The arena trembled.
Dark shadows coiled around Sam's feet.
Across from him...
Garron slowly raised his massive greatsword.
His blue soul flames roared like a blazing furnace.
Then—
He disappeared.
BOOM!
Sam's instincts screamed.
Shadow Step!
His body melted into darkness.
An instant later—
Garron's blade crashed into the arena.
Stone exploded in every direction.
A crater dozens of feet wide appeared where Sam had been standing.
Sam emerged behind the Sword General.
"Fire Missiles!"
Six blazing fireballs shot toward Garron's back.
Without turning...
Garron swung his greatsword.
BOOM!
A violent gust of wind shattered every missile before they could explode.
Sam narrowed his eyes.
"So even that won't work..."
Garron smiled.
"Magic alone cannot defeat me."
He spun.
The greatsword whistled through the air.
Sam ducked beneath the strike.
His sword flashed upward.
"Vertical Instant Slash!"
A crescent of compressed mana raced toward Garron's chest.
CLANG!
The Sword General blocked it head-on.
The impact forced him back a single step.
He looked at the mark left on his armor.
Then...
He laughed.
"Hahaha!"
"You finally made me move!"
The arena shook beneath his laughter.
Sam didn't waste the opportunity.
"Attack Chain!"
He surged forward.
One strike became two.
Two became four.
His sword moved like flowing water.
Every attack transitioned into the next.
Slash.
Thrust.
Kick.
Elbow.
Spin.
Another slash.
The relentless assault forced Garron onto the defensive.
Steel rang across the arena.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
For the first time...
The Sword General smiled with genuine excitement.
"Excellent!"
"This is what a duel should be!"
He suddenly stepped inside Sam's guard.
Sam's eyes widened.
Too close!
Garron drove his shoulder forward.
BOOM!
Sam was launched across the arena.
He crashed through a stone pillar before rolling to a stop.
Dust filled the air.
Inside his mind...
Rex spoke immediately.
Commander...
Minor internal injuries detected.
Sam wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Nothing Heal can't fix."
A soft green light surrounded his body.
Legendary Skill: Heal.
The pain quickly faded.
Broken muscles repaired themselves.
Cracked ribs knitted back together.
Garron watched in silence.
"A healing skill..."
"So that's one of your strengths."
Sam stood.
He rolled his shoulders.
"I'm just getting started."
The Sword General nodded approvingly.
"Good."
"Because..."
Blue energy erupted around his armor.
"...I've only been using half my strength."
The pressure filling the arena doubled.
The stone beneath Garron's feet began to crack.
Even the air became heavy.
Inside his mind...
Rex's voice became serious.
Commander...
Threat level increasing.
Recommend maximum output.
Sam smiled.
"I was waiting for that."
Darkness spread beneath his feet.
The shadows twisted...
And two familiar figures slowly rose from the ground.
The Goblin Mage.
The Goblin Chief.
Sam's first undead.
Both drew their weapons and stood beside their Commander.
Garron's eyes widened.
Then he smiled.
"So..."
"Now you're fighting as a true Necromancer."
He lifted his greatsword.
"Come."
"Show me the army that will inherit the Kingdom of Death."
The battle entered its second phase.