Rael moved first.
There was no hesitation, no warning, no polite buildup, because Rael had already learned something in the academy and through every fight that followed. The moment you let a superior enemy settle into rhythm, you were already dead.
His scythe cut through the air with a sharp, black gleam, and death energy surged along its curved blade like smoke wrapped around steel.
Rael's body leaned forward, boots crushing the earth as he launched himself in a straight line, and the moment he closed the distance, he swung.
"Soul skill: Slice of Death."
A dense arc of black energy tore outward, wide and brutal, screaming through the air like a guillotine meant to erase everything in its path.
The arc raced toward Aurelius with murderous certainty, slicing the wind itself, and the spectators stiffened as the ground trembled under the sheer pressure of it.
Aurelius did not dodge.
He simply raised his right hand and punched.
