Kaito steadied his breathing as the glow from the regeneration potion spread through his body. The burn of the abyssal erosion still lingered in his veins, but he forced his mind to ignore the pain. The Queen loomed before him, her black robes rippling with the energy of the abyss, her staff pulsing like a heart of shadow.
only a heartbeat before Kaito burst forward once more. His boots hammered the marble, Wind Veil Steps and Mana Steps propelling him across the distance like a streak of lightning. His Solstice Blade flared, flames wrapping around its edge as he swung down in a sweeping arc.
The Queen raised her staff and answered. A wall of black water rose before her, shimmering like liquid glass. Kaito's blade cut into it, sparks bursting as fire clashed against corrupted water. The flames hissed, then shattered the defense, spraying droplets across the room that steamed as they struck the floor corroding it.
He pushed through the spray, slashing again. Sword shadows flickered from every angle, his strikes relentless. The Queen lifted her staff, deflecting with bursts of gray earth that hardened into rock shields, each one breaking apart under the pressure of his attacks.
Then she struck back. Abyssal energy swelled at the tip of her staff before exploding into a barrage of silver-red lightning bolts. They crashed down from the high ceiling, splitting the air with deafening cracks.
Kaito twisted aside, dodging two. The third caught him across the shoulder, the impact numbing his arm and forcing him to skid sideways. His HP ticked downward, the pain biting into his body. He rolled with the momentum and steadied his stance, eyes sharpening as he shot forward again.
He cut in close, his sword carving a blazing crescent. The strike tore through her robe and seared her arm, leaving a line of smoke trailing upward. Her health bar dipped, dropping by thousands.
But before he could follow through, the Queen's staff pulsed again. White frost surged outward in a wave, shards of frozen air spreading like needles. Kaito raised his blade and slashed across, breaking apart the front of the spell, but the edges still caught him. Ice burned against his skin as his HP ticked lower once more.
He gritted his teeth and countered with Flame Arc Slash, the fiery arc cutting through the mist of frost and forcing the Queen backward on her throne.
The battle did not slow. She immediately chanted again, black flames sparking to life. Unlike normal fire, these burned with a cold intensity, the blue hue of their abyssal core making the air ripple. She swung her staff, and the flames surged toward him like a tidal wave.
Kaito dashed sideways, mana surging through his steps. He launched himself onto one of the pillars with Razor Claw, then dove down from above, his blade igniting with the fury of Odin's Wrath's lingering lightning. He struck from the air, crashing down at the Queen with a heavy blow. The impact rang through the hall, sparks exploding as her barrier cracked beneath the force.
Her HP bar flickered, now hovering at eighty-five percent.
But she was not careless. She raised her staff, and green light swept across her body. The wounds from his strike closed, and her bar ticked upward slowly. She had cast Heal, the abyssal version glowing with an eerie, unnatural light.
Kaito's lips pressed together as he thought sharply. He could not allow her time. Every second she gained would be converted into health. He darted forward again, pressing the attack with relentless strikes. His sword blurred, striking high, low, and to the sides. Sparks burst with every clash, his movements unceasing.
The Queen met him spell for spell. Silver-red lightning coiled around her staff and blasted outward, forcing him to leap aside. Black water whips lashed across the floor, slicing deep scars into the marble. Gray spikes of earth erupted beneath his feet, forcing him to move constantly.
One spike caught him as he shifted too late. The blow slammed into his side and threw him off balance. His HP bar dropped another chunk, falling dangerously low. His breathing grew heavier, his chest aching as pain pulsed through his ribs.
He quickly pulled another Minor Regeneration Potion from his belt and drank. The slow recovery trickled through him, keeping his health from falling further even as blood dripped down his side. He did not wait for full recovery as there was no time. He lunged again, his steps leaving sparks in his wake.
Kaito slashed across her barrier, his blade biting deeper each time. The Queen answered with necromancy. Abyssal energy pooled around her feet, twisting into skeletal arms that clawed upward. They reached for him with bone fingers, snapping shut with suffocating strength.
He struck them apart, his sword flashing through one, then another, sparks flying as the claws crumbled into dust. But even as he cut them, more formed. It was endless.
He shot forward with Wind Veil Steps, bypassing the crawling arms, and struck directly at the Queen's torso. His blade slashed across, searing through her robe and burning her flesh once more. The impact forced her backward, cracks spreading along the throne.
Her HP bar dipped again, falling to only 80%,
Yet his was still unstable, the regeneration potion only just keeping him above danger. He could feel his arms growing heavier, the pain from each wound weighing him down. But his eyes burned with resolve. He would not stop.
The Queen lifted her staff and unleashed another barrage. This time the air filled with black water spears, dozens of them, each one tipped with abyssal light. They streaked toward him in a storm.
Kaito twisted, dodged, slashed, and spun, but several pierced through. One struck his leg, another his shoulder, and a third grazed across his ribs. His HP dipped low again, his body staggering from the impact.
He clenched his teeth, forcing his body to move even as pain rang through him. He swung his blade in a wide arc, releasing another Flame Arc Slash. The burning crescent cut through the incoming spears, clearing his path.
The clash continued. Neither side held back. The Queen's spells filled the chamber with colorless fire, silver lightning, black water, gray earth, and white frost. Each carried the cold, corrupting power of the abyss, twisting the throne room into a storm of unnatural elements.
Kaito's blade answered every spell. He dodged with Mana Steps, countered with his sword arts, and struck whenever he saw an opening. Sparks and flames lit the chamber, filling it with the sounds of crashing steel and exploding magic.
The fight dragged on, balanced and brutal. Her health bar fell bit by bit, forced down by his relentless pressure. His HP bar danced on the edge of danger, kept alive only by the steady glow of regeneration potions.
When the dust finally settled after another furious exchange, both of them stood panting. The marble around them was shattered, the throne cracked, the pillars scarred.
The Queen's HP hovered just above 70%. Kaito's health had risen again from his potion, but the fatigue in his body was heavy.
Still, his eyes burned with determination. He steadied his sword, mana flaring around his body once more. The battle was far from over.