Before the dust could settle, Rhino charged.
His hammer returned to his hand as he rushed toward Pascal, who was struggling to pull himself out of the rubble.
Rhino leapt into the air, raising his weapon above his head.
"STAY DOWN!"
He brought the hammer crashing down.
BOOM!
The impact shook the entire arena. A powerful shockwave swept across the ground, shattering the remaining walls and splitting the stone floor beneath them.
The ground gave way.
Both fighters plunged into the underground chamber hidden beneath the arena, a vast, dungeon-like space buried deep below the castle.
Dust filled the air as chunks of broken stone continued falling from above.
Rhino landed heavily, gripping his hammer with both hands. He slowly scanned the ruins, waiting for any sign of movement.
Then a figure emerged from the dust.
Pascal stood upright, casually brushing debris from his clothes.
Despite the devastating attack, his body appeared completely unharmed.
Rhino's eyes widened.
What the hell? I know that attack landed. No ordinary human could survive a blow like that.
Pascal glanced at him with a mocking smile.
"I told you, Rhino. This place is perfect for a funeral."
He dusted off his shoulder before spreading his arms.
"You should be proud. Forcing me to reveal my bloodline ability is no small achievement."
A low chuckle escaped his throat before gradually turning into loud laughter.
"Hahahahaha. I'll give you that, Rhino. You're one of the strongest Special Darkside Knights I've encountered. You're nothing like that coward Exca."
His smile widened.
"Then again, I can't really blame him. Three against one? Even he knew when to retreat. A wise coward, if you ask me."
Rhino tightened his grip around his hammer.
"Keep talking, you bastard."
Dark Renshi spread across the weapon as he hurled it toward Pascal with tremendous force.
Pascal barely moved.
"The same trick twice? You're getting predictable, Rhino."
But just before the hammer reached him, the weapon split into two.
Its halves veered away from Pascal, passing on either side of him before circling back toward Rhino.
Pascal's smirk disappeared.
"What was that?"
Rhino extended both arms and caught the returning weapons, one in each hand.
"You've underestimated me, Pascal. That arrogance will be your downfall."
Pascal glanced between the two hammers, suspicion creeping into his expression.
"Why throw them at me if you weren't trying to hit me?"
"Hmph. Be grateful I didn't."
Rhino raised both weapons.
"The Twin Hammers only awaken when they reach a certain speed. My first throw wasn't fast enough, so I had to complete the process down here."
The hammers began vibrating in his hands. Black Renshi gathered around their heads, forming a dark aura that pulsed with each movement.
Rhino's expression grew serious.
"Now we're getting started. Pascal, this fight ends when one of us dies."
The Renshi surrounding Rhino suddenly intensified.
His enormous body began to contract, shrinking slightly as the armor covering him adjusted to his new form. The two hammers also decreased in size, becoming more compact and easier to wield.
Each weapon now fit perfectly in one hand, allowing Rhino to move with greater speed.
"Not bad, weakling. I knew choosing you was the right decision."
Pascal raised both hands.
Renshi gathered around his palms, gradually taking the shape of two long swords. Their blades shimmered and shifted like grains of sand moving across a desert.
Rhino narrowed his eyes.
"So, you've finally decided to stop hiding behind those tricks."
Pascal laughed.
"There's no point hiding anything anymore. Allow me to introduce you to the bloodline that's kept me alive for centuries."
He spread his arms, allowing the sand-like blades to catch the dim light.
"The Desert Wolve Bloodline."
Rhino's expression hardened.
The Desert Wolve Bloodline possessed a terrifying form of nullification. Whenever its user was struck by a physical attack, the affected part of their body could turn into sand, allowing them to avoid fatal damage before regenerating.
Its first phase, known as Desert Defense, was a passive ability that made its users incredibly difficult to kill.
Pascal smiled as he began explaining.
"Like other bloodline users, I advance through the Five Phases of the Chronicles."
"Phase One: Desert Defense. My body turns into sand when struck, allowing me to recover from injuries that would otherwise be fatal."
"Phase Two: Wolve Strike. I gain access to more powerful offensive abilities through the Desert Wolve Bloodline."
"Phase Three: Desert Arena. My bloodline's power expands, giving me greater control over the battlefield."
"Phase Four: Ultimate Wolve. The spirit of the Wolve fully manifests within me. Only a handful of people in history have ever reached this stage."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Phase Five: Desert Domain. My power expands into a devastating domain that draws upon the natural sands of the world."
Pascal chuckled.
"My ultimate bloodline technique is my phase of the Chronicles. Funny, isn't it?"
His final phase was comparable to Sasaki's domain, although their powers came from entirely different sources. Pascal drew upon the natural sands of the world, while Sasaki created his tornadoes entirely through his own Renshi.
Rhino tightened his grip on the Twin Hammers.
"So, your body turns into sand whenever you take a hit. No wonder you survived that attack."
Pascal's smile widened.
"Now you're starting to understand."
He lowered his stance, holding one sword forward while keeping the other close to his body.
"Unfortunately, understanding my ability won't help you win."
Rhino raised his hammers.
"Let's find out."
Pascal moved first.
He rushed forward, swinging his right sword toward Rhino's neck.
Rhino raised his left hammer to block.
CLANG!
The impact knocked Pascal's blade away from its target. Before he could recover, Rhino swung his second hammer toward his ribs.
Pascal twisted aside, but the weapon caught his shoulder.
CRACK!
His shoulder burst into sand.
Rather than retreating, however, Pascal used the momentum to spin around Rhino's side, bringing his remaining sword toward the gap beneath his arm.
Rhino quickly pulled his elbow inward.
The blade scraped against his armor, sending sparks into the air.
Rhino retaliated with a short, powerful swing.
His hammer struck Pascal squarely in the head.
CRACK!
Pascal's head exploded into a cloud of sand.
The scattered grains began gathering together, gradually rebuilding his head until his face returned to normal.
He rolled his neck and grinned.
"That was a good hit. Do you have anything stronger?"
Rhino's expression darkened.
So that's how he survived my earlier attacks. His bloodline turns the parts of his body that get hit into sand, preventing the damage from becoming fatal.
He tightened his grip on the Twin Hammers.
Damn weirdo. If every attack I land ends the same way, I'll have to find another way to put him down.
Pascal suddenly lunged again.
His twin swords flashed toward Rhino in quick succession, one aimed at his chest and the other at his thigh.
Rhino blocked the first with his hammer and shifted his leg away from the second. He immediately countered with a strike toward Pascal's torso.
Pascal twisted, allowing the hammer to catch his side.
His body partially dissolved into sand, but the force still sent him stumbling backward.
Before Rhino could follow up, Pascal regained his footing and slashed at his opponent's arm.
Rhino blocked with his second hammer, but the impact forced him to take a step back.
Pascal pressed forward, alternating between high and low attacks to prevent Rhino from settling into a rhythm.
His weapons were powerful, but his bloodline made every successful hit difficult to turn into a decisive victory.
"You see, Rhino?" Pascal taunted, crossing his swords before him. "You can hit me as many times as you like, but unless you find a way around my Desert Defense, you're just wasting your strength."
Rhino lowered his stance, watching Pascal carefully.