"Until one of us dies....." Alex whispered as he raised his head, a crazy grin on his face, "no one is leaving this domain."
"Shit....." Arin cursed, his gaze darting around at the Fire Swords that surrounded him.
Alex's grin widened as he waved his Staff. Instantly.....
The Fire Swords surged forward, their blazing forms cutting through the air like meteors descending from the heavens.
Arin channeled his Mana, his instincts sharper than ever. He stomped his right foot on the ground.
Walls of water erupted around him in an instant, one to each side and another behind him, their liquid surfaces shimmering as if alive. Steam hissed and crackled as the Fire Swords crashed into the Water Walls.
Arin stood in the center, his eyes narrowing as he saw cracks forming on the barrier to his right.
'Damn it,' he thought, his brows furrowed . 'His Mana is stronger—his spells are stronger. I can't win in a direct clash of Magic.'
"You won't be able to hold on for long!" Alex taunted, his voice dripping with arrogance. "But maybe if you tell me why you want to kill me so badly, we can strike a deal."
"Tch....." Arin clicked his tongue, ignoring Alex's words as he poured more Mana into reinforcing the crumbling barriers.
The relentless assault of Fire Swords was unrelenting. More cracks appeared as the steam thickened, obscuring his vision.
Suddenly, new sounds echoed from Alex's position.
Arin's eyes narrowed. 'He's creating more Fire Swords.'
His mind raced. Then, an idea struck. His pupils flashed purple, his Mana surging in response.
"That'll work," Seraphine's voice chimed in his mind.
In one decisive motion, Arin dropped his Water Wall Spell.
The shimmering barriers vanished instantly, leaving him exposed to the incoming storm of flames.
Alex blinked in surprise. "What is he planning?"
Wasting no time, Alex flicked his fingers, commanding the Fire Swords to attack.
The Fire Swords sliced through the air, their fiery edges glowing fiercely.
A wave of purple Energy erupted from Arin, rippling outward like a storm. The Fire Swords faltered mid-flight. Some collided with one another, exploding into bursts of flame, while others veered off course and crashed harmlessly into the ground.
Some still came for Arin, but his enhanced reflexes allowed him to dodge them with precision.
Several swords, however, turned back, streaking toward Alex. His eyes widened in shock as he hastily canceled the Spell, causing the remaining swords to disintegrate.
Arin noticed something else. The flames of the Ring of Fire surrounding them flickered erratically, parts of it even extinguishing entirely.
Seizing the opportunity, Arin bolted out of the weakened ring, his movements a blur.
'I remember what he said about no one leaving this domain,' Arin thought. 'If I hadn't used the Arcane Chaos Spell, I'd have been trapped for sure.'
If Arin tried to leave the Ring of Fire when he had not used the Arcane Chaos Spell, there was a high probability that something would have happened.
Alex's expression darkened as he observed Arin. 'He's disrupting my spells again. That power is strange, and I can't seem to use 'that' Spell to block it.'
Arin wasted no time. The moment he escaped the ring, he lunged toward Alex, both swords ready and gleaming with intent.
Alex raised his Staff, summoning fireballs that hovered ominously above him.
The fireballs hurtled toward Arin, but his Arcane Chaos Spell disrupted their trajectory. The fiery orbs veered wildly—some exploded mid-air, others spiraled away harmlessly.
Even so, Alex wasn't done. He stretched out his hand, summoning five Flame Lions that roared as they leaped toward Arin.
The Arcane Chaos Spell struck again. Two of the Flame Lions turned back, charging at Alex. Another froze in place, confused. One darted off in a random direction, leaving only one Flame Lion to continue its assault on Arin.
Arin didn't slow. He gripped his swords tightly, his muscles coiled with power.
As the remaining Flame Lion lunged, he leaped into the air, as he changed his grip, now holding both swords like daggers.
The Flame Lion exploded into embers as Arin struck with precision. The force propelled him toward Alex, who gripped his Staff like a weapon.
Sparks flew as Arin's sword clashed against Alex's Staff.
Without wasting time, Arin used his sword that was still on Alex's Staff as a leverage, as he flipped behind him.
But Alex was ready this time.
"That trick won't work again!" Alex roared, absorbing the sound of the clash to enhance his speed. In a blur, he spun, swinging his Staff with deadly force.
Arin ducked just in time, avoiding the strike.
He whispered, his voice like a chilling promise. "But it won't be the same as the others, because....."
Arin suddenly raised his right leg that was brimming with Blood Energy, as a smirk appeared on his face.
His kick connected with Alex's stomach, sending him hurtling through the air.
Alex smashed through three trees before collapsing on the ground, blood trailing from his mouth.
Arin stood still, observing his opponent. "Seraphine, you're right. He really is letting himself get hit."
Arin knew that there were many powerful Spells that Alex had, but he still hasn't used them for some reason. And there was also a certain Element that he hadn't used at all.
Alex staggered to his feet, his chuckle low and eerie. "Finally... Finally...."
But in that same moment, Arin witnessed it....
The bruises and scratches on Alex's body suddenly began healing at rapid pace, but that wasn't the most surprising thing.
A dark Aura suddenly began enveloping him, from his head to toes. His blue hair suddenly had streaks of black, and his eyes turned completely black.
More changes were still taking place, but Alex suddenly whispered...
"Finally.... Finally...."
He stopped for some seconds as he looked at Arin, and a scary grin appeared on his face. His eyes glinting with a dangerous Aura.
"Finally... I can use this..."
He began walking forward, his gaze focused on Arin.
"Be honoured... Because you'll be one of the few people who'll have a taste of this power...."
In that moment, a single thought surfaced in Arin's mind. 'So that's what he has been hiding all these while....'
'This is bad.... real bad.'