Ethan felt intoxicated by Yassmin's proximity, her warmth, and her words laden with promises. Before he could process his own thoughts, he gave in to temptation. The closeness turned into an intimate embrace, and their lips met in a deep kiss that ignited an unstoppable spark between them. The moments that followed were filled with passion and desire, and the night turned into a whirlwind of intense emotions, marking a physical bond that would further complicate their relationship.
The next morning, Ethan woke up beside Yassmin, his body still feeling the echo of the previous night's intensity. The sun was streaming through the window, bathing the room in a golden light that promised a new day full of challenges. As Yassmin stretched, entwining her fingers in Ethan's hair, he sat on the bed, gathering his thoughts and mentally preparing for the duel that lay ahead.
"Yassmin, I need to know more about Rashaad," Ethan said, breaking the silence with a voice full of determination. "I want to be prepared for today's duel."
Yassmin, still wrapped in the sheets, looked at him with a mixture of concern and admiration. She knew Ethan was determined to face Rashaad and understood that his preparation was crucial.
"Rashaad is skilled in sand magic," Yassmin began, her voice soft but firm. "He can manipulate sand at will, creating powerful golems and defensive formations. It's an ability that gives him a lot of flexibility in combat and allows him to quickly adapt to different situations."
Ethan nodded, analyzing the information. He knew that facing a mage with control over sand meant dealing with a material that was hard to destroy and easy to manipulate.
"And how powerful are his golems?" Ethan asked, seeking more specific details.
"They are quite resilient and can regenerate using the surrounding sand. But their strength heavily depends on the amount of mana available and his concentration. If you can destabilize his control, you could have a significant advantage," Yassmin responded, placing a supportive hand on Ethan's.
Ethan appreciated the information and, after a moment of reflection, got up to prepare for the duel. He knew that Rashaad's control over sand would be a challenge, but he was confident in his ability to adapt and overcome any obstacle.
Hours later, the sun was high in the sky, illuminating the golden sands of the desert. A crowd had gathered to witness the confrontation between Ethan and Rashaad. Laughter and murmurs filled the air as the spectators commented on the odds of each contender.
Ethan stood in the center of the field with a serene and focused expression. Around him, a few ordinary skeletons emerged from his pocket dimension, forming a small army of bones ready for battle. Most of the onlookers laughed mockingly at the sight of the skeletons, dismissing necromancy as a viable option in a one-on-one duel. Necromancy, often associated with reviving fallen warriors on battlefields, was not seen as a powerful strategy in such direct confrontations.
Rashaad, on the other hand, stood across from him, his face showing a mix of arrogance and confidence. With a movement of his hands, he began to manipulate the sand beneath his feet, forming several sand golems that rose with strength and solidity, ready to face Ethan's skeletons.
The battle began with a coordinated attack from the sand golems, who charged at the skeletons with overwhelming force. The crowd watched expectantly, many of them anticipating that the golems would crush the skeletons in a matter of minutes.
Ethan, however, remained calm. He observed the golems' movements and quickly grasped their strategy. With a controlled gesture, he ordered his skeletons to scatter, avoiding the most forceful blows and seeking weak points in the golems' formation.
The skeletons, although more fragile than the golems, demonstrated surprising agility. They moved with precision, attacking strategic points to destabilize the enemy's strategies. Some of them managed to bypass the golems, attacking Rashaad directly but without success, as he defended himself with the surrounding sand.
Rashaad, seeing that his golems were not achieving the quick victory he expected, increased his concentration and began to reinforce his creations with more sand, making them larger and harder to destroy. Ethan seized the opportunity to summon more ordinary skeleton soldiers, keeping his modified skeletons hidden until the right moment.
As the battle continued, Ethan decided to change his strategy. With a decisive gesture, he even summoned several skeletal mages from his pocket dimension. These skeletons, unlike the ordinary soldiers, were imbued with elemental magic and capable of casting devastating spells. Although the ordinary skeletons required a constant flow of mana and direct control, Ethan, thanks to his fusion with the demon, had significantly increased his mental capacity, allowing him to manage the situation with relative ease. Though this was his limit, with forty simultaneous summons controlled by him, his skeletal soldiers could no longer move as nimbly as before, now he could only give them much simpler orders.
Still, everyone was in awe; there were too many skeletons. This was the power of a high-ranking lich in a B-rank world. They thought there was no one on Earth who could reach that level being a necromancer, much less a human necromancer.
Yassmin, for her part, while everyone was amazed by Ethan's power, was observing his skeletons. From her own experience, she knew that the skeletons present were not even half as troublesome as the ones she had fought against. Quickly, she realized that Ethan was hiding his strength and trusted that if he used his full power, he would finally be in rank A or even a mid-rank A.
The battle continued, and the skeletal mages began to cast fire spells at the sand golems, attacking their weak points and managing to break their structures with astonishing efficiency. Rashaad, seeing that his control over the battle was starting to unravel, tried to strengthen his defenses, but it was clear that the tide was turning in Ethan's favor. Every time one of his golems was damaged, he was forced to use his mana to rebuild it, gradually exhausting himself.
With one final effort, the skeletons charged at the remaining golems with ferocious intensity, breaking through the golems and sand defenses and forcing Rashaad to retreat.
The crowd watched in silence, astonished by the brutality of Ethan's skeletons. What initially seemed like a weak and unconventional strategy had turned into an unstoppable force that dominated the battlefield.
Finally, with one last coordinated attack, Ethan's skeletons managed to bring down Rashaad's final efforts. The sand crumbled into inert piles as Ethan's skeletons stood triumphantly. Ethan approached Rashaad, his gaze firm and serene, as the crowd erupted into applause and cheers.
"It seems you're not just small, you're also weak," said Ethan in a calm voice but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Remember, little dog, the next time you try to use Yassmin or me to impress someone, it will be the day of your death."
Rashaad, still panting and covered in sand dust, nodded with a mix of fear and frustration. He knew he had been clearly and decisively defeated, and although his pride was hurt, he couldn't lift his gaze for fear of Ethan.
With the battle won and the crowd applauding, Ethan felt relieved but aware that this was only the beginning; he still had to complete the mission entrusted by Malakai. As he walked away from the duel field, he knew that the day was just beginning.