The devastating slash tore through Namior's resplendent white-and-gold armor like it was paper, sending him hurtling backward. The force of the impact carved deep gouges in the shattered ground as his heels dug in, skidding to a stop amidst the rubble. He rose slowly, his composure unshaken, though his armor betrayed the damage cracked, splintered, and finally splitting apart with a resonating clang as it fell to the ground in broken halves.
Cain stood firm, watching Namior straighten to his full height, his pale, lean torso now exposed. The glow of his golden spear pulsed ominously in his hand. Before Cain could even register his next move, Namior's sharp gaze shifted upward.
High above, Eva and Kai were descending like twin meteors, their weapons gleaming with intent. Namior's lips curled into a disdainful sneer. "Pests."
Without hesitation, he gripped his spear tighter. Golden mana began swirling violently around it, illuminating the battlefield with an intense, otherworldly brilliance. The air grew heavy with the weight of his power as he spun the weapon effortlessly, driving its tip into the ground with thunderous force.
Cain's instincts flared, his senses screaming in alarm. "Get back!" he bellowed, but his words were swallowed by the storm of energy that erupted from Namior. The ground buckled as a golden explosion burst forth, swallowing the battlefield in a blinding wave of destructive light. The blast expanded outward like an unstoppable tidal wave, consuming everything within a radius the size of a football field.
The entire dungeon trembled under the catastrophic force. Jagged cracks spread like veins across the ceiling, chunks of stone cascading down as the roar of destruction filled the air. The golden glow of the explosion reflected off Eva and Kai's faces as they braced themselves against the onslaught, their forms illuminated like fleeting silhouettes in the inferno.
When the light finally faded, a haunting silence followed. Smoke and debris hung in the air as the battlefield lay in ruins. The ground was charred and fractured, and the remnants of the dungeon trembled under the strain of the destruction.
Cain descended from the sky, landing softly amidst the chaos, his arms cradling Eva and Kai's battered, unconscious forms. Their armor was scorched, their breathing ragged, and their faces marked with exhaustion. He glanced at them, his expression grim.
"I made it just in time," Cain muttered, his voice low. His gaze shifted to Namior, who stood amidst the destruction as though he had merely taken a stroll. The golden spear glowed faintly in his grasp, and his pale torso glistened under the flickering light of the collapsing dungeon.
"That attack... if I hadn't caught these two, it would've been fatal for them," Cain muttered, his voice laced with grim determination. Then, a faint voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Cain-san…" Eva's weak, raspy voice reached him. She struggled to keep her eyes open, the toll of the battle evident. "Defeat that monster. When you shared your mana with me, I… I felt it. Your power... you can defeat him. I'm all out now, and he… he killed Zarek."
Cain's jaw clenched. "Don't talk anymore, young girl. Rest." His voice carried a rare gentleness as he placed her and Kai gently on the ground, moving them to a safe distance. Eva's lips parted as if to protest, but her strength faded, and her eyes fluttered shut as exhaustion took her.
Straightening up, Cain's sharp gaze locked onto Namior. From across the battlefield, the antagonist's voice sliced through the settling dust.
"Finally," Namior sneered, his golden spear glowing faintly in the aftermath. "I've done you the courtesy of removing the obstacles myself. Now let's get into the real fight, Cain Lock. I can sense it—just by standing here that you're strong. So, entertain me, human".
"Cain's face darkened, his jaw clenched as he gripped his weapon tighter.
Entertain you? Cain thought, his inner voice unwavering. You may be powerful, but you have no idea what I'm truly capable of,either."
A surge of energy rippled around him, the air thickening as his mana began to flow. A deep, ominous purple aura enveloped Cain, its intensity growing with every step he took. The aura crackled like restrained lightning, the ground beneath him scorched with every footfall.
Namior's expression shifted slightly—his smirk twisting into one of curiosity and excitement as Cain closed the distance with slow, deliberate steps. Then, without warning, Cain exploded forward like a rocket, leaving a shockwave in his wake. The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer force of his launch, the air splitting with a deafening boom as he moved faster than the eye could track.
Cain's weapon gleamed with a deadly purple aura as he closed in, his attack aimed directly at Namior's chest with lethal intent. The strike came with such ferocity that the dungeon walls trembled, loose stones cascading from the already unstable ceiling.
Namior's golden spear rose to meet the blow just in time, the clash creating a thunderous shockwave that sent debris flying in every direction. The force of the impact caused the ground beneath Namior to shatter, web-like cracks radiating outward as the earth gave way beneath him, forming a small crater where he stood.
Namior's grin widened, his eyes blazing with exhilaration. "Perfect," he said, his voice carrying a sinister edge. "You're a worthy foe."
With a swift motion, Namior twisted his spear, deflecting Cain's strike and countering with a precise, lightning-fast thrust aimed at Cain's side. Cain reacted instantly, shifting his weight and dodging with inches to spare, the golden spear grazing past him with a dangerous hum.
He landed on the ground in a crouch, his boots skidding across the rubble as he absorbed the momentum. Cain's sharp gaze never left Namior, even as dust and debris swirled around them from the clash.
*******
Zarek's naked body emitted a faint, warm glow, casting soft light in the otherwise pitch-black void that surrounded him. The dimension felt vast yet suffocating, a paradox of endless emptiness. The air was thick, carrying a weight that pressed down on him, yet no sound or movement disturbed the eerie silence.
His eyelids fluttered, and his breathing was shallow as he slowly regained consciousness. His first sensation was the cold—an otherworldly chill that seeped into his bones despite the light radiating from his skin. His eyes snapped open, only to be greeted by an overwhelming expanse of blinding darkness that stretched infinitely in every direction.