Lucas froze for a split second. Seeing the knight's face shook him in a way he didn't expect. That hesitation almost cost him everything.
The knight moved.
In an instant, he was already in front of Lucas. A punch shot forward at insane speed. Kart reacted first, pulling Lucas out of the way just in time. The impact landed behind them, and a whole wall exploded like it was made of sand. Stone shattered and dust filled the air.
Lucas landed on his feet, breathing heavier now. His eyes narrowed. There was no hesitation anymore.
"Now."
Lucas rushed from the left. Kart attacked from the right, perfectly in sync. The knight didn't even bother dodging.
Instead, a strange wheel appeared above his head.
It wasn't made of light. It wasn't magic. It was something else entirely.
It started spinning.
Faster.
Faster.
Then the knight moved again.
His speed doubled. No—tripled. His movements became sharper, cleaner, almost unnatural. He struck both Lucas and Kart at the same time with perfect precision.
Lucas managed to block one hit, but the second landed cleanly. A crack echoed through his face as his nose broke instantly, blood spilling down.
Kart was hit next and thrown back, his light flickering weakly.
"Papa…" Kart's voice echoed in Lucas's mind, strained. "I don't feel any Luma from him… not even a trace."
Lucas wiped the blood from his face, eyes locked on the spinning wheel above the knight.
"…Yeah. He's not using Luma."
"But that wheel… what is it?"
Lucas exhaled slowly, forcing his mind to stay calm.
"Not magic. Not Luma."
The wheel kept spinning as the knight's movements grew sharper and more dangerous with every second.
"…It's his own technique."
Kart struggled to rise. "Without Luma?"
Lucas nodded slightly.
"Yeah."
A brief silence followed.
"So what does that mean?" Kart asked.
Lucas's eyes sharpened.
"It means… he built all of this himself."
The knight rushed again. Lucas barely dodged, the pressure of the movement cutting a line across his cheek even without contact.
"…He's a genius," Lucas said quietly.
Kart's light flickered again. "Then how do we beat that?"
Lucas tightened his grip on his sword. He studied the wheel carefully—the rhythm, the spin, the pattern hidden inside it.
"…Simple."
Kart blinked. "What?"
Lucas stepped forward.
"We break it."
Kart forced his flames brighter despite his exhaustion. "How?"
Lucas smirked slightly, blood still dripping from his face.
"Keep up, Kart."
"Okay!"
Lucas dashed forward again, but this time he didn't move fast. He moved deliberately.
The knight reacted instantly, the wheel spinning faster to amplify his speed once more.
That was exactly what Lucas wanted.
He took the hit.
On purpose.
The punch slammed into his shoulder with brutal force, cracking bone, but Lucas didn't stop. He pushed through the pain and closed the distance completely.
The knight finally hesitated.
Lucas grabbed him.
Locked him in place for a fraction of a second.
"Kart—NOW!"
Kart shot forward like a beam of light, not aiming at the knight, but directly above him.
At the wheel.
The knight realized too late.
He twisted his body, trying to react—but it was already over.
Kart collided with the spinning wheel.
For the first time, it shook.
A crack appeared.
Lucas exhaled, blood on his face, a faint smile forming.
"…Got you."