In the depths of an ancient underground dungeon, the clash between Kazu and Kenji had already escalated into a chaotic storm of destruction. Kenji hurled bolts of lightning and searing fireballs at Kazu, who darted across the crumbling stone floor with incredible speed, dodging every attack with near-perfect precision.
As the air around them shimmered with heat and static, Kenji suddenly conjured a flaming sword in his hand. He smiled, his eyes locked onto Kazu.
"Didn't expect you to be this strong after just a few years," Kenji admitted with a tone of mild surprise.
Kazu skidded to a stop, his own sword at the ready. "I figured something like this would happen eventually," he replied coolly. "So I trained for it."
The moment grew tense, then exploded into action. Both warriors charged, clashing swords at blinding speed. With every impact, gusts of wind surged through the dungeon, rattling the stone pillars and walls. Kenji relentlessly threw lightning strikes mid-combat, but Kazu danced through the barrage—swift, calculated, unyielding.
Then, in a burst of momentum, Kazu leapt into the air. His blade glowed with a radiant blue light, pulsing with raw energy.
"Take this!" he shouted, bringing the sword down with a powerful arc.
Kenji raised his weapon just in time to block the strike. The resulting clash sent shockwaves rippling through the dungeon like a quake. The force knocked Kenji backward, and before he could recover, Kazu followed up with a brutal kick, launching him across the chamber and into a thick stone pillar.
As the dust settled, Kenji chuckled and rose to his feet, brushing himself off.
"Not bad," he said. "Where'd you learn that?"
"If you mean my sword," Kazu replied, his blade humming with power, "I created it myself."
Kenji's brow rose in mild intrigue "Hm? Is that right?"
"It's light-speed," Kazu added. "I'm actually surprised you dodged it."
Kenji grinned. "I can't react to light-speed attacks unless I sense them beforehand. Even then, I can't maintain that speed for long—five minutes, max."
With that, he infused his flaming sword with crackling lightning. The weapon pulsed violently, swirling with flames and electricity "Although, it doesn't mean all that won't change for me as time goes on."
"Playtime's over," Kenji warned, his grin sharpening.
Kazu smirked in return. "You'll be smiling less when I turn you into scraps of meat."
His own sword surged with a blue aura, the energy spiraling wildly. The two warriors clashed once more, their forms blurring into beams of light, sword strikes resounding like thunder in the collapsing dungeon.
As they exchanged strikes, Kazu shouted, "What do you want with the scroll?"
Kenji responded with a brutal kick to Kazu's chest, sending him crashing into a stone wall.
"That's none of your business," he growled.
Lightning surged through Kenji's body as he rushed forward, sword raised. He brought it down with terrifying force, but Kazu managed to dodge at the last second. The impact shook the entire dungeon.
Kazu reappeared behind him, aiming for a deadly stab—but Kenji turned and blasted him with lightning, sending him flying. In a flash, he grabbed Kazu by the face and dashed at lightning speed, slamming him through pillar after pillar. Finally, he hurled Kazu into another wall and unleashed a massive beam of energy from his sword, causing a deafening explosion.
As the smoke cleared, Kenji approached.
"The scroll contains symbols that activate a seal. It was hard finding it tho." he explained. "That's all you need to know."
He turned to leave.
"You fought well. As your former sensei… I'm proud of you."
But before he could take another step, a beam of blue light blasted past him. Kenji stopped and turned, eyes narrowing as the smoke faded.
Kazu stood there, completely unharmed.
"You think I'd let you walk away without a scratch?" Kazu said, eyes glowing. "All those attacks you threw? My sword absorbed them."
His blade blazed with a blinding blue energy.
"And you can react to light speed—barely. But you can't maintain it for long. Five minutes, max. I've been watching."
Kazu stepped forward, now dead serious. "People ranked A or lower can't normally move at light speed. But some can break the rule. It's rare. One-sided."
Kenji began to clap slowly. "You're smarter than I thought. You've impressed me kid!"
Kazu raised his sword. "This next attack is what took me to B-Rank. Let's see how you handle it."
Kenji smirked, unshaken. "Bring it on."
A storm of blue energy engulfed Kazu's blade. He released it with a scream, launching a colossal beam of energy that erupted from the dungeon, obliterating the ceiling and vaporizing entire mountains above.
Kazu watched the devastation and whispered to himself, "There's no one alive who could counter something like that…"
But as the smoke faded, a figure stood in the distance—Sorata, his hand outstretched, absorbing the attack. His palm was burnt, but he remained upright.
"What the hell…?" Kazu muttered.
Kenji turned with a scowl. "Sorata! Why'd you block that?"
Sorata lowered his hand, unbothered. "Enough playing around. Do you have the scroll?"
Kenji nodded. "Yeah."
"Then you should've left once the mission was complete," Sorata said sharply.
Kazu, still being ignored, shouted, "Who the hell are you?!"
But neither answered.
As Kenji and Sorata turned to leave, Kazu charged again, gathering the same devastating energy in his sword. But Sorata didn't even look back. With a flick of his hand, he unleashed a blast of destructive purple energy.
The dungeon exploded in an instant.
Stone turned to ash. Flame consumed the remains. Kazu was thrown into darkness, his body battered and burnt, his consciousness fading as the dungeon crumbled around him.
Later… in the Wastelands.
The wind howled over the scorched earth as Kenji and Sorata walked side by side.
"I didn't know you could move at light speed," Sorata said.
Kenji nodded. "Only for about five minutes. My base speed is just lightning level."
"Hmph. Then that means only Shinki and I are the fastest in the Dark Sign besides you. I can move at rocket-level—or lightning if I really push it. But Shinki… that guy can move even faster than light like its nothing."
They kept walking.
"It's crazy how only a few people on this planet can move that fast—light speed or beyond—and they're not even S-Rank or God-level."
Kenji looked up at the sky. "Yeah… things are starting to change."
END OF CHAPTER.