Skyl stepped forward; the winds whistled violently as he raised his hands, and a dazzling silver rune bloomed.
"Die, miserable," Skyl waved toward the void. Cracks appeared as a silver lotus bloomed in the void, dazzling and gleaming. Under the dark weather and rushing winds, they looked even more frightening.
The rune lotus Rain, bloomed to life. Whistling sounds could be heard as the silver lotus flashed forward.
Venifer stepped back, the lotus clashing with his sword. Sparkles bloomed in the void, forming behind him.
"Understand now," Skyl was now grinning. He unleashed his might, and the lotus fell down like rain.
Venifer danced on the bridge, colliding with the lotus. Faint droplets started falling, each time a sparkle appearing with an ear-piercing sound. The sky cracked with lightning once more.
Skyl was startled; he couldn't see Venifer after the lightning disappeared.
Skyl bolted forward; a figure flashed from the left side of the bridge. A vertical light sliced out, and a faint mark appeared on Skyl's left arm; his sleeve had been torn.
Venifer's momentum was unstoppable, using the first-strike momentum. He spun his body, his foot striking forward.
Skyl raised his palm, unable to draw a rune in time. A cracking sound could be heard, his body sent flying backward.
The crowd couldn't believe their eyes. Midrel felt cold sweat trickling down her face, as if she had guessed. The first strike was just to create momentum for the kick. She fell conflicted, as if she knew where she had seen this fighting style.
Skyl's body rolled uncontrollably, hammering the hard bridge ground. "Miserable! I can't lose to a child," he cried, rising to his feet.
His aura was wild, his hand dangling on one side, with a bone protruding. Blood trickled down, mixing with the water droplets falling, tainting the ground scarlet. "I don't have any option left," Skyl spat blood, rising to his feet. He intended to keep it a secret for his contest with the city lord, but it wasn't possible anymore.
Raising his single hand, he drew a rune, leaving onlookers gasping in fear. Was he crazy? Drawing a rune with a single hand was unheard of.
To use rune magic, one needed to connect the magic of the Rune world and the physical world via the runes drawn. This process, similar to rune weapons, could be dangerous and taxing, even fatal if the wrong pattern was drawn. Hence, most people used both hands, and even higher enchantresses, who could draw two runes almost instantly, needed both hands.
The void cracked and trembled, a violent storm springing to life. Even Venifer had to step back, unable to get close. Shielding his face with his hands, he could only stare at Skyl. The water underneath the bridge went wild, crashing against it, rising several meters in the sky. The downpour intensified.
Lightning flashed in succession from the sky. Skyl's eyes turned silver as he completed his rune—a dense and complex circle. "Éclosion," he murmured.
Venifer turned serious for the first time. A dazzling pattern appeared beneath his foot, and his surroundings turned dark. From the outside, a breathtaking silver flower enveloped Venifer.
It was so dazzling that it looked unreal, shaking onlookers. The city lord felt cold sweat trickling down his back; he wasn't entirely sure he could escape that.
"Blossom," Skyl said with a sinister smile, balling his fist. The void shook; the flower bloomed, spreading its leaves, causing an ear-piercing explosion on the bridge.
It cracked, trembling for the first time, dividing into two. Huge chunks of rocks crashed into the water. The formless shield protecting Alden City trembled lightly, ripples of energy flowing on it like waves in water.
"Indolent... I knew you wouldn't survive that. Good for you," Skyl laughed, stumbling forward, suddenly crying in pain. Lines of concentrated energy coursed through his entire body, his ears and eyes bleeding. It looked like his body would burst at any moment.
The debris on the bridge moved; everyone's heart trembled. Could he have survived?
A figure covered in blood appeared with a smile. The upper part of his robe was completely destroyed, revealing his upper body covered in bandages. Strangely, the bandages looked intact, but his body was bleeding. Even his face was bandaged; his eyes were not. They looked bloody as lightning struck, casting an eerie shadow behind him. "Now I'm really pissed off," he said.
Onlookers trembled, staring at Venifer. Who was he? Why was he covered in bandages? More importantly, why was he so strong?
Skyl was dumbfounded; he had succeeded with something even the highest genius dared not try—casting a rune with a single hand. Yet, it wasn't enough. "I made a mistake; you won't get the chance to get close anymore," he spat out, blood spilling on the ground after every word.
"Who said I needed to get close?" Venifer smiled, holding his blade vertically. Sweeping his hand from the hilt, a frightening sound echoed. The runes on his sword hummed to life, and the rune nightmare blossomed—purple flames swirling around him like a hurricane, crushing debris, evaporating falling water.
The purple flames burst forward like hungry heads in the void. Skyl's eyes widened; he drew with his single hand, and the void trembled, but nothing happened.
He dashed back; the purple heads crashed on the ground, curving inward, fracturing to pieces. Skyl danced with the purple heads, sliding and jumping. He quickly noticed something wasn't right; he was unable to follow the purple flames while in midair. Gritting his teeth, at the same time the purple heads bit downward, he spun in midair.
Amidst the rain, a bloodline tainted the void. His body hammered the ground as he rushed towards the city gates, holding his neck with his able hand. Blood flowed furiously, like water escaping a fountain. Shaken, he realized he couldn't use runes anymore.