With a calm demeanor, Will picked up his broken short sword. Although the blade had been severed, he grasped it once more, seemingly determined to use the shattered weapon against Merlin.
"Tch, daring to underestimate me," Merlin sneered, regaining his composure from the shock.
Merlin's expression turned grave as he fixed his gaze upon Will. After witnessing Will shatter the meteor, he no longer dared to dismiss the unassuming youth. Every movement of Will's was scrutinized, even the beads of sweat rolling down his face.
"It seems you are not an ordinary man," Merlin remarked, his expression now almost comical, a stark contrast to the arrogance he had shown moments ago.
Will, ever the picture of tranquility, did not respond. Slowly, he moved his broken sword-hand behind him and slightly bent his knees. Merlin understood—Will was preparing to charge. With this realization, a flicker of fear crept into Merlin's heart, prompting him to strike first.
Merlin swiftly raised his hand to the sky, and within moments, a dense fog enveloped the area. The fog was so thick that Will could no longer see anything; the world around him was consumed by a blinding whiteness.
"Are you running away?" Will called out, his voice cutting through the mist.
"Run? What are you talking about? I'm about to end you," Merlin mocked, his voice dripping with malice.
Before Merlin could finish speaking, a rapid beam of black light shot through the fog toward Will. The darkness of the mist had greatly reduced his visibility, and Will only saw the beam at the last moment. He dodged swiftly, but the black beam still struck the armor on his arm, tearing it apart.
"Did I hit you? Hahaha!" Merlin laughed triumphantly.
"Sadly, not yet," Will replied, glancing at the damaged armor. It looked as though the heat of the blast had incinerated it into dust.
'Damn it, he must be able to see through the fog somehow. What should I do?' Will thought desperately, looking around, but he could think of no solution.
At that moment, another black beam shot from the fog, this time from a different direction. Will reacted instinctively, performing a clumsy roll to avoid the attack. As he staggered to his feet, another beam came at him, and once again he had to roll forward to evade it.
After a few rolls, it was clear that Will was growing fatigued. The golden aura surrounding him began to wane, and he dropped to the ground, gasping for breath. Yet, after a few moments, the black beams ceased.
'Could it be that Merlin is tired?' Will thought, his heart flickering with hope. Given the pace of the earlier attacks, he expected them to continue, but they had not.
Just as Will allowed himself to believe Merlin might be worn out, another black beam shot out, but this time it was much farther from him. The beam was too far to pose a threat, and Will didn't need to dodge.
'Wait... Is he tracking me through the energy I'm emitting?' Will thought, astonished as he observed the now-weakened golden aura around him.
"Are you dead yet?" Merlin's maniacal voice echoed through the fog.
Will remained silent, testing his theory. He remained still, not making a sound, giving himself more time. Slowly, he sat down, removing his greaves and shoulder guards, leaving only the chest armor, which had been slashed. Then, Will stood up cautiously, ensuring he made no noise.
"Where are you?" Merlin's frantic voice rang out, still searching for him.
'If he's using my energy to locate me, then perhaps I can do the same,' Will thought, his resolve solidifying. Closing his eyes, he began to sense the energy around him. It was like a bat navigating in a complex environment, relying on its own energy to detect that of others. Will used his own aura to sense the world around him, identifying the strongest energy responses.
Soon, he detected Merlin's presence nearby—an unstable and volatile energy, spreading outwards. Will's eyes snapped open. Stealthily, he moved toward the direction he had sensed. His bare feet made no sound against the ground, and he was careful not to alert Merlin.
When Will felt he was close enough, he stopped. He knew that any closer, and Merlin would sense him. He paused, sensing Merlin's energy once more. Confident in his position, he decided to strike. This might be his only chance to approach undetected.
Suddenly, Will clenched his fist and dashed forward. After just three steps, a figure appeared before him. 'Merlin,' Will thought, certain of his target. He threw a punch straight at Merlin's shadow in the fog. The blow tore through the mist, and indeed, it was Merlin standing before him. The punch landed with tremendous force, sending Merlin flying backward, as though struck by a cannonball.
The surrounding fog dissipated with Merlin's impact, and for the first time in what felt like ages, both could clearly see each other. Merlin, struggling, rose to his feet. He was badly wounded, his body swaying with weakness, and blood flowed freely from his mouth. Despite his condition, he still wore a sinister smile.
"Enough, Merlin. This ends today. You will die here," Will declared, drawing the broken sword from his waist and pointing it at Merlin.
"Hmph. Come then," Merlin sneered, still dismissive.
As Merlin's mocking words left his lips, Will surged forward, gripping the broken sword tightly. He was determined to use every ounce of strength to drive the blade into Merlin's heart, avenging Leon, Eddie, and all the fallen paladins.
"Yah!" Will roared with fury, extending his hand, ready to strike.
But just then, General Lei suddenly appeared, standing between them, his body intercepting Will's furious assault.
"Quick, go!" General Lei spat blood, looking back at Merlin with urgency. Merlin immediately understood, and with a flick of his hand, he conjured a portal. In an almost comical scramble, Merlin dove through the portal and vanished, leaving behind only the chaos.
"No!" Will shouted, the frustration in his voice palpable.
"Not yet," General Lei muttered, his grip weakly holding Will's arm. His body trembled with exhaustion.
With those final words, General Lei collapsed, unconscious.