The second stage began without announcement.
The Fourth General did not advance immediately. He adjusted his stance, shifting his body weight in an almost imperceptible way. The difference was in the intent.
Before, he was evaluating.
Now, he would execute.
I took a deep breath and planted my feet firmly on the ground marked by the red circle. The energy around was stable, but denser. The fortress reacted to the rhythm of the fight, as if it were an extension of his will.
He attacked.
There was no visible preparation. Just a direct movement, clean and far too fast to be ordinary. I blocked by instinct, but the impact passed through my partial guard and forced my arm back.
He didn't stop.
He rotated the blade and brought it down with horizontal force. I stepped back and narrowly dodged. The wall behind me absorbed the strike, but the entire structure vibrated.
It was restrained force.
Controlled.
I advanced to close the distance. If I allowed him to dictate the rhythm, I would always be one step behind. I launched three consecutive attacks, seeking to vary angle and speed.
He blocked two.
On the third, he only deflected enough for my blade to graze his armor.
No deep cut.
But real contact.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You learn fast."
"You talk too much."
He attacked again.
This time, the impact was frontal. The blades clashed at the center of the circle. The energy beneath our feet reacted with a pulse that ran through the hall.
Behind the side barriers, I heard the distant sound of another clash. Rai'kanna shouted something I couldn't distinguish. Scarlet responded with the metallic sound of a blade cutting through air.
They were occupied.
I needed to be as well.
The General advanced with a short, precise sequence. These were not wide strikes. They were calculated cuts meant to test my defense at specific points.
The fourth strike found a minimal opening and hit my left shoulder.
Not deep.
But enough to break my stability for a second.
He took advantage.
He kicked my torso and threw me several meters back.
I rolled on the ground and stood up immediately.
He did not pursue right away.
He simply observed.
"You do not show fear."
"It doesn't help."
"It helps you survive."
He was right.
But fear there would only create hesitation.
I needed clarity.
I adjusted my grip on the sword and advanced again, this time completely changing the rhythm. I reduced my speed, forcing him to recalculate his response time.
He noticed, but did not retreat.
The blades crossed again.
This time, I maintained continuous pressure, pushing him step by step out of the center of the circle.
He reacted with a sudden increase in strength.
The ground beneath our feet gave slightly.
The structure of the fortress responded, channeling energy directly to him.
I felt it.
It was as if the very construction was sustaining his movements.
"You depend on this," I said.
"I use what I built."
He rotated his body and delivered the heaviest downward strike so far.
I blocked with both hands.
The impact reverberated through my arms and hit my chest like an invisible wave.
For a second, my vision wavered.
He advanced to finish.
I dodged sideways and counterattacked with concentrated momentum.
My blade met the side of his armor and opened a real cut this time.
Not deep enough to be decisive.
But enough to prove he was not untouchable.
A dark line formed beneath the cracked metal.
He looked at his own flank.
Then at me.
No irritation.
No exaggerated surprise.
Only confirmation.
"So that's how it is."
The energy in the hall changed again.
Not explosive.
But rising.
He raised his free hand and the red circle on the ground intensified its glow.
The pressure in the environment increased.
Not physical.
Internal.
The mana felt heavier, demanding more effort for each movement.
He was amplifying the field.
The fortress was not just a base.
It was an extension of the battle.
If I remained there for too long, he would have a natural advantage.
I needed to reduce the environment's influence.
I advanced before he could complete any greater channeling.
I attacked directly at his torso, forcing interruption.
He blocked, but the concentration broke for a moment.
I took advantage and spun, delivering an upward strike.
The blade scraped along his jaw, tearing away part of the protection.
For the first time, I saw a different expression.
Not pain.
But true focus.
He advanced with greater intensity.
The next clash was more violent.
The blades crossed repeatedly in a short interval.
Each impact reverberated through the hall.
The fortress began to show fine cracks in the side walls.
Not collapse.
But wear.
Behind the barrier to the right, I heard Liriel invoking purification on a controlled scale.
She was interfering with the connection between the core and the General.
It was risky.
But necessary.
He noticed as well.
"They are trying to weaken the base."
"Yes."
"That will cost them dearly."
"Not for me."
He intensified his attack.
A lateral strike hit my defense and threw me against the edge of the barrier.
The vibrating energy ran through my back.
Before I could recover my stance, he appeared in front of me with a movement too fast to follow visually.
The strike came diagonally.
I blocked by instinct.
The force was enough to drive me to my knees for a second.
He brought his face close to mine.
"You've come far."
"Not far enough."
I pushed upward with all the strength I had at that moment, breaking contact.
I stepped back three steps and took a deep breath.
The hall was more unstable now.
The side barriers trembled.
The parallel clashes intensified.
He was also feeling external pressure.
Not just me.
It was a contest of endurance.
Not just strength.
He raised his blade again.
"You know this is still restraint."
"Then stop holding back."
A brief silence.
He nodded.
The energy around him began to condense.
Not dispersed.
Compact.
As if it were reducing the space between us.
I felt the increase in density.
The next stage was about to begin.
The external war continued.
My companions were holding their opponents.
The fortress was under tension.
And there, at the center of the red circle, the true confrontation finally ceased to be a measurement.
He advanced with speed greater than any previous movement.
And I responded in the same instant.
The next clash was not just sound.
It was rupture.
The ground beneath our feet partially gave way.
The energy of the circle burst upward like a concentrated column.
The side barrier to the left shattered under external impact.
The battle had surpassed the limit of containment.
And now, there was no more room for calculation.
Only result.
I steadied the sword before me.
He did the same.
The definitive encounter had begun.