“Yeah,” Karl said, shrugging as he swatted away another skeletal minion like it was nothing. “What if we launched you straight at the dragon’s core? You wouldn’t have to walk through the undead. You’d get a clear shot.”
Mia’s eyes widened, and even Derek stopped for a second, his mouth hanging open in shock as he fended off another attacker. “That’s insane!” Mia exclaimed. “We could kill him if we
throw him wrong!”
“Or worse, we miss, sending him flying straight into the dragon’s mouth,” Derek added, shaking his head, sending a shard of bone flying with a kick.
But Karl wasn’t backing down. “I’m serious… If we time it right, Chase can hit the dragon’s core before it even knows what’s happening. We just need to make sure he hits his target.”
“Are you all out of your minds?!” Chase yelled, cutting down another minion with a swing of his ice sword. His ice magic surged around him, sending a wave of cold air in all directions. “You want to launch me at a bone dragon?!”
“It’s either that or we get swarmed by these undead bastards!” Derek growled, his fists slamming into the earth, creating a small shockwave that knocked several approaching undead into the air like ragdolls.
“We’re running out of options here, Chase!”
Mia’s eyes flickered between the bone dragon and the waves of undead closing in. “I hate to admit it, but Karl’s got a point. This might be our only shot. If you can hit that core-”
Chase glanced at the dragon, its massive skeletal form still burning with the blue flames that flickered between its ribs. The core, though cracked, pulsed with a dim light. He could feel the power radiating from it, giving rise to the endless army of the undead. If they didn’t take it out soon, they were all dead.
Chase sighed, running a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. “You guys are insane.” He looked at the bone dragon again, steeling his resolve. “But screw it. Let’s do it.”
“Who’s going to be doing the honors?”
Back with Alexei and Xaiver.
Each one of their strikes was accompanied by shockwaves that shattered the ground beneath them, sending cracks rippling through the earth.
At one point, Alexei dashed forward with lightning speed, leaving a blazing trail of blue lightning in his wake. He slashed upward, aiming to cleave Xaiver in two, but Xaiver twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the blow as the tip of Alexei’s sword grazed his shoulder.
The lightning-infused blade left a burn mark, and the force of the near-hit sent Xaiver tumbling back.
Xaiver grunted, his feet digging into the dirt as he regained his balance, his green mana raging around him like an inferno. He glared at Alexei, who stood with an almost amused look in his flame-blue eyes, sparks of electricity crackling around him as if they were part of his body.
Looking at the wound that crackled with some electricity, Xaiver couldn’t help but comment, “I must admit you are quite the skilled monster. Not only are you strong, but your sword is something else entirely.”
“To be able to cut through my SS-ranked armor like butter makes me wonder what it’s made of.”
Xaiver charged again, his sword low to the ground as he sprinted forward. His feet barely touched the earth as he dashed toward Alexei, the air around him shimmering with the force of his speed. He brought his sword up in a sweeping arc, aiming for Alexei’s neck, but Alexei once again dodged effortlessly, leaving behind a lightning trail as he moved.
Alexei then replied, “You humans always possess a messed-up sense of priority. Imagine asking such a useless question in such a scenario. If it’s death’s embrace you crave, then stand still and let my blade send you on your way.”
They clashed in the center of the ruined city, their swords striking with such force that the ground beneath them cracked open, sending chunks of debris flying in every direction. The shockwaves from their blows knocked over nearby structures, causing them to crumble into dust. Pillars collapsed under the sheer pressure of their fight.
At one point, Alexei leaped onto a ruined building, his lightning-infused body flickering as he prepared to strike from above. Xaiver, his eyes sharp, followed with a burst of green mana, sprinting up the side of a nearby wall with such speed that it seemed like he was flying. They met in mid-air, their swords colliding in a brilliant explosion of light and sound, sending shockwaves rippling through the sky.
Chunks of stone and debris rained down from the destroyed building as they pushed off each other, landing back on the ground gracefully. Xaiver’s boots skidded across the dirt, while Alexei’s landing sent a pulse of blue energy rippling out, scorching the earth in a circle around him.
“You’re fast, human,” Alexei admitted, his voice echoing with cold amusement. “But you’re no match for me.” He raised his hand, lightning gathering in his palm. “Let’s see how you handle this.”
In an instant, Alexei slashed downward, sending a wave of crackling blue lightning toward Xaiver. The energy ripped through the air, leaving a glowing trail as it surged forward with incredible speed.
Xaiver reacted on instinct, slamming his sword into the ground. His green mana erupted in a powerful burst, forming a protective barrier that shimmered around him. The lightning struck the barrier with a deafening crack, sending sparks flying, but Xaiver remained in one piece, his muscles straining under the pressure.
“Not bad,” Alexei said, his voice cold. “But you’ll need more than that to survive.” “Please… You are overestimating your abilities. You may not know it, but this battle of ours will be ending rather soon,” Xaiver said as he narrowed his eyes, a small confident smile appearing on his face.
With a roar, Xaiver pushed back, his green mana flaring brighter than ever. He charged forward again, his feet barely touching the ground as he closed the distance between them, his sword gleaming as he brought it down in a powerful strike.
Alexei met him head-on, their blades crashing together once more, sending sparks flying. The impact caused the very ground beneath them to quake, and the force of their battle sent ripples through the air, shaking the remains of the battlefield.
Around them, the ruins crumbled further, the already weakened structures falling apart under the weight of their battle. Dust and debris filled the air, but neither of them slowed. They moved with blinding speed, their swords clashing in a symphony of steel and fury.
Xaiver could feel the weight of Alexei’s power with each strike, but he refused to back down. But then, as they continued to clash, Alexei noticed something.
CRACK!
Alexei felt the bone along his right arm crack, causing his next swing to be sloppy and not as fast, allowing Xaiver to close the distance between them and land a slash at his side, cracking his scale armor and revealing the bones of his ribcage.
Understanding what this meant, Alexei made his lightning rage around his body in hopes of pushing Xaiver back.
But Xaiver’s green mana surged around him, pushing against the lightning that surrounded
Alexei.
Lightning crackled around Alexei’s body once more, sparks arcking across his body as his skeletal structure pulsed with mana.
Xaiver instinctively leaped back, narrowly avoiding a bolt of blue lightning that struck the ground where he had just been standing. Alexei’s figure shuddered, his body flickering
between solid and ghostly.
“What… what did you do to me?” Alexei growled, his voice had a touch of anger and confusion, his cracked arm trembling under the weight of his sword.
Xaiver, standing a few feet away, raised an eyebrow, his expression calm. “I didn’t do
anything. You did.”
“Impossible!” Alexei roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. “Why would I harm
myself?”
Xaiver’s lips curled into a small, almost pitying smile. “Well… you did, and you didn’t.”
Alexei’s eyes blazed with fury, his sword pointed at Xaiver with his hand trembling. “What nonsense are you spewing now? If you think you can hide your sorcery behind cheap tricks, you’re mistaken!”
Xaiver chuckled softly, shaking his head as he took a step forward, his green mana swirling around him like a living aura. “Not sorcery. It’s called common sense.”
Xaiver’s voice lowered as he spoke, his tone dripping with cold logic. “You’re an undead. No matter how much power you think you’ve retained from your past life, your body will always deteriorate faster than a living being. That’s the price of being what you are.”
Alexei’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Xaiver, the rage in his voice barely contained. “What
are you insinuating?”
Xaiver slowly began walking towards him, closing the distance between them, his expression
cold as he spoke.
“I’m saying that you, an A-ranked undead, chose to fight me-an SS-ranked awakened-and it was only a matter of time before your body gave out on you.”