While Ravan was defending himself and carefully observing the battle, both Carlos and Ryan were still locked in direct confrontation. Although Ryan had dispersed Carlos's previous attack, that did not prevent Carlos from using the same technique once again. Carlos swung his dagger, distorting the air and forcing it to surge forward like a sharp blade toward Ryan once more.
Ryan's method of blocking the attack did not differ from before, as he tore the wind blades apart with his crimson claws.
As Ryan was repelling Carlos's attack, Carlos ambushed him from behind. His movement was silent and swift, making it difficult to track. However, the current Ryan was no longer the same person he had been before this journey.
In recent events, Ryan had undergone terrifying growth in his strength, especially in his ability to control his own aether. One of the abilities he had created to reduce Carlos's and Till's superiority in speed was the skill he named "Meteor Leap".
Although the name was strange—as Ryan was known for his poor naming sense—the skill itself had proven highly effective in combat.
Returning to Carlos and Ryan, before Carlos could successfully ambush Ryan from behind, Ryan moved from his position at unbelievable speed, distancing himself from him. Upon witnessing this scene, Carlos was struck with astonishment. He already knew that Ryan had grown stronger, but he had not expected him to reach this level.
For a brief moment, a faint smile appeared on Carlos's lips, as if he were pleased with his friend's growth. However, that feeling quickly vanished. Now, Carlos would have to exert his own full effort, or Ryan would surpass him in the near future.
Although Ryan had created a safe distance between himself and Carlos, what he did not expect was an attack coming from beneath his feet. Plant roots erupted from the ground, attempting to coil around Ryan's leg—and they succeeded. As a result, Ryan fell into an unenviable predicament.
He had no time to free himself and defend against Carlos's incoming attack at the same time. In this manner, Carlos believed the fight had effectively ended.
In a single moment, the surrounding atmosphere changed drastically. The intensity of the storms swirling around Carlos and the area increased, and at the center of the battlefield, a green-colored core formed. It resembled a crystalline sphere floating before Carlos's eyes.
This sphere was charged with a terrifying, raging power, as though a massive hurricane had been condensed within it.
While Ryan continued struggling to break free, he watched his opponent's actions with concern. Ryan clearly realized that Carlos intended to end the battle with this strike, and receiving such an attack head-on would be pure madness.
As Ryan continued his struggle, Carlos extended his hand and clenched the crystalline core until it completely vanished from sight.
After that, an eerie silence engulfed the area. All the storms Carlos had created disappeared abruptly—or rather, they were drawn toward Carlos's hand, the one gripping the crystalline core.
Amid the silence, Carlos spoke, directing his words at Ryan:
"Hey, Ryan. I believe you already understand what this is. That's why I advise you to retreat now, before things escalate."
Despite Carlos's warning, Ryan showed no sign of backing down.
Carlos said, "Well then… it can't be helped. You're the one who asked for this."
Suddenly, after Carlos finished speaking, he completed the gathering of all the storms surrounding him. The crystalline sphere had grown slightly larger than its original size, the result of absorbing all those storms.
Carlos opened his hand, causing the sphere to float above his palm once more. Shortly after, the core began to change shape, transforming into something resembling a wind-forged arrow in his hand. Carlos then aimed it at Ryan, who was still restrained by the strange roots.
"Tch! Damn you, you cursed branches—get off me!"
Carlos replied, "It's useless. You already know you won't be able to break free. Why do you keep resisting? I told you—I am the law here, not you. Even if you are the leader, you are not the one who makes the rules. Consider this a valuable lesson."
The moment Carlos finished speaking, the arrow shot forth from his hand with indescribable momentum. Its sheer force alone was enough to obliterate all the surrounding trees.
On Ryan's side, trapped in a dire situation, he was left with no other choice. In a fraction of a second, Ryan unleashed a counterattack against the arrow. It was the strongest attack he currently possessed: "Dragon's Breath", a blazing whip of scorching flames that devoured everything in its path.
The breath collided with Carlos's arrow, and the clash generated a massive shockwave that shook the entire mountain. The resulting destruction erased all traces of life within a thirty-meter radius.
As dust billowed into the air, Ravan—who had been watching every moment of the battle intently—became completely unable to see anything.
"Haaah… what just happened? What terrifying destructive power! Even I don't think I'd survive an attack like that."
On the other side, where visibility was completely obscured, Carlos believed the battle had already ended. He even began brushing the dust off his body.
However, despite his inability to see clearly due to the swirling dust, his sensory perception told a different story. Carlos immediately stood upright, scanning his surroundings at high speed, as clear signs of caution and tension appeared on his face.
He drew his dagger once again. This time, Carlos enveloped his body in aether, forming a translucent aura for protection as he waited cautiously in place.
"Where… where are you? Tch! I didn't expect you to keep going this far, Ryaaaan…"
Suddenly, from within the thick dust, Ryan interrupted Carlos's shouting. This time, the situation was completely different—Ryan had become the attacker.
Fighting in such an environment favored Ryan against Carlos, who had lost his senses and was now relying solely on his advanced perception.
Ryan, however, was different. Dust like this could never obstruct a dragon's vision. Ryan's golden eyes were capable of seeing clearly even under such conditions.
While Carlos struggled to pinpoint Ryan's location, Ryan's claws had already reached him. After breaking through Carlos's defensive range, Ryan struck him with his claws, sending him crashing to the ground.
It was a powerful blow. Carlos knew that if he had not taken precautionary measures beforehand, the damage would have been far worse.
Despite the pain, Carlos rose to his feet once more. This time, he closed his eyes and attempted to sense Ryan's location—or at least predict the path of his next attack—but it was nothing more than wishful thinking.
Ryan continued appearing and disappearing, exploiting the dust to obstruct Carlos's vision, while Carlos was forced to focus solely on defense.
Carlos muttered, "This damn smoke… things would have been much better if it weren't for this. I wouldn't be stuck in such an irritating situation."
On Ryan's side, he continued using "Meteor Leap" to move at blinding speed, avoiding Carlos's perception.
At that moment, Carlos reached the peak of his rage. It was not fear of losing to Ryan—Carlos had long known that Ryan's potential far exceeded his own—but what truly enraged him was the idea of being defeated in this manner, at this exact moment.
Unable to endure it any longer, Carlos let out a thunderous roar from deep within his throat, one that everyone present could hear. Immediately after, a terrifying surge of aether expanded around Carlos, spreading wider and wider until it covered a vast area around him.
Then, in a single instant, it was as if all sound vanished from the battlefield. An eerie silence followed, succeeded by a massive explosion. This was not an explosion caused by two forces colliding, but rather by the violent collision of the aether particles Carlos had released into the surroundings.
The explosion completely dispersed the dust, fully revealing the battlefield.
At that moment, Ryan lunged from behind to deliver a finishing blow—but this time, things were different.
With nothing more than the snap of his fingers, Carlos ended it.
Ryan froze in place, completely unable to move. He floated in midair, incapable of either advancing or falling, as if time itself had come to a halt around him.
End of Chapter