"Challenge brings truth." The words rang through Rin's mind. "Change can only be made with power." Even Clyde's words, as cruel as they were, carried weight. At this rate, nothing they did could even scratch Cain's first layer of scales. They had to think differently. Reinvent what they already knew. The basics were useless now, and time was slipping away.
"Think…" Rin muttered under her breath.
The ground split beneath her feet. A massive branch of earth burst upward, reaching for her like a living beast. She jumped, twisting through the air as fire poured from her palms. Her flames sliced the branch apart, burning through bark and dirt.
Cain darted through the hole she created. His grin stretched wide, too wide, tongue flicking in the wind. His claws came for her face in a blur of movement.
Rin barely slipped past the strike. The air hissed beside her cheek.
Before Cain could recover, Reid appeared behind him. He grabbed Cain by the leg mid-air and slammed him down with a roar. The castle floor caved beneath the impact, the earth breaking apart until all three crashed into the dungeon below. Dust exploded in every direction.
The air there was stale, thick with cobwebs and damp stone.
Cain rolled to his feet, sliding backward, his body coiled like a serpent ready to strike. Reid was already moving, his fist wrapped in light and mana. His intent was pure and simple. Kill.
The punch landed hard, flames bursting from his knuckles. The shockwave tore through the air. Cain caught the blow with one arm, his body barely shifting from the force. Wind rippled out around them.
"Oh ho… this is good," Cain muttered, the grin never leaving his face. He spun, tail whipping out and smashing into Reid's ribs. The hit launched him through a pile of debris. "You're not even fast enough anymore."
Cain chuckled, but then his movement faltered. A twitch hit his abdomen. His hand pressed to his stomach, eyes narrowing. Something pulsed inside him, something sharp and wrong. It vanished as quickly as it came, but the unease remained.
A sudden flash of blue struck from the side. A pillar of ice slammed into his ribs, pushing him across the room. It didn't wound him, only shoved him back. His head snapped toward the source.
Nothing.
Then a soft touch.
Rin's hand brushed his back, ice spreading from her fingertips in spiderweb cracks that raced across his scales.
Cain laughed. The sound echoed through the cold chamber. He rolled his shoulders, shattering the frost like glass. "Ice, from the flame user?" His grin twisted wider. "You can't even master your own element, and now you think you can wield another?"
His tail scraped against the floor. "You'll never reach a level where that could hurt me."
He stepped forward. The dungeon trembled.
Cain lunged forward with a guttural laugh that rattled the stone around them. His claws tore across Rin's thigh, shredding flesh to the bone. Her knee buckled. Before she could recover, Cain seized her by the hair and hoisted her into the air, his other arm driving into her abdomen. The claws stopped just short of piercing through.
Rin screamed, blood splattering against his chest. Pain trembled through her body, but her eyes stayed sharp; alive with defiance.
"Your feelings mean nothing in battle." His tone dripped with disgust. He ripped his arm free, her blood streaking across the floor. One hand pressed over the wound, the other clawed at his grip, but his fingers only tightened. "It pains me to watch you flail. Disgusting."
He released her. His fist followed.
The hit sent Rin crashing into the wall, stone cracking on impact. She slid down, limp, her consciousness slipping into darkness.
Reid exhaled through his nose, wiping blood from his nostrils with the back of his hand. He bounced on his toes, light and ready, his gaze locked on Cain. "I saw what happened earlier. You felt something after my punch. I did too." A grin broke across his face. "Maybe you were right. I needed this challenge."
Cain bared his teeth, a predator's smile. He lunged again, one arm drawn back. The speed was monstrous.
Reid pivoted to the side, smooth as breath. He caught Cain's wrist mid-swing and twisted. A sharp crack echoed as the elbow snapped backward. Reid spun with the motion, his other fist driving into Cain's back.
Mana burst outward in a silver mist.
Cain roared, whipping his tail down, but Reid darted aside, landing light on his feet. Scales crawled back over Cain's broken arm, thicker than before. "How much mana do you really have, boy? You couldn't possibly hurt me like this. Not as you are." His voice faltered with a note of unease.
Reid smirked, his tone almost mocking. "You want to know, huh? So you can feel better about losing?"
He dashed in, sliding beneath Cain's sweeping claw. His fist drove into Cain's gut, glowing with condensed mana. The air trembled.
Then it detonated.
Mana surged outward like a shockwave. Cain's body jerked violently, blood spitting from his lips. His claws clutched his abdomen. "My core…" The words came strangled, his breath ragged. It felt as if a spear had torn through his insides.
Reid pressed in, his fist slamming into Cain's skull. Blood burst across the wall behind him, dark and slick.
Cain staggered, hand tracing the wound across his face. His pupils widened in disbelief. "It… won't heal…"
Cain roared, claws tearing into the earth. Chunks of dirt and stone ripped free, hurled through the air in a storm of shrapnel.
Reid shattered the debris with his fists and charged. The ground heaved beneath him. Walls of earth rose and split, slamming him against the stone. The pressure closed in, crushing. He struggled to breathe, every muscle trembling under the weight. Cain approached, calm, his hand still curled in a fist.
Reid tore one arm free, but the stone crept back over him like living flesh. He gasped, his chest tightening as the air vanished.
A faint hiss.
Ssszzz.
The wound on Cain's cheek sealed shut. He brushed the spot with two fingers, smiling. "Only temporary. I overreacted. For a moment, I almost thought you were dangerous." His grin widened. "But you're already finished."
Reid hung limp. Cain relaxed his hand, releasing the spell. The earth loosened, and the crushed soldier slumped forward.
Change cannot be forced. No matter the strength. No matter the will. Reid failed because he rushed it. Evolution needed time. Refinement.
Rin pushed free from the rubble, blood painting her face.
I was no better. Trying to change through desperation. I forgot what I am. Fire needs time to grow.
She staggered upright, every breath labored. Blood soaked her uniform, dripping down her wrist as she stripped off her jacket. Cain turned. Their eyes met across the broken dungeon.
"I really hate putting this much effort into anything." Her voice rasped. She coughed blood and gave a weary laugh. "But you didn't leave me much of a choice."
She raised her hand, shaping her fingers into a gun.
My body is the fuel, not just the mana. I can feel it burning out, but if my core must break for this… so be it.
A black spark flashed. A flame, sharp and fast as a bullet, ripped through Cain's abdomen. It punched clean through, a streak of darkness followed by a burst of crimson.
Cain dropped to his knees. The black fire ignited inside him, spreading like a thousand biting insects beneath his skin. He howled.
"Do you feel that?" Rin limped closer, her voice trembling. "That's your own pain, returned to you. Those flames will eat you alive, even your core."
Her legs gave way. She fell forward, clutching her stomach as her own core seared. Heat tore through her insides, molten and merciless.
Cain spat blood. His body shook violently. Both of them burned from within. Only one would last.
A sound split the air. Flesh tearing.
A hand burst from Cain's chest, crimson dripping from its fingers. Reid's hand. A heart pulsed weakly in his palm.
"Thank you, Rin." His tone was steady, eyes cold. "You weakened his defense."
Cain's scream was raw, desperate. Reid crushed the heart. Mana exploded outward, shaking the chamber. Cain collapsed, lifeless, smoke rising from the hole in his chest.
Rin's body loosened, her power fading. She struggled to keep her eyes open. "I… thought he killed you."
Reid smiled faintly. "I faked it. He was afraid. I saw it in his eyes. I knew he wouldn't come close enough to check." He lifted his trembling hand, studying the faint glow of mana still clinging to his skin. "And maybe… he was right. I needed this. A wall to break through."
Rin nodded, barely holding herself up. "Yeah… I get it."
"I tried to control my dispersion. Instead, I caused an implosion inside his core. Not perfect, but close enough." His shoulders dropped. "I forced the change."
Rin's lips curved into a faint smile. "Exactly…" Blood trickled down her chin. Her vision dimmed, and she collapsed beside him.
Reid exhaled, knees hitting the floor. He wiped blood from his nose, eyes fluttering. "Maybe I'll… rest a little too."
His head fell forward, the exhaustion consuming him as everything went still.
———
Silas crawled from the shattered wall, blood trailing behind him like a crimson mist. The hole steamed in the damp air, his wounds closing with a slow hiss. "We agreed on a battle to the death! You cannot intervene!" His voice carried a strange echo through the swampy cavern.
"Sorry," Virgil said, unsheathing the sword from his back. "But I can't agree to that."
The blade hummed to life, faint blue light spilling across the murky floor. "It is my duty to make sure Natsume and the others survive."
Silas tilted his head, irritation flickering behind his calm eyes. "Then I won't waste my time fighting fair."
Blood began to ripple outward from his feet, spreading like a tide. It crawled across the ceiling and walls until the entire chamber pulsed red. "You face an evolved form of my abilities. I have surpassed the beginning, yet I limited myself for the sake of satisfaction. A mistake, it seems."
Virgil let out a tired breath. "I don't care."
He vanished forward, sword-first. The strike crashed against the blood-hard shell coating Silas' arm. Sparks of blue mana burst from the collision.
Spheres of blood drifted up around them, silent and weightless. Then they detonated. Spikes erupted in every direction.
Virgil twisted, a burst of blue energy exploding from his chest. The spikes shattered on impact, scattering liquid across the walls.
He charged again. His blade met flesh this time, carving a deep gash across Silas' chest.
"You'll run out of mana soon," Virgil said coldly.
Steam poured from Silas' wound. Flesh reformed beneath the heat. "Invigorating," he muttered. "You call this a challenge? I have no limit. The blood around you is already forged. I will use it until there's nothing left of you."
Virgil's expression didn't change. He pivoted sharply, his blade flashing in an arc that caught Silas along the side.
Silas conjured a sword of blood mid-motion, intercepting the next blow. The two clashed, blue against red, pressure rippling through the chamber.
Silas pressed forward. His sword rose like a tide and shot upward. Virgil leaned back, the tip grazing his chin. He stepped in, countering with a thrust aimed for Silas' heart.
But Silas was gone.
Virgil's gaze darted to the left—no, behind him. Another silhouette stood there. Both identical. Both pulsing with the same aura.
Blood copies.
Virgil stilled his breath and shut his eyes. His instincts screamed in both directions. He spun, driving his sword into the clone behind him.
The blade met nothing but thick, syrupy liquid.
Something pierced his chest. He looked down. A sword of blood had driven through his back, out through his heart.
"The right answer," Silas whispered beside his ear, "was neither."
Virgil's body trembled, his teeth clenching so hard that blood leaked from his gums. His breath hitched as the heat of the blade spread through him. The pain was white, searing, absolute.
"You couldn't adapt," Silas said softly. "Your senses dulled. Your instincts failed you."
He pulled the blade free.
Virgil dropped to one knee. The sound of his sword hitting the stone floor echoed through the flooded cavern.
He turned his head weakly, blood slipping down his chin. "I… couldn't have failed."
Silas stepped back, his body rising from the pool of blood like a phantom. The red around him pulsed with every heartbeat.
Then Virgil fell forward, unconscious, his reflection swallowed by the water's surface.