Leo's vibrant eyes locked with Haruo's glowing blue-grey ones as ice whirled around him, a chill enveloping the entire room. Without hesitation, Leo charged forward.
Haruo swiftly sliced through the figure, only for it to dissolve into yet another illusion. His expression remained calm, unfazed by the trickery. Taking a deep breath, he unleashed a powerful gust of icy wind, sending a chilling force sweeping through the entire room.
Haruo's teammates stared at him in shock, momentarily distracted by his display of power. In that brief lapse, they were attacked. However, Tatiana quickly stepped in, defending both Liang Chen and Juliette, her swift reaction saving them from harm.
Haruo's skin mask began to freeze over, thin layers of ice creeping across it. Despite the damage to his shoulder, he slowly raised his hand, wincing slightly from the movement. With a swift motion, he clenched his hand, causing Leo's ability to falter. The once elusive figure slowed, becoming visible now as Haruo's control disrupted the illusion.
'He's serious!? He actually froze my ability… it's harder to use now.' Leo thought, glancing at his palm before clenching it tightly. His vibrant eyes shifted into a glowing red hue, unease spreading across his face as the pressure mounted around him.
As his eyes transformed completely into a glowing red hue, flames began to swirl around his fist. A confident smile returned to his face, the fire crackling with renewed intensity as he prepared to strike back.
'All I have to do is melt it, right?' Leo thought, locking his gaze on Haruo. The flames swirling around his fist pulsed with intensity, fueled by his determination. He could feel the chill of the room fading, replaced by the heat of his resolve as he prepared to unleash Fafnir's power.
Haruo pressed his finger against the wound on his shoulder, encasing it in frost. The cold spread rapidly, stopping the bleeding while numbing the area, dulling the pain that had threatened to distract him.
Haruo unleashed a barrage of ice-coated mana bullets toward Leo, each one crackling with chilling energy. He gripped the handle of the Monarch-13 tightly, channeling as much power as he could into the attack, determined to maximize the damage and catch Leo off guard.
Leo conjured a massive surge of fire around him, the flames swirling into his hand and solidifying into a sword-like weapon. With a swift and practiced motion, he sliced through each ice-coated bullet, the heat of his blade clashing against the chilling mana, sending sparks flying as he deftly countered Haruo's assault.
Haruo got closer.
To Leo's surprise, the bullets he cut morphed into large, spiky balls surrounding him, piercing his leather jacket as he dodged. As he maneuvered through the dangerous projectiles, Haruo closed in, ready to strike.
His expression stern, their eyes locked as Haruo's presence intensified. Leo felt his fire dim slightly, the cold seeping deeper and freezing his ability, making it harder to maintain control. In a swift motion, Haruo thrust his sword toward Leo's neck, the blade glinting menacingly in the air.
Leo swiftly dodged, turning his head to the right, narrowly avoiding the blade as it grazed his neck, leaving a shallow wound. His expression remained serious, but to his shock, one of the bullets he had cut was now forming a catalyst in the direction he turned, threatening to strike back at him.
Leo plunged his fire-like sword into the ground, using it as a springboard to leap over the incoming bullet just before it could form. As he landed, Haruo swiftly followed, launching a kick aimed at Leo, intent on sending him crashing into a nearby wall.
Without waiting for Leo to recover, Haruo raised all the catalysts that had transformed, sending them hurtling at high speed toward the wall. They stacked against it with a forceful impact, ready to pin Leo down and prevent his escape.
"Tch" Haruo clicked his tongue with an annoyed expression to his face.
Haruo quickly turned his body, parrying Leo's blade as he reappeared from thin air, his eyes shifting back to green. The two clashed their blades, each deflecting the other's strikes with precision and skill, the air crackling with their intensity.
As Leo thrust his sword, he twirled around it to generate momentum, channeling that energy into a powerful strike. He ducked low, his leather jacket swaying dramatically as he moved, narrowly avoiding Haruo's counterattack.
Leo charged forward, delivering a powerful uppercut to Haruo's abdomen that sent him crashing into the roof, leaving him temporarily stunned. With his eyes shifting, Leo quickly manifested his tattoo into a black saber and hurled it at Haruo, aiming to capitalize on the moment.
Haruo dodged the saber and managed to grab hold of it, attempting to wield it. However, the momentum sent the saber flying toward Leo, and with Haruo still gripping it, he was pulled along with it. As he flew toward Leo, Leo readied himself and stanced for a powerful straight punch aimed at Haruo's face.
Haruo was knocked back against the wall by the punch, quickly getting back up with his face to the ground, blood trickling from his nose. As the blood hit the ground, it instantly froze into ice, shattering into dust as the cold intensified around him.
As his skin mask slowly tore apart, it shattered like glass, falling away from his face and revealing it almost fully. Haruo looked up to see Leo, his expression fierce, as the remnants of the mask crumbled around him, the tension between them palpable.
His skin was a beautiful, vibrant pale color, and his facial structure appeared smoother and more refined. His sharp jawline and straight, slightly upturned nose created a harmonious balance. Though not fully revealed yet, his almond-shaped eyes and soft white brows framed his striking grey irises, adding depth and allure to his captivating visage.
"Why hide all that? If I had a face like that, I'd show it off. But after this fight, you won't have much of a face left." Leo taunted, a smile playing on his lips as he prepared for the next clash.
Haruo launched himself at Leo at top speed, their blades colliding with a resounding clash. The impact reverberated through the room, sending shockwaves that knocked everyone else off their feet, the force of their struggle creating an intense atmosphere of chaos and power.
Tatiana and the others gasped as the sudden shockwave slammed them against the wall. While the enemies lay unconscious around them, Haruo's teammates struggled to remain conscious, the force of the clash leaving them dazed and disoriented, trying to regain their footing in the chaos.
'What!? Was the gap in our abilities that great!? I knew he was always holding back, but to this extent?!' Tatiana thought, her anger flaring as she watched the clash unfold. She glared at Leo, her determination burning fiercely within her as she struggled to comprehend the sheer power being unleashed before her.
Haruo then lost control was sent back flying and Leo stepped forward following him with a serious expression. As he was about to slash him Haruo smirked which made Leo's eyes widen.
Just below Leo, was one of the catalyst from earlier. Haruo then swinged his arm upward making the catalyst go up with Leo making him gasp with blood. the spikes pierced through his side. but luckily it didn't harm any of his vital organs.
Leo then fell down to the ground and all the ice around them melted, and the chilly air no longer filled the room. Both of them took a deep breath. Leo eyes then turned into the final color, blue.
Haruo pointed a gun to his head, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto Leo with fierce intensity. The tension in the air thickened as he readied himself to pull the trigger, a silent challenge hanging between them, signaling he was willing to risk it all.
Leo put on another smile, leaning his head toward the gun, accepting his fate with defiant ease. Just as Haruo was about to pull the trigger, Tatiana sprinted forward, swiftly redirecting the weapon, her urgency evident as she aimed to prevent the irreversible decision.
"That isn't necessary." Tatiana said, her voice steady despite the blood dripping from her forehead. She locked eyes with Haruo, urgency in her gaze as she tried to de-escalate the situation.
"I surrender." Leo said, the creepy smile on his face as he raised his hand in the air, signaling that he was actually giving up.
"I wouldn't want to make my best friends sister worry about me. so I'll just surrender instead." Leo said with a unserious tone to him.
Water whirled around Leo, cascading over him as it began to heal his injuries, the soothing currents mending his wounds and revitalizing his strength.
"Don't worry, I'm just regenerating. I don't intend to fight anymore." Leo reassured. Haruo, relieved but cautious, dropped his gun and stored it in his mana storage, the tension in the room beginning to ease.
The room glowed a vibrant green, causing the spinning motion to resume. The enemies and Haruo's team were suddenly split apart, the space shifting to resemble the one they had originally entered. Four doors appeared, each designated for one person, creating a sense of separation amidst the chaos.
"I guess this is it; I'll see you guys next time." Juliette said with a wave, a hint of resolve in her voice as she stepped through her door, leaving the others behind.
"You were incredible, everyone. May we meet again." Liang Chen said, facing the door as he tried to sound mysterious and cool. However, Haruo caught a glimpse of his smile as he stepped through.
Tatiana said nothing, her expression serious as she walked through her door, leaving the others in silence.
Haruo took a deep sigh, bracing himself as he relocated his dislocated shoulder from the earlier clash. With a final glance at the room, he stepped through his door.
As Haruo entered the next room, he was met by a man dressed in formal butler attire, bowing deeply before him. The man's expression was calm and collected, a faint smile playing on his lips as he straightened up, ready to present whatever challenge lay ahead.
"Hello, sir. I will be your guide during this test" he said, his tone polite and measured. The butler gestured toward the center of the room, indicating that Haruo should follow him.
Haruo kept his distance, watching the butler closely as they approached multiple identical halls. Each one felt unsettling, their symmetry unnatural. The butler moved ahead calmly, giving nothing away.
The butler stopped in the center of the four halls, including the one they had just walked through. He stood silently, waiting for Haruo's next move.
"The test begins now." the butler said, pulling a cane from his mana storage. He slammed it into the ground, sending a ripple through the floor as the room vibrated in response.
"This whole room is actually an entire dimension." the butler continued, his tone calm yet firm.
"The only way out is through me. You can either give up now, be sent back, and face disqualification—or you can continue and face the true challenge ahead." His cane plunged into the ground, as he look directly at Haruo.
"This whole room is actually an entire dimension, and the only way out is through me. To pass, you must grab this cane. But once I let go, it will be transported ten hallways ahead." The butler's expression remained calm, revealing nothing of his intentions.
"You only get 2 hours and 10 minutes to find the cane. How will you find it? It's simple: you will be asked one riddle in each hall. Each time you make a mistake, monsters will appear, and time will decrease." The butler's expression remained unyielding, emphasizing the gravity of the challenge ahead.
"Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. If you make a mistake in any of the halls, you will be redirected back to the starting line, and the riddle difficulty will remain the same as the hall you just left." The butler's gaze was steady, underscoring the stakes of the test.
"Of course, I will help you. You'll receive three hints in total for each hall, but I won't be beside you. I will use the nanomachines in your body to communicate with you." the butler said, smiling as he explained the rules.
The butler then took out his pocket watch and clicked it open, glancing at the time. With a measured breath, he let go of the cane, watching as it vanished, transported ten hallways ahead.
"Your timer starts now." He said while vanishing into dust.