MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Rylis materialized in a new location, cursing the Vampire for her cunning.

The shift in space left him frustrated, knowing he had been outmaneuvered.

'Who is the fox here?'

Rylis thought, his gaze shifting to the explosion that erupted in the distance, the chaotic force of Aurelia's attack lingering in the air like a smoldering reminder of her cunning mind.

'That must be a clone'

Rylis mused, his eyes unwavering from the aftermath of the explosion.

He refused to believe that Aurelia had simply detonated herself, not after the enigmatic smile she had given him before his hasty retreat.

Even his instincts, sharp, finely tuned, affirmed his suspicions, dismissing the possibility of her demise so easily.

'I guess even my instincts can be fooled'

Rylis thought, his eyes narrowing as he processed the revelation.

For the first time, his senses had been deceived, not by his father, the only one capable of slipping past his heightened awareness, but by Aurelia.

The feeling unsettled him, gnawing at his confidence.

His father's mastery over his instincts was one thing, a skill honed through years of experience.

But the idea that someone like Aurelia could achieve the same, without the same depth of understanding, plunged a seed of doubt into Rylis' mind.

If she could deceive him, what was stopping other champions from doing the same?

The prospect of being outwitted by others, their tricks slipping past his defenses, was a thought that made the ground beneath him feel uncomfortably unstable.

As the thick smoke, rising in a towering dome, began to dissipate, Rylis' sharp gaze locked onto a figure standing unmoving at the center of the chaos.

His katana, sheathed with a quiet assurance, glinted faintly in the dim light.

The debris that had once been scattered by the explosion now hung around him, suspended in mid-air as if bound by an invisible force, an undeniable presence that demanded obedience.

Rylis narrowed his eyes, disbelief flickering across his features.

'Who is this crazy human?'

He thought, the intensity of the moment sharpening his focus.

'He didn't even dodge... he just tanked it with a skill? What kind of defense is that?'

The magnitude of the explosion, the raw destructive power, should have left anyone unprepared in shambles, yet this man stood unfazed, his posture unyielding.

Rylis' mind raced, trying to understand what kind of skill could grant such unflinching resilience.

Even his instincts seemed to be in a daze as they too settled their focus on this very being.

They both seemed to be swallowed by Anthony's gem-like eyes and calm demeanor.

Rylis' gaze lingered as his ears suddenly twitched, a subtle yet unmistakable shift in the air stirring his instincts.

He broke from his fixation, his eyes flicking upwards.

Descending with a controlled grace, Kaelthar's form plummeted from the heavens, his blade trailing closely behind him, an extension of his very being.

Rylis' instincts, once razor-sharp and unwavering, faltered in this moment.

The focus he had so intensely directed at Anthony left him disoriented, as though the very essence of his instincts had been dulled.

Reacting with sheer, primal reflex, Rylis moved not with his mind, but with the deep-seated training that resided in his body.

His instincts, though momentarily clouded, would not abandon him completely.

As Kaelthar's body collided with the earth, the ground trembled violently.

Ravines opened beneath his descending form as his sabre cleaved into the surface, sending shockwaves of destruction in every direction.

The air itself seemed to buckle, quaking with the ferocity of his assault.

But Kaelthar did not feel the gratifying resistance of flesh.

His strike had not found its mark, and with a swift calculation, he shifted his posture, preparing for the next phase of his assault.

Rylis, having closed the distance in the blink of an eye, surged forward.

His claws extended like daggers, a blur aimed directly for Kaelthar's cranium.

Yet Kaelthar, anticipating this move with uncanny precision, bent his knees and dropped into a crouch.

In a single fluid motion, he evaded Rylis' strike, the shimmering claws tearing through the air mere inches from his body.

At the same time, Kaelthar launched an elbow strike, the movement so instantaneous that it seemed like an afterthought.

Rylis' instincts bloomed into life, guiding his body with a reflexive block.

He knew the attack was coming before it even materialized, but Kaelthar's adaptation was swift.

In a split second, Kaelthar altered his trajectory, shifting his elbow into an upward strike.

His legs propelled him upwards like coiled springs, sending his fist hurtling towards Rylis with the force of a cannonball.

Rylis' mind screamed for him to move, but the warning came too late.

The attack was already in motion, and Rylis, despite his unparalleled speed, found himself unable to react in time.

The fist met its mark, the crushing impact sending a shockwave of pain through Rylis' body.

He was lifted from the ground and sent hurtling through the air, his mind reeling as his brain rattled inside his skull, struggling to maintain consciousness.

As he soared through the sky, Kaelthar's legs coiled once again, propelling him forward with deadly precision.

The earth shattered beneath him as he surged toward his opponent, his sabre raised high in preparation for the final strike.

The world seemed to hold its breath as Kaelthar's blade descended, the very air around them vibrating with the intensity of the impending collision.

In that instant, time seemed to slow.

Rylis, nearing the edge of consciousness, summoned another his reservoir of his power.

[Shadow Barrier]

Mana surged from deep within Rylis' core, shadow swirling into existence beside him.

The barrier took form in an instant, a protective wall of pure shadow.

The impact of Kaelthar's sabre meeting the barrier was deafening.

Space seemed to crack like fragile glass, the explosive force reverberating outward in all directions.

Wind barriers shattered with a deafening boom, and the sound barrier itself was torn apart in the wake of their clash.

But Rylis' shadow barrier held firm, unyielding.

The violent collision did not break it, though the shockwaves rippled through the air, causing Rylis' body to tremble as he stood, unscathed, save for a thin line of blood trailing from his nose.

The two combatants hovered in the air, their eyes locked in a silent exchange.

Both were drawing upon their aura and mana, weapons infused with their energy, preparing for the next inevitable strike.

And then, in a blur, they vanished from existence.

The world seemed to fracture as they reappeared, their weapons a blur of deadly motion.

The very atmosphere trembled beneath their assault, as the skies were torn asunder by the force of their battle.

Their movements were a symphony of destruction, their bodies fluid and in perfect harmony with the chaos they created.

Every strike, every slash, was a note in an unfinished melody of war.

The very wind seemed to move in time with their movements, guiding their strikes as though they were the instruments of a higher power.

With each exchange, the ground beneath them buckled and split, the sound barriers straining and breaking in rapid succession.

Their weapons became a streak of fire and shadow, each blow an impossibility of speed and power.

And then, Rylis shifted.

The rhythm of the battle changed as his stance altered, his claws now carving through the air in a vicious arc.

His feet dug into the ground as their positions flipped, upward to downward in an instant. Your journey continues with M V L

[Rylis Claw Technique: Umbral Rend]

From Rylis' form, shadow tendrils erupted in a flurry of strikes.

Each tendril moved with lethal precision, seeking out any vulnerability, tearing at the very fabric of the battlefield as it drained the vitality of anything it touched.

Kaelthar was not a novice.

His sabre hummed in response, a deep resonance of power emanating from it as the flames of his mana erupted around him.

[Kaelthar Sabre Technique: Scorching Crescent]

A crescent of fire, born from the depths of Kaelthar's being, was hurled forward in a brilliant arc.

The fiery wave cleaved through the air, striking with devastating accuracy.

The clash was monumental, shadow tendrils meeting firestorm, an explosion of energy that consumed everything in its path.

Yet, Kaelthar's instincts were finely honed, and his gaze never wavered.

He could feel the shadow lurking behind him, waiting for an opening.

But instead of appearing from behind, Rylis took a different approach.

Rylis materialized in front of Kaelthar with blinding speed, his claws already extended, tearing through the air toward his opponent's vitals.

[Rylis Claw Technique: Veil Shred]

Before Kaelthar could react, the claws were upon him, striking with a shadow so pure it threatened to consume everything in its path.

The air hummed with the energy of the strike, and death itself seemed to loom over Kaelthar as the claws bore down upon him.

But Kaelthar was not without his own deadly response.

[Kaelthar Sabre Technique: Flare Tempest]

In a whirlwind of motion, Kaelthar wrist spun, his sabre spinning at breakneck speed.

The vortex of fire that followed it was a blinding torrent, engulfing him in a barrier of flames.

The force of his movement sent a blazing tornado crashing outward, scorching everything in its path, including Rylis' attack.

The heat was overwhelming, and Rylis found himself forced to retreat, the flames threatening to consume him.

In a flash of shadow, he vanished, escaping the oncoming firestorm just as the flames began to rage.

The battle continued, an endless dance of fire and shadow, of claws and sabres, as the two warriors moved in perfect synchronicity, each strike a testament to their mastery.

But one shall fall.