The moment the man begins his relentless assault, the sheer speed and precision of his swings take Kael by surprise. Despite the monstrous size of the sword, the man wields it with an effortless grace, each strike gaining momentum. The air hums with energy as the blade moves faster and faster, cutting through the wind with a terrifying hiss.
Kael darts from side to side, narrowly avoiding each swing as it carves massive trenches into the ground beneath his feet. His reflexes are sharp, his footwork impeccable as he ducks under one strike, then twists his body to redirect the next. But with every second, the man's strikes grow in strength and velocity, the vibrations from each impact causing the very earth to tremble.
'This is insane... How can he swing something that big so quickly?' Kael thinks, beads of sweat forming on his brow. He lifts his sword, attempting to redirect the massive blade yet again, but this time, the force behind the swing is overwhelming.
CRACK!
The impact sends a violent shockwave rippling through Kael's arms and into his chest. His muscles strain as he grits his teeth, trying to hold his ground, but it's no use. The force is too great.
BOOM!
Kael is blasted off his feet, his body hurtling through the air like a ragdoll. He slams into the cave wall with a deafening crash, the impact sending enormous chunks of earth and stone flying in all directions. Dust and debris cloud the air as Kael coughs, blood splattering onto the shattered rock around him. His chest tightens, a searing pain radiating from his ribs, but he can't afford to stop.
The split second after impact, Kael's eyes widen—another strike is coming.
Without hesitation, Kael pushes off the wall, launching himself into the air. He barely escapes as the colossal sword slices clean through the cave wall, leaving a massive gash where he had just been. The force of the strike sends even more debris raining down as the earth itself shudders.
Kael lands a few meters away, breathing heavily, his vision slightly blurred from the force of the previous blow. 'He's not just strong—he's faster than I thought.' He winces, feeling the ache in his ribs. 'I can't take another hit like that.'
Kael grits his teeth, feeling his muscles strain and tear with each passing second. 'I don't have much time,' he thinks, pushing off the air itself using a mana shield he's conjured mid-flight. He narrowly dodges another swing, the immense blade moving with impossible speed. But no matter how fast he moves, the sword is already in front of him again.
Instinctively, Kael brings his palms up, moving them in a fluid clockwise motion. The action appears slow compared to the devastating speed of the sword, but his aura follows his hands in perfect synchronization. Just as the massive blade is about to collide with him, Kael channels all his strength and deflects the attack with a pulse of energy.
BOOM!
A shockwave erupts from the clash, sending a horizontal line of destructive force rippling through the air, infused with the holy magic radiating from the man's blade. Kael grimaces, feeling the intense pressure shoot through his body. His muscles scream in protest, ripping under the strain of the deflection. Blood trickles from his mouth as he forces himself to stay upright.
'Damn it, that hurt like hell,' Kael thinks, feeling the fiery pain coursing through his veins. 'I'm still not strong enough to use Ilka's techniques properly.'
As if summoned by his thoughts, Ilka appears lounging lazily on Kael's head, her weight barely noticeable. "What are you doing, idiot?" she says in a sharp tone. "Using my second strike was smart, but you could've readjusted your posture and dodged. I don't care what you have to reveal—your 'secrets' are worthless if you lose. Beat him, or I'll train you until you beg me to kill you. Don't disappoint me in front of Dúnadan."
Her words chill him to the bone, her cold, unwavering voice disappearing with her as quickly as she had appeared.
The prince watches from the sidelines, rubbing his temples in confusion. 'What was that?' he wonders, trying to shake off the disorientation from whatever technique Kael had just used. He's never seen anything like it. Taking a seat, the prince narrows his eyes, trying to piece together the fight. 'He's deflecting attacks with restrictions in place? He might be as strong as the vice guild master... maybe even stronger.' He smirks as he checks the timer. 'Forty-five seconds left. Looks like Kael's still testing the waters.'
Kael exhales, pushing the pain aside. 'Dúnadan… she's dead serious. She's hiding something, she knows exactly who these creatures are.' With newfound determination, Kael waves his hand, summoning two magic circles mid-air. The next swing of the monstrous sword crashes into them, but instead of shattering on impact, the circles bend and flex like rubber before bouncing the sword back in the opposite direction.
'One minute... I'll have to burn through everything I've got.'
Kael's stance shifts with a subtle yet terrifying intensity, his entire body coiling like a spring wound tight. The air around him thickens, pulsing with raw, unrestrained energy, each breath he draws causing the atmosphere to tremble as if the very environment is reacting to his presence. His mana begins to swirl inside him, a chaotic storm gathering in his core, funneling directly into his heart. With each beat, his pulse quickens, sending surges of energy through his veins at an unnatural speed, as though his very blood is infused with molten magic.
His skin flushes red, veins standing out like rivers of fire beneath the surface. A faint glow surrounds him as his body temperature rises sharply, steam billowing off his skin as if he's about to ignite. The surge of power isn't just external—it courses through him like an unstoppable current, threading through every muscle, every fiber, every nerve. His aura floods his nervous system, forcefully taking control of his reflexes, enhancing his senses and pushing him beyond the limits of mere mortality. Every sensation is heightened; he can feel the air shifting with the monster's movements, hear the blade cutting through the wind, sense the mana thrumming in the earth beneath him.
'I hope Ilka doesn't find out what I'm doing, she will yell at me for days.' Kael thinks, the half-smile on his lips betraying a mix of defiance and excitement. 'No. she'd kill me on the spot. What I'm doing is extremely dangerous, I'm glad I watched anime back on Earth.'
His eyes, gleaming with a sharp, unnatural focus, lock onto the massive blade descending toward him once again. Time seems to slow around him as his body moves, not with the clumsy, deliberate effort of before, but with the graceful, lethal precision of a predator. His movements blur into the air, leaving afterimages in his wake as he dodges the strike with ease. He doesn't just avoid the blade—he flows around it, like water slipping through the cracks, his body now a conduit for pure energy. His senses are in overdrive, his perception of time warped, allowing him to anticipate the next move even before the sword completes its arc.
"I see," Dúnadan murmurs, stopping his sword mid-swing with a startling calmness. "I apologize for holding back," he says, turning his blindfolded gaze toward Kael. Despite the lack of visible eyes, there's an undeniable sense that their eyes are locked in intense acknowledgment.
"I had assumed the restrictions made you weaker," Dúnadan continues, his tone humble yet resolute. "I was wrong. You've shown me we are on equal terms—both restricted, both diminished. Let us fight for he whom I failed." With a slow, deliberate breath, his grip on the massive blade loosens slightly. Then, without warning, he slices the sword into the ground, curving it upward in a devastating arc aimed directly at Kael.
BOOM!
Their swords collide with a force that shatters the earth beneath them, sending debris flying in every direction. The shockwave reaches the prince, who watches with a gleeful grin, unfazed by the destruction around him. 'He's strong. As strong as the guild master,' the prince muses, dropping his glass, now covered in dust. 'I can't trust him, but as long as our goals align, he'll be useful.'
Kael grits his teeth, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. 'I love you, Eira, you truly are the best,' he thinks, feeling his custom-made clothes pulse, absorbing the kinetic energy from the impact. His blindfold constantly melts and reforms as holy energy radiates around him, struggling to keep its form. 'Umbra is barely holding on. Damn, it's too soon for the curse to activate.'
With every clash of their blades, Kael pushes his body further, training his muscles to withstand the sheer power of the strikes. He shoves the massive sword back, only for Dúnadan to bring it crashing down again, each blow reverberating through the cave.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BANG!
BOOM!
BANG!
The sounds of their clashing weapons echo endlessly, the wind howling as the sheer force of their strikes blasts in all directions. Both fighters grow faster and more precise with every passing second. Kael's face remains stern, but internally, he can feel his body breaking down. His bones crack, muscles tear, and every ounce of strength is pushed to the brink. Yet, he presses on.
After a staggering 742 clashes, Kael shifts his posture. The transparent part of his sword glows with absorbed holy energy. Gritting his teeth, he pours 90% of his mana into one leg and his aura into the other, pushing off the ground with explosive force, leaving a massive crater behind as he charges straight at Dúnadan.
Dúnadan swings down with his massive sword, but Kael grins. 'Got you,' he thinks, activating a hidden mechanism within his blade. Their swords clash one final time, but this time, it's different. The holy energy absorbed by Kael's sword bursts out in a radiant explosion, propelling Dúnadan's massive sword backward and slamming it into the cave wall.
Dúnadan, caught off guard, loses his posture. In that instant, Kael stands before him, his blade resting calmly at the man's neck.
"You fought well," Kael says, breathing heavily but composed.
Dúnadan blinks, his expression blank for a moment before his posture slackens. The massive sword slips from his hand, and his body begins to twitch violently once more. "I lost," he says quietly, his voice calm despite his twitching body. Turning to Kael, he adds, "You surprised me many times. Perhaps it's my melting brain, leaving me confused. Regardless, you have my gratitude. You passed my test."