Meanwhile, elsewhere, the night sky was still filled with the remnants of scattered light. Dust and wild energy flew through the air, creating long shadows on the cracked ground. However, for the two figures standing face-to-face amidst this chaos, the world around them was just a backdrop.
Thirteen and Lucian stared at each other, their bodies tense, as if they were two springs ready to unleash destructive power in a flash.
Lucian moved his shoulder, a flash of electricity enveloped his body, crackling like an angry snake. The lines of electric light ran from his fingertips to the curves of his muscles, illuminating the trace of a wound on his cheek that had not yet fully dried. Amidst the roar of uncontrolled energy, the hiss of air split by supernatural power cut through their skin, making their hair stand on end even though their bodies were still separated by dozens of steps. The wind swirled wildly carrying a piercing ozone smell, while in the distance, the rumble of the remaining battle explosions still occasionally shook the earth.
His long sword, embedded with lightning, vibrated lightly in his grip, emitting a bluish-purple light that flickered.
Thirteen just smirked, his left and right hands gripping the handles of his slender, curved twin swords. His shadow seemed to vibrate faintly, as if his own existence was difficult to capture with the naked eye.
"I won't play games with you," Lucian's voice was deep and heavy, his steps shaking the ground.
Thirteen shrugged, his eyes narrowed slightly. "And I won't give you a second chance."
Without warning, they both exploded forward! The air hissed and broke from their speed, the ground cracked under the pressure of their pounding steps. Thirteen's twin swords spun like a whirlwind, combing the air with a deadly metallic hiss, while lightning from Lucian's body clawed at the sky like a heavenly whip. The first clash of their weapons sparked blue and purple sparks, illuminating the dust that suddenly floated up as if sucked into an energy vortex. Each friction of the blade with the lightning sword left a trail of light frozen in the air, as if time itself was reluctant to forget this moment of battle. Their breaths intertwined, the heat and cold of their energy pressing against each other, creating a wave of pressure that forced the rubble around them to bounce back.
"Bzzzzt!"
Lightning crackled around Lucian as he swung his sword towards Thirteen, his movement was quick and strong, almost invisible. However, Thirteen had vanished before the sword could reach him.
"Shadow Trace!"
A black shadow appeared behind Lucian, and in a split second, Thirteen had launched an attack from behind him! The air hissed as if split by a knife as his two swords struck, leaving a blurry black-silver trail that evaporated in the air. The ground beneath Lucian's feet suddenly groaned, cracks forming a radial pattern as Thirteen's tremendous pressure was applied. The moonlight was swept away by the wildly glowing shadow streaks, while the lightning on Lucian's body flickered erratically, as if reacting to the unseen threat.
"Clang! Clang! Ssshh!"
Thirteen's two swords slashed with incredible speed, forming an irregular attack pattern. Lucian barely had time to react, but his battle instincts saved him. A flash of lightning struck from his body, creating an electric shield that exploded the shadows around him. The shockwave sent flying rock debris like firecracker shards, while the purple light from the explosion reflected on Thirteen's face, which suddenly appeared three meters in the air. The surrounding temperature rose dramatically, the stinging heat from the lightning mixed with the biting cold emitted by the shadow made the air wrinkle like a mirage. Lucian's breath could be heard heavy, but Thirteen's smile remained stretched, as if this fight was just the beginning.
"Thunder Repel!"
"Boom!"
An electrical explosion erupted from Lucian's body, hitting Thirteen who was still nearby. Thirteen staggered back, a trail of electricity scratching his clothes, burning the skin underneath. Thin smoke billowed from the resulting burn, while the smell of burnt spread through the air. However, the pain seemed not to touch him, his face remained calm, even his eyes shone brighter, like a predator who had just found worthy prey.
However, instead of groaning, he grinned even wider.
"Interesting..." he muttered.
In a flash, he darted forward again, not giving Lucian time to breathe. His twin swords moved like an unpredictable black storm. Each step he took left a trail of shadow that slowly evaporated, as if the earth was reluctant to release his trace. The wind swirled wildly around them, carrying dust and rock fragments that were swept up in the vortex of Thirteen's attack. Lucian's lightning flashes tried to chase, but the shadow was too fast, too slippery, like trying to catch smoke with bare hands.
"Dusk Slash!"
Instantly, the trail of his sword left a dark shadow in the air, creating many illusions of attacks that intertwined around Lucian. As if dozens of swords were attacking from all directions! The shadows moved on their own, forming an unpredictable attack pattern, while Thirteen himself was almost invisible, only occasionally appearing as a faint silhouette that darted from one point to another. Lucian spun rapidly, trying to block each attack, but the pressure of the attack increased, forcing him to retreat step by step. The sound of clashing metal and roaring lightning thundered like a symphony of chaos, while the ground beneath them shattered into pieces by the uncontrolled energy.
Lucian growled, his eyes narrowed sharply.
"Not fast enough!"
He raised his sword high, his body vibrating with lightning energy. Then in one downward motion—
"Strom Break!"
"Krak Krak Krak!"
A lightning slash split the air, erasing the illusion of Thirteen's attack in a flash. Electricity exploded on the ground, leaving burn marks and puffs of smoke everywhere. The remaining lightning energy still ran around him, forming a network of blue light that pulsed like the earth's pulse. The air felt heavy, smelling of metal and the burning of burnt fabric, while the remaining shadows from Thirteen's illusion slowly evaporated, drawn into the new craters in the ground. Lucian stood tall, his breath catching, but his gaze remained burning, ready to face whatever remained.
However, Thirteen was no longer there.
"Ssssshhhh!"
Lucian furrowed his brow, then...
"Splat!"
A thin wound appeared on his shoulder, fresh blood oozed out.