BBBOOOMMM
Flames engulfed the forest, and molten metal pooled on the ground. Julia, Stella, and Adan watched anxiously.
"If this keeps up, Elijah's wounds will only get worse," Julia said, concern evident in her voice.
"Same goes for Leo," Stella added.
Adan, standing by, asked, "Should we stop them?"
Julia shook her head. "That'll only make Elijah angrier."
Stella sighed. "Why do people who are so alike always end up fighting? And look at him—still smiling." Levi took a punch to the stomach but kept that grin on his face.
"They're both thrilled, excited even. But who knows what kind of fierce battles are playing out in their minds?" Julia said, crossing her arms as she watched the intense fight unfold.
At the Battle
BOOOM
Elijah was launched through the air but quickly regained his balance as the flames around him vanished. He reverted to his original form, the two-leaf lotus reappearing behind him, now shimmering in silver.
'I should've created a clone,' he thought, still smiling. How could he not? Facing someone stronger than himself, Elijah's skills sharpened with each exchange. Yet, the forest could barely withstand their destructive power.
Craters, burn marks, and cracks marred the landscape, but neither combatant cared. Their eyes locked onto each other with unwavering focus. In a flash, Elijah disappeared, the scales on his body glowing even brighter as they seemed to grow.
Levi vanished too, meeting Elijah at the center. When their fists collided, the world seemed to fade away. In that moment, nothing else mattered—no sound, no life, no screams. The essence of combat was embodied in each strike.
They punched and blocked, their movements sharp and precise. The wind howled with the force of their blows. Elijah landed a kick to Levi's stomach, pushing him back, but Levi quickly regained his footing, dodging Elijah's next punch and countering with one of his own, followed by a roundhouse kick.
Elijah was knocked back but spun in the air, regaining his balance just in time to block Levi's punch with crossed arms. "You're at the threshold," Levi said as they both landed on the ground, continuing their relentless exchange of blows.
They dashed around, kicks and punches flying, with Elijah becoming more in tune with himself. He felt as if he was crossing into an unknown realm. His attacks grew faster. "Let's do this, old man."
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Levi laughed, recognizing that Elijah had reached a new level. Their punches met once more, but this time, Elijah used Levi's force against him, redirecting the attack. Elijah's hand began to glow with a brilliant silver light.
"Sky-Covering Fist." Elijah's eyes took on a more monstrous appearance as the scales spread from his armor to his legs, chest, and neck.
"Iron Armor." Levi's skin turned to iron.
BOOOOMMM
Levi was sent flying through the sky, coughing up blood as he crashed through two trees. The third tree finally stopped him, but it too fell to the ground. "Not bad," Levi groaned.
"Yeah, I didn't expect you to survive that," Elijah said, standing before Levi. Levi wiped the blood from his mouth as he got to his feet.
"Can we wrap this up?"
"Yeah, I'm running low on Chi," Elijah replied.
"So that's the name of the energy I've been sensing," Levi said with a smile as his fists turned to iron.
"It's surprising, but I can't cultivate Mana in any form," Elijah explained, his hand glowing with a silver light.
"Full Burst: Sky Dragon Beam." This technique was a combination of Sky Beam and Sky-Covering Fist. The image of a sky dragon, resembling a snake with wings, appeared behind Elijah.
"Iron Tiger Fist." An iron tiger formed around Levi's fist, his smile widening.
"Don't die, boy!" Levi shouted.
"You too, old man!" Elijah yelled back.
Both unleashed their strongest attacks, and the surroundings fell silent before an explosion shook the entire island. The shockwave obliterated everything within a 50-meter radius.
BBBBOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!
On the Sidelines
The shockwave reached Julia, Stella, and Adan, forcing them to take cover. Julia quickly summoned a water barrier to protect them, while Adan reinforced it with a mana shield. Stella, behind Adan, pushed him aside when the dust settled and shouted, "Grandpa Levi!"
"We're fine," Levi called out, emerging from the smoke, supporting an unconscious Elijah with an arm over his shoulder. They dropped the barrier and rushed to help as Levi fell to his knees.
"The boy's injuries are severe. He won't make it without immediate treatment," Levi panted, coughing up more blood. "Stella, help him first."
"What are you talking about? You need help first!" Stella protested, holding him steady.
"Stella, if he doesn't get healing now, he'll die!" Levi shouted, but Stella ignored him and continued to heal him.
Julia knelt beside Elijah, pressing her ear to his chest. She could hear his heartbeat slowing and saw the large amount of blood he had lost. "Don't bother," Julia said softly. She knew that even without help, Elijah's bloodline would fully activate, its power currently restrained by the gloves he wore.
She understood as much from the runes on the gloves, though she didn't know why his bloodline was being suppressed. Julia pulled out a pill and fed it to Elijah. As the pill dissolved, his injuries began to heal rapidly.
Stella, still focused on healing Levi, noticed that her efforts weren't enough. The severe internal injuries were beyond her weak healing abilities. Panic set in as she looked over her shoulder to see Elijah's wounds miraculously healing.
Adan was still in shock, realizing that these two were far from ordinary. Stella felt frustrated and guilty, having left their friend to die while she focused on Levi. She didn't know how to ask for the same pill that had saved Elijah, wondering if it was too rare to share. 'I need to think fast, or Grandpa Levi won't make it,' she thought desperately.
Sensing something, Julia looked up as a voice called out, "Hey, Julia, is that you?"
A Minute Later
Kai arrived, riding atop Tank, with a grin. "Julia, what was that explosion?"
"Oh, just Elijah having fun," Julia replied, tossing Elijah's body to Kai, who caught it and placed him on Tank's head.
"Damn, he was going all out, wasn't he? Did he fight the old guy?" Kai asked, noticing Stella's panicked expression as she struggled to heal Levi.
Julia didn't reply, but Adan stepped forward and asked, "Julia, do you have another pill like that? I don't think Levi will survive without it."
Julia, standing beside Kai, responded coldly, "Coming from the people who didn't care if Elijah lived or died."
Stella trembled, feeling the weight of her mistake, while Adan tried to explain, "I know, but—"
Julia's icy gaze pierced through Adan as she spoke, "Adan, I know Elijah likes you, but don't think you can ask anything of us."
Adan stepped back, feeling the chill of her words. Kai, trying to lighten the mood, tossed a pill in Adan's direction. "Don't think too much about it," he said, urging Tank to move forward.