The impact against the tunnel was still kicking up dust when Reivrt finished regaining his balance. His gaze immediately locked onto Leon, who advanced calmly through the destroyed space, walking through the debris as if nothing there could stop him. The mana pressure in the environment had completely changed, becoming denser and more unstable, making it clear that this wasn't just a surprise attack, but a planned execution.
'He really betrayed us?'
Reivrt adjusted his stance and released his own mana, causing the ground around him to begin deforming. The stone grew heavier, more humid, until it took on the consistency of thick mud that spread across the area. He knew he couldn't face Leon directly—not in this situation—so he needed to use his affinity to the fullest to create a favorable battlefield. At the same time, a growing irritation filled his thoughts, not because of the fight itself, but because of how everything had unfolded.
"Why did you do this?"
Leon didn't stop advancing. His expression remained unchanged as the mana around his body began to concentrate, making the fire spear stronger than before. A red pulse caused the air to vibrate, burning the atmosphere.
"Simple. It's because you betrayed the prince."
Reivrt frowned slightly upon hearing that, but didn't step back. Instead, the terrain expanded even more, creating a space that could give him some advantage against his opponent.
"What do you mean by that? You betrayed him too."
"That was just a stupid test."
The answer came without any change in tone, as if it were obvious. Reivrt didn't respond immediately, but his mana intensified. The mud around him began to move more aggressively, forming irregular elevations and unstable zones that would make any direct advance difficult. At the same time, he retreated a few meters, keeping distance while observing Leon's movements more carefully. The difference in power between them was clear. Leon was a rank 10 mage, while Reivrt stood at the peak of rank 9. Even being one of the strongest among the councilors, there was still a gap that couldn't be ignored. That's why he wouldn't try to confront him head-on.
"You know, I have a lot of dirt on you—"
"I don't care."
Leon moved in a single motion, throwing the fire spear in a straight line, forcing Reivrt to shift to the side. The mud beneath his feet moved quickly, helping him evade, but the heat of the attack still struck part of the ground, evaporating the moisture and hardening sections of the terrain. Without pause, Leon created another spear, this time closing the distance as he attacked in sequence, forcing Reivrt to stay in constant motion.
"Damn, I need to find a way to escape."
Reivrt responded by raising walls of mud in front of him, trying to block the direct attacks. The first structure resisted the impact, but the second was partially destroyed by the intensity of the fire. He then changed his strategy, making the mud move around Leon, trying to restrict his movement and trap his feet for brief moments.
'I got him.'
For a moment, the attempt worked. The mud closed around Leon's legs, but the response came immediately. The temperature around his body rose rapidly, and the mud itself began to dry and crack, completely losing its effectiveness.
'I'll have to try another way.'
Reivrt retreated again, preventing Leon from getting too close. He knew any mistake at that moment could lead to his death, so he had to focus completely. Instead of trying to restrain Leon directly, he began using indirect attacks, launching compressed masses of mud at high speed, aiming for blind spots or forcing openings.
"What useless tricks, Reivrt."
Leon dodged with minimal movements, sometimes blocking with the spear itself, other times simply repositioning before impact. Even under constant pressure, he showed no real difficulty dealing with the attacks.
"At this level, you still wanted to be the chief councilor?"
"Shut up."
Reivrt began using more power, and the fight spread through the underground. The walls were already cracking, and parts of the ceiling had collapsed from the accumulated impacts. With every exchange, the environment became more unstable, making it even harder to control the battle for someone who relied on the terrain as an advantage. Reivrt realized this and attempted one last change. Instead of keeping the mud spread out, he concentrated everything into a single point, creating a dense and heavy mass that surged directly toward Leon, trying to crush him with brute force.
'This might be my only chance.'
Leon didn't retreat when he saw it. He knew it was just a desperate attempt—after all, a rank 9 couldn't defeat him. The spear in his hand changed, the fire intensified and began to stretch around the weapon, as if compressed into a single direction. At the same time, his speed increased, rapidly closing the distance between them. Reivrt tried to adjust his attack's trajectory to strike Leon, but it was too late.
"Lion King's Spear."
Leon spun his body and struck with the spear, releasing all the accumulated energy in a single slash. This was the second strongest spell of the original Leon, and the surrounding structure couldn't withstand it. The strike carved through the underground, cutting walls, columns, and any obstacle in its path. The mud was completely split apart, losing form before it could even reach its target. Reivrt tried to retreat, but the speed of the attack didn't allow it. The slash hit him directly, breaking through his defense and throwing his body into what remained of the structure behind him.
"That's one down. Now only you're left."
The silence that followed Leon's words was brief, interrupted only by the sound of falling debris and earth collapsing in parts of the tunnel. Leon stood still for a moment, observing the result of the attack, before turning his gaze toward the councilor who had been thrown on top of Reivrt.
"Stop pretending to be weak, spy of the Virellyn kingdom."
The councilor didn't move, appearing unconscious, but upon sensing danger, he pushed himself up with his hand, managing to dodge a fire spear that embedded itself into the ground below. In the air, the mage looked visibly surprised as sweat ran down his face.
"What do you mean by that, Lord—"
"Stop pretending, Reiligh, rank 10 wind spirit mage… you know, your title is way too long."
Reiligh narrowed his eyes for a moment before placing his hand over his face. All the wounds on his body healed, and through his fingers he looked at Leon as if he were a greater threat than he had anticipated.
"Alright… now I've really been caught off guard."