He blurred forward
The gust of wind blew past his face as he ran at unmanageable speed
One destination burned into his mind
Valon
While moving at such speed, his thoughts did not stay still—
Curse you, Nicholas
This was all Nicholas' fault
His obsession with pushing the next generation beyond their limits was nothing short of madness
'I always knew he was a crazed bastard!'
Malix gritted his teeth
'Why do I have to clean up his mess now?'
The more Malix thought about it, the more his blood boiled
He knew it was diabolical
He knew it was stupid
Yet—
He did not stop him
Why?
Because he was his friend
No
'Because I was curious'
'Curious whether Nicholas could achieve the impossible'
A sad smile crept on Malix's face
'Guess I am a crazed bastard too'
*Thump*
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he came to an abrupt halt, dust billowing into the air around him.
For a moment, everything stilled.
Then—
Pain.
Malix dropped to one knee, his hand clutching his chest as something twisted violently inside him. His breath hitched, uneven.
And yet—
A grin spread across his face.
Dark. Crooked.
"Figured it out… huh?"
Malix didn't know who had figured it out, but he knew that whoever it was… was extremely dangerous
Malix didn't know who the person was
Nor did he care who it was
But—
"If that person is a student?"
"...then maybe there's hope for the future after all."
Malix muttered to himself as his dark, crooked smile softened into genuine curiosity
"Achoo!"
Yuta sneezed as fine dust settled irritably in his nose
Scanning his body through hazy vision, realization dawned on him
He was battered
His body was in terrible condition—clearly unfit to keep fighting
Yet—
His opponent had not fallen either
What made it worse was that Slurig didn't have a single scratch on him
Slurig looking hardly different from when the fight began
No injury
Not out of breath
In fact—
He looked disappointed when he found Yuta impaled by a reinforcement bar
Those disdainful eyes bore down on Yuta
'Irritating'
'Disgusting'
That was all Yuta felt as his body itched with disgust under Slurig's gaze
"Luna," Yuta muttered, steadying his breath. "How's the healing?"
A soft voice answered within him.
"You're stable. External injuries are mostly treated… but the internal damage isn't fully healed."
Yuta nodded once.
"That's enough."
A pause.
"…Yeah."
Sitting upright, Yuta surveyed the area.
Seeing only destruction around him, Yuta fixed his gaze up ahead
Sighting Slurig who observed him from afar, Yuta spoke in a calm tone
"Luna remember—don't interfere!"
Silence.
Taking that as his answer, Yuta didn't press further
Stomp.
Footsteps echoed.
Slow. Measured.
Coming straight toward him.
Yuta tightened his grip on his sword, his senses straining—but his condition dulled everything.
He couldn't pinpoint the exact direction.
Not that it matters anyway
Clutching Luna tightly, Yuta fixed his gazed sharply on the figure approaching him from the north
As the figure drew closer, Yuta noticed his unsteady breath.
Noticing it, Yuta calmed his mind down with a single thought
'Victory'
Slowing emerging from the darkness
Slurig.
Unscathed
Perfectly composed
His broadsword was held firmly in his right hand
A faint smirk rested on his lips as he approached
"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes"
Yuta let out a dry laugh as Slurig smirk widened slightly
"Likewise, human"
His gaze swept over Yuta's battered body as Yuta struggled to stand upright
"Though I must admit… you're more durable than I expected."
Slurig said simply acknowledging Yuta
"Thank you very much"
Placing a hand on his hip, Slurig tilted his head with mild amusement
"And yet… you chose to stand still and talk while I approached."
A pause.
"Not very smart of you"
Veins bulged slightly on Yuta's head
'Screw this'
Yuta charged straight at Slurig
"Predictable"
'His bloodlust leaking everywhere'
Yuta launched forward, blade cutting through the air in a swift horizontal arc aimed at Slurig's torso.
"Really predictable"
Slurig adjusted his sword into position, ready to intercept Yuta's attack
But—
Almost like at the last second—
Yuta switched hands
He switched the sword to his other hand, catching Slurig off guard at the last moment
His motion was precise, sharp, unorthodox
Slash!
Gripping the sword with all his might and force
Yuta swung the sword
Curving around Slurig's arm, the sword struck like a serpent
Clank!
Steel met something far tougher than flesh. Sparks burst at the point of contact.
Yuta's eyes widened slightly.
'A shallow cut…?'
A thin line of blood trickled down Slurig's arm—but nothing more.
'You've got to be kidding me…'
Slurig smiled.
That was the only warning Yuta got
Adjusting his feet on the ground, Slurig coated his arm
Swinging his arm fiercely, Slurig punched Yuta straight in the face
BOOM
Slurig's fist slammed into Yuta's face with full force
"Crazy"
Slurig muttered to himself
The impact should have sent Yuta flying
Yet—
Yuta did not move
"?"
"Got you"
Gripping Slurig's wrist, Yuta used Slurig momentum on him
SLAM!
Driving Slurig into the ground, the force of the impact gave way
The earth shattered beneath the impact, dust flying everywhere before settling down
"Luna—return."
A faint glow flickered as Luna vanished from Slurig's shoulder, reappearing instantly in Yuta's grasp.
For a moment—
Slurig lay there, staring up at the ceiling above.
Calm
Unbothered
Observing the stars flickering in the skies
They were eerily beautiful
A hint of satisfaction appeared on Slurig's face
'A worthy opponent'
'A thrilling match'
Slurig's hand clutched his chest, his heart beating unevenly
He did not understand
He did not know what this was
'What was this exhilaration… this bliss in this fight?'
'I want to know more'
A smile tugged at Slurig's lips
'Everything I have asked f—'
"We aren't done"
Yuta's voice cut him off abruptly
Hollow, devoid of emotion as Yuta stood like a hollow shell in front of Slurig
Slurig exhaled
"Yeah"
Letting out a low breath, Yuta muttered to himself
'Luna… forgive me.'
'What are you talking about?'
Luna asked, genuine confusion flickering in her eyes
Yuta stared ahead, his eyes hardened at Slurig
"Soul Chain"