Chapter 282 Against a male lead (4)
“Let’s test you more.”
Lucavion’s smirk deepened, but this time there was a shadow of something else beneath it-something darker, more primal. His estoc shifted slightly in his grip, and for a brief moment, the arena seemed to be still. The air grew heavy, charged with a tension that made the crowd’s cheers falter.
The black flames around Lucavion surged to life, no longer restrained by the casual flicks of his blade. They twisted and writhed like living shadows, their movements unnervingly chaotic. The temperature in the arena didn’t rise-instead, it dropped, a biting chill settling over the space despite the flames’ presence.
Varen’s breath caught in his chest as an unfamiliar pressure washed over him. It was subtle at first, a faint weight pressing against his senses, but it quickly grew heavier, more oppressive. His fiery mana wavered slightly, flickering as though it, too, felt the weight of Lucavion’s power.
‘What… is this?’ Varen thought, his heart pounding as a shiver ran down his spine. The sensation wasn’t fear-not quite-but it was close. It was the instinctive recognition of something profoundly unnatural, something that didn’t belong in this world.
Lucavion tilted his head again, his expression shifting. The playful arrogance was still there, but it was joined by a dangerous edge, a glint of something unhinged in his eyes. His smirk widened, exposing teeth that seemed sharper in the flickering light of his flames.
“Oh,” he said softly, his voice carrying a chilling resonance that seemed to echo directly in Varen’s mind. “You feel it, don’t you?”
The black flames surged outward, tendrils of darkness licking at the edges of the arena. The enchantments flickered faintly, struggling to contain the energy emanating from Lucavion. The crowd gasped, their excitement giving way to a tense, uneasy silence.
“This,” Lucavion continued, his voice low and almost reverent, “is what lies beyond your polished discipline. Beyond your inherited strength.” He stepped forward, his movements fluid yet deliberate, the black flames coiling around his body like a protective shroud. “This is what it means to wield freedom.”
Varen’s grip on his greatsword tightened, his fiery aura flaring as he tried to push back against the oppressive energy. His body felt heavy, as though the weight of Lucavion’s presence alone was enough to crush him.
‘No,’Varen thought, shaking off the creeping doubt. “This isn’t fear. It’s just… unexpected. I can still fight. I will fight.’
But even as he steadied himself, he couldn’t ignore the voice in the back of his mind- the voice that whispered of danger, of a power that defied logic and understanding. Lucavion raised his estoc, the black flames spiraling up its length in a mesmerizing dance. His smirk twisted into something almost feral as he locked eyes with Varen.
“You’ve shown me your flames,” he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “Now let me show you mine.”
SWOOSH!
Lucavion surged forward, his body a blur of motion as the black flames surrounding him coalesced into a spiraling shroud of energy. His estoc moved like a shadow, flickering and twisting with an unpredictable rhythm that seemed to defy logic. The crowd barely had time to react before the two warriors clashed in the center of the arena, the sound of their blades meeting ringing out like a thunderclap.
CLANG! SWOOSH!
Varen braced himself, his greatsword raised in a solid guard. His fiery mana surged, flaring brighter than before as he activated his art: [Flame of Eternal Zeal]. The silvery-red flames wrapped around his weapon burned with a relentless intensity, and his stance became more aggressive, the weight of his sword perfectly balanced with the momentum of his strikes.
Lucavion’s [Flame of Equinox] responded in kind, the black flames swirling and writhing around him like living shadows. His estoc struck with precision, each thrust and slash aimed to probe Varen’s defenses and exploit the smallest of gaps. But Varen wasn’t the type to falter easily.
CLASH!
Varen swung his greatsword in a wide arc, the flames extending the reach of his blade in a crescent of fire. Lucavion leaned back, his body bending at an almost impossible angle as the fiery edge grazed past him. He countered with a rapid thrust aimed at Varen’s ribs, his estoc flicking forward like a viper’s fang.
SLAM!
Varen twisted his hips, using the flat of his greatsword to deflect the thrust. The force of the block sent Lucavion sliding back a step, but he used the momentum to pivot, his blade slashing upward in a diagonal arc. Varen ducked, the black flames grazing his shoulder as he shifted his footing to regain the advantage.
“[Infernal Spiral!]” Varen roared, spinning his greatsword in a full rotation. The flames around his weapon erupted outward in a fiery cyclone, forcing Lucavion to retreat. The crowd gasped as the firestorm consumed the space between them, the heat so intense that even the arena’s enchantments shimmered under the strain.
Lucavion skidded to a halt at the edge of the flames, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Finally,” he murmured, his voice low but audible in the tense silence. “You’re starting to thrive under pressure.”
He stepped forward, the black flames of [Flame of Equinox] surging as he raised his estoc. “But you’re still too predictable.”
SWOOSH!
Lucavion closed the distance in an instant, his speed almost supernatural. He ducked under Varen’s horizontal slash, his estoc flicking upward in a feint before shifting into a low thrust aimed at Varen’s knee. Varen reacted instinctively, planting his foot and twisting his body to avoid the strike while bringing his greatsword down in a crushing overhead slash.
CLANG!
Lucavion’s estoc met the descending blade with a precise parry, the black flames flaring as the force of the clash sent sparks flying. He twisted his wrist, using the parry to redirect the greatsword’s momentum, and spun to Varen’s blind side.
[Poly Fang]
Lucavion intoned, his blade flashing in a rapid series of thrusts, each one aimed at vital points along Varen’s torso and limbs.
Varen’s flames surged in response, his aura flaring brighter as he activated another technique: “[Flamebound Shield!]” A barrier of fire erupted around him, deflecting Lucavion’s attacks and forcing the swordsman to leap back.
Varen stepped forward, his greatsword igniting with a silvery-red blaze that seemed to grow with his every breath. His stance shifted, becoming more aggressive as he pressed the attack, his strikes faster and more precise. The weight of his greatsword, combined with the raw power of his flames, forced Lucavion to stay on the move, weaving through the onslaught like a shadow.
[Zealot’s Arc!]
Varen moved his blade cleaving through the air in a sweeping diagonal strike. The flames trailing behind the blade formed an arc of fire that surged toward Lucavion.
SWOOSH!
Lucavion sidestepped, the black flames of [Flame of Equinox] coiling around him as he pivoted on his heel. He used the momentum of his dodge to launch into a
counterattack, his estoc darting toward Varen’s exposed flank.
[Equinox Rift!] Lucavion whispered, his blade cutting through the fiery arc and
dispersing it with a burst of shadowy energy. freewebnvel.coɱ
The force of the strike sent Varen stumbling back, his flames faltering for a brief
moment.
Varen staggered back for only a moment, his greatsword steady in his grip despite the force of Lucavion’s last counter. His chest heaved, his body drenched in sweat, but his fiery aura flared brighter than ever, the flames dancing around him with a renewed
intensity.
‘I can see now,’ he thought, his mind racing as his instincts sharpened. The chaos of the fight-the relentless exchanges, the pressure of Lucavion’s unrelenting presence- had finally pushed him past his limits. There was something guiding him now, a primal energy coursing through his veins, as though his movements were no longer entirely his own.
The flames surrounding him coalesced, shifting and twisting until they began to take shape. The crowd gasped as the fiery aura transformed, becoming the unmistakable silhouette of a dragon. The beast’s head loomed over Varen’s shoulders, its glowing eyes locked onto Lucavion, as if it were alive. Lucavion’s smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the phenomenon. “Interesting,” he murmured, his voice carrying a mix of intrigue and caution. The dragon-shaped flames roared, and Varen’s power surged to an entirely new level. The air around him vibrated with the weight of his mana, and the cracks in the arena floor deepened as the sheer intensity of his energy pressed outward. The enchantments protecting the audience shimmered, strained under the force of Varen’s breakthrough.
‘This… this is it,’ Varen thought, his grip tightening on his greatsword. The fiery
dragon above him seemed to roar in unison with his thoughts, and his body moved
before his mind could fully register it.
BOOM!
In an instant, Varen closed the distance between them, the flames propelling him
forward with explosive speed. The ground where he had stood cracked and burned, and before Lucavion could react, Varen was already upon him.
The crowd erupted in a mix of awe and disbelief as Varen’s greatsword, blazing with
the power of a dragon’s breath, descended toward Lucavion with a force that seemed
unstoppable.
Lucavion’s body shifted, his instincts screaming at him to evade, but the sheer speed of Varen’s newfound power left him no room to escape. The greatsword came down, its flames roaring as it aimed to cleave through him.
BOOM!
The impact shook the arena, a shockwave rippling outward as the ground beneath Lucavion shattered. Dust and flames obscured the battlefield, the audience held their breath in stunned silence.
When the dust began to settle, the silhouette of Varen standing tall in the center of the chaos came into view. His greatsword remained aloft, its flames crackling with power as the dragon’s form roared above him, its fiery maw open in triumph. The crowd erupted into cheers, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.
16-12
Varen had broken through to the peak of 4-star, his power rivaling that of a 5-star for a fleeting moment. The sheer presence he now exuded was overwhelming. But as the dust fully cleared, another figure became visible. Lucavion stood just beyond Varen’s blade, his body slightly turned, his estoc raised in a defensive posture. His cloak was torn, the edges singed by the flames, and a shallow cut ran across his
check, a single bead of blood trickling down.
Despite the chaos, Lucavion’s smirk returned, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light. “That,” he said, his voice steady despite the pressure bearing down on him, “was impressive.”
The fight wasn’t over. Not yet. And Lucavion was ready to show why he thrived under
pressure.
