Kaelus slowly rose to his feet. Dust slid from his clothes as he looked toward Var. His grip tightened around Tempest.
"Rotating Wind."
The air around him suddenly began to spin.
One. Two. Five. Then dozens of enormous wind spirals formed throughout the sky.
Each rotated at tremendous speed, creating a high-pitched roar that echoed across the barren land. Kaelus thrust his hand forward.
"Go!"
The rotating winds shot toward Var. The first one struck his barrier. BOOM! The barrier held. For a moment.
Then the rotating wind continued spinning against its surface. Crack. The barrier fractured. Crack! The entire barrier shattered apart. Var immediately raised his sword. Slash! The remaining rotating winds were sliced apart one after another.
Before the final fragments could disappear Kaelus appeared at Var's flank. Tempest swept diagonally upward. Var's sword hand was still raised.
Kaelus smiled. He thought he had found an opening but Var simply raised his left hand. His index finger touched the blade. Tap. Tempest stopped. Kaelus' eyes widened. Then he smiled.
His body disappeared. Wind. The real Kaelus was already above Var. He descended from behind with an axe kick aimed directly at Var's shoulder.
BOOM! The impact kicked up a massive cloud of dust.
When it cleared Var stood completely unharmed.
He slowly glanced over his shoulder.
"Very good."
Kaelus landed several meters away. Var continued.
"But are you prepared for what the opponent will do next?"
Var suddenly drove his sword into the ground. Kaelus immediately pushed himself backward. He flipped through the air. His feet were about to touch the ground Var was already standing directly in front of him.
Smiling. His fist shot forward.
Kaelus' eyes widened. At the final instant his body became wind. He vanished from the punch and reappeared beside Var. His right leg swept toward Var's head.
Var caught his foot.
"Seal."
A strange force surged through Kaelus.
Var spun him around and threw him forward. Kaelus hit the ground and rolled several times before jumping back onto his feet. He immediately tried to summon wind. Nothing happened. His expression changed.
"…My powers."
Var looked at him.
"Sealed."
Kaelus stared at his hands. Var continued.
"What will you do when your opponent changes tactics…and brings you into their world?"
Kaelus slowly raised his head. His expression became serious. He lowered himself into a fighting stance.
"I'd still fight."
Then he dashed forward and Var met him. The two collided. No magic, wind or divine techniques only physical combat. Kaelus threw a straight punch.
Var shifted his head slightly to the side. The fist passed his cheek. Var countered with a short palm strike. Kaelus turned his shoulder and let the strike pass.
He stepped forward and threw a left hook. Var raised his forearm. Block. Kaelus immediately followed with a right elbow. Var leaned backward. The elbow passed inches from his chest.
Kaelus stepped through and attempted a knee. Var lowered his stance and redirected the knee with his palm. Kaelus spun with the momentum. His heel swept toward Var's head. Var ducked.
Kaelus planted his foot and immediately threw another punch and Var slipped outside the attack. Kaelus followed with another and then another. Var continued moving….slight step, shoulder rotation and small lean.
Every attack missed. Kaelus attempted to trap him against the imaginary boundary of the battlefield.
He moved forward aggressively. Jab. Cross. Hook. Low kick. Elbow. Knee and a barrage of attacks. Var avoided each one. Kaelus suddenly changed rhythm.
He stepped backward. Then exploded forward again his right fist shot toward Var's face. Var tilted his head and Kaelus' fist passed. Var attempted to counter. Kaelus ducked beneath the strike and moved around him.
For a brief moment, Kaelus found himself behind Var. He threw a punch toward his back and Var turned. Their fists passed each other. Kaelus immediately rotated and attacked again. Var continued to evade.
Not once did Kaelus land a clean strike. Yet he refused to stop. His movements became faster. More precise. He began reading Var's shoulders. His hips.M, feet and breathing.
Every tiny movement.
Finally Var punched toward him and Kaelus reacted. He rotated both hands around Var's arm and guided the punch toward the left. Then Kaelus raised his right foot. A kick shot toward Var. Var calmly used his left hand to block it. Both fighters froze for a moment.
Var smiled.
"Let's stop here."
Kaelus lowered his leg.
"It will soon be nightfall."
Var sheathed his sword.
"You are a good combatant, Kaelus. You have the potential to become a warrior of the Great Worlds."
He nodded.
"You can already use soul power in your wind magic, so you have passed this stage and your battle IQ is also excellent."
Kaelus respectfully bowed.
"Thank you for your guidance, Instructor."
Var smiled.
"No problem."
The seal disappeared. Kaelus immediately held out his right hand.
Tempest flew through the air and landed perfectly in his grasp. He rested it over his shoulder before walking back toward the others. Rein laughed.
"You hit him only once and it caused no damage."
Kaelus glared.
"Shut up."
Darius smiled.
"Don't worry about it, bro. You did good."
Stellar suddenly opened her eyes. She sat upright.
"What did I miss?"
Alucard looked at Kaelus.
"Nothing much. It's just that Kaelus also lost."
Kaelus immediately pointed at him.
"Don't say it like that!"
He walked over and sat down with a sigh.
Eryndor smiled.
"Good work, bro. We've definitely gotten way more powerful than we were a few years ago."
Kaelus smiled.
"Yeah."
He looked down at Tempest.
"I think I also figured out how to coat Tempest in soul power."
Rein stood.
"Well, I'll go next."
He rolled his shoulders.
"I want to try out something."
He cracked his neck. Then began walking toward Var. Rein stopped before him. He bowed respectfully.
"Please enlighten me, Instructor. I have a few things I want to try out."
Var nodded.
"Since your weapon is your fists…I will practice with you in that way."
Rein smiled. His soul power erupted and Dominion energy followed.
Golden energy began radiating from his body. The atmosphere changed. Var lowered his stance. Rein disappeared and dashed toward Var.
His right fist drove forward. Var raised his left palm and the fist stopped against his hand. BOOM! The area behind Var shattered from the force alone.
Rein immediately threw another punch. Then another and another. Var blocked some. He weaved around others. Rein's fists continued raining forward. Suddenly….
"Stop."
The world changed within a certain radius the wind stopped. The air became completely still. Var stopped moving as well. His eyes narrowed.
Inside his mind, a thought emerged.
"This is the power of the Dominion God.…The power to command existence"
But…Var released his soul power and an invisible force spread outward. The command shattered and the wind began moving again.
Var looked toward Rein.
"A master of soul power can break your command."
Rein's eyes narrowed.
"So that's how it is…"
He clenched his fist.
"But if my soul power is like my will…"
His golden aura intensified.
"…which is, of course, unbreakable…"
He smiled.
"Can it not amplify my ability?"
Var smiled.
"It can. Isn't that what you came to find out?"