The fight began in heavy silence, as if the labyrinth itself were holding its breath. Saruto sped toward Tyler, his chained swords gleaming with the energy of darkness, and began unleashing a barrage of blows.
But Tyler dodged them all. He moved with unnatural fluidity, as if his body knew the path of the attack before it was even executed. Saruto swung his hand powerfully, unleashing a devastating horizontal strike, but Tyler vanished in an instant.
Then he reappeared, a calm smile playing on his lips. "Not bad," he said confidently. "But you still have a long way to go before you can defeat me."
He then landed a swift blow to Saruto stomach. To his surprise, Saruto blocked the strike with his bare hands. He smiled and said confidently, "That kind of attack is useless... I'm used to taking blows to the stomach."
Leaning against Tyler arm, he spun around and delivered a powerful kick straight to Tyler face. Tyler staggered back several meters, but planted his feet firmly on the ground, clutching his neck with a soft chuckle. "Looks like I underestimated you."
He raised his hand to the sky, and dozens of glowing swords formed in the air, hanging above Saruto head. Saruto eyes widened in astonishment at the number. Tyler said with a cold smile, "Try to dodge this... if you can."
He flicked his hands, and the swords shot out with incredible speed. Saruto began dodging them one by one, moving with terrifying agility, twisting, sliding, leaping, and spinning. But Tyler noticed his adaptation and increased the speed of the attack. The swords doubled in speed, surrounding him from all sides.
Saruto barely escaped, but some blades grazed his skin, leaving superficial cuts. He leaped high into the air, only to discover that the swords had encircled him from every direction. He formed his own swords, and they shot at him all at once.
He began spinning at breakneck speed, parrying blows with his swords, sparks of energy flying with each impact until he finally managed to shatter them all. Exhausted, he collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving with fatigue. Suddenly, he heard applause. He looked up to see Tyler applauding him admiringly. "Well done, Saruto," he said with a smile. "You blocked all my attacks."
Then his voice changed abruptly. "But don't think this is over."
Saruto looked up to see a giant sword aimed directly at him. "Goodbye, Saruto," Tyler said coldly. "We'll meet again after you've reassembled the shards from the beginning."
He brought the giant sword down on him with crushing force. Tyler laughed confidently. "You've won."
But the next moment, a massive burst of dark energy erupted from Saruto body. "No… I won't do it again," he said, his voice filled with anger and pain. "I won't collect those damned shards again… and I won't relive the agony of death again!"
The completed estragine began to form around him, a gigantic, dark structure pulsating with immense power. Tyler recoiled in astonishment. "What is this?!"
Saruto shifted the estragine, raising his gigantic arms to intercept the approaching sword. He grasped the giant blade and began to push it back under the force of the impact. "You won't… succeed!" Saruto cried out, struggling.
With tremendous effort, he managed to push the sword away. But Tyler clenched his fist in fury and shouted, "No… I won't lose to a weakling like you!"
He ripped off the blindfold, and a surge of energy erupted from his body. He raised his hands, then slammed them down, and the giant sword pressed against Saruto with even greater force. Saruto felt the increasing pressure and began to lose control. Tyler laughed derisively. "Didn't I tell you? I'm the strongest… Accept your fate and die, Saruto!"
At the word "death," Saruto memory flooded back with every moment of his previous near-death experiences. All the pain. All the screams. All the suffering. His power exploded. He activated Shield – Level Two, and Dark Awakening – Level Three. "I will never die again!" he roared, his voice shaking the arena. "Do you hear me?!"
The two began shoving each other, their screams so powerful they shattered the air until the giant sword broke into pieces. Tyler recoiled in disbelief. "This… is impossible."
The sterazine began to disappear around Saruto, but he was not defeated. Tyler looked up to see Saruto soaring through the sky, his face filled with determination and fury. Saruto raised his hand, and hundreds of weapons of dark energy sprang forth. Tyler gasped in shock. "Impossible… This is my skill!"
Saruto laughed and said with deadly confidence, "Your skill was…"
Then he unleashed all the weapons at once. One by one, they pierced Tyler body until he fell motionless. Elsewhere, Hades watched the battle, her face a mask of satisfaction and pride. She smiled and said, "Well done, Saruto… You passed the test."