The moment Lunaria moved—
**BOOOOOOM!**
Lightning exploded beneath his feet.
His body shot forward.
In an instant, the distance between them disappeared.
His sword was raised above his head, lightning wrapping around the blade as he descended toward Draven.
At the same time—
Draven moved.
His blood scythe swung upward.
**CLANG—!!**
The two weapons collided.
A violent shockwave erupted between them.
Wind and blood mana exploded outward, sweeping across the battlefield.
Lunaria's body was pushed backward.
Draven didn't move an inch.
He stared at Lunaria through the storm of mana.
"...Too weak."
Lunaria's expression tightened.
Before he could respond—
Sylph suddenly appeared beside him.
"Now!"
A massive blade of wind formed above Draven.
It descended with terrifying speed.
**SHRAAAAAK!**
Draven raised his scythe.
The blade swept upward.
**BOOOOM!**
The enormous wind blade was split apart.
But Raijin was already there.
**KRAAAAK!**
A bolt of lightning descended directly toward Draven's head.
Draven vanished.
The lightning smashed into the ground.
**BOOOOOOM!**
The earth exploded beneath the impact.
Draven emerged from a shadow behind Lunaria.
His scythe was already moving.
Lunaria's eyes widened.
*Behind me—!*
He immediately twisted his body.
**SHHHK!**
The scythe sliced across his chest.
Blood sprayed through the air.
Lunaria was sent flying.
**BOOOOM!**
His body crashed through the remains of a ruined wall.
Draven remained suspended in the air.
"...You're relying too much on them."
His gaze shifted toward the three spirits.
"You summon them every time you're in danger."
His grip tightened around the scythe.
"What happens when you can't?"
Lunaria pushed himself out of the rubble.
The wound across his chest was already beginning to close.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"...Then I'll fight without them."
Draven's eyes narrowed.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Good answer."
Lunaria suddenly disappeared.
**WHOOSH!**
Wind exploded behind him.
His body reappeared directly in front of Draven.
His sword thrust forward.
Draven tilted his head.
The blade passed harmlessly beside his face.
Lunaria twisted his wrist.
The sword immediately changed direction.
Draven raised his scythe.
**CLANG!**
Their weapons locked together.
Lunaria pushed forward.
Lightning surged through his sword.
**KRAK!**
The electricity traveled along the blade and spread across the blood scythe.
Draven's eyes narrowed.
"...Lightning."
His body suddenly flickered.
A shadow spread beneath his feet.
He disappeared.
Lunaria's sword cut through empty air.
Draven appeared above him.
The scythe descended.
**SHRAAAAAK!**
Lunaria raised his sword.
**BOOOOOOM!**
The impact forced him downward.
His body crashed into the ground.
A crater formed beneath him.
Draven descended slowly.
He stared into the crater.
"Is this really all?"
Silence.
Then—
**WHOOOOSH!**
A massive tornado suddenly erupted from inside the crater.
Draven's hair fluttered violently in the raging wind.
His eyes narrowed.
Lunaria emerged from the center of the storm.
His golden eyes burned with determination.
Sylph hovered behind him.
Raijin floated at his other side.
Lunaria raised his sword.
"You want to see what I'm capable of."
Lightning began gathering across the battlefield.
"Then watch carefully."
Both spirits released their power simultaneously.
**BOOOOOOM!**
The sky darkened.
Wind spiraled upward.
Lightning spread across the clouds, gathering around Lunaria like a massive serpent.
Draven looked up.
For the first time—
his smile widened with genuine interest.
"...Now that's more like it."
He lowered his scythe.
Blood began pouring from its blade.
It spread across the ground beneath him.
A massive crimson magic circle slowly formed.
Aldric, watching from a distance with the black cat resting on his shoulder, narrowed his eyes.
*...They're really going all out.*
His gaze shifted toward Draven.
*And that bastard doesn't even look concerned.*
The black cat's purple eyes remained fixed on Draven.
Its ears twitched.
Aldric noticed.
"...You feel it too, don't you?"
The cat remained silent.
Aldric clicked his tongue.
"...Of course."
Above the battlefield—
Lunaria raised his sword.
"Now!"
Sylph moved first.
A colossal torrent of wind descended.
Raijin followed.
**KRAAAAAK!**
Massive bolts of lightning tore through the sky as the wave of wind surged downward.
The attacks converged on Draven.
Draven slowly lifted his scythe.
His crimson eyes gleamed.
"...Come."
The blood beneath his feet suddenly erupted.
**SHRAAAAAK!**
Countless crimson blades shot into the sky.
They collided with the incoming storm.
**BOOM!**
**BOOM!**
**BOOOOOOM!**
The entire battlefield disappeared beneath a massive explosion.
The shockwave spread outward.
Several soldiers watching from afar were forced to shield their faces.
The airships rocked violently in the sky.
Inside one of the command decks—
an officer grabbed the railing.
"What the hell was that?!"
Another officer stared at the readings.
"...The mana output just skyrocketed."
The captain looked toward the battlefield.
His expression became grim.
"Keep your distance."
"...If those two continue fighting like this..."
He stared at the enormous cloud of dust.
"...the entire battlefield could be destroyed."
The dust slowly began clearing.
Everyone waited.
Then—
a figure emerged.
Lunaria.
His clothes were torn.
Blood covered one side of his face.
Yet he was still standing.
His sword remained firmly in his hand.
Across from him—
Draven hovered in the air.
Not a single wound could be seen on his body.
His blood scythe rested against his shoulder.
He smiled.
"...Not bad."
Lunaria's breathing became heavier.
Draven tilted his head.
"But..."
His smile widened.
"...you still haven't made me serious."
The dust continued to settle.
Draven remained suspended in the air, his blood scythe resting casually against his shoulder as he stared down at Lunaria.
For several moments—
neither moved.
Draven's thoughts remained calm.
*...I can't do much with this body.*
His gaze shifted toward his hand.
*But with the amount of mana flowing through me, even simple attacks can become considerably stronger.*
He glanced at the blood scythe.
*Still...*
*This isn't nearly as fun as I expected.*
His expression slowly became indifferent.
*I can't waste any more time.*
Draven lowered the scythe.
"...What should I do?"
He tilted his head.
"...I guess I'll kill you first."
His crimson eyes sharpened.
"Then I'll deal with everything else."
Lunaria immediately raised his sword.
"I'm not done yet."
His golden eyes burned with determination.
"I'll kill you."
Draven stared at him.
Then—
Lunaria continued.
"...As for my orders—"
Draven interrupted him.
"You don't have much mana left."
His gaze shifted toward the spirits.
"After summoning two Great Spirits..."
"...how much do you think you have remaining?"
Lunaria's expression tightened.
Draven smiled.
"So what's your plan?"
Silence.
Lunaria remained silent.
Draven's eyes narrowed.
"Spirit possession, is that it?"
Lunaria glanced toward the spirits.
Then—
his eyes hardened.
Sylph immediately understood.
She moved closer.
But before she could do anything—
Draven suddenly froze.
His eyes shifted downward.
"...Huh?"
He stared at his own hand.
A faint tremor ran through his fingers.
His expression changed slightly.
*...What is this?*
He clenched his fist.
The mana inside his body suddenly became unstable.
*...My control is weakening.*
His eyes narrowed.
*I guess I pushed it too far.*
He could feel the newly created mana pool struggling to contain the enormous amount of energy he had forced through it.
*The pool is still too new.*
*It was only just created.*
*I can't keep forcing this much mana through it.*
Lunaria noticed the change immediately.
"...Something's happening to you."
Draven looked toward him.
"Yeah."
He flexed his fingers again.
The flow of mana became increasingly difficult to control.
"...Seems like I won't be able to use magic anymore."
Lunaria's eyes narrowed.
"I expected this."
Draven tilted his head.
"You did?"
"You suddenly gained this much power."
Lunaria tightened his grip around his sword.
"It was obvious you wouldn't be able to maintain it forever."
Draven stared at him.
A faint smile appeared.
"So that's what you were waiting for."
"...You were waiting for me to weaken."
Lunaria didn't answer.
His silence was enough.
Draven chuckled.
"...How predictable."
His eyes shifted toward Sylph.
"I thought your little show would never end."
Sylph suddenly began fading.
Her body transformed into streams of wind before disappearing completely.
The battlefield became quieter.
Only Raijin remained beside Lunaria.
Lunaria looked toward the remaining spirit.
"Raijin."
Lightning immediately gathered around the spirit.
"Grant me your blessing."
Raijin smiled.
"As you wish."
**KRAAAAAAK!**
Lightning exploded outward.
It wrapped around Lunaria's body.
Golden-white lightning formed armor across his limbs.
It covered his chest.
His shoulders.
His arms.
Electricity constantly surged across the armor.
His sword became completely enveloped in lightning.
The pressure around him suddenly increased.
Lunaria raised his blade.
His golden eyes locked onto Draven.
"You'll die."
Draven stared at him.
Then—
he laughed softly.
"...How predictable."
He rolled his shoulder.
"So your little show isn't ending after all."
Lunaria's expression remained cold.
"Those will be your last words."
Draven's smile widened.
"I don't need magic to kill you."
He tightened his grip around the blood scythe.
"But..."
His eyes gleamed.
"...you'd better make this fun."
For a moment—
the battlefield became completely silent.
Then—
**BOOOOOOM!**
The earth beneath both of them exploded.
Lunaria shot forward like lightning.
Draven launched himself toward him at the same time.
**KRAAAAAK!**
Lightning and crimson mana collided.
Their weapons swung toward each other.
**CLAAAAANG—!!**
The impact shook the battlefield.
Neither retreated.
Lunaria pushed forward.
Draven's scythe held against the lightning-coated sword.
Their eyes met.
Lunaria gritted his teeth.
Draven smiled.
"...Now."
His body suddenly shifted.
"...Let's make this interesting."