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Ghaib whispered to himself, his eyes burning with fervor, He is terrifyingly strong. I must be cautious, or I will find myself in real trouble. He raised his hand with cold precision, pointing his index finger toward Shikar. "Do you think you've accomplished something worth mentioning? You have severed nothing more than a tool. True, my demon, Zarkath, cannot recover his arm now, but in any other battle, it would regenerate as if nothing had happened. The demons of the Six Shadows are merely instruments in their user's hands."
Shikar looked at him and erupted into mocking laughter. "Then I shall have to reduce him to a pile of ash entirely." Shikar's gaze at that moment was the very embodiment of terror.
Ghaib muttered in frustration, "What an arrogant fool." Then, a mysterious smile crept across his face as he looked at Zarkath. Suddenly, in a fraction of a second, they surged together with terrifying speed toward Shikar. Shikar braced for the collision. Zarkath attacked with his blade, but Shikar parried him with legendary steadiness. Ghaib gave him no chance to breathe; he lunged from a blind angle, unleashing a powerful punch coated in dense energy toward Shikar's chest. Shikar did not flinch; instead, a fleeting smile touched his lips. With a hand engulfed in energy, he gripped Ghaib's fist with a force that shook the ground. Simultaneously, he delivered a brutal kick to Zarkath's ribs, hurling him into a building like a destructive cannonball.
While Shikar still held Ghaib's hand, he raised his sword to settle the matter with a decisive blow. Terror seized Ghaib's eyes, and he screamed in his mind, No! In a desperate move, he unleashed hundreds of slashing blades from his hand, which tore at Shikar's hand and forced him to loosen his grip. Ghaib aimed his other hand at the sword, releasing massive, cutting waves of energy. Shikar's blade collided with the explosive wave, triggering a terrifying detonation that shook the very foundations of the place, throwing both of them in opposite directions toward the shattered ruins.
As Ghaib plummeted through the air, his eyes flashed with a treacherous glint. This is my chance. He threw his arms wide, unleashing hundreds of slashing blades once more, and coated his feet in energy, rebounding off a wall like an arrow, launching himself toward Shikar.
On the other side, Shikar was falling amidst the debris. He quickly raised his gaze toward the descending blades and lifted his sword to defend, but here lay the surprise: Ghaib had exploited Shikar's distraction and arrived with lightning speed, delivering a devastating punch with his full weight into Shikar's chest. The latter slammed into the ground with such force that it created a violent shockwave. Ghaib landed steadily, his mocking laughter growing louder as he stared at the impact site. "I will turn you into ash! It seems you are the one who will meet his end before you can do that!"
At that moment, the ground behind Ghaib split open, and a circle of shadows appeared. Zarkath emerged with heavy steps, approaching his master in terror amidst the rising dust.
A terrifying, calm voice emerged. "This is nothing."
The dust cleared to reveal Shikar standing tall, blood covering every inch of his body, leaning on his sword. His eyes were glowing, crimson red. He repeated in a low voice, "This is nothing."
Ghaib's blood froze in his veins, and he whispered to himself, terror gnawing at his heart, He is unaffected? Is this thing before me human, or a monster?
Shikar straightened his posture and said coldly, "This is nothing. I will tell you one thing..." He paused for a moment—a pause long enough to turn the hunter into the prey. As his energy surged with madness, he continued, "You have wasted your only chance, Ghaib."
Shikar raised his blade and pointed it directly at Ghaib's heart. "Prepare to become the prey."