The two powerful auras filled the air with a palpable pressure.
Elric's heart skipped a beat as he looked up, seeing two figures locked in a fierce battle.
Moving at such blinding speeds that their faces were impossible to discern.
With every collision, the explosive energy from their clashes shook the city, each impact echoing like a thunderous roar through the night.
As if two falling stars were waging war against each other.
As Elric focused on the fight, Calista's voice suddenly rang urgently in his mind.
"Now!"
Elric immediately understood her meaning.
With the two powerful beings drawing all attention away, this was the perfect moment to infiltrate the castle.
Without hesitation, he leaped down from the rooftop with fluid grace, his eyes sharp and focused.
His body tensed as his energy flowed through his limbs, preparing him for what was to come.
He landed softly, barely making a sound.
The main entrance of Blackstone Castle was now in utter chaos.
The guards, alarmed by the energy battle in the city, had rushed off in the direction of the fight, their armored footsteps and shouts echoing on the cobblestone streets.
Amid the confusion, Elric concealed himself in the shadows.
The towering castle walls loomed above him, dark and imposing.
With the guards' attention diverted, the opportunity to slip inside presented itself.
Elric held his breath, his body coiled and ready, listening as the sound of footsteps faded.
His eyes locked onto the castle walls.
Once the coast was clear, he let out a quiet breath.
Channeling his energy into his limbs, he felt the familiar surge of power flowing through him, wrapping around his hands and feet like a protective layer.
His movements were swift and precise.
Using his energy-enhanced agility, Elric leaped across the moat in one smooth motion, cutting through the night air in a graceful arc.
Landing silently on the other side, he pressed himself against the cold stone walls of Blackstone Castle.
His fingers found the cracks between the stones, and he began to scale the wall with the dexterity of a spider.
The energy surrounding his hands allowed him to grip firmly and move with remarkable speed and accuracy.
With each carefully placed step, he ascended the wall, blending seamlessly into the shadows.
His fingers dug lightly into the stone crevices, his movements so quiet that not even the wind would have noticed his presence.
Elric climbed higher and higher, his breathing steady, matching the rhythm of his ascent.
...
The battle between Keynes and the Blackstone Duke raged on.
The Blackstone Duke's grip clamped down on Keynes' face, his fiery right hand mercilessly scorching Keynes' flesh.
The intense heat radiated in waves, and Keynes' skin turned black under the flames, the searing pain eliciting a guttural scream from deep within him.
Struggling through the agony, Keynes tried to retaliate, his right fist swinging up in a desperate attempt to strike back.
But the Blackstone Duke was faster.
Before Keynes' punch could land, the Blackstone Duke hurled him aside with a powerful motion.
Keynes' body flew through the air, crashing into the ground with a heavy thud.
He skidded across the stone floor, leaving a long trail behind him as the bricks were torn up in his wake.
His momentum only stopped when his hands clawed into the ground, fingers digging into the stone to halt his slide.
Breathing heavily, his demonic horns glinted ominously under the moonlight.
The infernal energy coursing through him seethed, helping him slowly rise to his feet.
By now, the battle had brought them to the central plaza of Blackstone Castle.
Buildings all around them had been damaged by the sheer force of their fight.
The plaza was littered with debris, and the air crackled with lingering energy.
Dust and rubble filled the area, and the intensity of their battle had cleared the sky, revealing the moon.
Keynes' face, burned by the Blackstone Duke's fire, show one's skulls, began to heal slowly, the demon energy repairing his wounds.
His skin regenerated, the raw, exposed bones slowly being covered again by flesh.
Above him, the Blackstone Duke hovered in midair, his deep red cloak billowing in the wind, the flames of battle dancing in his eyes.
Keynes wiped the blood from his mouth as he glared up at the Blackstone Duke.
His chest heaved with rage, and his voice carried the weight of his desperation.
"Bullhead! Why are you still holding back your real power?"
In his mind, the voice of the demon—Bullhead—sounded, its tone lazy and amused.
"Hey, bro, we're sharing the same body here. Could you at least be a bit nicer?"
Keynes' eyes blazed with fury, his patience gone.
"Shut up!" he roared.
Bullhead sighed in defeat, the image of him lazily raising his hands in surrender flashing in Keynes' mind.
"Alright, alright, as you wish."
At that moment, Keynes' body began to undergo a drastic change.
The massive, hulking form of his demonic transformation began to shrink.
Red and black energy surged around him, creating waves of pressure as he returned to a more human size, though the energy radiating from him was even more intense.
His stature reduced to that of a normal man, yet his horns remained, sharp and menacing.
His hollow, crimson eyes glowed with a deadly chill, while black runes danced across his pale skin, wrapping around his chest and back, pulsating with dark energy.
His long, golden hair now cascaded down his back like a shimmering waterfall, reaching past his waist.
Between his horns, a massive sphere of red and black energy began to form, growing larger and more unstable with every passing second.
The demonic energy twisted the air around it, distorting the atmosphere with its immense power.
Above him, the Blackstone Duke watched, unimpressed.
His crimson cloak snapped in the wind, but his eyes remained full of cold confidence.
With a deafening roar, Keynes unleashed the energy sphere, hurling it toward the Duke with blinding speed.
The sphere left a fiery trail in its wake, tearing through the air with raw destructive force.
The Blackstone Duke did not flinch.
Instead, he clapped his hands together, unleashing both fire and ice in a violent burst of power.
The opposing forces clashed mid-air, with fire and ice gripping the demonic energy sphere between them, squeezing it with such force that the sphere began to compress.
Unable to withstand the pressure, the sphere exploded.
A massive shockwave erupted, sending debris flying in all directions.
The ground was torn asunder, with stones and dirt spiraling outward in a violent storm.
The sheer force of the blast cracked the ground and sent a wave of dust and rubble sweeping across the battlefield.
Even in the chaos, the Blackstone Duke's battle-hardened instincts kicked in.
He sensed the imminent danger and tried to dodge, but Keynes was already upon him, moving with ghost-like speed.
The Blackstone Duke's eyes widened in shock as he saw Keynes' fist, wreathed in black and red demonic energy, barreling toward him.
Boom!
Keynes' punch landed squarely on the Duke's face, the full weight of his pent-up hatred and fury crashing down on him.
Caught off guard, the Blackstone Duke was sent hurtling to the ground, crashing hard enough to crack the earth beneath him.
Debris flew in every direction, and a deep crater formed where the Blackstone Duke landed.
The Blackstone Duke slowly pushed himself to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He wiped it away with the back of his hand, a grin forming on his face as his crimson cloak flared behind him.
This battle was far from over.
If anything, the Blackstone Duke looked more excited than ever.
For now, the two persons had swapped positions—Keynes now stood above, and the Blackstone Duke was below.