Tamsin had unlocked another ability from his sword—one he usually avoided because of the brutal backlash that followed.
But right now, he had bigger problems. If he didn't act, he wouldn't live long enough to worry about the consequences.
The fiery and icy wings flared out, and with a powerful slap, Tamsin shot forward like a meteor.
Lucius moved too, charging straight at him.
But Lucius didn't know—Tamsin wasn't the only one closing in.
Every astral projection he created was on the move as well, trailing him like mirrored hunters.
Just before they clashed, Tamsin swapped places with one of his astral forms.
In a blink, he appeared behind Lucius and drove into him with a crushing blow that sent sparks flying.
He didn't stop there.
Strike after strike rained down as both of them soared higher into the sky, each hit carrying a burst of heat and frost.
The astral bodies followed close, weaving through the air, ready to join the assault.
But Lucius wasn't down yet. He steadied himself mid-air, his body glowing faintly as qi gathered around him.
A sphere of energy expanded from his chest, pulsing like a living heartbeat—then erupted.
The blast hit Tamsin square, flinging him backward through the clouds.
Both warriors now hovered miles above the battlefield, locked in a deadly sky duel.
Lucius began to fall, his body twisting in the air.
Tamsin, though still conscious, had lost his balance too. His wings flickered under the pressure, sending him tumbling downward—but he wasn't out yet.
Behind him, the astral bodies still hovered.
Seeing Lucius drop toward them, Tamsin smirked. He swapped places with one of his projections mid-descent, then slammed his wings once more.
A burst of fire erupted as he shot forward, wrapped in blazing flames like a comet cutting through the sky.
Lucius caught sight of him and raised his arm, qi surging into his fist. Their paths met.
BOOM!
The collision tore through the clouds with a thunderous crack.
When the light cleared, Tamsin was still midair, his body cocooned by his ice wing. Lucius's punch had been stopped cold—literally.
Steam hissed from the clash, the fire and frost colliding in a swirl of chaos.
Lucius floated back a few feet, unharmed but shaken. Burn marks scarred his sleeves, faint smoke curling from the edges.
"Seems like your clothes aren't as high-grade as they should be," Tamsin said with a crooked grin. "Kinda disappointing for a stage seven warrior."
Lucius growled. "Argh..." He lunged forward, swinging again.
But before his strike landed, one of Tamsin's astral bodies swooped in from the side, grabbing Lucius and yanking him away.
The clone twisted midair and kicked him down with a hard slam.
Another projection joined in, then another—until a swarm of Tamsin's astral selves surrounded Lucius, raining blows from every direction.
Lucius roared in rage. "Enough!"
A blinding flash of qi exploded from his core, bursting outward like a shockwave. The wave tore through the sky, scattering the astral bodies in every direction.
They were all destroyed in that single burst.
Unlike Alex, whose astral bodies were still in their early, unstable form, Tamsin had mastered the art to a much higher degree. As a stage five warrior, his control was sharper, his projections far more tangible.
Each astral body could hit with force, real force—not illusions or shadows. They could also be struck and destroyed, though their durability wasn't limitless. Still, they were dangerous enough in numbers.
And unlike Alex's version, Tamsin's astral bodies didn't vanish if the main body was hit. As long as he had qi to spare, he could keep summoning more. That made him relentless.
The shockwave from Lucius's last attack had driven both of them down to the ground.
Lucius slammed into the frozen earth, snow exploding outward from the impact.
Tamsin landed a few meters away, rolling on one knee before steadying himself.
When he glanced around, he realized where they were—the edge of the battlefield, right at the entrance of the base.
'Damn it… we've drifted too far from the others. That's not good,' he thought, his eyes narrowing.
He needed backup—his siblings most of all—if he had any hope of bringing down a stage seven monster like Lucius.
Lucius straightened, brushing dust and frost from his robes. His expression had hardened, the mockery in his eyes gone. The wind whipped at his cloak as he stared Tamsin down.
"You're no ordinary stage five warrior," Lucius said flatly. "You've earned the right to be called an anomaly."
He took a slow step forward, qi humming in the air around him. "But in the end, your strength won't change a thing."
Lucius raised a hand, gathering light-blue qi that rippled through the snow like heat over fire. His voice dropped low, certain.
"If that's all you've got…" he said, eyes sharp as blades, "then it's time I end this."
Tamsin dropped into a battle stance.
Behind him, his wings shifted. The fire wing flared brighter, spreading like a living blaze, while the ice wing hissed, slowly melting under the heat. Within seconds, both had fused into a single pair of blazing fire wings.
His astral bodies flickered back into view—more this time, their numbers doubled, each one radiating a faint ember glow.
'You think this is all I've got?' Tamsin thought, his gaze cold. 'If I showed you even one percent of my true strength, you'd already be a corpse.'
Lucius surged forward with a burst of qi.
At that same instant, Tamsin planted his feet and thrust both hands forward. His wings snapped open and bent inward—then unleashed a torrent of fire.
The astral bodies mirrored him perfectly. Together, they fired streams of blazing vortexes, all merging at a single point—Lucius.
The impact was deafening. The ground hissed as snow and ice instantly vaporized. Even the steam couldn't last; it burned away under the growing heat.
Lucius stood firm, qi armor blazing around him. The flames didn't break through, but the sheer pressure forced him to a halt.
Then the temperature spiked again. His armor began to hum from the strain.
Qi burst from Lucius in waves, pushing against the heat, trying to reclaim the space around him.
Seeing that, Tamsin moved—fast. He started running in a wide circle, his fiery wings leaving trails of light behind him.
The astral bodies followed, copying his every motion, tightening the fiery ring around Lucius while keeping up their attack.
As Tamsin and his astral bodies circled, they closed in on Lucius. With each round, the flames spiraled faster, tighter, until a blazing tornado roared into the sky.
The heat cracked the air. The ground glowed red beneath the storm of fire. In seconds, the whole area was lit like day.
Far away, Merrick and Gwen saw the glow.
"Is he using the sword that way again?" Gwen asked, worry creeping into her voice. "The last time he tried that—"
Merrick didn't answer right away. His eyes narrowed on the distant pillar of fire.
'Damn it, Tamsin,' he thought. 'What are you planning this time?'
Inside the storm, Tamsin clenched his fists. Sweat sizzled on his skin.
'Can I actually pull this off?' he thought, heart pounding.
BANG!
A massive explosion tore through the fiery tornado. The flames shattered outward, vanishing into the night.
The shockwave sent Tamsin flying. His astral bodies vanished instantly, burned away by the blast.
When the smoke cleared, Lucius was still standing—exactly where he had been.
His clothes were completely gone, burned to ash. He stood there, bare and unbothered. The ground beneath his feet had turned molten, glowing like lava, but he didn't even flinch.
Tamsin hit the dirt hard, rolling across the scorched ground. He pushed himself up, coughing through the heat haze, and let out a long breath.
He'd been blown back far.
"Damn…" he muttered. "He's still standing."
Lucius began walking toward him, each step slow and deliberate. The ground under his bare feet sizzled, steam rising with every stride.
Tamsin groaned as he pushed himself up from the ground. His arms trembled. He wasn't injured—not yet—but his body screamed from exhaustion.
Before he could even steady his breath, Lucius was suddenly beside him. The air cracked as Lucius grabbed his wrist.
"I'm sorry," Lucius said, voice cold. "But I can't let you make another move."
He slammed his forehead into Tamsin's face.
The impact sounded like thunder.
Tamsin's head snapped back as pain exploded through his skull. His vision blurred. The ground vanished under him as he was thrown down hard.
For a moment, everything spun. He could taste iron in his mouth. His mind screamed, Stay awake… stay awake!
'Damn it… that hit's harder than Uncle Peter's strikes,' Tamsin thought, forcing his eyes open.
His sight wavered in and out of focus, his surroundings flickering like a fading flame.
Through the blur, he saw Lucius still standing there—staring at him.
Shock flickered across the man's face.
"You…!" Lucius growled, his tone a mix of disbelief and anger. "How is that possible?"
His voice rose, his qi pulsing with fury.
"You're nothing but a boy!" he shouted.