The battle had reached its boiling point. Evan's toxic mist dominated the battlefield, and Arvid appeared to be faltering, his breathing heavier and movements slower. Evan felt the momentum shift in his favor. But then, Arvid stopped in his tracks, his posture straightening. His calm yet piercing gaze locked onto Evan as he raised both hands in front of his chest, fingers spread wide as though gripping something unseen.
"You think you've understood my power, don't you?" Arvid's voice broke through the tension, steady and sharp. "You've only grasped part of it."
Before Evan could respond, Arvid spoke again, his voice resonating with authority.
"Defensive Form."
Immediately, the air around Evan shifted. The once-thick toxic mist began to thin out, rising into the sky and dispersing as though drawn away by an invisible force. The oppressive humidity of the battlefield vanished, replaced by a sharp, dry stillness. Breathing became harder for Evan, the dryness of the air scratching at his throat and lungs. His body felt heavier with each movement, as if the very atmosphere was fighting against him.
Evan glanced at Arvid and saw him standing within a shimmering, translucent barrier that enveloped his figure. The barrier was faintly oval-shaped, distorting the light around it like ripples on the surface of water. The mist, once his greatest weapon, now seemed to dissipate entirely as it approached the barrier, its particles collapsing or evaporating before they could reach Arvid.
Arvid's voice carried through the battlefield, clear and firm despite the shimmering distortion of the barrier.
"This mist, this battlefield—you thought it was yours to control. But the environment? It always belongs to me."
Inside the barrier, Arvid appeared calm and reinvigorated. He extended his hand, summoning a new spear, its form flawless and sharp, radiating strength. With swift precision, he lunged forward and hurled the weapon toward Evan. Evan barely dodged, the spear slicing the air mere inches from his chest before embedding itself into the ground behind him.
Reacting quickly, Evan conjured a Flame Sphere, its fiery glow illuminating the dissipating mist. He hurled it toward Arvid with full force, aiming to break through the barrier. But as the sphere approached, the air around the barrier seemed to thicken, pressing against the flame. The sphere's glow dimmed, its power dissipating as though suffocated by an unseen force.
Evan's eyes widened. "What… is this?"
Determined, Evan summoned another Flame Sphere and charged forward, trying to push through the invisible barrier. But the closer he got, the heavier the air became. It was as if he were moving through a dense liquid, each step draining his strength. The sphere of flame in his hand flickered and dimmed the nearer it got to Arvid, until it finally fizzled out just before making contact.
Evan stumbled back, his breathing ragged. He tried again, but every attempt to attack was met with the same result. The barrier wasn't just a shield—it was an oppressive field of concentrated humidity that drained energy and nullified attacks as they approached.
Before Evan could regroup, Arvid closed the distance. With a swift motion, he struck out with his spear. Evan dodged, but the effort left him vulnerable. Arvid capitalized, delivering a powerful kick to Evan's chest that sent him sprawling backward. The ground beneath Evan seemed harder, drier, as if even the earth had been stripped of moisture.
Struggling to his feet, Evan prepared another attack, but his body felt sluggish, and his flames no longer burned with their usual intensity. The air around Arvid's barrier was like a wall of water, suffocating and impenetrable.
"You can't reach me," Arvid said, his voice calm but unwavering. "The closer you come, the more you'll realize this battlefield is no longer yours. It never was."
Evan glared at Arvid, frustration boiling inside him. The shimmering barrier around Arvid distorted his figure, making him seem almost untouchable. Evan's mind raced as he tried to decipher the mechanics of the defensive form. One thing was clear: he needed a new strategy, and he needed it fast.
Evan's breathing was ragged as he stared at Arvid within the shimmering barrier. Every attempt to attack had been rendered useless, every strategy nullified. The oppressive density of the air surrounding Arvid drained Evan's strength and extinguished his flames before they could land a meaningful blow. Yet his core pulsed faintly, the Simulate function revealing subtle details as he analyzed the barrier's structure.
That's when he noticed it: the top of the barrier. It was faint, but there was a noticeable lack of the dense humidity near the very top. It was as if the moisture concentrated in an arch, leaving a small vulnerable gap above Arvid's head.
"This could be it," Evan thought, his mind racing. "If I can channel the fire just right, I might be able to bypass the barrier."
Evan adjusted the pendant hanging around his neck, activating its directional runes to guide his magic. Instead of forming his usual Flame Sphere, he altered the spell's structure, shaping it into a rotating spiral—a controlled, elongated flame. He concentrated on the rotation, imagining the stream of fire snaking through the gap at the top of the barrier.
With a deep breath, he aimed carefully and unleashed the Flame Spiral. The fiery spiral twisted and turned, guided by his pendant, its heat growing more intense as it neared the shimmering barrier. Evan's heart raced as the stream arced upward, aiming directly for the top of the protective field.
The spiral passed through the gap in the barrier with precision, the flames cascading downward toward Arvid's head. For a moment, Evan felt a surge of triumph—he'd found the weak point, and his fire had pierced through.
But as the flames struck, Arvid didn't react. His body crumbled, breaking apart into the familiar fragments of a husk. The realization hit Evan like a cold wave: it wasn't Arvid at all. Another shell, another distraction.
From the corner of his eye, Evan caught movement. The real Arvid emerged from the dissipating mist several meters away, unscathed, a new spear forming in his hands.
Evan stumbled back, his confidence shattered. He tried to understand what he was seeing, but the pieces didn't fit.
"What is this?" he muttered, his voice trembling. "How are you…? How do you keep—?"
The questions clogged his mind. He didn't understand the barrier. He didn't understand the husks. And without understanding, he couldn't exploit any weaknesses. Every strategy, every calculated move had failed, leaving him standing in the middle of the battlefield with nothing but exhaustion and doubt.
Arvid approached slowly, his presence unyielding. The barrier shimmered faintly around him, casting an ethereal glow. His spear was steady in his hand, and his expression was calm, almost serene.
Evan tried to summon another flame, but his core felt strained, his body sluggish. As Arvid closed the distance, the weight of the battle pressed down on Evan, the air feeling heavier with each step.
Before Evan could react, Arvid's spear stopped mere inches from his throat. The cold tip hovered there, a reminder of how outmatched he was.
Evan froze, his breath shallow, his mind screaming for a solution that didn't exist. Then, another voice broke the silence.