Valdor and Leo charged at each other at the same moment, and their Demon Arci flared with powerful energy. A green aura enveloped Valdor's body, while Leo radiated a dark green light that writhed around his arms like flames.
Both raised their swords and clashed with tremendous force, causing an explosion that shook the entire clearing. The ground beneath their feet cracked, and a thick cloud of dust and smoke obscured the combatants.
Arwen immediately fixed her gaze on the scene of the clash, trying to make out even the outlines of their figures, but for several seconds she could see nothing but the swirling dust. Finally, the wind began to disperse the smoke, revealing both warriors, and Valdor leaped backward, simultaneously drawing his sword back and positioning it correctly.
"Dragon's Cut." — he announced, and his green Demon Arc flashed even brighter.
Valdor executed three lightning-fast sword swings: the first from above, the second toward his left side, and the third toward his right. Each movement was accompanied by the release of a green energy slash that streaked toward Leo at tremendous speed.
His opponent didn't even flinch, watching the incoming attacks intently.
When the first slash was right in front of him, he stepped back and spun quickly to the left, letting the energy streak right past his body.
The second slash came almost immediately, but Leo simply bent his knees and leaped high into the air.
A green wave sliced through the air beneath his feet, causing him no harm.
Leo smiled, convinced he had managed to dodge all three attacks, and then began to fall toward the ground. He didn't notice, however, that the third slash was moving at a different angle, cutting through the air vertically and waiting for the moment when it would be directly in his path.
Before he could react, the green energy struck him squarely in the torso, tearing through his dark green aura and momentarily halting his descent.
Leo spat blood from his mouth, and the force of the impact threw him backward. Despite this, he managed to quickly regain control of his body and landed on the ground, sliding a few more meters before coming to a stop, planting his feet firmly on the ground.
He slowly straightened up and wiped his lips with the back of his hand, glancing at the trail of blood with obvious displeasure. Then he looked up at Valdor, and his smile returned, though this time it lacked its earlier carefree quality.
"Not bad, Valdor…" — Leo muttered, clenching his fingers around the hilt of his sword. — "It looks like you haven't forgotten how to fight after all these years."
Leo smiled broadly and immediately broke into a run toward Valdor. When he was close enough, he pushed off the ground hard and leaped high into the air, drawing back the sword in his right hand to prepare a powerful downward strike.
Valdor, however, did not react the way Leo had expected. Instead of raising his blade in defense, he thrust his sword into the ground in front of him, then looked at his own hand as if trying to sense the flow of energy. Then he slowly turned his head and glanced over his shoulder at the empty space behind him. There was a brief moment of silence, until finally a confident smile appeared on Valdor's face.
"I'm not falling for that!" — he shouted, spinning abruptly on his heel.
At that very moment, he swung his right hand and struck Leo squarely in the stomach. The blow landed perfectly, and his opponent's body doubled over. But immediately afterward, yellow energy shot out from behind his back, taking the shape of a woman's silhouette. At the same time, Leo, who just a moment ago had been falling from above with his sword raised, began to vanish into thin air, dissolving into tiny particles of light.
Valdor looked at the fading illusion and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I knew it was an illusion…" — he whispered.
The yellow silhouette hit the ground, and the energy surrounding it dissipated, revealing Emi in her dark elven form. The girl sat on the ground, momentarily dazed by what had happened.
When she raised her head, she saw the tip of Valdor's sword right in front of her. The prince stood over her, ready for action, holding the blade pointed at her, but he made no further move. His gaze remained watchful, though there was no desire in it to harm her.
Emi swallowed hard, then slowly raised both hands in a sign of surrender.
"I give up." —she said quietly, not even trying to get up.
Valdor watched her in silence for a moment, then lowered his sword a few centimeters, though he remained on guard.
Meanwhile, Elio hovered a few meters above the ground, right in front of Nathan, holding his sword ready to strike. Blue lightning sparks danced along the blade, illuminating his face, which was etched with determination.
There was no longer any fear or blind obedience in him, only anger toward the man who had manipulated him for so long and robbed him of his free will.
Elio drew his sword back, preparing for his next move, then looked Nathan straight in the eyes.
"You've lost, Nathan. You're the only one left. We've all freed ourselves from your curse…" — he declared firmly.
Nathan was silent for a moment, then tilted his head back and burst out laughing. His voice echoed across the clearing, reverberating among the trees.
He didn't seem troubled by his warriors' betrayal; on the contrary — he gave the impression that the whole situation merely amused him. Finally, he stopped laughing and looked at Elio with a contemptuous smile.
"My congratulations, Elio. You've managed to free yourself and the others from my control, but do you really think that's enough to defeat me?" — he asked, spreading his arms slightly. — "Even if I'm alone now, you still don't stand a chance against me. You're just mortals, and mortals can't defeat a god."
After saying this, Nathan raised his right hand and moved it slightly to the side. Red sparks appeared around his hand and began to swirl faster and faster, forming a small magical circle. From within it emerged a hilt, followed immediately by a long blade, which Nathan grasped with a confident motion.
It was an extraordinary sword with a crimson blade and a black hilt, and its surface pulsed with sinister energy, as if something alive were trapped inside the weapon.
When Nathan moved his wrist, red streaks flashed around the blade, and the air around him trembled under the pressure of the unleashed power.
Elio narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the hilt of his own sword. The lightning surrounding his weapon grew more intense, and he rose slightly higher, not intending to give an inch.
"A god, you say?" — Elio snapped, keeping his gaze fixed on Nathan. — "You can call yourself whatever you like, but that won't change the fact that you'll answer for everything you've done."
Nathan smiled even wider and held his sword out in front of him, pointing the crimson blade toward his opponent.
"In that case, show me, Elio, whether your newly regained freedom will give you the strength to challenge a true god."
In the next instant, red energy erupted around Nathan, spreading across the clearing like a wave, and Elio braced himself for the coming clash. Both knew that this time there would be no room for words — the outcome of this battle would be decided solely by their strength.
Elio moved first, and all that remained where he had been just a moment ago was a blue bolt of lightning. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front of Nathan and swung his sword, but his opponent remained calm, raising his weapon to block the attack.
The blades clashed with a mighty screech, and at the moment of impact, crimson energy erupted around Nathan's sword, sending Elio flying several meters away. The warrior spun through the air and landed on the ground, then immediately charged forward again, giving his opponent not a moment's respite.
When Elio was just a few meters away from Nathan, the latter readied his sword for another block, anticipating the coming strike.
Elio, however, unexpectedly leaped forward and soared high into the air, flying over his opponent's head. He paused for a split second, raising his sword high above his head, as increasingly powerful bolts of lightning began to wrap around his body.
The Demon Arc flashed with a bright blue light that illuminated the entire area, and then Elio plummeted downward at tremendous speed, directing the blade straight at Nathan.
"Break through his defense!" — Elio shouted, pouring all his power into the attack.
Nathan tried to step aside, but this time he was too late to dodge the blow. Elio's sword sliced through his arm, and blood began to flow from the gash.
Nathan staggered from the impact and lost his balance for a moment, but he quickly regained control of his body. When he looked up, Elio had already soared into the air again, flying past his back like a bolt of lightning.
Nathan immediately turned in the direction his opponent had darted, raising his crimson-and-black sword. But before he could even get into the right stance, Elio appeared in front of him and made a swift slash.
Nathan dodged at the last moment, and the blade whizzed past his face. Before he could counter with an attack of his own, Elio vanished and reappeared from the side, forcing him to dodge again.
The warrior moved so fast that his silhouette became nothing more than a blurred streak of light blue light. He attacked from the front, from the side, and then reappeared behind Nathan, changing direction at the last moment.
Each of his movements was accompanied by the crack of thunder, and successive bolts of lightning sliced through the air, forcing Nathan to constantly dodge the blows.
Despite Elio's speed advantage, Nathan remained in almost the same spot, parrying successive attacks with small movements of his head and torso, and sometimes merely shifting his sword a few centimeters.
However, a look of growing dissatisfaction appeared on Nathan's face. The wound on his arm reminded him that his opponent was capable of hurting him, and Elia's lightning strikes were becoming increasingly difficult to predict.
"I have to admit, you've gotten faster since you regained your free will." — Nathan said, dodging another strike. — "But how long can you keep up this pace before your body gives out?"
Elio didn't answer; he just clenched his teeth and sped up again, and the light blue glow of his Demon Arc flared even more intensely.
He knew Nathan was trying to force him into a mistake, so he wasn't going to let himself be provoked. Instead, he focused all his attention on his opponent's movements, waiting for that one, single moment when his defense would weaken enough to land the decisive blow.
Elio halted in midair directly opposite Nathan, then drew his sword back, preparing for his next attack. Light blue lightning began to wrap around the blade, and the energy gathering around him grew increasingly powerful, tearing through the air and creating streaks of light.
As Elio positioned himself to charge, his Demon Arc flashed with intense light, and he shot forward at tremendous speed, holding his sword out in front of him, the tip of the blade aimed straight at Nathan.
A long trail of blue lightning remained behind him, and electrical discharges swirled around his entire body, illuminating the sky above the clearing.
Nathan looked at his approaching opponent and raised his eyebrows slightly, watching Elio's figure as he focused on the attack.
At the last moment, when only a few meters separated them, he made his first move. He soared upward abruptly, simultaneously twisting his body sideways and veering away from the line of attack.
At the last moment, when only a few meters separated them, he made his first move. He soared upward abruptly, simultaneously twisting his body sideways and veering away from the line of attack.
His legs rose into the air, and his black-and-crimson sword sliced through the air right past the oncoming Elio. Nathan spun in midair, allowing the warrior to dart beneath him without hitting his target.
When Elio found himself directly beneath him, Nathan seized the perfect moment and swung his sword violently, striking him with tremendous force.
The blow landed before Elio could change his flight path, and the blue lightning bolts surrounding his body flashed chaotically under the impact.
The warrior lost control of his movement and was hurled downward, plummeting toward the clearing like a bolt of lightning that had suddenly changed direction.
A moment later, he slammed into the ground with great force, sending up a thick cloud of dust around him, and the impact of the fall left small cracks in the ground.
Nathan completed his spin and calmly regained his balance in midair, then looked down at the spot where his opponent had landed. His cloak billowed in the wind, and the crimson blade glowed with an ominous radiance.
"Too predictable, Elio." — he said with a contemptuous smile. — "Speed alone isn't enough to defeat a god."
Below, the dust slowly began to settle, revealing Elio's silhouette. For a moment, the warrior remained motionless, but soon his fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword, and faint blue sparks danced along the blade once more. Despite the pain, he slowly raised his head and looked at Nathan, with no intention of giving up.