The silence shattered.
**BOOM!!**
The ground beneath Draven and Aldric exploded simultaneously.
One crimson streak.
Then another.
They shot forward from opposite directions.
The distance between them vanished almost instantly.
Aldric's massive poleaxe descended first.
Draven's black blade followed.
One from above.
One from the side.
A perfectly timed pincer attack.
Lunaria remained perfectly still.
Only his fingers moved.
The surrounding air suddenly compressed.
Not into blades.
Not into shields.
The wind condensed into a rapidly rotating sphere no larger than a person.
It spun with such terrifying speed that the surrounding space itself seemed to distort.
The air screamed.
**WHOOOOOOOM!!**
Aldric's poleaxe struck first.
**BOOOOOOM!!**
The spinning current absorbed the impact.
The massive blade sank into the violent vortex—
only for the overwhelming rotational force to seize it, dragging the weapon violently off course.
Aldric's muscles tightened.
Veins bulged beneath his skin.
"...Hah!"
His grin widened.
Crimson mana erupted from his body.
The poleaxe forced itself forward.
Little by little—
it carved through the raging current.
"...If this is all you've got at this distance..."
His fangs flashed.
"...Then you're dying here!"
With a thunderous roar—
the poleaxe split the vortex apart.
The compressed wind burst outward in every direction.
At that exact moment—
Draven arrived.
His black blade pierced through the collapsing currents.
Straight toward Lunaria's neck.
The elf finally moved.
His foot shifted half a step.
His body turned ever so slightly.
The blade missed by mere centimeters.
Its edge sliced cleanly through several strands of silver hair.
Without the slightest hesitation—
Lunaria raised two fingers.
The wind behind Draven suddenly compressed into a tiny, shimmering point.
For the briefest instant—
everything became unnaturally still.
Then—
it erupted.
A concentrated blast of compressed atmosphere detonated at point-blank range.
**BOOOOM!!**
The explosion struck Draven squarely in the back, piercing straight through his body.
His body lurched forward uncontrollably.
He crashed directly toward Lunaria.
The elf calmly drove his knee upward.
**CRACK!!**
It slammed into Draven's ribs.
Several bones shattered instantly.
Before Draven could be launched away—
his crimson eyes flashed.
His left hand shot forward.
Grabbing Lunaria's wrist.
The elf's expression shifted ever so slightly.
For the first time—
his attack had failed to create distance.
Draven refused to let go.
His grip tightened like iron.
The gaping wound through his torso was already knitting itself back together.
Muscle reformed.
Bone snapped back into place.
Flesh regenerated with horrifying speed.
Ignoring the pain entirely—
he swung his black blade again.
At point-blank range.
The surrounding wind surged once more.
Lunaria's bow shifted.
Without the slightest hesitation—
the elegant weapon folded inward.
Wood twisted.
Runes rotated.
The bowstring dissolved into emerald light.
A heartbeat later—
a slender longsword rested in his hand.
Its hilt remained wood.
Its blade—
wasn't steel.
It was condensed wind mana.
Compressed until it resembled translucent emerald crystal.
The air surrounding its edge rippled continuously, as though reality itself struggled to contain its pressure.
The instant it formed—
it disappeared.
**WHOOSH!!**
An emerald flash appeared beside Draven's head.
The blade had already reached his neck.
Then—
**CLANG!!**
A crimson poleaxe intercepted it.
Emerald and crimson mana exploded outward in a violent shower of sparks.
Aldric's grin widened.
"...The hell?"
"You think I'm just gonna stand there?"
With a violent shove—
he forced the sword aside.
At that exact instant—
Draven's black blade continued its path.
Straight toward Lunaria's chest.
Lunaria calmly released his sword with one hand.
His free palm opened.
The surrounding air compressed.
Layer upon layer.
Denser.
Heavier.
Then—
it detonated.
**BOOOOOOM!!**
A circular burst of compressed wind erupted from his body.
The violent shockwave exploded outward.
Draven and Aldric were both blasted backward.
The force carved deep trenches through the shattered earth as they were hurled away.
Both twisted their bodies in midair.
Then—
they planted their feet.
**BOOM!!**
The ground fractured beneath them.
Stone shattered.
The earth buckled.
They skidded several more meters—
before finally grinding to a stop.
Silence.
Dust drifted slowly between the three figures.
The battlefield became eerily still.
Draven straightened first.
His crimson eyes never left Lunaria.
The massive hole that had been blasted through his torso had already vanished.
Not a scar remained.
Only the shredded remains of his coat bore any evidence that he had ever been wounded.
Beside him—
Aldric rested the massive poleaxe across one shoulder.
"...Not bad."
His grin never faded.
"But you're annoying."
Across from them—
Lunaria stood exactly where he had before.
Not a single step out of place.
His silver hair drifted gently in the night breeze.
The emerald sword rested loosely in one hand.
Its translucent blade hummed softly.
Streams of wind continuously spiraled around its edge.
Behind him—
the spirit watched quietly.
Her faint smile hadn't changed.
Lunaria's calm gaze settled upon the two vampires.
"...You've adapted quickly."
His voice remained perfectly even.
Then—
his eyes shifted toward Draven.
"...No."
"...You've adapted quickly."
Draven slowly raised his black blade.
"...You're talking too much."
A faint crimson glow began gathering along the edge of his sword.
The surrounding air trembled beneath its pressure.
Beside him—
Aldric rolled his neck.
Several loud cracks echoed through the battlefield.
"...He finally said something I agree with."
Crimson mana surged around the massive poleaxe once more.
The shattered forest trembled.
The broken earth groaned beneath the overwhelming pressure.
The three stood facing one another—
none willing to yield.
None willing to retreat.
Then—
they vanished once again.
**BOOOOOOM!!**