The clash between Winter and Justine cracked the air like thunder.
Hajun watched, bloodied but standing, as Winter unleashed a barrage of magic so potent the entire Training Hall trembled. Her silvery-white mana spiraled into a concentrated lance, piercing through the chaos.
Justine, her divine aura pulsing like molten gold, stood in the center of the crumbling arena. Her expression was cold—but it cracked ever so slightly as Winter's spell closed in.
Boom!
The explosion sent both combatants flying. Dust and debris clouded the hall.
Hajun didn't hesitate. His body moved on instinct—battle instincts carved into his soul long before he became Lohan Ardyn. With every fiber of his being, he sprinted through the dust.
"Justine!" he shouted—not in fear, but fury.
Her eyes met his. For a second, there was something human behind her gaze.
Then it vanished.
"You're still clinging to that mortal shell, Master?" she said, rising to her feet. "How pitiful."
A blade of divine light erupted in her hand. Hajun countered with nothing but his copied sword skill—[Void Cutter]—channeled through a broken training sword.
The clash echoed like a bell tolling war.
Hajun's feet cracked the floor as he held his ground. Sparks flew as their blades met. His copied skill wasn't perfect—but his instincts compensated. Every swing, every parry, he adapted.
Justine frowned.
"You shouldn't be able to keep up."
"I'm not the same man you betrayed," Hajun growled. "I've become something worse."
Behind him, Winter struggled to rise—but her eyes locked onto Hajun, wide with awe.
With a roar, Hajun tapped into his system.
[Skill Synchronicity Activated: Battle Trance – Lv.3]
His movements became fluid, unstoppable. It was as if time bent around him—he predicted her next strike before it came.
And then…
Slash!
A clean cut across her cheek.
Justine staggered.
"You've improved," she whispered. Her expression darkened. "But you're still not ready for the truth."
She vanished in a flash of divine light—retreating, leaving behind a sigil scorched into the arena.
Winter collapsed beside him, breathless.
"You… were incredible," she muttered.
Hajun didn't reply.
His eyes were locked on the sigil.
It pulsed with ancient magic… and something far more terrifying.
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