When the dust cleared, both men were still standing.

"They are monsters," Skitz muttered, though a chuckle stretched across his face as his eyes gleamed with excitement.

On the battlefield, Daigo threw back his head and laughed, wild and unrestrained, as if the chaos itself gave him life. His aura surged higher, his twin crescents pushing Varros's strike back.

Varros's eyes widened. He could feel it, he was losing ground.

With a sharp breath, he shifted again, activating another skill. His greatsword glowed, its surface hardening like steel walls.

'Titan's Guard.'

He raised the blade before him like an unbreakable shield, Daigo's energy slashes breaking against it. With a roar, Varros countered, swinging his massive sword in a devastating arc meant to cleave Daigo in two.

But Daigo's mouth only curved upward.

"Perfect. Now it gets fun."

His twin katanas spun, his aura exploding outward.

'Twin Katana Domain.'

Blades of energy burst around him like a storm, countless strikes filling the air in every direction. The very air screamed as his swords carved through it, creating a whirling storm of death.

Varros's defense faltered under the endless barrage. His eyes went wide as Daigo stepped in close, his katanas flowing like lightning.

"Urghh!" Varros roared, muscles bulging as he held his ground. The Titan's Guard groaned under the pressure, sparks bursting with every clash.

Daigo only laughed, his twin katanas flowing like a river in flood. "Not bad! But your wall's starting to crack!"

Varros felt it too. His arms shook, his chest burned, his legs slid back inch by inch.

Still, he refused to fall. "I am… a Knight!" he bellowed, forcing mana into his weapon until the glow flared bright again. He swung in a desperate arc, the blade howling through the air.

For a moment, it looked like he had pushed Daigo back. But then…

Slash, Slash, Slash.

Daigo's katanas blurred, breaking through the gap in his swing, the storm closing in. One cut nicked Varros's cheek, another split his armor, blood spraying into the air.

His eyes widened. 'Too fast…!'

Daigo stepped in, his smile sharp, his blades gleaming. "It's over."

Varros's last roar tore from his throat, a cry of rage and defiance, then the final strike flashed.

Cold steel kissed his neck.

The storm ended in silence.

Varros's body toppled, his massive frame hitting the earth with a crash that echoed across the battlefield. His head rolled to the side, his eyes still open, as if unwilling to believe.

Daigo stood over him, his blades dripping, his laughter ringing wild. "You forced me to show my ultimate skill. For that, I'll call you a worthy opponent."

The battlefield froze for a breath. Daigo's twin blades dripped with blood. The earth itself seemed to shudder at the fall of one of Sengolio's strongest Knights.

Silence rippled across the enemy lines.

Then came the fear.

The Sengolio soldiers who had once laughed with confidence now trembled, their eyes wide in disbelief. Their strongest shield, their unstoppable blade, had been cut down. The whisper spread quickly, breaking their courage apart.

"Knight Varros… he's dead…"

"No… impossible…"

"If even he can't win… how are we supposed to fight monsters like that?"

Their weapons shook in their hands, and some began stepping back without realizing it. Morale plummeted like a stone dropped into the sea.

On the other side, Lireath's soldiers erupted. Cheers burst from weary throats, their roars shaking the air. For them, it was as if the sun had pierced through storm clouds. Hope returned, and with it, strength.

"Look! He's down!"

"They can be beaten!"

"Push them back! Don't falter!"

Lireath herself felt her chest tighten, her twin swords firm in her hands as she gazed across the battlefield. She whispered under her breath, steady but shaken.

From a distance, Skitz had not moved. His daggers rested loosely in his hands, but his eyes were locked on Daigo, gleaming with amazement.

'What monsters,' he thought. 'They're strong… maybe even stronger than my Lord right now.'

The thought both thrilled and unsettled him. Strength like that, it was something worth chasing.

'I want to reach that level. To stand where they stand. To cut down giants with my own hands.'

His fangs widened, sharp and hungry.

But then, his thoughts shifted. His gaze flicked across the battlefield, searching.

'I should check how my Lord is doing,' Skitz muttered inwardly. In the next moment, his form blurred, vanishing into shadow as he slipped away without a sound.

…..

On another side of the battlefield, the clash between Lucian and General Lafuente was fierce, each strike shaking the ground. Both men turned their heads when the sudden explosion rang out across the field, shockwaves sweeping the air.

They recognized it instantly, powerful skills unleashed by their subordinates.

Lumberling, who had been watching their duel from a distance, also turned his gaze toward the blast. His eyes narrowed, but before he could think further, a shadow slipped up beside him.

"My Lord," Skitz's voice broke the moment. "Why are you just standing here? I thought you'd be out hunting prey. At this rate, we lose more of them. Prey doesn't wait forever, you know."

Lumberling didn't answer immediately. His eyes were still fixed ahead. Finally, he asked, "Have you found other Knights?"

Skitz shrugged, his daggers spinning in his fingers. "One found me, actually. But he was way too much for me to handle. So, I left him to our allies. What a loss." He gave a dramatic sigh, then smirked. "How about you, my Lord?"

"Same," Lumberling replied flatly.

"Tch. Then for this battle, we're going to bear some losses after all," Skitz muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"Not really," Lumberling said suddenly. His eyes sharpened, fixed not on the chaos around them but on the duel between Lucian and Lafuente.

Skitz followed his gaze, and his expression shifted. His mouth slowly opened, his hand trembling as he pointed at Lucian. "You… don't tell me… You're planning to kill steal him?"

"Exactly." Lumberling's lips curled into a wide smile.

Skitz blinked, then let out a laugh.

Lumberling only grinned wider. "That Daigo guy might just be a carefree blade, but stealing his prey? He doesn't look like the type who'd take kindly to someone 'helping.'

"Lucian on the other hand. I'll just say I stepped in to 'help' him."

Skitz pressed a hand to his face, chuckling despite himself. "You truly are a jerk, my Lord."

"Mind your own business," Lumberling shot back. "Instead of wasting time here, go find Shade. Hunt down the other Knights. We can't afford to lose too much prey this time, it's a golden opportunity."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Skitz waved lazily as he stepped back. "Good luck with your plan. Honestly, it'll be hard enough to even get close to those two." With that, his figure blurred and vanished into the shadows.

His words might have been spoken like a joke, but there was truth in them.

Because in front of Lumberling's eyes, the battle between Lucian and Lafuente had already turned into something far beyond ordinary.

An unexpected variable was beginning to unfold.

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