Ronen's laughter rang out, loud and chilling, catching Shiro completely off guard. It echoed across the crumbling rooftop, a sound that didn't belong in the midst of such a deadly fight.
Shiro's brow furrowed in confusion. "What's so funny? Have you lost your mind?"
Ronen wiped a tear from his eye as he continued to chuckle, lowering his sword slightly. "Lost my mind? No, no. You really don't understand, do you, Shiro?"
Shiro's eyes narrowed. "Understand what?"
"That night when I lost to you, I realized something." Ronen's tone shifted, his voice dropping to something darker, more menacing. "I wasn't just sitting around licking my wounds after that. No, I studied you. I studied everything about you—your connections, your abilities. And while you sat high and mighty, thinking you were untouchable, I was manipulating the Phantom Serum to do exactly what I needed."
Shiro's expression remained stern, though an unease crept into his mind. "No matter what you do, you'll never beat me. That's what you fail to understand."
Ronen's smile widened. "That's where you're wrong."
Suddenly, Ronen's eyes began to glow a blinding red, brighter than anything Shiro had ever seen before. The energy radiating off him felt different, more intense, more dangerous. Shiro's confidence wavered for the first time, his instincts screaming that something had changed.
Shiro's mind raced. What did I overlook? And then it hit him—a critical mistake. He hadn't considered the possibility that Ronen had taken a custom-made, mutated Phantom Serum. His chest tightened with frustration as he scolded himself. How could I have ignored something so important?
Ronen saw the recognition in Shiro's eyes and laughed even harder. "Finally figured it out, huh? All this time, you thought you were untouchable, but you didn't realize I was playing the long game."
Shiro gritted his teeth. "Doesn't matter. I've seen every trick you've got. You still can't beat me."
Ronen's eyes flashed with amusement. "After all this time, I've learned what your conjure really is. You're able to perceive time so fast that you can dodge anything, and you can immobilize people with your eyes. It's impressive, Shiro, really. But now… it's my turn."
Before Shiro could even react, Ronen vanished in a blur. The speed was unlike anything Shiro had ever seen from him before. In the blink of an eye, Ronen was in front of him, and before Shiro could dodge, he felt a searing pain across his chest.
He staggered back, eyes wide with shock, his hand flying to the fresh wound. How...? His mind couldn't process what had just happened.
Ronen grinned wickedly, his sword dripping with blood. "Not so fast anymore, huh?"
Shiro's mind raced. He tried to dodge again, but Ronen was on him in an instant, faster than ever, landing another devastating slash across Shiro's side. The pain was blinding, but what shook Shiro even more was the fact that he hadn't been able to avoid the strike. For the first time in their battles, Ronen had hit him. Again.
Shiro's breathing grew heavy, his body instinctively trying to recover from the sudden blows. His mind screamed at him to find an opening, to dodge again, but something was wrong. Every time he tried to move, Ronen was already there, his sword cutting through the air with deadly precision.
"How…?" Shiro gasped, blood trickling from his wounds.
Ronen stood tall, his red eyes burning with power. "I told you, Shiro. You won't be able to dodge me anymore. My new conjure? It's called 'Negation.'"
Shiro's eyes widened, realization hitting him like a tidal wave.
Ronen smirked, seeing the recognition in Shiro's face. "You can perceive time faster than anyone, but my conjure negates the effects of any ability within my range. That means your precious dodge… no longer exists."
Shiro's heart pounded in his chest. The one thing that had kept him invincible—his conjure—was rendered useless. For the first time in as long as he could remember, Shiro was vulnerable.
Ronen took a step forward, his aura dark and menacing. "This is the end, Shiro. You've been on top for too long."
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