The ritual fire burned high, throwing wild shadows over the two former comrades. Livio stood on shaky legs, his katana steady in his grip, but his breath was labored. His muscles ached, still raw from his battle with the dragon. In contrast, Eero floated effortlessly above the flames, his golden eyes burning with Pbv-enhanced vision. His movements were light, effortless—his body fresh, untouched by exhaustion.
"You're barely standing," Eero mused, flexing his fingers as arcs of Pbv crackled along his knuckles. "You should surrender, Livio."
Livio spat blood onto the dirt. "Surrender?" He exhaled sharply, adjusting his grip on the hilt. "You're still the same Eero. Still leaving openings in your guard."
Eero's smirk didn't fade. "Then try exploiting them."
Livio moved first.
His katana flashed in a precise diagonal cut—clean, efficient, but too predictable. Eero's sharp vision tracked the swing instantly. He leaned just enough to let the blade whistle past his nose, then countered with a straight jab aimed at Livio's ribs.
But that was exactly what Livio wanted.
At the last moment, his wrist flicked.....his katana reversed in an instant. A feint.
Eero's eyes widened a fraction before the blade swept up at an angle, targeting his exposed throat. But his reflexes snapped into action....Pbv shifting through his body, hardening his forearm just in time. Sparks flared as steel met his reinforced flesh, the impact deflecting the strike.
Using the momentum, Eero pushed off Livio's blade, spinning midair to launch a roundhouse kick.
Livio barely dodged, tilting his head as the wind from the strike brushed past his ear. He retaliated instantly, thrusting his katana toward Eero's midsection.
Eero's pupils sharpened, tracking every micro-movement with inhuman precision. Too fast.
His fingers caught the blade.
Livio's expression flickered with surprise, but he had no time to think. Eero's grip tightened—not enough to break the sword, but enough to control it.
And then, he pulled.
Livio stumbled forward....exactly what Eero wanted.
A crushing elbow strike slammed into Livio's sternum.
Livio gagged, his ribs rattling from the impact. Before he could react, a knee drove into his gut, forcing the air from his lungs. Then came the hammer-fist, a brutal arc crashing toward his skull.
But Livio adapted.
Instead of resisting, he let himself fall back, rolling with the momentum. He hit the ground but twisted into a crouch, skidding to a stop with his katana held low. His breaths came fast. His vision blurred for a moment.
He was losing.
Eero, untouched, was adapting too quickly. His Pbv-infused vision read every movement; his reinforced fists countered Livio's sword with sheer power. And worst of all...
Livio was exhausted.
Eero tilted his head, golden eyes gleaming. "You're slowing down, Livio."
Livio exhaled. Think.
Eero's strength wasn't his power—it was his ability to see through attacks. But that also meant…...
Livio steadied himself, lifting his blade again. "Slowing down? Or…... luring you in?"
Eero frowned.
And then Livio dropped his guard.
A deliberate opening.....his left flank exposed, his katana lowered just slightly. Not obvious, but just enough for someone as perceptive as Eero to notice.
A trap.
But Eero, still fresh, still at full strength, didn't hesitate.
He lunged.
Fist cocked back, a full-powered, Pbv-infused strike aimed straight at Livio's ribs. A killing blow.
And the moment he committed....
Livio pivoted.
His katana blurred....his body twisting around Eero's attack, using the enemy's momentum against him. The flat of his blade smashed into the side of Eero's knee.
Eero staggered.
Livio followed through.
The katana whipped up—not slashing, but striking—hammering into Eero's forearm before he could react. His balance shattered.
For the first time, Eero was vulnerable.
Livio raised his blade, ready to end it.....
But Eero smiled.
His Pbv shifted again....from his vision to his hands.
Speed. Power.
Eero's palm shot up, catching Livio's wrist in mid-strike.
And then he squeezed.
Pain exploded through Livio's arm. His fingers spasmed. His grip on the katana wavered for just a fraction of a second.....
And that was all Eero needed.
A devastating punch slammed into Livio's chest. His ribs cracked.
His feet left the ground.
The world spun. He barely felt himself hit the dirt before another blow crashed into his jaw. Blood splattered. His vision blurred, stars bursting behind his eyes.
His katana was still in his grip—barely. But his arms refused to move.
Eero stood over him, breath steady, his body glowing with unspent power. "This is over."
Livio's fingers twitched. Damn it.
He reached into his inventory....his last chance.
Eero raised a fist for the final strike...
And then....
Flash.
A pulse of blue light erupted between them.
By the time Eero's vision cleared.....
Livio was gone.
Only embers and blood remained.
Eero exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he stared at the empty ground. A slow smirk crept onto his lips.
"That was fun." His voice was quiet, but there was amusement beneath it. "Goodbye, Livio. Next time, you won't be lucky." His gaze darkened. "Because you don't have any stones left."
With that, Eero vanished into the darkness.
A blue light flared in the distance.
Ethan and Oliver barely had time to react before it crashed to the ground in front of them. Instinct kicked in.....both of them activated their Pbv, eyes sharp, bodies tensed.
The smell of blood thickened the air.
Beyond them, the field was littered with corpses—mangled, torn apart beyond recognition. The ground was soaked in red, bodies piled over one another. It was hard to tell who they once were.
Above, birds circled hungrily.
In the distance, wolves lurked at the forest's edge, waiting.
And standing amidst the carnage—
Miles.
He was laughing.
His voice echoed against the silence, eyes locked on the sky. His lips curled in a twisted grin.
"Haaah….... You must be happy, right?" His voice was almost breathless, an edge of madness creeping in. "Miss 'Everything-Went-According-to-Plan'...… I handed the book to Zelen and his group. They foolishly thought it was their idea."
His laughter rang out again, hollow and knowing.
And the corpses didn't answer.