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The storm raged.
Not like natural water currents—
But something controlled.
Something alive.
Arman stood at its center, unmoving, as if the chaos itself obeyed him.
Every movement of his hand twisted the ocean into a weapon.
Seraphina faced him head-on.
Her golden aura burned brighter, pushing against the crushing pressure.
Their clash alone was enough to tear the ruins apart.
CLANG.
Her blade met his invisible force.
BOOM.
The shockwave sent cracks across the seabed.
Izumi clenched his fists.
"…We can't just watch."
Dianara shook her head.
"You don't understand."
Her voice was sharp.
"That's not a fight we can jump into recklessly."
Another explosion echoed as Seraphina was pushed back again.
Even she was struggling now.
Mira slowly stood up from the rubble she had been thrown into.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
"…He hits hard."
She wiped it away and grinned.
"I like it."
Izumi glanced at her.
"You're insane."
"Maybe."
She rolled her shoulder.
"But I'm not useless."
Her eyes sharpened.
"This isn't just brute strength."
"He's controlling the entire battlefield."
Dianara nodded.
"She's right."
She pointed toward the swirling storm.
"The currents, pressure, temperature—everything is under his command."
Izumi looked again.
Now he saw it.
The storm wasn't random.
It was precise.
Every movement had purpose.
"…So how do we fight that?"
Dianara's expression hardened.
"We don't."
"We disrupt it."
The Plan
Another shockwave burst across the ruins.
Seraphina blocked, but her feet slid back.
Even her Sanctuary Field flickered under the pressure.
She wouldn't last forever.
Dianara spoke quickly.
"The storm is being controlled through a central flow."
She pointed toward Arman.
"But not directly."
Izumi frowned.
"…Meaning?"
"There's a core point in the current system."
"If we break that—his control weakens."
Mira smirked.
"Finally, something fun."
Izumi nodded.
"Tell me where."
Dianara focused.
Her eyes scanning the movement of the water.
The energy.
The flow.
Then—
"There."
She pointed to a rotating vortex slightly behind Arman.
"…That's the anchor."
Izumi tightened his grip.
"Got it."
Mira stepped beside him.
"Race you."
"Not the time."
"Always the time."
They moved.
Breaking the Storm
Izumi dashed forward.
Cold energy gathering around him again.
More controlled this time—
But still unstable.
Mira vanished into shadows beside him.
They entered the outer edge of the storm.
Immediately—
The pressure increased.
Like being crushed from all sides.
Izumi gritted his teeth.
"…This is insane!"
Mira pushed forward.
"Don't slow down."
A wave of compressed water slammed toward them.
Izumi raised his sword.
"Frozen Wall!"
Ice formed instantly—
Blocking the attack.
But it shattered immediately after.
"…We don't have much time!"
Mira leaped ahead.
"I'll clear the way."
She spun mid-air.
"Blood Crescent!"
A curved wave of red-black energy sliced through the currents, creating a brief opening.
"Move!"
Izumi rushed through it.
Closer now.
The vortex spun violently ahead of them.
A core of concentrated energy.
Dianara's voice echoed in his mind—
"That's the anchor."
He raised his blade.
Cold mana surged.
"Glacial—"
Before he could strike—
The storm shifted.
Arman's voice echoed calmly.
"You think I wouldn't notice?"
The pressure increased instantly.
Tenfold.
Izumi froze mid-step.
"…What—?!"
The currents twisted violently around them.
Mira was forced back.
"Damn it!"
Arman didn't even look at them.
His focus remained on Seraphina.
Yet—
He still controlled everything.
"Futile."
Seraphina Pushes Back
Seraphina's eyes sharpened.
She saw it.
Izumi and Mira were being crushed.
The plan was failing.
She raised her blade again.
Her aura flared—
Stronger than before.
Golden light exploded outward.
"Divine Break."
She charged.
Faster than before.
Her blade cut through the storm itself.
Arman finally reacted.
He turned fully toward her.
Their weapons collided.
BOOM.
The largest shockwave yet tore through the battlefield.
For a moment—
The storm destabilized.
The pressure around Izumi dropped.
Mira grinned.
"That's our chance!"
Izumi didn't hesitate.
He pushed forward again.
The vortex was right in front of him now.
He raised his sword.
Cold energy surged—
But this time—
It didn't stop.
It kept growing.
Stronger.
Darker.
Dianara's eyes widened from afar.
"…Not again."
Izumi's voice dropped.
"I can control it…"
The frost spread.
Not just on his blade—
But across the water itself.
"Ice Domain—"
The vortex reacted violently.
The storm began to collapse inward.
Arman's eyes shifted for the first time.
"…Interesting."
Izumi swung.
"Shatter!"
End Build-Up
CRACK.
The vortex fractured.
The storm stuttered.
For the first time—
Arman's control broke.
The currents lost synchronization.
The battlefield trembled.
Dianara exhaled sharply.
"…They did it."
Mira landed beside Izumi.
"Not bad."
But—
Arman stood still.
Calm.
Unaffected.
"…So you can disrupt it."
His aura began rising again.
Stronger.
Much stronger.
"Then I'll simply rebuild it."
The storm began forming again.
Faster than before.
Bigger.
Wilder.
Seraphina's expression hardened.
"…This isn't enough."
Izumi clenched his fists.
"…Then we go further."
The battle was far from over.
The storm returned.
Faster.
Wilder.
More violent than before.
The brief moment of disruption was gone—as if it had never happened.
Arman stood at the center, his cloak drifting calmly while chaos rebuilt itself around him.
"…Impressive," he said, his voice steady.
"But not enough."
The currents twisted again into a massive spiraling force.
Larger than before.
Stronger.
The pressure crushed the surrounding ruins, breaking pillars and tearing apart ancient structures.
Izumi staggered slightly.
"…He rebuilt it instantly?!"
Dianara's voice came sharp—
"Because you only broke the surface control!"
"He's the source!"
Mira clicked her tongue.
"Then we hit him directly."
Seraphina stepped forward again.
Her aura flared.
But this time—
There was a faint crack in it.
Even she was reaching her limit.
Izumi noticed.
"…She can't keep this up forever."
Seraphina raised her blade once more.
Her voice calm—
But heavier than before.
"Then we end it now."
The Final Push
She charged again.
Golden light cutting through the storm.
Arman met her head-on.
CLANG.
Their clash split the water.
But this time—
Arman didn't move.
He held her strike with ease.
"…You're weakening."
Seraphina pushed harder.
Her blade trembled slightly.
"…Not yet."
Behind them—
Mira moved.
Silent.
Fast.
She circled around the battlefield, avoiding the main currents.
Her eyes locked on Arman.
"…Got you."
At the same time—
Izumi stepped forward.
Cold energy rising again.
Stronger.
More unstable.
Dianara grabbed his arm.
"Stop."
Izumi looked at her.
"If you push that power again—"
"I know."
He pulled away.
"…But we don't have a choice."
The frost spread across his arm again.
Darker this time.
He stepped forward.
Mira's Strike
Mira appeared behind Arman.
Perfect position.
Her daggers glowed intensely.
"Blood Eclipse."
She struck.
Both blades aimed at his back—
But—
Arman moved slightly.
Just slightly.
CLANG.
He blocked both daggers without even turning.
Mira's eyes widened.
"…Seriously?"
Arman spoke calmly.
"I said it before."
"You're too light."
He released a burst of force.
BOOM.
Mira was thrown back again—
But this time, she twisted mid-air and landed properly.
Sliding across the ground.
"…Annoying."
Izumi Loses Control
Izumi rushed in.
His body surrounded by freezing energy.
"Ice Domain—"
The power surged violently.
Stronger than before.
Unstable.
Dianara's voice echoed—
"Izumi, stop!"
But he didn't.
"…I can do it."
The world around him slowed again.
The water froze in fragments.
His breath turned white.
Everything felt distant.
Cold.
Too cold.
Arman finally turned toward him fully.
"…So that's your power."
Izumi raised his hand.
The ice spread outward.
Uncontrolled.
"I'll stop you."
Arman's eyes narrowed slightly.
For the first time—
He raised both hands.
The storm condensed.
Focused entirely on Izumi.
"Then come."
The Clash of Extremes
Izumi moved first.
A burst of freezing energy shot forward.
The water crystallized in its path.
Arman responded instantly.
The storm compressed into a single devastating force.
They collided.
BOOM.
Ice and storm exploded together.
The battlefield cracked.
The ruins trembled.
For a moment—
They stood against each other.
Power against power.
Izumi's control slipped.
The ice spread wildly.
Even toward his allies.
Dianara shouted—
"He's losing control!"
Mira jumped back.
"Oi! Watch it!"
Even Seraphina was forced to step away slightly.
Izumi's voice echoed faintly—
"…I can't… stop it…"
The ice grew darker.
Colder.
Dangerous.
The temperature dropped rapidly.
Even Arman felt it.
"…This is no longer simple magic."
Unexpected Cooperation
Seraphina moved.
Not toward Arman—
But toward Izumi.
Mira blinked.
"…What are you doing?"
Seraphina raised her blade.
"Helping him."
She stepped into the freezing zone.
Golden light expanded.
Her aura clashed with the spreading ice.
"Izumi!"
Her voice cut through everything.
"Focus!"
The golden light stabilized the area slightly.
Slowing the spread.
Mira clicked her tongue.
"…Fine."
She jumped in too.
Shadow and blood magic flared.
She struck the frozen ground around Izumi.
Breaking the unstable flow.
"Don't lose your mind now!"
Izumi's eyes flickered.
Their voices reached him.
The cold began to fade.
Slowly.
The ice stopped spreading.
His breathing returned.
"…I…"
The power collapsed.
Silence followed.
The End of the Fight
Arman lowered his hand.
The storm calmed.
Not gone—
But no longer attacking.
He looked at Izumi.
"…Interesting."
His gaze shifted to Seraphina.
Then Mira.
"…You work well together."
Seraphina raised her blade again.
"…This isn't over."
Arman shook his head slightly.
"No."
"For today… it is."
Dianara's eyes narrowed.
"…He's retreating."
Arman stepped back.
A swirling vortex formed behind him.
"Your survival is… unexpected."
His eyes rested on Izumi once more.
"…Next time, I'll test that power properly."
The vortex expanded.
"And take the fragment."
He disappeared.
The storm vanished with him.
Aftermath
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Exhausted.
Izumi dropped to one knee.
"…That was…"
Mira sighed.
"…A pain."
Seraphina lowered her blade.
Her breathing steady again.
But her expression serious.
Dianara looked at Izumi.
"…That power…"
Izumi avoided her gaze.
"…I know."
Lior stepped closer.
"…Is he gone?"
Seraphina nodded.
"Yes."
"But he will return."
She looked at all of them.
"And next time…"
Her voice hardened.
"…we won't survive like this."
Far beneath them—
The sealed entity stirred again.
Stronger than before.
The cracks were spreading.