Kairo had been through rigorous training during their year of training. From history about card magic to practical understanding of cards' limitations and how they connected to the circuitry of the void.
The idea of cutting off a card mage's magic by taking his life was nothing new. However, it was something that had never been relevant to him until this very moment.
He was actually racing with death, and the other party had a mockingly cold smile in Kairo's perspective.
'I never thought I would feel so much energy close to death. Is this what they call the energy of despair?' Kairo could not be certain of what was going on in his body right now, but one thing was clear. His journey wasn't going to end here.
''Lost your tongue, Kairo? You were more entertaining with your foul mouth. Want to know something? I wasn't always this generous, you know,'' Corry said proudly. ''I had a tragic past. I was the victim of all sorts of bullies, just because I had a bigger appetite than most people.''
''Bullies have existed since the birth of time. It's nothing new, Corry. If you want to use it as an excuse, it's too cliché for me. Find something better,'' Kairo spat out.
He too had been through some rough starts early in his life. Most of his so-called friends in the past didn't miss the opportunity to 'test' the genius son of the great Magnus.
''See why I like you, Kairo?'' Corry slapped his face in ecstasy. ''You're right. I always hated those bastards, not only for what they did to me but for how they looked at me. The vulgar glutton, last of the class, and poor at that. What could they expect from me?''
Corry's face darkened as he spoke, his words making terrible memories resurface. His anger rose so much that the Diamond Glory was set in motion once more.
Corry's huge frame cannonballed towards Kairo, skidding through the corridors, waving his palm upward. A spike of diamond rose like a mountain, tearing everything it found in its way. The already weakened walls crumbled even more, causing wide fissures to spread outward towards them.
'The same trick wouldn't work on me two times,' Kairo thought inwardly. Corry was trying to acculate him in a tight space and force him into direct confrontation. With a single glance at the Sand Paladin, it was like the duo understood each other without a single word.
The Sand Paladin raised his lance upward and aimed it not towards Corry but towards the already fractured metallic walls. With a clean sweep, the metals were perfectly divided into two, carving a clear path for Kairo and his summon to escape.
In such a tight space, Corry had too much of an advantage; thus, Kairo was planning to get him out of these corridors first.
''Unlike what life didn't give me, she appeared out of nowhere like a savior, giving me access to Project Limit Breaker, a way to even the grounds,'' Corry said, his huge arms bending the metallic holes as if it were paper. With a forceful tear, he increased the hole, allowing his frame to effortlessly go through it.
''You mean Selis Variant?'' Kairo asked. This wasn't the first time he had heard of this woman suddenly appearing out of nowhere and giving hope to people who seemingly had no hope.
If Kairo had not been in the Card Mage Police, he would really have believed she was a good person. But after the incident at the cathedral, he wasn't very clear on who was really good in all of this.
''Who cares? All I remember is their screams when they got taken down by Devour. The despair in their eyes when falling into the stomach they despised so much. This was incredible, Kairo. Do you get it?'' Corry said with a fanatic gaze, as if he was slowly losing his mind.
''You ate them just like that?'' Kairo sighed in disbelief. Reading the story in files was completely different from when Corry told the story himself.
Kairo felt a chill run down his spine. He held onto his palm where the death mark was continuously growing. Even worse, his body was turning heavy.
'This has to end quickly. I might get a single chance to take him down once and for all,' Kairo's mind was reeling. While listening to Corry rambling, he was setting his victory in place. And now he just had to act on it.
''Time to end this, you monster. I wouldn't regret taking you down,'' Kairo said. Strengthening his awkward position, he waved at the Sand Paladin, setting him in motion.
It was like the Sand Paladin had been itchy to move all along. His body was faster than a bullet flying through space. The gym where they had fallen was wider and had enough space for him to maneuver agilely. Jumping on one of the training machines, he spun in midair, bringing his lance down in a clear swing.
Corry clapped his fingers upward. With an amused smile, he didn't evade—no. He caught the lance midair, sealing it with a clear impact between his diamond hands.
''Pathetic,'' he mused, sending the Sand Paladin flying to the side.
Kairo had never intended for the Sand Paladin to defeat Corry. He just needed an opening. Sliding to the side of his opponent, his figure moved like a white shadow. Tactical brilliance pushed his reflexes to the maximum.
He struck in one of his dead angles, his fist aiming for Corry's neck this time around. At such speed and close range, Kairo had a confident smile in his strategy.
Corry, on his part, arched his eyebrows, seeing through the superfluous move like dissipating a mirage.
Then he spread his left arm and dragged his left leg onto the space. Then spun! Using the momentum created by the explosive burst of the diamond, his body carefully rotated to the side as if pushed by a propulsor of diamond—not only evading the blow but setting himself just in place for a counter.
His massive palms clawed at Kairo's face. They were so large Kairo could barely see past anything. It shielded his entire field of vision and blocked any form of escape for himself.
''Die now, Kairo,'' Corry said, his fingers cracking with shards of diamond.
Heart beating wildly in his chest, there was no way for him to evade Corry at this range. Kairo could only sacrifice his shoulder, tilting his head out of the way. The shards dug deep into his skin, carving their way through his flesh.
''You are the one going to die, you fool,'' Kairo said amidst his grimacing teeth.
His body falling forward, he flipped his finger upward. It was subtle but effective. The lance stuck between the diamond shards of Corry was like given life and moved in a vertical arc.
Animate could help Kairo give orders to objects but in a single phrase. For most of the time, it greatly limited what could be done, but in this particular case, it was enough.
The wide swing was clumsy but swift enough to land on Corry's neck before he could react. The impact left Corry reeling backward. By the moment Kairo's face connected with the cold ground, Corry's body was not moving anymore.
With blood raining down above Kairo like a waterfall, Kairo had won.
''No! You can't lose to him... Corry, what the hell are you doing?'' the girl screamed in shock. Without him, there was no way she could escape Danzan and the others. Observing her last line crumble felt devastating to her.
'I won, Nyx. You will be safe,' Kairo said, drowning himself in his own blood. His entire body was ragged, broken by the numerous wounds that marked his body.
Despite the pain, Kairo was extraordinarily calm. He had done what he felt needed to be done. Even if he was to leave now, one thing was clear: Nyx would be safe. They would be safe.
Kairo's eyes were dimming with every passing second as if he might succumb to sleep at any moment.
However, part of him wanted to see what was left of Corry, maybe because of the excitement of the fight or what he had just done. Kairo's heart was palpitating. He used his wounded palm to lift his body upward, disregarding the fact that he had to stick them to the broken shards of diamond that covered the space.
Kairo then lifted his eyes to take a look at what was left of this carnage.
He froze.
''Impossible,'' he muttered.
''Yeah, they all have the same expression the first time they see Devour,'' Corry smiled. On his left shoulder, a shadowy figure had appeared—a miasma of the purest dark, with two sparkling red eyes at the center. Whenever Corry made a movement, it would mimic his facial expression as if it were an extension of Corry's body.
Kairo quickly noticed that while Corry was still standing, despite the gruesome wound on his neck, it was clear that the lance didn't have enough power to kill him completely—or at least not after what he did. Corry had used his right arm as a shield to slow down the impact of the lance. Right now the arm dangled to the side like a lifeless doll, almost falling off. It was held by a single tissue of blood that could tear at any moment.
''He is alive… I can't believe it. He is one of the few patients of Project Limit Breaker who succeeded in eating three cards,'' the girl said, her mouth wide open.
Kairo, after getting back on his feet, reassessed his opponent with a new eye. 'This should be the thing he used to 'eat' his classmate. The card Devour,'' Kairo guessed.
Almost falling back to his knees, he forced his body to stay standing. It wasn't over yet.