Aldric moved like a storm.
Blood gauntlets blurred as he shot forward. The air screamed.
His first strike came down in a brutal overhead swing, the gauntlet crashing toward the commander with enough force to shatter stone.
The Sixth-Star Knight didn't retreat. He raised his sword.
**CLANG.**
The impact detonated. A shockwave exploded outward, ripping tiles from nearby rooftops and scattering debris across the battlefield.
The commander slid backward a few inches, boots carving faint lines in the air as he stabilized.
Aldric grinned.
"Better."
He followed immediately.
Blood chains launched from behind him, spear tips gleaming. They stabbed forward in rapid succession—one. Two. Three.
The commander twisted. Each chain missed by fractions of an inch, slicing through empty space.
His blade flashed. A single horizontal cut. The chains severed cleanly. Crimson fragments burst apart and dissolved into mist.
Aldric didn't flinch. More chains replaced the lost ones instantly.
"Persistent," he muttered.
He surged forward again. Gauntlet-first.
The commander met him. Blade against blood. Metal against condensed mana.
They collided in midair.
**BOOM.**
The shockwave cracked the sky. Below them, knights shouted orders while mages adjusted their spell circles.
More elemental attacks began gathering—fire, lightning, wind, ice—all converging toward the sky where Aldric floated.
He noticed them and smiled.
"Finally."
Blood around him surged violently. Gauntlets expanded, growing thicker. Chains multiplied. Hundreds of crimson weapons spiraled outward like a living tornado.
He looked at the commander.
"Let's stop playing."
The Sixth-Star Knight's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward, blade rising. Aldric met him.
The next exchange was faster. Strikes blurred. Sparks flew. Each time the sword struck the gauntlets, it left shallow cuts—only for blood to flow and repair the damage instantly.
Aldric laughed.
"You're good."
He twisted, catching the blade between his gauntlets. For a fraction of a second, he held it in place. Then he yanked.
The commander moved with him, using the momentum to spin free and counter with a precise slash aimed at Aldric's throat.
Aldric leaned back. The blade sliced through air—but it grazed his chin. Blood trickled down. He licked it. Then smirked.
"Now that's more like it."
The cultist behind him strained against the chains.
"Sir—this is unnecessary—"
Aldric snapped his head toward her.
"Shut up."
The word carried weight. The chains tightened slightly. She grimaced but said nothing further.
Aldric returned his attention to the commander.
"You're strong." His tone shifted, more serious. "But you're still holding back."
The Sixth-Star Knight didn't respond. He raised his sword again. Wind gathered around the blade.
Aldric exhaled.
"Fine."
Blood gauntlets glowed brighter. Chains coiled tighter.
"I guess I'll have to make you try harder."
And then—he attacked.
Blood chains lashed forward like striking serpents, dozens of spear-tipped ends tearing through the air at once.
The Sixth-Star Commander moved. His blade flashed in a silver arc.
**SHING!**
Three chains split apart instantly. He stepped through the opening, sword already coming down toward Aldric's shoulder.
Aldric raised his gauntlet.
**CLANG!**
Steel met condensed blood. The impact rippled through the sky.
The commander pressed forward, sword strikes flowing one after another—precise, controlled, each aimed for a killing point.
Aldric twisted aside, chains whipping around him like a living shield. One of the spear tips lunged toward the commander's ribs. He vanished, reappearing a few meters away.
Aldric chuckled.
"Still careful."
The commander said nothing. His eyes remained locked on Aldric, reading every movement.
Below them, mage circles ignited. Elemental spells roared upward again—lightning spears, flames, shards of ice. Aldric barely glanced down. Blood erupted outward from his body, forming a spinning wall that shattered the incoming spells before they could reach him.
He rolled his shoulders lazily. Then looked back at the commander.
"You see…" His voice lowered. "…this is the problem with people like you."
The commander stepped forward again, blade lifting.
Aldric tilted his head slightly.
"You're disciplined." Another step. "You're strong." Wind gathered around the blade again. "But you're still thinking about survival."
The commander lunged. Their weapons clashed again.
**BOOM.**
The sky shook. Aldric leaned closer, voice almost conversational despite the violence of their exchange.
"You're measuring distance."
**CLANG!**
"You're calculating risk."
A chain shot toward the commander's leg. He cut it apart instantly.
"And you're waiting for an opening that guarantees victory."
The commander's next strike came faster—aimed straight for Aldric's throat.
Aldric caught the blade between his gauntlets again. This time he didn't pull. He held it there. Faces only inches apart in the air.
Aldric smiled slowly.
"You won't find one."
Blood chains began rising again around them, hundreds of spear points forming a crimson halo.
Then his eyes sharpened.
"Because the moment you feel it…" His grip tightened. "…the moment you feel the **breath of death** on your neck—"
The chains trembled with power.
"—you'll have no choice but to stop thinking like a commander…"
The commander's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…and start fighting like a man whose life is actually on the line."
The chains exploded outward. A storm of crimson spears tore toward the commander from every direction.
Aldric laughed.
"Let's see what you look like when you're desperate."