Marcus and Chairo did not speak. There was no need.
They already understood each other, both exhausted, both wounded, both unwilling to lose.
Marcus raised his fist. Blue fire ignited, not as large as before, but still there.
Chairo raised his hand. The ground trembled, not as strong as before, but still moving.
"Hell's Cadence!"
Marcus unleashed a flurry of punches, fast and relentless.
Chairo blocked with his arms, which hardened like stone. Each punch pushed him back. One step. Two steps. Three steps.
"Granite Root Network!"
Thin stone roots emerged from the ground, wrapping around Marcus's feet.
Marcus growled.
"Equilibrium Breaker!" He spun 360 degrees, blue fire igniting at his fingertips. The stone roots were severed.
But Chairo was already before him. "Earth's Pending Hand!"
A giant stone palm emerged from the ground and slapped Marcus. His bones vibrated. Marcus was thrown back, crashing hard, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.
"You... can still fight?" Chairo asked, gasping.
Marcus was silent. He took a deep breath, then rose. Slowly. But he rose.
"Yes."
---
While Marcus and Chairo were destroying each other, a duel of speed began on the other side of the room.
"Gale Stride!"
Zephyr shot forward. Wind pushed him, accelerating his steps. His body glided low above the ground, leaving thin trails of wind behind.
Kiiro was not left behind. "Lightning Dance!"
His whip struck in several directions at once, left, right, above, like lightning striking simultaneously.
Zephyr did not retreat. "Whirlwind Guard!"
His sword spun. Wind formed a shield around the blade. Kiiro's lashes bounced off, none reaching Zephyr's body.
Kiiro smiled. "You are good."
Zephyr did not answer. "Razor Gale!"
His sword wrapped in high pressure wind. The blade did not appear to change, but the air around it hissed.
He slashed. Kiiro dodged, but the edge of the wind still sliced his arm. Blood dripped, a shallow but deep wound.
Kiiro licked the blood from his lips, laughing. "Just warming up."
---
Marcus raised his fist. Blue fire gathered, larger than before, brighter, hotter.
"Supernova Palm Cannon!"
A blast of blue fire erupted from his palm. The fiery shockwave surged forward, cracking the floor and sending dust flying.
Chairo raised both hands. The earth before him rose, forming a thick shield. Layer after layer. Stone, soil, gravel, all fused together.
But the explosion was too powerful.
The stone shield cracked. Shattered. Chairo was thrown back, his body slamming into the wall, falling to the ground.
He did not move.
Marcus stood before him, gasping. His left arm hung limp. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. His chest rose and fell rapidly.
He took a breath.
"Done."
Chairo did not answer. He was unconscious.
Marcus fell to his knees. Not from wounds, but from exhaustion.
"Damn..."
---
Kiiro began to get serious.
"Volt Snare!"
The tip of his whip struck the ground. A circular lightning pattern ignited around Zephyr, shocking him, slowing him down. Zephyr could not move quickly.
"High-Voltage Impact!"
Kiiro flicked his whip. Clumps of plasma lightning flew like projectiles, exploding near Zephyr. The explosion and residual electrical energy hampered his movements.
Zephyr did not panic. "Storm Needle!"
Lightning charged wind needles shot toward Kiiro, small, fast, precise.
"Humming Veil!"
Kiiro spun his whip quickly, a spinning shield around him. The needles bounced off, none reaching his body.
But Zephyr was no longer there.
"Zephyr's Cross!"
Wind pushed him, lightning leaving blue trails in the air. In an instant, Zephyr was behind Kiiro. Two crossing slashes, an X glowing with wind and lightning energy, splitting Kiiro's back.
Kiiro fell to his knees. Blood flowed.
"You..." Kiiro smiled, though wounded.
"Fast."
"You too," Zephyr replied.
But Kiiro had not given up.
"Thunderclap Execution!"
He gathered all his energy into a single whip strike. A sonic shockwave combined with an electric shock struck Zephyr directly in the chest.
Zephyr staggered. His sword nearly fell. The air around him vibrated. His ears rang. His body felt hot and numb simultaneously.
But he did not fall.
"You... endured it?" Kiiro was surprised.
Zephyr did not answer. He raised his sword, not to slash, but to gather energy.
"Dragon of the Storm!"
Zephyr leaped high. Wind pushed him into the air, lightning wrapped around his body.
At the peak of his jump, the world below looked small. He paused for a moment.
Then he dove.
Like a living lightning spear. Like a dragon descending from the sky.
Kiiro could not dodge. His body was tired, his legs could not move fast enough.
The lightning and wind explosion struck the ground. Dust flew, walls cracked, the marble floor shattered into pieces.
Kiiro fell. Smoke rose from his body. He did not move.
Zephyr stood before him, sword still in hand. His chest rose and fell rapidly. Blood dripped from his left arm. But his eyes remained sharp.
"Done."
---
Marcus was still kneeling near the unconscious Chairo.
Zephyr stood not far from the fallen Kiiro.
They exchanged glances.
"You too?" Marcus asked, his voice hoarse.
Zephyr nodded. "You too."
Marcus smiled faintly, but a cough stopped him. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
"I am just..." Marcus gasped. "...resting for a moment."
Zephyr did not answer. He planted his sword into the ground, leaning on it.
Silence fell for the first time in the last few minutes.
Two battles had ended.
But around them, other battles still raged.
Kazan was still fighting Daidaiiro and Ao.
Zenless was still in the mist with Gurin.
Leon was still outside, holding on against Aiiro and Shiro and the thousands of Hydra soldiers.
And Kin'iro still sat. Smiling.
"Still a long way to go," he whispered.
=== CHAPTER 42 END ===