-Freddy Siegfried's Point of View
He needed the elemental stone to become stronger. Otherwise, his power would not increase as fast. He was behind the others. There was someone far above him, and he wanted to be on his level. Not below. Above.
He also had something to accomplish once he reached the ninth circle. Something he had to change, not just on the continent, but around the world.
No matter how or how difficult, he needed the elemental stone. A breakthrough to the second circle would grant him complete mastery over his affinities. For the elemental stone offered great rewards when absorbed: an elemental power that facilitated total control over affinities and an increase in power on a grand scale.
He might not become the strongest, but he would again take second place.
Running between the pillars, while the atmosphere was charged with shockwaves, Freddy hid behind them. He was looking for a room, a door, or something that would reveal a hidden access. Because he was looking for the elemental stone.
If one looks hard enough, it is possible to find it. But it is very difficult. First, because one does not know where there might be a clue.
Although he was not interested in the combat going on, Freddy visualized all his surroundings. Like a scanner, his eyes glowed as he examined every nook and cranny of the room with pinpoint accuracy. Intricate details, patterns and scribbles covered every part, along with deep cracks.
"This may all come crashing down," he thought.
The castle was in its last moments of life. A few days, maybe a few more months, and it would fall of its own weight. Because it was old. Old structures tend to collapse when they are already at their limit. No one knew exactly how long it had been in this state, but it was clearly too old.
Freddy turned his attention back to the walls. It was possible that there was something hidden there, as in many other ancient places. Although, it was more common to find clues on shelves. Of course, that elemental stone had to be hidden in a secret place, with a good level of concealment.
"Mmm...," he frowned. Something didn't fit with the guardian.
Asher mentioned that the guardian had a limit on how much it could move: ten square meters. However, Freddy wondered:
"Why doesn't he move away from the throne?"
He seemed to be attached to something or, perhaps? The throne was the key to the secret room where the elemental stone was. If so, he had to investigate it. Otherwise, he would waste time.
More precisely, Freddy examined the details of the throne and its surroundings. The red velvet curtains, so torn and rotten, looked like curtain-like dust.
Then, he looked at the wall behind the throne and noticed something strange.
"The structure of the wall has something...different."
Freddy focused on that area as meticulously as possible, because there was something that didn't match the rest.
"Uh..."
His eyes widened and his heart leapt with joy. Because she had seen it.
"It's a door."
Intricate details and perfect alignment indicated that there was a hidden door there. But then, a question popped into her mind as she watched the guardian.
"It's too close."
If he got too close, the guardian would see him and attack him. But the guardian was busy with Asher.
Freddy watched the combat for a few seconds, intense, but quickly turned his attention back to the throne, visualizing the architecture of the wall.
"The door is there," he thought. But there was a problem: the guardian was too close. So close that he could throw something to stop Freddy from opening the door.
Cautiously, Freddy approached. The guardian was so focused on Asher that there was a chance he could open the room.
Tap. Tap.
Then, Freddy was already ten feet from the throne. Close enough. The guardian, five meters away. The distance between them and the door wasn't much. But...
"Haa...", he took a deep breath, releasing all the air while hiding as best he could his mana.
Trying not to be detected, he slowly advanced towards the throne. Soon, he was behind it, and then, he found himself in front of the door.
It was tall and wide with details obscured but visible now that he was so close to it.
Freddy looked around.
"There must be a way to open it."
Even though he was there behind the door he couldn't find a way to open it.
The fact that it was a hidden door meant that opening it was difficult.
Freddy then looked at the front of the throne and glanced at it.
"That's..."
A smile appeared on his face.
He looked at something.
It was actually like a very small square surface like a button and then Freddy pressed it.
Crunch.
Dust flew out of the wall as it fell with great weight to the floor and the wall opened in two as Freddy watched with wide eyes.
Soon.
Freddy looked at a glow of different colors.
Because the door finished opening and yet a colorful glow with several shades at the same time appeared and Freddy looked curiously.
The door finished opening and in a moment he was inside the secret room and looked around.
"There are many magical objects."
It was a variety of items of all kinds in the small room.
But.
Freddy looked at the center.
This is because the elemental stone was in the center while the elemental stone was glowing and its color was like a rainbow full of colors while the glow of the stone was quite strong.
Freddy reached out the nana and grabbed the elemental stone and quickly took it to his right pocket and then left the room and returned to his previous position.
"Looks like no one noticed."
He looked at the group, the guardian and Asher who looked like no one had seen anything.
But there was a problem.
"I hope he doesn't notice when he looks at the door."
Because even though the door closed again there were more cracks in it that looked like it was about to collapse.
As Freddy took a closer look he realized that it was a few minutes before the door collapsed.
This is because small pieces were coming off the door as granites were jumping out of the door and the cracks were slowly expanding.
"It's all about to collapse."
Muffled sound.
Freddy then felt a shockwave.
The air shook and the castle trembled.
He felt dust falling from above as he looked around with some concern.
"Shit..."
He quickly realized that everything was going to collapse in a matter of minutes.
It was close but the collapse was near.
He didn't quite understand but the collapse was accelerated by the shockwaves from Asher and the guardian.
Soon Freddy was watching the fight as both the guardian and Asher were going full force with only their fists and kicks at each other simultaneously without even blinking.
***
-Scene change.
-Asher Frostblade's point of view.
Swinging his arm the air hissed as Asher punched the guardian in the face as his demonic horns cracked.
Slowly the atmosphere was thicker and it felt like the castle was about to collapse.
However.
Outburst.
As he exchanged blows he realized that it won't be easy to end this.
Breaking out in a cold sweat as he fell all over his body and his mana was maximized in his muscles Asher felt his limit was coming.
Despite this he was worried.
For the castle was about to collapse and the others were close by.
Large debris is no joke.
If something that big falls on your head, it doesn't matter how tough you are.
Something so colossal and heavy falling from a great height would kill anyone in a matter of seconds.
So, from time to time, he looked around, visualizing his surroundings and noticing that Freddy had moved earlier, but had returned to his place.
It was as if he had picked something up and quickly returned to the others, who were about twenty meters away after his fight with the guardian.
Baam!
He felt a strong push on his right side, making him stagger to the side.
He stretched out his arms and threw more punches, as the air hissed, twisting unnaturally with the rapid movement of his fist.
He struck the guardian's shoulder just as the guardian's fist impacted his own.
They both hit each other simultaneously in the shoulder.
Asher leaned back.
He stepped forward and, in one swift motion, threw a kick into the air in the direction of the guardian.
Whistle.
He gritted his teeth as his leg impacted on the lower side, near the abdomen of the guardian, who was pushed hard, losing his balance.
Asher wasted no time; his arm moved quickly and landed a blow to the guardian's face. The impact threw him to the ground, plunging his head against the floor.
Slowly, the ground shook as dust covered his body.
"Tch!"
He clicked his tongue as he felt a loud tremor throughout the castle, his fist still buried in the guardian's face. Red blood gushed from the guardian's head and his demonic horns snapped further.
"Shit!"
The guardian, resisting, immediately stood up, pushing Asher back with both legs. As he stood up, the guardian wiped the blood running from his nose and mouth.
His deep-set eyes looked at Asher with despair.
For he realized he could not win.
It was hard to believe.
But this human outclassed him in fighting techniques, perfect movements and force control.
It was as if he had trained to the max, taking his combat experience and mastery of techniques to unsurpassed levels.
Soon, the guardian fell to his knees.
"Hehe... Shit... Harg..."
Blood gushed from his mouth, while also gushing from his eyes and nose.
He looked at Asher, who was standing with some bruises, but not as beaten as the guardian.
Nevertheless.
The guardian smiled.
He knew that everything was going to collapse, and that those humans might die under the rubble of the castle.
Even a grade 6 would die under the weight of an entire castle falling on top of it.
"You will all die..."
He looked back at his throne, wishing to gaze upon his treasures one last time.
But...
His eyes widened.
He opened his mouth and gnashed his teeth, with a grim look and indescribable anger.
He saw the open door to his secret room, where the elemental stone was.
"You... You damned humans..."
Rumble.
The castle shook.
Debris began to fall as the guardian stood up and ran towards the humans present, who began to flee.
However.
"Where do you think you're going?"
He met Asher's fist in his face with full force, his mana concentrated in his fist.
Burst.
The guardian slammed into the throne, destroying it completely, as Asher ran out along with the others. Large debris, several meters in size, fell to the ground.
"Damn humans..."
The guardian's scream echoed at the top of his lungs, but a debris the size of a twenty-meter boulder fell on top of him, destroying everything in its path....