Shun and Silver stood outside Dominic's mansion, hesitation and confidence warring in their eyes. Though slightly smaller than their own estate, Dominic's residence was no less luxurious. All ethereal warriors held high societal status, granting them access to opulent homes. But some chose lives that rejected comfort and stability.
Once, Dominic had been one of them. After the war, he built his house in Haven on the land of his childhood home. Yet, as the years passed and he tasted the happiness and sorrow of life, he decided that an easy, luxurious mansion was the ultimate reward.
Shun wasn't worried about the fight itself; he knew they had a fair shot at victory. Even if they didn't, Dominic wouldn't kill or seriously harm them. But a different worry gnawed at Shun. He'd become too reliant on the ethereal arms he had harvested. His friends might not see it, but Dominic O'Neill, one of the first to wield an ethereal arm, would surely notice powers that didn't truly belong to him.
Silver's hand on his shoulder snapped him back to the present.
"Ready?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Even if I'm not, we're here already, there is no backing down. Let's get it over with."
Before he finished speaking, the door swung open to reveal a vast hall. Unlike their mansion, Dominic's home had fewer rooms, but each was grand in scale. In the entrance hall, two simple chair-and-table sets sat at the back, and a plain carpet stretched across the floor.
Dominic stood in the middle, clearly drunk, muttering to himself as he scanned the two of them. His old eyes gave nothing away, but they took in everything.
He shook his head, trying to dispel the nagging thought. "It has to be a coincidence; no saviour could ever carry such ruthless, bloodthirsty eyes," he reassured himself, reluctant to believe that the Shun from seventy years ago could have any connection to the one now standing before him.
Then his gaze shifted to Silver. In her eyes, he saw a faint reflection of himself—a glimpse of freedom and happiness, tempered by a shadow of sorrow and fatigue. Hers were the eyes of someone who'd grown weary from the difficulties of life, who had finally decided to simply savour whatever moments of peace she could find, rather than keep fighting.
Shun lowered his head in respect, but before he could speak, Dominic raised his voice.
"I know your intentions, and you know mine. Let's skip the formalities." He wobbled as a wooden staff appeared in his hand, the River of Joy in its simplest, neutral form. Then, reacting to his emotions, it shifted into a curved sword.
"Come at me with everything you've got."
He charged at Shun, moving with surprising slowness—at least compared to the foes Shun had faced in the interacademy tournament. But even so, Shun felt a danger he hadn't sensed in years. He summoned a small shield on his left arm, blocking Dominic's seemingly gentle strike. The shield shattered instantly. In his other hand, a delicate fan materialized. Shun stepped back, blowing the shards of his broken shield toward Dominic.
Dominic deflected the shards with a sweep of his sword. His face flashed with disappointment as the sword transformed into a spear. He thrust it at Shun, whose balance wavered, but Silver—now Gemini Iricson, the ninth complete ethereal warrior—rushed in, deflecting the spear with difficulty. Despite the Blade of Harmony's ability to cancel out brute force, Dominic's strength remained unaffected.
She traced a delicate circle with her sword, executing her signature move, Dawnset Slash. But Dominic sneered, catching her blade with his bare hand, his face showing no fear.
Shun didn't have time to marvel at his power. He gathered shadows from the room, shaping them into beasts that lunged at Dominic. Unfazed, Dominic plunged his spear into the ground, releasing an aura that shattered the shadows and sent both Gemini and Shun flying. He stood as if he had expended no energy at all, momentarily lost in thought. There was something hauntingly familiar in Shun's technique, a move in his memories that he failed to recall.
Dominic shook off the thought and looked at the two of them, now struggling to stand. He scowled.
"How did you two become champions with this kind of strength? Unbelievable…"
The weapon in his hand transformed into a massive axe, slicing the air as he swung it.
"Silver, now!" Shun called out, the urgency in his voice betraying his shock. Dominic's power was far beyond what he'd anticipated. Memories of their victory over Liu Yu back at SIGMA Academy flashed through his mind. Even though the Liu Yu they faced was simply an artificial shadow possessing barely even 1% of his true strength, they'd triumphed over one of the Three Champions. Now, it seemed unthinkable that they'd be overwhelmed so swiftly.
They had intended to save this move for a more critical moment, but Shun realized there was no time left for strategy. Dominic surged toward them, swinging his axe with a force that made the whole house shudder. Shadows rose up around Shun and Gemini, wrapping them in darkness, before scattering into a circle of illusory figures. Suddenly, Dominic found himself surrounded by multiple forms of Gemini, each sword igniting with a dual-coloured flame.
Dominic let out a bellow and swung his axe backward, slicing through the apparitions, which disintegrated instantly. He knew well that Gemini was elsewhere, waiting to strike.
"Dawnset Slash!" Gemini's voice echoed as she descended, her sword aimed right at him. Dominic braced himself, raising his axe to block her blow, which cracked the floor beneath him. His stance barely faltered, but it was the moment Shun had been waiting for.
Shun thrust his spear into the ground, and spears of shadow shot up, two of them piercing Dominic's body, though Shun had avoided lethal blows. Even Dominic couldn't defend from two powerful attacks coming from different angles.
Dominic's eyes widened as the cold edge of Shun's spear struck him. His axe, glowing crimson, began to expand, releasing an immense force that forced Gemini to retreat. Unfazed by his wounds, Dominic yanked the spears from his body, his gaze falling on the fractured ground.
"Damn it… look at what you two have done," he muttered, surveying the shattered remnants around him. Then an excited, twisted grin crossed his face, his wounds seemingly forgotten. His axe morphed into a massive claymore, radiating a harsh light.
"I never liked holding back, seems like I'm right."
"Before we go on, one more rule," he said, eyes gleaming with wild excitement.
"If you lose, you're paying to fix my floor."