As the exit drew closer, a voice echoed through the corridor, halting the Starborn in their tracks. The gateway to freedom loomed just ahead, but to their right, farther down the hallway, stood Julius.
"Where do you think you're going?" he called out, his tone mocking yet filled with menace.
Julius stifled a laugh, his grin widening into something sinister. "I think it's time you children learned some discipline. Maybe this will teach you to follow orders." He leaned forward, his crimson eyes glowing brighter, radiating an intense heat.
"Shit. Get out—now!" Crimson Shadow barked, stepping to the side and shielding the Starborn with his body. His stance was unyielding. "Not a chance, Blight King."
With a sharp hiss, twin beams of chaotic fiery mana erupted from Julius' eyes, tearing through the air like spears of molten destruction. The lasers struck Crimson Shadow square in the chest, blasting a gaping hole clean through him and launching him backward. He slammed into the wall with a bone-shaking impact, crumpling to the floor.
Julius threw his head back, laughing maniacally as his power flared. "This feeling… I haven't felt it in years!" His voice turned wild, his aura swelling to suffocating levels. "You pathetic insect! You've been scuttling around, picking off my army piece by piece. But no more. I'll squash you myself!"
He reached down, gripping Crimson Shadow's helmet and slamming his head into the wall again. Kneeling to meet him eye to eye, Julius' voice dripped with malice. "I'd say I'm curious to see what's under the mask, but honestly, I doubt it matters. It's not like anyone important would've dared challenge me." His glowing eyes intensified, radiating heat. "I'll vaporize you."
A gleam of silver tore through the air, Sosuke's katana stabbing cleanly through Julius' skull. His body stiffened, then toppled forward, temporarily still.
"Hurry, Elowen! Tend to him!" Sosuke barked, pointing to Crimson Shadow. "Lyra, Rin, with me—we're taking this bastard down!"
Sosuke raised his hand, summoning his katana back. The blade withdrew from Julius' head, but to their horror, the wound closed almost instantaneously.
Julius' body jolted upright, his grin eerily unfazed. "You think this will be good, Estrella?" he growled. "Let's see what you've got!"
Sosuke's lips curled into a wild grin, an unfamiliar fire burning in his eyes. Something was brewing. "Yeah… let's! Time to crush you, just like you did my family!" A love for battle.
Julius roared, firing another volley of beams. This time, Sosuke swiped his hand through the air, a concentrated blast of lightning trailing from his palm and redirecting the beams' trajectory.
"Where the hell are Arthur and Ren?!" Lyra shouted, her voice trembling with frustration.
"I don't know why Ren didn't return immediately…" Rin muttered, staring down at her clenched fists. "Arthur, I get. He's always got his own goals that we don't matter in. But Ren…"
The castle trembled with every clash, a thunderous cacophony echoing through its crumbling halls. Sosuke moved like a storm incarnate, his katana crackling with lightning that danced erratically along the blade. His purple eyes glowed with a savage intensity, and his grin was wide, almost manic. Every swing of his sword was a declaration of intent—this wasn't about survival. This was about tearing Julius apart, piece by piece.
"You really think you can keep up with me, Estrella?" Julius sneered, deflecting Sosuke's blade with the back of his hand. The sound of metal meeting unyielding flesh was deafening. "Your lightning stings, I'll admit, but I've endured worse from creatures more impressive than you."
Sosuke didn't respond. Words were meaningless now. He shifted his weight, using the momentum from Julius' deflection to whirl around, the katana snapping like a whip as it aimed for the Blight King's side. Julius caught it mid-swing, holding the blade between his fingers. Sparks exploded where his hand gripped the metal, but his grin only widened.
"You're adapting quickly, I'll give you that," Julius said, pushing Sosuke back with a single shove. "But you're still so far below me it's laughable."
Sosuke slid across the shattered floor, planting his feet hard to stop himself. His chest heaved, but his grin never faltered. "We'll see about that." His blade sparked violently, the lightning coursing through it growing denser, hotter.
Julius tilted his head, intrigued. "Oh? Is that the limit of your mana? Or is this where you start to surprise me?"
Sosuke lunged again, this time feinting a wide arc before flicking the blade up at an impossible angle, aiming for Julius' throat. The Blight King leaned back casually, dodging the strike by a hair. But Sosuke was already moving, spinning on his heel to drive an electrified elbow into Julius' ribs. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, and for the first time, Julius flinched.
"Not bad," Julius muttered, his voice betraying a hint of genuine excitement. He countered with a backhanded swipe that tore through the air, forcing Sosuke to duck. "But you'll have to do more than that to make me take this seriously."
Their battle raged on, the two tearing through walls and columns like paper. Sosuke's movements became sharper, more precise, each strike a calculated attempt to exploit Julius' openings. But Julius didn't just react—he adapted as well, his movements becoming more fluid, his counters more devastating.
From the distance, Lyra and Rin watched in awe—and fear.
"How the hell are we supposed to help?" Lyra muttered, her fists clenched. "They're moving too fast. It's like trying to keep up with lightning and shadows."
"We can't," Rin said, her voice trembling. "But… look at him. Sosuke's different. He's completely focused. That kind of precision—it's not normal."
Lyra nodded grimly. "That's Mana Amplification. He's in 'The Zone.' It's when a user's mind and mana become perfectly in sync. Everything they do is amplified—power, speed, control. It's rare as hell to see anyone pull it off in a real fight."
Reid, leaning casually against a half-destroyed column, let out a low whistle. "Fitting, isn't it? The guy's always been a freak. Still, props to him. I didn't think he had this in him."
Lyra shot him a glare. "Don't forget who's explaining it to you. I'm the smart one here."
Rin, however, wasn't as impressed. Her gaze lingered on Julius, who still moved with the same casual dominance. "He's toying with Sosuke," she said quietly. "If he wanted to, he could end this in seconds. He's holding back."
Before Lyra could respond, Arthur and Ren burst onto the scene, shoving past the two girls.
"Out of the way!" Arthur barked, his eyes locked on the fight ahead.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Lyra snapped. "You're going to—"
"Not letting Sosuke get stronger before me!" Arthur yelled, gripping his sword tightly.
Ren, his face a mask of frustration, added, "I've had enough of sitting on the sidelines. If that idiot thinks he's leaving us in the dust, he's wrong."
They charged forward, their combined mana flaring brightly as they joined the fray. Julius turned to face them, his grin widening. "More playthings? Good. I was getting bored."
Understood, here's the revised version where the details about the characters' growth and abilities are woven into the fight rather than explained outright:
The chaos of the fight intensified, a maelstrom of power and destruction that threatened to bring the castle down entirely. Sosuke surged forward first, lightning erupting from his katana in wild, violent arcs that tore through walls and sent shockwaves across the crumbling ground. His strikes came fast and unpredictable, each swing more brutal than the last, his movements erratic yet terrifyingly precise. Sparks danced along the length of his blade, some lashing out and scarring the nearby stone like angry vipers. One stray arc struck too close to Arthur, who barely sidestepped it without so much as a glance.
Ren moved with a quiet ferocity, his ice cutting through the air with lethal intent. Every shard and blade he conjured seemed sharper, colder, and more precise, aiming for Julius' vitals without hesitation. He darted in and out of range like a ghost, frost clinging to the air around him, his silver eyes focused solely on Julius. There was no banter, no wasted movements—just the calculated efficiency of someone determined to end the fight.
Arthur, meanwhile, was the epitome of control. His strikes were deliberate, almost surgical, his blade never missing its mark. The dull glint of steel flashed through the chaos as he closed in, his body moving with a fluidity that bordered on inhuman. He paired his attacks with spells—a flicker of flame bursting against Julius' chest, an explosion of earth ripping through the floor beneath his feet—all cast without a single incantation. His silence was broken only by the faint smirk that crept onto his face each time his strikes connected.
Julius reveled in it all. He laughed as Sosuke's katana carved into his shoulder, only for the wound to seal itself before blood could spill. He grinned as Ren's ice spear pierced his side, the frost spreading across his torso before melting away in an instant. Arthur's flames scorched his armor, but the damage disappeared almost as quickly as it came.
"Is that all you've got?" Julius taunted, his crimson eyes glowing brighter as he ducked under a slash from Arthur and caught Sosuke's katana mid-swing. "I expected more from you three. You're entertaining, I'll give you that, but don't think for a second you've pushed me to my limit."
Sosuke didn't respond, his usual quips absent. Instead, his face twisted into a wild grin, his purple eyes burning with a savage intensity. He yanked his katana free with a burst of lightning, the force of the strike sending Julius skidding back. His attacks became more feral, the crackling energy from his blade growing so volatile that it scorched the floor beneath his feet.
Julius sidestepped the next swing, only to meet Ren's icy onslaught head-on. The white-haired fighter was relentless, his frost-covered hands slashing through the air to create jagged blades of ice that shot toward Julius in rapid succession. Julius swatted them aside like flies, but his laughter faltered when one caught him across the cheek, leaving a thin, bloody line.
Arthur seized the moment, his sword flashing as he closed the gap. He drove the blade toward Julius' exposed side, a surge of fire erupting from the hilt just as the strike landed. Julius staggered, but before Arthur could follow up, a wild arc of lightning from Sosuke's katana came too close, forcing him to pull back.
"Watch it, Estrella!" Arthur barked, his tone sharp but calm as he repositioned.
Julius chuckled darkly, his red eyes gleaming. "You're all so desperate to outdo each other. It's adorable." He swept his arm in a wide arc, a wave of chaotic mana bursting outward and forcing the trio to scatter. "But this? This is why I've missed battle. You make me feel alive again."
Sosuke's grin widened, unbothered by the insult. His strikes grew heavier, his lightning more erratic as he pushed Julius further back. Arthur and Ren didn't hesitate, their own attacks coming in tandem, yet never truly working together. It was a chaotic free-for-all, each of them fighting for the kill with their own agendas in mind.
From a distance, Lyra narrowed her eyes as she watched them move. "They've all hit their peak," she murmured, her voice low but steady. "They've all entered 'The Zone' simultaneously. It's scary." Lyra said, her lips curling into a smirk. "Perfect harmony between their bodies and mana. Everything they're doing—those movements, that power—it's all instinctive now."
"And the catch?" Reid asked, leaning forward, his interest piqued.
Lyra's smirk faded. "It's not permanent. They'll burn out eventually, and when they do…" She trailed off, her gaze flicking back to Julius. "They won't stand a chance. This might be the only time in their lives they'll ever reach this high. You don't understand how rare it is."
Rin frowned, her focus shifting to Julius. "He's toying with all three now." she muttered.
Lyra nodded. "Exactly. He's testing them. Seeing how far they can push themselves before he crushes them."
Back on the battlefield, Julius dodged another strike from Sosuke, his grin never fading. "Come on, Starborn. Show me more. Or is this all the power you've got?"
Sosuke responded with a wordless roar, his lightning exploding outward in a blinding flash as he lunged forward. Arthur and Ren were right behind him, their attacks following close, each determined to be the one to take Julius down.
Julius leaped backward, only to collide with a crumbling wall. His red eyes flickered with amusement. "That was unexpected…" he muttered under his breath. In the blink of an eye, Sosuke, Arthur, and Ren were upon him, their weapons closing in from three sides. Sosuke's katana aimed for a deadly thrust, while Arthur and Ren struck from the flanks.
Julius' grin widened. "This is exhilarating," he said, almost laughing, before diving effortlessly over their heads. Their blades collided with each other in a jarring clash of sparks and ice, the force knocking all three to the ground.
Sosuke scrambled to his feet first, glaring at Julius, who stood a few feet away, utterly unfazed. "Get the hell out of my way!" Sosuke snarled, shoving Ren back to the ground as he tried to stand. "He killed my family—he's mine!"
Arthur ignored the commotion and charged toward Julius, his sword glowing faintly with an aura of fire. Just as he closed the distance, his footing gave way, his boots sliding on a thin layer of ice that coated the ground beneath him. Ren stood a few feet away, his outstretched hand glowing faintly with frost, clearly the culprit.
"You're supposed to be a functioning team, aren't you?" Julius teased, watching them with an almost parental condescension. "But here you are, sabotaging each other. How delightful."
"SHUT UP!" Sosuke roared, his voice echoing with raw fury. He didn't wait for his teammates to recover. With a wild snarl, he snapped a jagged piece off his katana. Lightning crackled violently along its fractured edge, the energy growing larger and more unstable with each passing second.
Lyra's eyes widened in horror as she watched the lightning intensify. "Move!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos as she shoved Rin and Reid further back.
The resulting explosion was deafening. A blinding flash of light erupted, followed by a wave of destruction that ripped through the castle. The force sent massive chunks of debris flying in every direction, reducing the structure to little more than rubble and jagged stone.
When the dust finally settled, Julius stood in the center of the destruction, his armor cracked and his body charred in several places. He looked down at the damage, then at the unconscious forms of Arthur and Ren, who lay sprawled across the ground. "Not bad," he said, rolling his shoulders as his wounds began to knit themselves together in an instant. His healing was so fast it looked like time itself had reversed. "But you'll have to do much better than that."
Sosuke stood amid the wreckage, his katana gone, blown apart in the blast. His chest heaved as raw lightning coursed around him, untamed and violent. His purple eyes burned with an almost feral glow as he roared like a wild animal, surging forward toward Julius with unbridled fury. The air around him crackled as his lightning spiraled to an even greater intensity, no longer restrained by the conduit that was his blade.
Julius raised an eyebrow, his grin returning. "Oh? So you can still fight without your toy? Let's see what you've got, Estrella."
Sosuke didn't reply. His fists clenched as he shot forward with blinding speed, the raw force of his lightning turning the ground to glass beneath his feet. He struck Julius with a bolt straight to the chest, sending the Blight King skidding back.
From the sidelines, Lyra hauled Rin to her feet, her voice rising above the chaos. "He's reached the peak of 'The Zone!'" she yelled, frantically dragging Ren's unconscious form to safety. "But it's about to run out! We need to move—now!"
Sosuke didn't seem to hear her. He charged at Julius again, his movements almost untraceable as he delivered a flurry of blows powered by his lightning. Each strike crackled with enough force to tear apart the remaining bits of the castle around them, but Julius simply laughed as he blocked and dodged with ease.
"You're impressive, Sosuke," Julius admitted, catching one of the strikes with his bare hand. Lightning rippled across his fingers, but he didn't flinch. "But you're still just a child playing hero." He clenched his hand and twisted, sending Sosuke hurtling into the ground with a sickening crash.
Sosuke groaned, his body trembling as he pushed himself to his feet. His lightning flickered wildly, showing signs of instability. Yet, despite the damage, he grinned—his bloodlust unrelenting.
"This isn't over!" Sosuke bellowed, launching himself forward once more. The battlefield, now reduced to smoldering rubble, bore witness to his final desperate assault.
"Oh, but it is over," Julius said, his voice colder now, stripped of the playful amusement it had carried moments ago. "I've spent enough time entertaining you. I'll admit, it was fun while it lasted. Unfortunately…" He turned his back to face the horde of Blights waiting to escort him. "I have a war to plan against your people."
Sosuke, trembling with exhaustion and desperation, raised his hand and summoned every ounce of strength left in his body. A crackling bolt of lightning surged forward, but it fizzled out before it even left his fingertips. Sparks danced weakly in the air, mocking his effort.
His knees hit the ground with a hollow thud, his hands trembling as he stared at them in disbelief. "I… failed."
A guttural cry tore from his throat as Julius walked away without so much as a glance back. "You're an interesting one," Julius muttered, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "I want to kill you myself someday—when you're stronger, Sosuke Estrella."
Rin rushed to Sosuke's side, her hands shaking as she gripped his shoulders. She knelt in front of him, her face pale with fear. "Sosuke, are you okay?!"
"My family is dead… and I just failed to avenge them. What do you think?!" he snapped, his voice laced with bitterness and frustration.
Rin flinched but held her ground. "You screwed up today, yeah—but that's not what's important right now. Can you move? Can you even function enough so we can get out of this hellhole?!" Her voice rose, shaking with urgency. "I'm not the reason your family is dead, so don't you dare take it out on me!"
Sosuke's furious glare softened as he locked eyes with her, his breathing ragged. "Rin… you're different again."
Rin furrowed her brow, confused and frustrated, but before she could respond, a thunderous roar echoed through the ruins, signaling that they had overstayed their welcome.
The ground trembled beneath their feet, debris falling from what little remained of the castle. Lyra's voice rang out sharply from the distance. "We have to go, now!"
Sosuke pulled himself to his feet, leaning on Rin for support as the Starborn regrouped. The devastation surrounding them was a grim reminder of their failure, but the fire in Sosuke's eyes remained. His resolve wasn't broken—it was reforged. The thread between earth and the realm of the blights was almost tied.