The fracturite teleported behind him, its movements so fast it looked like a shadow bending against the air itself. Its elbow strike sliced forward, cutting through the silence with a crack that seemed to shatter the atmosphere.
Renzo spun in a split-second reaction, crossing his arms in front of his face to block—
BOOOM!
The impact detonated against him like a thunderclap. His body was launched like a cannonball, ripping across the ground with unstoppable momentum. Dust and shattered stones exploded outward, trailing him like smoke from a falling meteor. His body ploughed a deep trench into the dungeon floor before colliding against a jagged boulder. The rock fractured on impact, splitting apart as if it couldn't withstand the raw force transferred through Renzo's body.
Renzo staggered, coughing violently as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. His trademark smirk trembled but never fully vanished. Instead, his eyes gleamed brighter, fiercer—burning with the stubborn defiance that refused to die down.
"You damn fracto," Renzo snarled, voice heavy with aggression.
"It's fracturite, not fracto," Drevyn corrected flatly, like a teacher scolding a student in the middle of chaos.
"Shut up!" Renzo barked, veins pulsing on his neck. "I'll beat his ass up!"
Kaelion narrowed his eyes, watching silently. "You know the game is about to get dangerous," he muttered under his breath. "Renzo only gets this angry when it's life or death."
He exhaled slowly, a calm before his storm. "Maybe it's time for me to climb too… and take my first step toward becoming the greatest swordsman."
With that declaration, Kaelion's hand rose, and a surge of darkness spiraled in his palm. The shadows coalesced, forming a blade, a sword—jet black, menacing, radiating a pressure that made the very air vibrate. He held the sword forward, his eyes locked on his reflection.
"So, we should start with a single sword then." His voice dropped to a low growl. "Yo, you're my copy, huh? Let's see what you've got."
The fracturite paused its watch on Renzo's brawl. Its head tilted slowly, the crackling aura around its body distorting the wind. For a heartbeat, silence drowned the battlefield—broken only by the distant sound of debris crumbling.
Then—
FLASHHH!
Kaelion and the fracturite disappeared in an instant, their bodies blurring into streaks of light.
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!
They reappeared midair, blades clashing with ear-splitting force. Sparks ignited, scattering across the dungeon like miniature stars. Each strike carried killing intent, and each parry teetered on the razor edge of death.
"Pretty fast, huh," Kaelion smirked mid-clash, the pressure forcing his hair and cloak to whip around wildly.
In response, the fracturite raised its hand. From thin air, a sword materialized—cold, sharp, and brimming with energy identical to Kaelion's.
"So you're serious now." Kaelion's tone darkened, a thrill in his voice.
The replica blurred, swinging its blade downward at blinding speed toward Kaelion's skull. Kaelion shifted, barely evading as the strike carved the air with a screech.
"Tsk." His tongue clicked in irritation.
He spun on his heel and drove a crushing horizontal kick into the fracturite's torso. The creature was flung back, crashing into the distance. Kaelion didn't hesitate—he bent his legs, muscles coiling like springs, then launched himself with an explosive dash.
"Vertical Cut!" His voice echoed like a war cry. His body spun, sword tracing a deadly vertical arc through the air.
The fracturite raised its own blade, steel colliding in a booming shockwave. The impact forced Kaelion back, sliding across the ground. The replica twisted unnaturally, its body bending sideways in a whip-like motion as it swung a kick toward Kaelion's ribs.
Kaelion ducked low, catching its leg midair. With a sudden twist, he spun the fracturite overhead and hurled it into the ground.
His sword rose. His aura surged.
"One Sword Style!"
The air thickened around him, trembling under the weight of his killing intent. He dashed forward with monstrous speed, the ground cracking under his feet. His sword began to glow—not just a faint shimmer, but a violent blaze of light.
Drevyn's eyes widened. "His sword… it's growing. The blade—it's expanding!"
The weapon lengthened, the steel humming with energy. A red pattern carved itself into the center of the blade, while its edges flared with searing yellow light.
Kaelion roared: "Luminous Flash!"
He cleaved the fracturite in a blur of brilliance—one strike, then another, then another. Five consecutive slashes erupted like a storm, each impact releasing shockwaves that shook the dungeon walls.
Blood stained his lip, but he smirked coldly. "You thought a blade would let you beat me? You may be my copy… but I am Kaelion."
Before the fracturite could recover, another voice cut through.
"Oii, fracto!" Renzo shouted, his grin returning. "Did you forget about me? The game isn't over yet!"
He appeared overhead in a flash, leg cocked. His heel slammed down—
THRASHHH!
The fracturite barely budged. Renzo gritted his teeth and unleashed a barrage of punches into its stomach, each one cracking the air. But the creature blocked every single strike with infuriating ease, as if swatting away pebbles.
Then, with a chilling fluidity, the fracturite spun—its leg snapping in a perfect 360 arc. The kick smashed into Renzo's face, launching him across the battlefield.
Renzo growled, wiping blood. "Tch… Ground Flip!"
He plunged his fists into the earth. The ground split with a deafening rumble, veins of energy crawling outward as his muscles bulged. With a roar, he ripped a massive slab of rock free—so large it darkened the chamber.
"Do it, Drevyn!" he shouted.
Drevyn placed his palms on the colossal stone. Flames crept out, glowing hotter and hotter until the rock itself began to seethe red, cracks forming across its surface.
Renzo hurled the blazing boulder at the fracturite with all his might.
Kaelion raised a brow. "That thing's already too strong. What's a rock gonna do?"
The fracturite sneered—then threw a fist into the incoming stone.
BOOOOOOOM!
The world shook. A fiery explosion erupted, flames swallowing the battlefield in a blinding inferno. Shards of molten stone whirled through the air, the ground glowing from the heat. When the smoke cleared—the fracturite lay broken. Defeated.
Kaelion blinked in disbelief. "Woah, woah! How the hell did you two do that?! Renzo, your dedication is insane!"
Drevyn brushed off his hands calmly. "I infused my flame elementrix into the rock itself. When the fracturite struck it, the contained energy detonated."
Renzo grinned, hands on his hips. "So? How was my plan?"
Kaelion chuckled, shaking his head. "Not bad. Better than usual. But…" His eyes narrowed, shifting to the side. "We've still got two fracturites left."
Drevyn nodded, his tone sharpening. "Then let's finish this."
But before any of them could move—
They froze.
Something impossible had appeared before them. Something that made even Kaelion's confident smirk vanish.
All three of them stood shocked, staring at the unexpected horror.
Episode 26 Ends — To Be Continued…