Vera steadied herself, eyes gleaming.

"Good. Hit me again."

Rhys didn't hesitate.

He thrust his palm forward—

[Quad Magic Burst]

A rapid-fire sequence of

Magic Missile → Fireball → Water Jet → Magic Missile

all chained in under a second.

The barrage slammed into Vera like a storm.

She blocked the first two—

The third hit struck her shoulder.

The last one forced her back three full meters.

She breathed out, legs tensing, expression finally serious.

"…You weren't joking," she said, voice low.

"You actually held back your real skills until now."

Rhys raised his sword again.

"I didn't want to rely on my stronger abilities too early."

Vera smiled.

Sharp.

Dangerous.

Thrilled.

"Good.

Then let's see how you handle this—

when I stop holding back."

Silver light exploded around her.

Her speed spiked again—

so suddenly even the air cracked.

Puddle screamed,

"MASTER SHE GOING SUPER-FWOOSH!"

Vera whispered,

"Nightfall Form — Second Dance."

And then—

She vanished.

Completely.

Rhys's pulse spiked.

But his grip didn't waver.

"Then I'll match it."

He inhaled—

Mana spiraling around him like a dark-blue flame.

He activated—

[Ruinous Darkness — Controlled Release: Stage 1]

The arena shook.

The crowd froze.

Even Vera's movement paused—

just for a fraction of a second.

Her eyes widened.

"…You…" she whispered.

"…so that's the real you."

Rhys stepped forward.

"Come on."

Their next clash shook the entire arena.

The instant their blades collided—

BOOOOOOM!

A shockwave burst outward, shaking the arena stands and forcing spectators to shield their faces from the wind pressure.

Vera flashed behind him again, her voice a whisper in the echoing chaos:

"Moonshadow—Second Dance: Eclipse Rift."

A silver slash tore through the air—

Rhys twisted, blade coated in swirling steam.

[Steamburst Edge]

His sword swept upward, releasing a burst of compressed steam that detonated between them.

KRRRRSHHHHHH!

The force bent the air, launching both fighters apart.

Vera slid across the stone floor, heels digging into the ground to stop her momentum.

She grinned.

"So you've been hiding techniques like that too."

Rhys didn't reply.

His aura only grew darker, swirling like a storm of void and mana.

He snapped his fingers—

Mana surged into his limbs.

[Arc Surge Slash]

He vanished, reappearing above Vera with a crack of thunder.

His blade descended in an electrified arc.

Vera crossed her blades just in time.

CLAAAAANG!

The ground beneath her cracked like spiderweb glass.

"Not done—!"

Rhys twisted mid-air.

[Phantom Piercer]

A ghostly afterimage of his blade formed—

then three more—

all shooting down at Vera in a deadly spear formation.

"Fast—!"

She leapt back, but one phantom blade grazed her shoulder, drawing the first clean cut of the match.

The audience lost their minds.

Aria leapt to her feet.

"YES!! RHYS!"

Sophia pumped her fist.

"Push her harder!"

Caria scribbled furiously.

"His skill chain timing is inhuman—!"

Lyra smiled, proud.

"He's adapting faster than she is."

Puddle screamed,

"MASTER STAB GHOST STAB YEEES!!"

Vera landed atop a broken pillar and exhaled sharply.

"Fine."

Her blades began to glow with lunar silver.

Then—

She descended.

"Nightfall Form — Third Dance: Moondrinker Reign."

The entire arena dimmed.

Rhys braced.

She vanished—

Then appeared in front of him—

Behind him—

Beside him—

Everywhere at once.

Her blade slashed—

Rhys blocked—

barely.

But he wasn't done.

He planted his foot.

A statuesque surge of power erupted from him—

[Colossus Breaker]

He swung his sword downward, the impact creating a shockwave so massive the arena's outer wall cracked.

Vera was forced to leap away, landing with a skid.

She looked genuinely thrilled now.

"Oh, Rhys…

You're amazing."

Rhys didn't answer.

His mana surged again—

dark, ancient, heavy.

"Let's bring this higher."

He took a single step.

The world trembled.

[Ancestral Fury]

An ethereal outline of a towering ancient warrior—

the echo of a forgotten lineage—

rose behind Rhys, its massive blade mirroring his.

He dashed—

Vera countered—

KRAAAAAASH!

Their clash blew apart a portion of the arena floor, sending stone chunks flying.

Vera spun backward, flipping twice before landing.

She wiped a bead of blood from the edge of her cheek.

"…Good. You actually hurt me."

Rhys raised his sword again—

but this time, the ground under him lit with glowing crimson runes.

[Crimson Earthshatter]

He stomped.

The arena floor EXPLODED in a rising pillar of red dust and raw mana—

forcing Vera to leap high into the air.

Rhys followed.

His blade charged—

winds spiraling—

mana screaming—

[Arcane Tempest Slash]

A compressed cyclone of mana lashed upward.

Vera blocked it—

but it still sent her soaring, spinning wildly.

"Too strong—!"

She landed hard, but stabilized quickly.

Her eyes glowed with excitement.

"You're pushing me to the edge…

So I'll push you back."

She disappeared again.

Rhys's instincts flared.

He activated—

[Ghost Edge Step]

His body flickered into a semi-ethereal state for a heartbeat—

letting her high-speed slash graze through him harmlessly.

He emerged behind her.

"Got you."

His hand reached toward the ground.

A dark sigil erupted.

[Ritual Break]

A surge of mana shattered the lingering buffs around Vera, her speed aura flickering violently.

"What—?!"

She staggered for the first time.

Rhys's eye darkened.

"Last one."

He lifted his sword, Ruinous Darkness roaring quietly in acknowledgment.

Void energy spiraled up his arm.

The arena dimmed.

Spectators held their breath.

Puddle trembled on Rhys's shoulder.

"MASTER USING SUPER SCARY MOVE—"

Rhys whispered the name:

[Decay Lord's Call]

Black tendrils—thin as hair, sharp as blades—unfurled around him, reaching outward like the hands of an ancient king demanding tribute.

The air grew heavy.

Cold.

Still.

Even Vera froze, her battle-instincts screaming.

"…Rhys," she whispered.

"That one can actually kill me."

He steadied his breath.

"I told you—

you wanted my all."

Vera lowered her stance, eyes burning silver.

"Fine.

Then come at me with everything you have."

Rhys stepped forward—

Decay spiraling—

Moonlight blazing—

Their auras collided, ready to ignite in a final, cataclysmic clash—

And the entire arena held its breath.

The moment their auras touched—

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!

A massive blast of mana threw dust and debris into the sky.

Vera burst forward first.

Her silver aura condensed sharply around her blade.

"Nightfall Form — Fourth Dance: Lunar Rift Spiral!"

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