Klaus raised his blade—black flames clashing against raw explosive force. The impact shook both of them, sand lifting in a ring around their feet.
Then—
"Kaboom."
Another explosion burst between them.
Klaus vanished.
Phantom Step.
He reappeared to the side, cloak trailing like smoke. Rio followed instantly, pivoting mid-motion, his instincts sharp.
He tracks well, Klaus noted.
Rio didn't give space. He pressed forward, swing after swing, each one carrying a delayed explosion. The desert echoed with bursts—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—forcing Klaus to keep moving.
Klaus inhaled once.
Primal Roar.
A silent surge ran through his body. Muscles tightened. Strength rose.
Their next clash cracked louder.
Rio grinned wider. "Now that's better!"
Klaus said nothing.
His eyes shifted.
Eye of the Forsaken.
The world slowed.
Not truly—but enough.
Rio's shoulders, hips, grip—every motion spoke before it happened. Klaus read it, step by step.
Swing—left.
Explosion—delayed.
Follow-up—overhead.
Klaus moved before it came.
Dodge.
Parry.
Step in—
Slash.
A thin line cut across Rio's side.
Rio blinked—then laughed.
"Ha! You're reading me!"
He slammed his blade down.
"KABOOM!"
The explosion forced Klaus back this time, his boots digging into the sand.
He's not holding back.
Klaus exhaled slowly.
Then I won't either.
A faint golden shimmer flickered around him.
Not visible—but spent.
Twenty gold coins spent.
Power of Gold.
His presence sharpened.
Even the air around him felt heavier.
**
From the sidelines—
Madlock frowned slightly. "He's using something..."
Charles' voice was cold. "A reinforcement skill. I don't think it'll be enough."
Shane's eyes narrowed. "He's reacting at the right moment."
Elaine folded her arms. "His timing is… deliberate."
Orlane muttered, "That kid's dangerous."
Hellhound said nothing.
But his eyes didn't blink.
**
Back in the desert—
Rio's grin didn't fade.
Instead—it grew sharper.
"Good! GOOD!"
He rushed again.
Faster now.
Stronger.
Their blades collided again and again, explosions chaining one after another, turning the battlefield into bursts of fire and shockwaves.
Yet—
Klaus kept up.
Barely.
But enough.
He's fast.
Too fast.
Even with Eye of the Forsaken, the strain built.
So Klaus changed approach.
He stepped back—
Raised his hand—
And from the air—
Blades formed.
Black. Sharp. Dozens.
Mindforger.
With a flick—
They launched.
Rio's eyes widened. "Oh!"
He swung wildly, explosions bursting mid-air as he shattered the incoming blades. Sand and fire mixed, vision breaking—
And that was the opening.
Klaus stepped in.
Fast.
Precise.
His sword cut through the chaos—
Then—
A sudden burst of flame ignited near Rio's shoulder—
Not from his blade nor Klaus'.
From him.
The fire twisted mid-air and lunged toward Klaus, fast and violent like a beast snapping its jaws.
Klaus's body reacted first—
But it wasn't sight that warned him.
It was the pulse.
Deep in his chest.
Not his heart.
The curse egg.
It throbbed—sharp and urgent—like something striking from inside.
Move.
Klaus vanished.
Phantom Step.
The flames tore through where he had been, scorching the sand into black glass. Heat chased after him as he reappeared several meters away, cloak snapping behind him.
He steadied his footing, eyes narrowing at Rio.
That wasn't normal.
Inside his chest, the egg pulsed again—slower now—but still… active.
Rio, on the other hand, stood still.
Then slowly tilted his head.
His grin didn't fade.
It deepened.
**
From the sidelines—
"What was that?" one soldier muttered, squinting against the heat shimmer.
"Fire skill?" another guessed, though his tone lacked confidence.
Samantha clicked her tongue, arms crossed tight over her chest. "Tch. That idiot's showing off again." Her voice was sharp, almost bored—but her eyes did not leave the field.
Eason stood still, a faint smile curved his lips.
"Not merely showing off," he said, voice smooth and unhurried. "Revealing, perhaps."
Peter Madlock narrowed his eyes, leaning forward slightly. The wind carried sand past his boots, but he didn't blink.
"That's normal for that fool Rio," he said quietly, "but that Enigma… I feel like his swordsmanship looks familiar."
Samantha's gaze sharpened. She lowered her voice.
"Like Hevert."
The name dropped like a stone.
Charles' head turned first—slow, precise. Madlock followed, both of them staring at her.
Charles spoke, tone cool and measured, every word deliberate.
"Are you suggesting that Enigma is Hevert? That would be… inconsistent with recorded events. Hevert was confirmed dead two years ago."
Madlock didn't look away from Klaus. His brows drew together, memory tightening his expression.
"It was indeed Hevert's swordsmanship," he said. "I fought him many times. I know those movements. The footwork, the timing..."
Samantha exhaled through her nose, unimpressed. She tilted her head slightly toward Eason, who remained silent.
"I never said it was Hevert," she muttered. "Could be someone copying him."
Madlock frowned deeper.
"I don't think someone can do that," he said. "Not to that level."
Samantha shrugged, careless, almost dismissive.
"If you want to believe the dead came back, go ahead. Believe whatever makes you sleep better."
After a brief silence, Eason finally spoke again, tone light but carrying weight beneath it.
"Every assumption you've raised holds a measure of possibility," he said. "After all… no one actually saw his corpse."
That lingered.
Even Samantha didn't reply this time.
One by one, their gazes returned to the desert.
—
Back in the field—
The heat pressed down like a hand. The sand shifted with every step, unstable, dragging at the feet.
Klaus adjusted his stance.
His grip tightened—not by much.
The egg inside him pulsed again.
A dull throb in his chest. Not pain, but presence.
Klaus didn't know what Rio was seeing. There was nothing in front of him—just air, heat, and a man smiling like a lunatic.
But he knew something was there.
Something dangerous.
Something watching.
He exhaled slowly, shoulders loose, blade angled just right. His eyes stayed on Rio, but his attention stretched wider—listening, feeling.
Waiting.
—
Rio rolled his shoulder, casual, like he was warming up for a friendly match.
"You dodged that clean," he said, voice bright with excitement.
He chuckled, low and eager.
"Good. I'd be disappointed if you didn't."
His blade lifted again.
This time, flames didn't burst out. They lingered—thin strands of fire curling along the edge, flickering like they were alive. Not wild.
Waiting.
"Oh, right."
Rio tapped his chest with his thumb, grin widening.
"I forgot to tell you."
Klaus didn't move, but his eyes narrowed just a fraction.
"I'm a curse user."
Klaus let out a quiet breath.
"…Yeah," he said. "I figured something's off."
Rio laughed, loud and unrestrained.
"Off? Nah." He tilted his head, eyes gleaming. "This is normal."
Behind him—
Unseen by everyone else—
The flame serpent-like curse shifted.
Its massive form coiled, scales like burned iron, smoke slipping between its teeth. Its jaws parted slightly, and deep within its throat, embers gathered—glowing, breathing.
Rio's grin sharpened.
"This is just getting started."
Klaus didn't answer.
But the pulse in his chest did.