick... You've still got a long road ahead of you, kid —he replied, and his smile slowly began to fade.
—Why so arrogant? You've got power and skill, I'll admit it... that kick with no chance to react proves it. But you're underestimating our clans, you idiot —I said, frowning.
—Well said, brat! —boomed an imposing voice. A man dropped from the sky with such force that the impact opened a crater and sent up a cloud of dust, blinding our vision for a moment.
—Ho... Belquer. Been a while —said the flame-bearded man with a sideways grin.
—And you're still as reckless as ever, Dante. I see you're still causing chaos since you left your clan —Belquer shot back.
I stood frozen. The murderous pressure between them overflowed like a wave. I glanced around: I wasn't the only one. Everyone—friend and foe alike—was barely able to remain standing under the intensity.
Without wasting another second, both charged forward. The force they released was brutal. Now I saw it—the arrogant one wasn't him... it was me. If that guy hadn't shown up, we probably would've all been wiped out in the blink of an eye.
The battle I witnessed was epic. Belquer and Dante were without a doubt minor masters in their own right. One controlled earth, the other fire; their techniques collided and canceled each other out with equal violence. Even so, the terrain suffered with every step, every clash.
I can't just sit here waiting for them to finish. I have to take advantage of the enemies being frozen in place... I thought, forcing myself to stand, my body still numb.
I pushed off with my knee, then my hand. My body ached like I'd been hit by a carriage, but I could still move. Around me, several enemies remained frozen, trembling under the pressure radiating from Belquer and Dante as their duel shook the ground.
Perfect timing.
I gritted my teeth and moved through the underbrush, approaching two enemy soldiers furthest from the center. One was crouched, gasping, the other had a blank stare. I leapt, channeling Lysae into my legs, and spun midair to crash down on them with a double kick.
The blow slammed them against a tree trunk. One fell unconscious. The other—if lucky—wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.
But just as I was about to move on to the next, a chill crawled down my spine.
—Hey, you! —someone shouted. As I turned, I saw two figures not only withstanding the pressure... but already sprinting toward me.
One was massive, with arms wider than my torso and cracked black plate armor. The other was smaller, quicker, and held two curved blades spinning through his fingers as if they were part of him.
I readied myself. My heart pounded in my ears.
—Did you really think we'd be as scared as the others? —roared the brute, lunging instantly.
I had barely a second to dodge, feeling the wind ripped by his punch. But it wasn't over. The fast one was already on me, his blades carving deadly arcs toward my throat.
"Shit... they're good!"
I blocked with my Lysae-coated forearm, but the impact sent me skidding backward.
I fell, rolled, and dug my heels into the dirt to stop. My chest burned. This wasn't just about seizing an opportunity anymore... I had to survive.
Then, over a tree behind them, I saw Darkel preparing to launch at the brute. Noting his intent, I reinforced my body with three layers of Lysae Sout and unsheathed my sword in one swift motion. The metallic screech of the blade leaving its sheath was the signal—the enemies reacted instantly.
Darkel shot down like a bolt, launching himself with both feet into the giant's back. The impact was so brutal the man tumbled like a sack, crashing into a tree and falling unconscious instantly.
But there was no time to celebrate.
The lean one—with the blades—was already in front of me.
His weapons didn't glow with fire, but thick, dark smoke poured from the tips, as if burning from within. I didn't need to touch them to know it would burn like live coals.
—Impressed? —he smirked, spinning the blades around his fingers— This isn't regular Lysae, kid.
I lunged at him without replying.
We clashed in a storm of rapid movements. Every slash he made was lethal, precise, and left trails of smoke that burned the air itself. One grazed my shoulder, and the pain was instant. There was no visible flame, but my skin seared and the cloth disintegrated like it had been pressed with molten iron.
I can't let him touch me again!
I slid back and extended my free hand. With a short burst, I released a crescent-shaped wave of cutting Lysae to create distance. But he dodged with a graceful roll.
—Your control's solid —he sneered— but you're not as fast as me.
And then he vanished.
"What—?!"
I felt a tingle at my neck and spun my sword backward on instinct. It clashed with one of his blades. He had appeared behind me—without a sound.
We separated again. My legs were shaking.
"If he beats me in speed, I have to change the rhythm..."
—If he beats me in speed, I have to change the rhythm... —I muttered.
I saw Darkel tense his arm, channeling Lysae into his hand. Suddenly, a powerful beam of energy shot toward the blade-wielder. But he, agile and sharp, sidestepped with a precise leap, evading it effortlessly.
Without hesitation, he threw one of his knives. From its edge, the same dark smoke billowed, glowing faintly. It sliced through the air and grazed Darkel's cheek, leaving a wound from which Lysae leaked, forcing him to step back, grimacing.
—Not so fast, —Darkel growled, wiping the Lysae streaming down his face.
Now holding just one blade, the enemy charged at me again, a smug grin on his lips.
I gripped my sword tighter, ready for the clash. We moved fast, exchanging blows and dodges, metal ringing through the air thick with tension. His attacks were fluid and direct, testing my defenses with sharp feints.
I can't let him outpace me.I have to find his opening—and make no mistakes.
With steady breath, I layered three more coats of Lysae Sout around me and rose slightly, using the momentum to strike diagonally and force him back a step.
The battle was still burning, and every move felt like it could tip the scale.
I focused all my Lysae into my sword, forming five layers of Lysae Sout around the blade, each glowing like a razor-sharp energy shield. I could feel the power vibrating through my arm, ready to be unleashed.
Right then, Darkel fired a powerful beam that struck the blade-wielder square in the torso. The Lysae coursed through him, stunning him for a few seconds. He froze, breath ragged, unable to react.
—Now, —I whispered.
With a swift, precise slash, my sword cut through the air and severed his hand. The layers of Lysae wrapped around the blade made it effortless. He screamed, his blade fell—still smoking, but now useless.
Breathing heavily, we took a moment to look up. There they were—Belquer and Dante, locked in a mid-air duel that looked like something out of legend.
Belquer stood suspended atop a massive floating platform of stone he created and shaped at will. His body looked like a dust-covered colossus, and every motion made the sky tremble. With a punch to the platform, he hurled a massive boulder—wagon-sized—straight at Dante. The latter dodged at the last second, propelled upward by flames shooting from his feet like controlled fire-jets, sliding through the air.
Dante countered with a writhing line of flame, serpentine and wild, launched from his extended arm. Belquer raised a stone wall that cracked under the heat but managed to dissipate the blast. Without delay, he retaliated with a flurry of sharp, fast stones—like shrapnel aimed at the fire master.
Dante spun midair, creating a wave of heat that melted some stones before they reached him. He then dove, blasting himself downward with fire, and delivered a kick that collided with Belquer's forearm. The impact sent a shockwave spiraling outward, knocking both off course for a moment.
Belquer grinned, and with a turn, slammed his rock-coated fist into Dante's gut, launching him several meters away. But before hitting the ground, Dante recovered in midair, halting with another fire burst under his feet—a roar that shot him back into the fight.
They clashed again—punches, kicks, firebursts and flying rock fragments raining across the battlefield like an elemental storm. The air cracked with every strike, and the glow of Lysae lit up like lightning between their moving forms.
The sky itself seemed to hold its breath.
And then, as if the tension had reached its limit, a blazing streak shot down from above—Belquer, wrapped in a cloak of flaming Lysae, descended like a living lightning bolt. The ground shook on impact, lifting a cloud of dust and debris, making it impossible to see what had happened to him...
The silence was immediate.
No birds, no wind—not even the remaining enemies dared move.
Only the slow creaking of shattered stone marked the passing seconds.
—Was that... his final attack? —Darkel asked, his face tense as he stared unblinking into the haze.
A figure began walking through the dust.
But it was impossible to tell if it was Belquer...
Or Dante.