Human feet, in terms of functionality and flexibility, are inherently inferior to hands.
So even if Morrow could kick out a flying star with his foot, its strength in all aspects would be far less than a flying star released by hand.
However, in a rapidly changing battle, as long as the right power is invested at the right time, the corresponding results can be achieved.
Morrow landed steadily, his gaze fixed on Vaughn ahead.
He then saw Vaughn dodge the two flying stars he had released before landing.
Vaughn's reaction somewhat surprised Morrow.
Those two flying stars were intended by Morrow to slow down Vaughn's offensive rhythm.
Therefore, they were more for show, lacking direct deterrent power.
Yet Vaughn chose to interrupt his own offensive rhythm just to ensure he avoided these two flying stars.
From Morrow's perspective, in this situation, it would have been better for Vaughn to endure the damage of the flying stars than to dodge them.
Moreover, he possessed the ability to convert damage into power enhancement, so why not try to absorb at least one flying star?
When Morrow released those two flying stars, he had already mentally prepared himself to give one to Vaughn, so he didn't pour too much aura into them.
But he hadn't expected such a result.
After dodging the two flying stars, Vaughn suddenly realized something was amiss.
"What's going on... it's not as strong as I expected?"
Facing the flying stars at close range, Vaughn actually felt no threat.
If he hadn't subjectively believed the flying stars were powerful, he might have, based on his reflexes, decided to endure the flying star damage to maintain his offensive rhythm, or used "Hearth" to receive one.
Instead of breaking his own rhythm to reduce risk, especially when he held the advantage in offense and defense.
Vaughn grew suspicious of the flying stars' true nature, but there was no time to ponder.
With his rhythm broken, he burst forth with speed again, directly attacking Morrow.
Morrow saw Vaughn restart his offensive, his eyes flashing, and he raised his hands again, releasing two more flying stars.
Whoosh, whoosh—
The two flying stars, like falling streaks of light, shot towards the ground in front of Vaughn.
"Hm?"
Vaughn reflexively slowed his charge.
Bang bang.
The two flying stars exploded on the ground in front of him.
The released energy instantly turned into a blast of air, kicking up dust and grass.
In an instant, Vaughn was enveloped in smoke.
Amidst the thick smoke, Vaughn was calmer than ever before.
Because he had already detected part of the flying star's mechanism; the one that had initially killed his companion most likely required a "distance" condition to be met.
Conversely, when the distance was insufficient, the power and speed of the flying stars were significantly weaker.
"Trying to use smoke to obscure the attack route... how redundant, but it also proves my judgment is correct."
A psychological constraint named apprehension, which had held Vaughn back, was now unlocked.
His gaze swept around, intently observing the flow of the smoke.
"Behind me!"
Suddenly, Vaughn turned around and raised his arm horizontally.
Just then, Morrow, who had circled around, threw a punch at Vaughn, but it was blocked by Vaughn's arm.
With the Hearth flame enhancement, Vaughn's manifested aura was a level stronger than Morrow's.
As a result, even though Morrow initiated the attack, he was forcefully pushed back a step, his fist even feeling a little numb.
Vaughn let out a silent sneer, then stomped forward fiercely, raising his leg for a front kick.
Morrow, seeing this, calmly retracted his hands, crossing his arms horizontally in front of him.
Bang!
Vaughn's front kick struck Morrow's crossed arms like a cannonball, immediately radiating a jellyfish-shaped wave of aura that dispersed some of the surrounding smoke.
Pushed by this force, Morrow, who was at a disadvantage in terms of raw power, stumbled backward.
But after retreating several steps, his heel, which had been shuffling backward, slammed into the ground.
Then, while dissipating the force, he suddenly bent his knees and squatted down.
Just then—
Two flying stars flew over Morrow's head.
These were precisely the two flying stars Vaughn had dodged earlier!
After their preset hover time ended, they now returned with a "swallow's return."
Immediately, circles were punched through the dense smoke, and the two flying stars flew directly through the air, aimed at Vaughn's chest.
"When?!"
Vaughn, who hadn't fully grasped the flying star's mechanism, was inevitably somewhat surprised.
However, at this moment, he had re-established something called confidence.
So much so that he wasn't affected by his surprise and no longer chose to retreat.
He immediately focused intently, making the most correct response at the critical moment, mobilizing his manifested aura to set up a defense, and enduring one of the flying stars with his body.
At the same time, he successfully received another flying star with "Hearth."
It's over—
At this instant, feeling the Hearth flames blazing, Vaughn seemed to have already seen the outcome of this battle.
He shifted his gaze, wanting to see Morrow's reaction to essentially delivering a power boost directly to him.
Then he saw a serene expression on Morrow's face.
This reaction made him vaguely feel uneasy.
The next moment.
A fierce impact suddenly struck the back of his head.
Vaughn's consciousness instantly twisted, and his body staggered forward.
What's going on...?!
Confusion emerged in his tangled consciousness.
Vaughn, suddenly struck, didn't know what had happened, but Morrow, squatting, could see the egg-sized "swallow's return" flying star that had descended diagonally from mid-air.
It was the very first flying star he had kicked with his foot, now returning with Morrow as its target.
And because Morrow maintained his squatting position, the returning flying star fell and struck Vaughn on the back of his head.
This timing was also the moment Vaughn had mobilized most of his aura to construct a defense and activate his Hearth ability.
So, even if the flying star was only egg-sized, it could still directly damage Vaughn, despite his temporary power boost.
But it wasn't enough.
Morrow's feet pushed off the ground, and he lunged towards the stumbling Vaughn in a running-start posture.
He raised his hand and clawed.
His aura-infused fingers tore a large chunk of flesh from Vaughn's throat.
"Hoh, hoh..."
Vaughn's body trembled, and blood spurted continuously from his mangled throat.
Immediately, a feeling of suffocation invaded his thoughts.
As blood drained, his body temperature and strength also diminished, and he slowly knelt to the ground.
In a daze, a memory flashed before Vaughn's eyes.
In a cold, snowy night, a family that had barely escaped the war could no longer find a place to shelter.
Curled in his parents' embrace, why was there only a cold, hard touch, why could he no longer feel their heartbeats?
So cold, he wished he could return to that ordinary, square, smoke-blackened hearth...
Vaughn slowly closed his eyes, and his body fell to the ground with a thud.
Ring ring, ring ring ring—
A phone suddenly rang loudly in the arena.
Morrow glanced at Vaughn's corpse, then took out his constantly ringing phone from his pocket.
It was probably Argo calling.
"So tired."
Morrow sat on Vaughn's back, panting, and answered the phone.
"Hello—"
"..."
The person on the other end of the line, hearing Morrow's gasping, fell silent for a moment.
"My big shot, are you... perhaps doing something in bed right now?"
"?"
(End of Chapter)
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