Albert refuses to give him any room. He prepares another attack, increasing the pressure even further.
His cane sword is drawn behind his body before immediately swinging from the side, continuing its arc—
"Is he alright?"
SKLWHAAAAHMNHHH!
"Ehmph," Albert murmurs.
His attack is avoided once again. Again. And again. It does nothing but split through empty air as Leon evades it completely.
Albert furrows his brows.
Just like he himself did before.
SLHAAAHMNHH!
The cane sword is drawn back swiftly.
SWHAAAAAAAHMNHH!
The blade thrusts straight forward—
Albert grits his teeth.
"What did you do—"
—Leon suddenly propels himself far backward, already avoiding the blade before it can reach him.
"—TO HIM?"
SCKWHAAAAAAHMNH!
Avoided again. Again. Again. And again.
The cane sword slices through empty air before striking the ground.
Albert grits his teeth.
Leon prepares to counterattack.
The relentless sequence of attacks ends with the same result as Leon's earlier attempts—
"Damn it," Albert hisses.
Nothing but repeated swings cutting through empty air. His continuous assault has reached its limit.
Leon charges.
"I truly am—"
Leon leaps briefly into the air.
One arm is drawn completely behind his body.
"—worried about him."
The attack is unleashed—
"And there is no point in..."
SWLUUUUUUUUHSHH!
—Avoided.
"...a battle between brothers that only ends in death."
However—
SKAKKK!
Albert steps forward—
"But who is going to stop you from moving according to Johan's will?"
—The distance between them becomes dangerously close.
"What am I supposed to do with you?"
SWLHWHAAHMN!
Albert lowers into a stance. His cane sword swings behind him, preparing to rotate forward in a devastating arc.
Leon freezes in place.
He does not have enough time to step back and defend himself.
Nor can he draw his arm back quickly enough to attack.
"Should I kill you?"
The reach of death now belongs to Albert.
Albert prepares to rotate his body, his blade already moving to carve a straight path toward Leon—the friend who was once like a brother to him.
The attack cannot be avoided.
Leon's death stands directly before him.
"Be that cruel?"
Within a fleeting instant—
Leon furrows his brows. His pupil-less eyes stare sharply at the blade before him.
However—
—Albert leaves the slightest opening within his swing.
And Leon finds an opportunity.
His right arm will not move in time to defend against Albert's incoming slash. His left arm, however, is fast enough to intercept it. Taking advantage of the tiny gap created by the opening in Albert's swing, he acts before the blade can reach him—
"EHMPH?!"
Albert freezes in shock. He grits his teeth and furrows his brows, able only to watch—
CPTKHAAAAAAAHMNH!
Leon releases an explosive burst between them with nothing but his bare hand—
Albert is blasted into the air. The explosive force tears a deep, wide wound across his body.
—A thrust and withdrawal executed within the same instant, creating—
Leon is thrown backward as well, though completely unharmed, his feet skidding across the ground—
—A devastating shockwave erupts between them.
Unlike Leon, Albert is launched skyward by the explosion and struck by the following shockwave—
—Leon has already drawn back his right arm.
CKTKAAKK!
Both feet press firmly into the ground.
CKRTAAAAKTT!
The earth beneath him fractures instantly—
SKHWAAAAAAHMNNH!
He charges directly toward Albert before Albert can even land—
Albert opens his eyes, staring sharply at Leon's face before shifting his gaze toward Leon's hand.
All of Leon's fingers are fully extended as his arm swings from behind his body.
SHLHAAAAAAAAHMNH!
—Continuing its arc before thrusting straight toward Albert's heart—
Albert raises his brows and closes his eyes once more. His cane sword is already moving, ready to collide with Leon's attack, which is now only inches away from piercing his heart—
PKTHAAAAAAAAHMNH!
Albert deflects Leon's strike while Leon lashes against Albert's slash—
Tactile Sense.
—A violent explosion of air erupts, creating yet another shockwave between them.
Through the skin and palms gripping his sword's hilt, Albert feels every vibration and every ounce of pressure.
Albert furrows his brows.
"Adapted?!" he murmurs.
—Both of them are thrown far away from one another.
SKRRSHHHSLSHH—
Their feet drag across the stone pavement of the now completely deserted public area.
Through the sword's hilt, connected to his tactile sense, Albert clearly understands the truth.
The pressure is exactly equal to his own.
"DAMN IT."
Albert has also forgotten Leon's unique fighting technique—the ability to create explosive bursts and secondary shockwaves during close-range combat.
Now, the two of them are evenly matched.
Leon has completely adapted to Albert's attacks.
"Can't you just stop moving and surrender already?"
HLASHHH!
A gentle breeze drifts through the heavy, tense atmosphere.
No expression remains on Leon's face beyond an emotionless stare. His eyes remain fixed on Albert without wavering as he stands firm and motionless.
KRRTK!
Albert tightens his grip around the hilt of his cane sword.
He lifts his head, gazing at the blue sky beyond the clusters of white clouds.
"Huft."
A heavy breath escapes him.
Albert's eyes remain closed as he reflects upon the battle against his own brother—a man far too intelligent and someone he never wished to face like this.
DUK!
Leon begins walking forward, staring sharply at Albert.
"This is incredibly difficult for me, God," Albert murmurs quietly.
DAK!
Leon continues approaching at a slow pace, his breathing slightly heavy.
Albert slowly lowers his head and opens his eyes, looking deeply into Leon's.
Tilting his head slightly, he speaks.
"It is exceedingly difficult to face a genius in any field—especially in a battle like this."