Leon closed the distance quickly, keeping the fire spear aligned with his movement as the concentrated heat at its tip slightly distorted the air. Talis didn't retreat immediately; he simply raised his hand, causing the surrounding water to organize into several thin layers that moved as the attack approached, forming a defense strong enough to halt the advance.
"Water Barrier"
"Piercing Spear"
The spear pierced the first layer, evaporating part of it, lost strength in the second, and was deflected by the third, forcing Leon to rotate his body to maintain the flow of the attack and continue pressing forward without losing balance. At that same moment, Talis responded by compressing the water around Leon's body and releasing dense blades from different directions, forcing constant movement.
"Charged Impulse"
Leon managed to avoid most of them with short movements, using his charged impulse differently than when he used it in his real body, but one of the blades struck his side, opening a cut that was immediately cauterized by the heat surrounding his body. Without breaking rhythm, he swung the spear in a horizontal arc, releasing a thermal wave that destabilized the remaining attacks and advanced toward his opponent.
Talis's defense reacted before impact, the surrounding water condensing into a dense mass that absorbed part of the force and reduced the reach of the blow. Even so, the heat partially broke through and struck his shoulder, burning the surface of his skin before regeneration took effect.
'Water Healing'
The water moved quickly to cover the affected area, stabilizing the damage within seconds, while Leon had already resumed pressure without giving space. He began using the spear not only as a ranged weapon but also in direct combat, trying to maintain constant proximity, while Talis avoided frontal confrontations, repositioning with the aid of water and redirecting attacks to limit any prolonged approach. Control over the environment became more evident, as liquid structures appeared and disappeared continuously, making it difficult to maintain a stable rhythm of attack.
[This person is very strong, are you sure you don't recognize them from Leon's memories?]
'I really don't remember him.'
The battle intensified as Leon increased the heat around his body, reducing the effectiveness of nearby water and forcing Talis to spend more mana to maintain environmental control, while Talis expanded his affinity by pulling more water from the sea and compressing it into denser forms, making his attacks heavier and harder to dissipate with Leon's fire.
"Disruption Wave"
A column of water rose beneath Leon, trying to destabilize him, but he reacted quickly, using the spear as support to maintain balance before launching himself forward again, cutting through the formation.
This movement created a small opening that Talis exploited, concentrating water around his arm and launching a direct strike at Leon's torso. Leon took the impact partially, being pushed back as the force pierced his defense and affected his breathing for a moment. Even so, he remained steady and resumed advancing by planting the spear into the ground and using it to propel himself forward before his opponent could capitalize on the advantage.
"Fire Spear"
Creating another spear in his hand, he swung downward, which Talis managed to dodge. With an open palm, Talis struck Leon's chin, forcing his body upward, but as he rose, Leon used that impact to spin backward and land a kick on Talis's chin. Both spat blood onto the ground before starting another sequence of attacks. Leon used his fire spear to inflict cuts on his opponent's body while receiving deep cuts from blades that appeared at precise moments whenever he dodged one of Talis's strikes.
[This fight is harder than I thought, he doesn't even appear in the story.]
'I think so too. If he's this strong, why didn't he show up to help save this world?'
Seeing the state of his body, Leon adjusted his stance slightly. With all that exchange of blows, the accumulation of damage began to favor Talis, since Leon, by maintaining a more aggressive style, was hit more frequently, while the other avoided direct exposure whenever possible.
'He must have a title, so I should hold mine until my opponent uses his.'
Leon maintained the rhythm and executed an upward movement with the spear, concentrating fire at the tip and releasing an explosion upon impact with the water mage's defense. Talis raised a water barrier, but this time the force was greater, partially breaking the defense and striking his body, launching him backward before he could stabilize. Regeneration activated again, but more slowly than before—something that didn't go unnoticed.
"Piercing Spear"
Leon immediately reduced the distance, preventing full recovery and maintaining pressure with a direct strike that was barely dodged, creating a momentary opening.
Talis tried to create distance, but Leon closed it again without allowing repositioning, temporarily abandoning the spear's range to use his own body and deliver a direct punch with his fist engulfed in flames and a large amount of mana.
"CC Impact"
The surrounding water tried to react, but the impact landed before the defense could fully form, striking Talis's face and forcing his head to the side with enough force to compromise his structure. The reaction was immediate—water enveloped his head and stabilized the damage before it became critical, but the effect of the blow was still evident.
[Dammit, just a little more strength and you would've done it.]
'Tsk… water mages are always troublesome.'
[But you're a water mage too… at least in Enrico's body.]
For a brief moment, Talis remained still while regeneration worked, though incompletely, and when he looked back at Leon, his expression was no longer the same as before. A dark smile appeared on his face.
"Hehehehe."
Leon tried to continue the pressure, but this time the response came faster. The surrounding water expanded aggressively, not just as defense but as a simultaneous attack, with multiple compressed currents emerging at once and striking Leon from different directions, completely limiting his movement space. The impacts began to accumulate—first hitting his side, then his back, and finally his front, interrupting any attempt to maintain the advance.
"Gahh."
Leon spat blood as he was pushed backward. Talis took a few steps forward, maintaining constant control over the surrounding water, his eyes fixed on Leon while his expression remained altered after the blow he had received earlier.
"As I thought… only you can be my rival."