Akito sat on a chair, breathing heavily, his shoulders nearly sinking under the weight of exhaustion.
"I didn't think it would drain me this much…" he muttered. "I really need to upgrade my mana. Without it, I can't support the Guardians properly. Well then… only two left."
His gaze shifted to Arden.
"Get up. It's your turn to reach S-Rank."
The fox squinted, grinned slyly, and stood up without a word.
They were transported to a familiar forest — but today, everything felt different. Towering ahead stood an ancient moss-covered temple, carved from stone, silent and proud, as if it had grown out of the forest itself. Not a soul around. Just the whisper of the wind through the trees.
"Hey, Arden," Akito said, looking at the temple. "You sure you don't wanna use a weapon? I mean… at least for variety?"
"Nothing really suits my fighting style," the fox shrugged. "I prefer my paws."
As they stepped closer, an old man appeared at the entrance. He looked around seventy, with a long white beard and his hands clasped behind his back. But his body looked like it was carved from bronze — sinewy, lean, muscles tightly wrapped beneath weathered skin.
"You came to destroy the temple," the old man spoke calmly, but there was iron in his voice.
"I will not allow it."
A system message blinked in front of Akito's eyes:
[Virgast — Guardian of the Temple]
[Rank: A]
"We'll finish him quickly, and then only Aurelía remains," Akito said, summoning his Chaos Blades. But in the next instant, the system flashed a warning:
[Error: To honor the Memory of the Temple — battle permitted only one-on-one.]
"Hm… guess this is your personal trial," Akito nodded. "All yours, Arden."
"Exactly what I've been waiting for," the fox smirked, stepping forward and taking a stance.
"You fools," the old man muttered. "Thinking you could face me with numbers."
"Save it," Arden snapped — and instantly activated:
[Lapet's Pulse]
A surge of energy engulfed him, boosting his speed fourfold. He lunged forward like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for the chest — but the old man didn't flinch. At the last second, he dodged and struck Arden in the side.
Arden reacted just in time, flipping back into the air.
He hadn't even touched the ground when Virgast vanished — and reappeared directly in front of him. A sharp kick followed. Arden barely blocked it, but the force still hurled him backward.
"What the hell?" he hissed, standing up. "He's moving at the same speed? He… copies?"
Grinding his teeth, Arden dashed forward again — but stopped just before striking, feinting to the side.
[Fang of Deceit]
His target: the left elbow.
The blow landed perfectly, but Virgast was already moving — dodging and countering with the exact same move, hitting Arden's ribs.
Crunch.
Ribs.
Arden crashed into the temple wall, cracking the stone.
"Shit…" he grunted, panting. "He really copies… even my skills…"
He looked at the old man, who remained calm — but his exhale came out sharp and raspy.
Arden grinned, slowly rising.
"So… you can't fight like this for long. Good."
They launched at each other again, and the air filled with thunderous impact.
Their strikes fell like rain, bodies dancing on the edge of visibility.
Each blow echoed through the ancient temple, the very air trembling from the force.
Arden was slightly weaker physically — but made up for it with his mind.
He read his opponent's movements like pages in a book, and step by step, he started forcing Virgast into his pace. Sweat formed on the old man's brow.
"Perfect… He's tiring," Arden thought.
Under the barrage of strikes, the ground cracked, stones split, and dust hung frozen in midair, too afraid to fall between them.
Akito watched from a distance, eyes narrowed.
"He's weaker physically, but…" he muttered,
"Arden is our brain. He analyzes in seconds what others can't figure out in an entire fight."
Meanwhile, Arden intensified his assault. Each hit drove Virgast further back — not quickly, but relentlessly.
"Can't keep up, old man," the fox taunted and feinted with his arm.
Virgast raised a block — but got kicked straight in the beard.
He flew into the air — before he could react, Arden was above him, spinning midair — and smashed him down with a heel kick. The shockwave rippled through the air, heating it from the impact.
Arden landed heavily, wiping blood from his mouth.
"Not much time left… Skill's about to wear off."
He charged in to finish it — but Virgast suddenly waved his hand… into thin air.
"What?! Air? Why—"
Before the thought even finished, a dense shockwave slammed into him, launching him back into the temple wall.
"Fox-man…" Virgast growled, voice echoing like thunder.
"I will not let you destroy the temple. Surrender — and I'll end your pain."
A staff appeared in his hand — carved from blackwood, wrapped in white ribbons. It looked like a sacred relic, yet every swing of it sent shivers down Arden's spine.
The strikes came fast. Sharp. Almost invisible.
Arden dodged, blocked — but he could feel it.
"Too good… My style's too direct…"
Then he saw it.
Every attack was thrown with one hand. The other always guarded the same side.
The fox squinted.
"Time to take a risk."
He leapt back, inhaled deeply — and activated [Lapet's Pulse] again.
Virgast mirrored him immediately — exactly as expected.
They blitzed toward each other, leaving afterflames behind.
At the last possible moment, Arden… let himself get hit.
The blow to his face snapped his head back — but instead of falling, he countered — slamming his fist into Virgast's jaw.
The old man staggered.
[Fang of Deceit] — activated.
Arden struck the staff from his weaker hand, then feinted — aiming low.
Virgast instinctively blocked with his left arm — exactly what Arden wanted.
"You idiot. That's your weakness," he whispered hoarsely.
The staff pierced through his defense, crunching into flesh and bone. Blood sprayed.
Virgast dropped to one knee, gasping.
"I… couldn't protect the temple…" he whispered. And then slowly, his body dissolved into soft light.
Arden stood over him, gasping for air, bloodied, arms trembling.
"You were worthy… but you're the past," he exhaled.
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!