Oban and Rakan collided head-on.
The moment their powers met, the entire castle reacted. The vast halls trembled, pillars cracking with echoing force as shockwaves rippled outward. The air itself felt unstable, like it couldn't decide which side to obey.
Oban noticed it immediately.
"This place won't hold," he muttered.
His system flashed to life.
[TELEPORTATION SEQUENCE INITIATED][DESTINATION: RANDOMIZED][COUNTDOWN: 30 SECONDS]
A translucent timer appeared at the edge of his vision.
30… 29…
Rakan grinned, clearly amused. "Running already, bat?"
Oban didn't answer. He charged forward instead.
Their next clash shook the castle even harder.
25 seconds.
Steel rang against raw force. Oban twisted mid-air, redirecting his momentum, while Rakan met him with overwhelming pressure. Every exchange felt heavier than the last, as if the world itself was resisting them.
20 seconds.
Rakan slammed his foot down, sending fractures racing across the floor. Oban barely avoided the impact, flipping backward and skidding across stone.
15 seconds.
"You think changing places will save you?" Rakan mocked.
Oban tightened his grip. "No. But it might save everyone else."
10 seconds.
They struck again—power against power—causing the ceiling above to collapse inward. Dust and debris filled the air.
5 seconds.
Rakan lunged.
The world shattered.
For a split second, everything went white.
Then—
Silence.
The ground beneath them was different. Smooth. Solid. Cold.
Oban's eyes widened.
"…Earth."
Tall structures surrounded them, lights glowing in the distance. Roads. Buildings. A city still alive and moving.
Oban's chest tightened.
If Rakan fought seriously here… the damage would be unimaginable.
He immediately activated his system again.
[ERROR][TELEPORTATION DISABLED][COOLDOWN REQUIRED]"Damn it," Oban hissed.
Rakan looked around, slowly turning his head as understanding dawned. A smile crept across his face.
"So this is Earth," he said calmly. "Interesting."
His gaze landed on a nearby vehicle.
Before Oban could react, Rakan lifted it effortlessly and hurled it forward.
Oban vanished in a blur, reappearing as the vehicle slammed harmlessly into the ground behind him.
Rakan laughed. "Fast."
He didn't stop.
Another vehicle. Then another.
Oban moved continuously, deflecting, slicing through obstacles mid-air with his vampiric blade, redirecting the force away from critical areas. Sparks flew as metal split cleanly, crashing into empty spaces instead of buildings.
Rakan clicked his tongue. "This isn't how it's supposed to go."
His eyes shifted.
A group of people stood frozen in fear at the edge of the street.
Rakan's smile returned—slow, deliberate.
Oban's heart skipped.
"No—"
Rakan grabbed a large transport vehicle nearby and swung it toward them.
Oban reacted instantly.
He launched forward, pushing his body past its limits—but Rakan appeared in front of him in a flash, blocking his path.
"Stay," Rakan said calmly.
Time seemed to slow.
Stress crushed Oban's chest, memories flooding in without permission.
A hospital room.
Cold white walls.
A doctor's voice—steady, distant.
"I'm sorry… there's not much time left."
Pain. Weakness. Helplessness.
Then darkness.
And rebirth.
A second chance.
A system.
Power.
Purpose.
Oban's eyes sharpened.
"…I didn't survive all that," he whispered, "just to watch this happen."
Something shifted inside him.
His aura flared.
Before Rakan could react, Oban moved—not faster, but smarter. He slipped past Rakan's guard in a way that shouldn't have been possible, using a precise burst of movement that bent space around him.
In the next instant, Oban was beside the vehicle.
His blood rose into the air—not violently, but controlled—forming intricate patterns around the structure. The energy compressed, redirected, and neutralized the momentum completely.
The vehicle disintegrated safely into harmless fragments, dissolving before it could reach anyone.
The street went silent.
The people were safe.
Oban landed, breathing heavily.
Rakan slowly turned, eyes narrowed—not angry, but intrigued.
"…So that's your resolve," he said.
Oban faced him, standing firm despite the exhaustion burning through his body.
"This fight doesn't end here," Oban said quietly. "But as long as I'm standing—no one else gets hurt."
Rakan smiled wider.
"Good," he replied. "That makes this far more interesting."
The two stood facing each other, the city lights flickering around them, tension thick enough to shake the world once more.
The battle had only just begun.