Kairo's eyes widened as the glowing interface before him pulsed violently. The Command Nexus flickered, lines of notifications rushing across the projection.
[Alert: Ardan has activated his Unique Skill – "Blood Overdrive."]
Kairo leaned forward. "What…?!"
A surge of crimson energy erupted from the battlefield feed. Ardan's wounds—gashes that had been tearing open his skin moments ago—sealed with a hiss of steam. His muscles flexed, veins glowing faintly red beneath his skin. The air around him seemed to thrum like a heartbeat.
Onyx took a cautious step back, his non-existent eyes in awe.
Ardan let out a sharp laugh, gripping his sword tighter. "I'm still standing? No… I'm rising." His tone brimmed with unshaken defiance. "With this… I'll be unstoppable!"
Inside the Nexus, Kairo's hands flew across the interface. The system window expanded, revealing lines of data.
Skill: Blood Overdrive
Effect: Temporarily increases regenerative capacity and physical strength proportional to the damage sustained. Healed injuries amplify output.
Warning: Extended use may cause total cellular collapse.
Kairo muttered under his breath, "A regeneration-combat amplifier hybrid… that's insane. How does a Tier 4 even have something like this?"
Before he could process more, the screen shimmered again.
[Secondary anomaly detected.]
[Subject's necklace exhibits unique spiritual properties. Possible power source linkage.]
"The bead on his neck…" Kairo whispered. "That's the key?" His curiosity sharpened—but he clenched his jaw. Now wasn't the time.
The feed zoomed in again as Ardan and Onyx charged toward each other. Ardan's aura burned scarlet, steam rising from his shoulders as if his body itself was boiling with power.
Their weapons collided—violet and red clashing in a thunderous explosion of light.
Kairo exhaled, half in awe, half in dread.
"Ardan… what did he awakened?"
The battlefield trembled as the clash between Onyx and Ardan reignited, sparks scattering like stars each time their weapons collided. The air itself seemed to ripple—one side tainted violet, the other burning red.
Onyx moved first. His movements were sharp, precise—like a predator dissecting its prey. His violet lance arced in a deadly crescent as he jumped, twisting midair, shadows curling around him. The lance swept down in a flash aimed at Ardan's collarbone.
Ardan met it head-on, his sword glinting with bloody light as it deflected the strike. The impact sent a shockwave through the ground. Onyx landed lightly, spinning the lance once more before thrusting again—but this time, his strike found flesh. The blade grazed Ardan's shoulder, leaving a clean slash that bled for only a second before sealing shut with a hiss.
Ardan laughed—deep, raw, almost manic. "Is that it? You hit me—so what?" His grin widened, blood trickling down the corner of his lip. "Every wound you give me just makes me stronger!"
Onyx didn't flinch. He dashed forward, spear whirling like a storm, his movements fast enough to throw the dust high in the air with his steps. His strikes came from every angle—low, high, from the side—but each time, Ardan deflected, parried, or took the hit outright, the wounds vanishing almost instantly.
Ardan pressed forward, each step shaking the earth beneath him. "What happened, undead?" he mocked, his voice booming. "Forgot how to fight, you bag of charged bones?" His laughter echoed cruelly as he swung, their blades clashing again and again in a blur of steel and shadow.
Theo and Flint watched from a distance, eyes wide. Flint's jaw clenched as his claws twitched faintly, wanting to intervene, but Theo raised a hand to stop him. "No," he muttered under his breath, his eyes locked on the fight. "This is Onyx's battle. But… can he even win like this?"
Onyx lunged again, his lance flashing toward Ardan's side. The impact sent ripples of energy, but Ardan didn't even flinch. He caught the shaft of the weapon with his gauntleted arm, forcing Onyx back with sheer strength. His regenerative energy pulsed like crimson fire, making him seem less like a man and more like a beast reborn in battle.
Each swing of Ardan's sword grew heavier, faster, stronger. Onyx parried, blocked, twisted—his reflexes unmatched—but the difference in raw power was growing. For every inch Onyx gained, Ardan forced him back two.
Then, both fighters leapt back, landing opposite each other. Dust and smoke swirled between them. They said nothing. There was no need.
They charged again.
Their weapons collided mid-sprint, a metallic roar echoing through the clearing. Sparks flared as Onyx twisted his lance downward, redirecting Ardan's blade before thrusting upward with a flash of violet energy. Ardan countered with brute force, his sword crashing against the shaft of the lance, pushing it aside just as it nearly pierced his throat.
The two broke apart, only to meet again—faster, fiercer. Their movements became a blur of intent and instinct. When Ardan swung horizontally, Onyx ducked, the blade grazing his horn by mere inches. He retaliated instantly, thrusting at Ardan's abdomen.
Their weapons passed each other in a hair's breadth exchange—an instant of lethal precision.
Ardan's sword was a breath away from slicing through Onyx's skull, but Onyx tilted his head just in time, the blade missing him by less than an inch. His violet eyes glowed coldly as his lance struck forward, piercing Ardan's chest.
The violet edge sank in halfway before stopping. For the first time, it drew true blood.
Theo's breath caught. "He got him—!"
But Ardan only grinned. The wound pulsed red as his hand moved, slow and deliberate. He reached up, grasped the shaft of the lance, and pushed it out of his own body. Blood spilled, sizzling against the ground, yet his eyes never wavered.
He looked straight into Onyx's hollow gaze and laughed, low and broken.
"You think this will stop me?"
He stepped forward, the hole in his chest closing before their eyes.
Even Kairo, watching through the Command Nexus, felt a chill crawl down his spine.
"That's… not human anymore," he whispered.
Theo clenched his fists, his eyes filled with dread.
Before them stood Ardan—not a warrior, not even a man—
but a monster fueled by blood and madness.
The ground quaked beneath their feet as Onyx and Ardan clashed once more, steel screaming against steel. Each strike sent a wave of force through the battlefield, scattering dust and debris. Sparks burst like lightning with every contact, the air thick with heat and tension.
Onyx dashed forward, his lance a blur of violet arcs, each swing carrying precise, calculated intent. Ardan met every blow with monstrous ferocity, his sword moving faster than sight, his laughter echoing between clashes.
Their weapons collided again and again—clang after clang, the rhythm of war itself. Onyx spun, sliding under a horizontal slash, his lance twisting upward in a spiraling thrust aimed at Ardan's abdomen. Ardan deflected with the flat of his blade, turning the force aside, and retaliated with a brutal downward strike that split the earth in half where Onyx had just stood.
The shockwave threw dust into the air. From within that haze, Onyx reappeared, charging low, the violet gleam of his weapon like a streak of lightning. He aimed for Ardan's ribs, but the dark elf didn't dodge. He simply let the blow connect. The lance was about to pierce the flesh—only for Ardan to grin savagely, his regeneration flaring.
Then, with terrifying speed, Ardan's hand shot out and caught the shaft of the lance mid-thrust.
"Too slow!" he roared.
Before Onyx could react, Ardan spun the weapon, lifting Onyx clean off the ground. The skeletal warrior held firm to his lance, refusing to let go—but Ardan's strength was overwhelming. With a roar, Ardan hurled the entire weapon—and Onyx with it—across the field.
The impact thundered. Onyx crashed into the ground, dust erupting around him as his lance skittered away, clattering to the dirt.
Flint flinched, eyes wide.
Theo's heart pounded. "Onyx!"
Kairo's hands flew across the Command Nexus, eyes darting. "No… this is wrong. Onyx can't lose like this—something's not right!"
Kairo's gaze hardened as he surveyed the battlefield. Dust and debris still swirled around Onyx and Ardan, the echoes of their blows lingering like thunder. His chest rose and fell, but his mind was sharper than ever. (No, I have to stay calm), he thought, forcing the panic to his periphery. (If I lose control now, everything collapses.)
Memories flashed—days from his previous world, strategies honed in Chronicles of War, every skill he had seen, every duel he had witnessed. Every power, no matter how overwhelming, had limitations. Every technique had a balance point. (There is always a way… I just have to find it.)
A faint, determined smile tugged at Kairo's lips. "And I am the one they call Overlord," he muttered, voice low but firm. "I will not lose. Just observe… there will be something I can exploit."
Onyx, his skeletal frame dusted and battered from the previous throw, slowly rose. His violet eyes gleamed beneath the skull. He moved toward his lance, but Kairo's hand flashed out, stopping him mid-step.
"Not yet," Kairo commanded, voice sharp. "If brute force won't work… then we will use dexterity."
Onyx's eyes flicked to Kairo atop the walls, and he nodded once—acknowledging trust, respect, and understanding. Kairo's lips curved into a calculated smile. "Go for the head," he ordered.
Onyx's black cape fell away in a whisper of cloth. His hands extended outward as he activated Black Armament, shadows surged around his fingers, coalescing into two jagged, obsidian blades, shaped like Sickles. His smaller frame, once less imposing beside Ardan's monstrous silhouette, now radiated a dominating presence. The glint of black steel caught the fading sunlight, shadows dancing around the edges of the blades.
Kairo's piercing blue eyes crossed briefly, locking onto Onyx's movements, his mind calculating his strengths, and openings. He exhaled slowly, voice calm but commanding, carrying across the battlefield:
"Alright… let's see how you deal with this, then."
To be continued.....