"I've stood by your side every single day, guarding you since that moment."
"Yet the one time I vanish from your sight, you throw yourself into trouble."
Theo exhaled sharply, staring into the darkness spiraling down the stairway. "This makes it the third time," he muttered under his breath.
Gripping his sword tight, he leapt forward, hurtling downward like a falling spear. His cape whipped violently behind him as his eyes locked on Eyril.
Theo raised his blade overhead and swung as he closed in.
A sickening, guttural sound rumbled from Eyril's throat, like a twisted laugh, as he unsheathed his blade. The clash that followed sent a thunderous roar reverberating through the confined underground stairwell.
The sheer force of their meeting shattered the stairway within a twenty-meter radius, punching holes into the surrounding walls.
The ground shook violently as debris rained near Nyx's head.
Nyx pressed himself into a crack in the wall, barely avoiding the collapsing stonework.
The stairway crumbled completely around them, leaving Nyx stranded in the fissure, with seemingly no escape in sight.
Furious, he cursed under his breath. This is insane, Broken ribs, and now this too? I have to be more careful.
Holding his side, a sharp, throbbing pain slowed his every move.
Above him, bright-blue sparks exploded from the shadows, illuminating two figures ricocheting off walls and pulverizing them to ash as they drew closer.
Shit. I asked for this.
Nyx launched himself onto the fractured remains of a lower stairway and began sprinting downward. There's got to be another way out…
…
Theo and Eyril collided with earth-shaking force, their clash tearing apart everything around them. The walls cracked and crumbled; entire sections of the stairway gave way under the pressure.
Eyril slammed into the wall with such force that stone shattered like glass.
A split second later, he launched himself free, the shockwave obliterating his surroundings and sending debris flying down
With a blur of movement, Eyril's thin blade lashed out, striking Theo and sending him hurtling high into the air. His cold eyes tracked Theo's every move with perfect precision.
But Theo wasn't finished. As he spiraled upward, he poured every ounce of his energy into his blade.
His aura surged wildly, overflowing until it spilled across his body in radiant waves.
Aura Armor. That's what he called it, the layer of power shielding both him and his weapon from whatever came next.
Theo dug his fingers into the cracked stone, steadying himself before launching back. In a single motion, he pushed off, launching back toward Eyril with terrifying speed.
Their blades met midair, sparks and arcs of power exploding as Theo struck again and again.
Countless strikes rained down, each swing of Theo's sword crackling with aura as they shot past Nyx below, crashing violently into the floor.
The impact shattered the ground, sending both fighters plummeting through to the underground levels.
In a defensive stance, Eyril seemed almost amused by the onslaught.
He deflected Theo's attacks with unnerving calm, his thin sword slicing across the glowing Aura Armor. With one clean slash, the armor burst apart, crumbling into ash.
What?! Theo's heart lurched, his mind reeling. Impossible… Every instinct screamed that what just happened couldn't be real.
That's not how Aura Armor falls apart…
…Then I'll just have to give it my all!
Channeling his strength, Theo condensed it all into a single, devastating strike.
In the blink of an eye, he split the attack into a thousand lightning-fast slashes, overwhelming Eyril's defenses.
"Wh…?" Eyril's eyes widened in brief shock as Theo's assault struck home.
His body was sent crashing down, slamming into the deepest part of the ravine. Water splashed violently as he sank into the blood-red river that stretched across the cavern floor.
Moments later, Eyril stood up calmly, brushing dust from his shoulders, completely unscathed.
Interesting one, he mused, glancing up toward the faint, glowing light of Theo's aura as it streaked downward like a comet.
A low, guttural chuckle escaped his throat, a sound like a boiling swamp gurgling.
Raising his blade to the side, Eyril began infusing his body with raw aura, attempting to mirror Theo's technique. But midway through, the energy faltered, dissipating before it could take form.
"What…?" he muttered, staring at his sword in confusion as the aura collapsed entirely.
At that exact moment, Theo came screaming down from above, his blade slashing straight for Eyril's torso. Caught off guard, Eyril barely twisted in time, the edge grazing him as he was hurled sideways. He skidded across the shallow crimson river, water rippling violently in his wake.
Theo basked in the dim light above like a knight in shining armor. Disgust churned in Eyril's gut.