The moment Darian raised his rapier, the air changed.
Elias could feel it—a sharp, unnatural stillness, like the calm before a storm. Darian's mana flared, twisting the air around him into an invisible force field.
Lira muttered from the sidelines, "Oh no. He's using that technique."
Elias exhaled. "You wanna explain what that technique is?"
Darian smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."
Then he vanished.
Elias's instincts screamed—he barely had time to activate his thrusters before Darian reappeared behind him, his rapier slicing through the air like a lightning bolt.
Elias twisted mid-air, blocking the strike with his gauntlet, but the moment steel met metal, an invisible force slammed into him.
The shockwave sent him flying across the arena.
He crashed onto the stone floor, skidding backward as sparks flared from his gauntlet's surface.
The crowd gasped.
Darian tilted his head. "Still standing? Not bad."
Elias groaned, pushing himself up. His gauntlet hummed with overloaded energy, struggling to regulate the impact it had just absorbed.
Lira shouted from the sidelines, "That's Wind Edge—it turns his rapier's slashes into delayed impact waves. You can block the sword, but the force will still hit you."
Elias spat out dust. "So, cheating, basically."
Darian chuckled. "No, just skill."
Elias flexed his fingers. His gauntlet was still functioning, but barely. He couldn't keep taking hits like that.
Time to change the approach.
Speed vs. Precision
Darian lunged again, his rapier glowing with wind energy.
But this time, Elias didn't block.
Instead, he activated his kinetic boosters, sidestepping at the last second, twisting around Darian's attack, and delivering a shockwave punch to his ribs.
BOOM.
Darian staggered backward, his breath hitching.
The crowd roared.
Elias grinned. "Huh. Looks like you're not invincible."
Darian exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulder. "I see. You're using my attacks against me."
Elias smirked. "Took you this long to figure it out?"
Darian's eyes narrowed. Then, for the first time in the duel—he got serious.
The wind around him condensed, forming blades of air that hovered at his command.
Elias exhaled. "Oh. That's new."
Darian flicked his wrist, and the air blades launched toward him at blinding speed.
Elias dodged, thrusters flaring, but the moment he moved, Darian was already there, waiting.
The rapier sliced forward—but Elias activated his repulsion field, redirecting the blade's force outward in an explosive countershock.
Darian's eyes widened—he hadn't expected that.
The energy blast sent him skidding backward, but he didn't fall.
Instead, he grinned.
"Interesting," Darian murmured, adjusting his stance. "I see it now. You're not just fighting me…" His silver eyes gleamed. "You're learning."
Elias rolled his shoulders. "Yeah? You should try it sometime."
Darian exhaled, raising his rapier once more. "Alright, Elias Graham." His entire body began to glow with condensed wind mana. "Let's see just how much you can adapt."
Elias flexed his fingers inside his gauntlet.
This wasn't just about winning anymore.
This was about proving that a machine could stand against magic.
And he wasn't about to lose.