Pascal was hurled across the arena, the massive hammer crushing his chest and forcing him back. His teeth ground together in pain as his body slammed into one of the giant walls of the arena. The impact shattered the structure, half the arena collapsing in a thunderous roar.
Before the dust could settle, Rhino charged forward, his colossal hammer returning to his grip as if called by instinct. Pascal lay on the rubble, barely moving. Rhino leapt high, shadows swallowing him, then came crashing down with his weapon.
BOOM!
The hammer struck like a divine judgment, a shockwave ripping through the ground. The arena floor caved in entirely, collapsing into the underground chamber beneath—a hollow dugout that looked like a dungeon.
When the rumble stilled, Pascal stood tall among the ruins. His body was still intact, not a single fatal wound in sight.
Rhino's eyes widened. "What the hell… I'm certain I landed that attack. No human should've survived that."
Pascal brushed debris from his shoulder, his voice low and mocking. "I told you before… this place is the best for holding a funeral. You should be honored. Forcing me to reveal my bloodline ability is no small feat."
A grin stretched across his face as he chuckled, then erupted into laughter. "Hahahahaha! I'll acknowledge you, Rhino… one of the strongest Special Darkside Knights—not like that coward Exca. But I don't blame him. Three against one, he had no choice but to retreat. A wise coward."
Rhino clenched his hammer tighter. Dark Renshi surged along its handle as he hurled it toward Pascal once more.
Pascal smirked. "The same trick twice? You're far too predictable."
But before the weapon reached him, the hammer split in mid-air, dividing into two. Both halves veered away, flying past Pascal instead of striking him. He froze, shocked.
Rhino extended his arms, controlling the hammers with sheer will. They snapped back into his hands, one for each. "You underestimate me, Pascal. That arrogance will be your downfall."
Pascal's brows furrowed. "What the hell was that for? Why throw them at me only to call them back?"
"Hmph. You should be glad I did," Rhino replied, his voice cold. "It wasn't for you. The Twin Hammers awaken only when they reach a certain speed. My first throw wasn't enough. So I completed the ritual down here."
The hammers vibrated with a low hum, glowing with black Renshi as if alive. Rhino's voice hardened. "Now we're serious. Pascal—let's fight to the death."
The aura around him shifted violently. His massive frame condensed, shrinking slightly. The hammers shrank as well, their size adjusting to fit perfectly into his palms. Though smaller, the weapons pulsed with a crushing, dark aura, their power multiplied.
Pascal grinned wider. "Not bad, weakling. I knew choosing you was the right decision."
From his hands, two long swords emerged—manifestations of his bloodline. Their edges shimmered like blades forged from shifting grains of sand.
The Desert Wolve Bloodline.
It was a lineage feared for over a century. Its unique ability: nullification. Any strike that landed on the user's body turned flesh into sand, the wound regenerating instantly. The first stage of this bloodline was the Desert Defense, a passive shield that made its users nearly invincible.
But the chronicles of the Desert Wolve extended far deeper. Like all Shinras, bloodline users cultivated through the Chronicles of Bloodline, climbing five distinct phases.
Phase One: Desert Defense
Phase Two: Wolve Strike
Phase Three: Desert Arena
Phase Four: Ultimate Wolve—where the spirit of the wolve fully manifests within the user. Only a handful in history had ever awakened it.
Phase Five: Desert Domain—a power akin to Sasaki's domain. Both birthed tornadoes of devastation, but with different origins: Pascal's drawn from the vast sands of nature, Sasaki's forged entirely from his own Renshi.
Pascal stepped forward, twin sandblades in hand, his grin sharper than his swords. Rhino, hammers raised, tightened his stance.
They clashed.
The impact was thunderous. Sparks and shockwaves erupted as blade met hammer. Pascal's strikes came swift, one sword sweeping upward. Rhino blocked, but the second hammer countered, slamming against Pascal's skull.
CRACK!
His head burst into sand—only to reform instantly, as though nothing had happened.
Pascal lunged, his swords slashing relentlessly. Rhino was forced on the defensive, each blow rattling through his arms.
Through the storm of steel and sand, Rhino thought grimly, So that's how he survived… his bloodline turns wounds into sand. Damn monster.