The very fabric of space-time bent around these beasts.
Before them even space itself knelt.
Space Manipulation.
[Haidoro]: Range Shiftling, Speed.
[Griho]: Manifestation, Speed.
Range Shiftling is a domain-like technique that applies the user's enhancement or ability within a chosen range.
Manifestation, however, is different.
It has no range.
The enhancement applies directly to the user regardless of distance.
The range Haidoro had chosen for his Range Shiftling was one light-year.
Their fists clashed.
Then they disappeared.
The ground below was obliterated.
Griho found himself airborne.
Haidoro immediately saw the opportunity.
Already capable of manipulating space, Haidoro shortened the distance between them in an instant and fired a highly concentrated magma beam.
Little did he know Griho had played this game countless times before.
The magma beam struck Haidoro's own neck.
Griho had completely redirected the attack.
Haidoro leapt backward as his wound rapidly healed.
[Haidoro]: Not bad. As one should expect from a General.
Haidoro said while forming a series of hand signs.
[Haidoro]: Let's see if you can withstand my next attack.
Griho remained silent.
He knew exactly how treacherous Haidoro could be.
[Haidoro]: Range Shiftling, Pointus Apparatus.
The battle changed entirely.
A Range Shiftling developed by Haidoro with Grahan's assistance.
A technique that had originally belonged to Grandor before Grahan stole it upon her death by using his abilities on Planet Asen.
Thousands of vines burst from the ground, charging straight toward Griho.
The spatial barrier that had protected him until now was pierced.
Yet only a single vine managed to wound the Marshal.
Every other vine crumbled into dust before reaching him.
A shallow slash appeared across his arm.
Nothing more.
The vines instantly glowed crimson.
Heat spread through them until they resembled burning iron.
From every direction...
...they rushed toward Griho.
With a powerful burst, Griho launched himself away from the battlefield.
He had no perfect counter to this Range Shiftling...
...or perhaps he possessed one he simply wasn't willing to reveal.
Either way he intended to exploit the opening.
Before Haidoro could react...
Griho teleported behind him.
A concentrated water beam shot directly toward Haidoro's head.
The attack struck.
Part of Haidoro's brain was damaged.
But it wasn't enough.
His body immediately began regenerating.
At the same time the burning vines wrapped around Griho.
[Haidoro]: That was a close call.
Haidoro coated his fists with Dark Energy Reserves.
One devastating punch sent Griho flying beyond the effective range of Pointus Apparatus.
Griho (thinking): I see...This Range Shiftling doesn't isolate its target from the outside world. It lacks dimensional manifestation.
Realizing its weakness Griho calmly stood back up.
Pointus Apparatus disappeared.
Haidoro slowly walked toward him.
[Haidoro]: Range Shiftling, Impact Override.
Griho narrowed his eyes.
He knew this technique well.
A Range Shiftling that steadily increased the probability of landing attacks...
...while amplifying the damage dealt with every successful hit.
[Griho]: In that case...I'll fight at my very best. Range Shiftling...
Those words stunned Haidoro.
Pratik and the others watching from their mothership froze in disbelief.
Even Grahan, observing from his own spacecraft, widened his eyes.
The Sorcerer Hunter Marshal...was using Sorcery?
And not just Sorcery...but an advanced technique like Range Shiftling.
How had he learned it?
[Griho]: Range Shiftling, Reversal.
The moment those words left his mouth...
...he lunged toward Haidoro.
Haidoro underestimated the technique.
He charged forward without hesitation.
It became the biggest mistake of the battle.
He landed a devastating strike on Griho.
No.
The damage reversed itself...
...and struck Haidoro instead.
Reversal reflected every attack back to its original owner.
Troublesome?
No.
That wasn't even the true danger.
Griho immediately began pummeling Haidoro with relentless punches.
Now...
...this was the real threat.
Impact Override should have strengthened Haidoro with every successful strike.
Each hit should have made the next one even stronger.
Instead...
Griho's Range Shiftling reversed the very effect of Impact Override itself.
Meaning...
Every blow Haidoro received continued growing stronger and stronger.
Within only a few punches...
...blood poured from Haidoro's mouth.
At that moment...
...everyone finally understood why Hunter Marshal Griho was feared.
With one final punch...
...Haidoro was knocked unconscious.
The impact shattered the atmosphere itself.
The clouds vanished.
The sky cleared.
The ground below ceased to exist.
Just as Griho prepared to deliver the finishing blow...
...a mysterious attack slammed into him, sending him flying.
Far away...
Grahan simply giggled while sitting upon his throne aboard his spacecraft.
Everyone finally realized it.
Grahan had been influencing the battle from the very beginning.
He had distorted everyone's perception from the start.
This battle...
...had never truly been one against one.
Griho rose back to his feet.
His wounds regenerated.
Haidoro slowly regained consciousness.
[Haidoro]: That was helpful, Grahan.
[Grahan]: Praise me more.
The two exchanged words through telepathy.
[Griho]: Was that... some kind of illusion?
What exactly was that?
Before Griho could fully process what had happened...
...his Range Shiftling shattered.
A magma beam pierced straight through his torso...
...blasting it apart.
Haidoro reverted from his Dragoling Beast Form to his regular Dragoling form, now matching the Marshal's size.
Griho immediately noticed something.
His regeneration...
...had slowed considerably.
Inside the mothership...
Pratik stared at the battlefield with widened eyes.
He had realized what had actually happened.
Before he could even speak—
[Grimori]: You're right, Pratik.
Grimori announced.
[Grimori]: Grahan can temporarily transfer his abilities to Haidoro. It was Grahan's adaptability that Haidoro used against Griho. This battle was never one against one. It was always two against one.
[Pratik]: Haidoro used Grahan's unknown ability to injure Griho while simultaneously bringing himself back to consciousness. That same ability most likely shattered Griho's Range Shiftling as well.
[Kel]: Grahan has been manipulating everyone's perception from the very beginning...which is why none of us noticed it sooner.
[Mala]: What a filthy trick.
Everyone silently gulped.
His reasoning was completely sound.
This fight had never been fair.
And now...
Hunter Marshal had lost one of his greatest advantages.
Was he defeated?
Haidoro smirked.
Just then—
He suddenly coughed blood.
[Haidoro]: What is this?
The smile vanished from Grahan's face.
His expression turned bitter.
[Griho]: Seems like...you still can't heal your brain completely.
Yes.
Earlier...
Hunter Marshal had damaged Haidoro's brain with that redirected water beam.
The consequences of that wound had finally begun to surface.
The Marshal wasn't the only one who had been deceived.
Blood trickled from Griho's eyes.
Even so...
...he uttered words that stunned everyone.
[Griho]: Range Shiftling...Reversal.
To be continued...