The sky above the Western Nations border hung low and gray, clouds stretched thin like ash smeared across glass. Below, the plains bore the scars of countless past skirmishes, but the air now carried a different weight, tense, expectant.
Loki hovered lazily in midair, bat-like wings beating just enough to keep him aloft. His posture was loose, almost disrespectful, hands relaxed at his sides. Below from him, Razul stood firmly on the ground, insectoid legs rooted deep into the soil. His exoskeleton gleamed faintly, layered plates shifting with every controlled breath.
Rain floated off to the side, arms crossed, eyes sharp. She said nothing, but her attention never left Loki.
For a moment, the world held its breath.
Then Razul vanished.
The ground beneath Loki detonated upward as Razul reappeared in a blur, a massive arm rocketing toward the sky. The punch tore through the air with a deafening crack.
Loki twisted midair, the blow grazing past his side by a hair's breadth. He flipped backward, wings snapping open to stabilize himself, laughter spilling freely.
'He's fast.'
Razul didn't give him time to admire it. Another arm followed, then another. Four limbs moving in perfect coordination. Loki slipped between the strikes, shoulders rolling, forearms snapping up to deflect when dodging wasn't enough. Each impact sent tremors through the air, pressure rippling outward like waves.
Loki's grin sharpened.
'Hah. Finally.'
His right hand flicked forward.
Dismantle.
The space between them split apart.
An invisible blade screamed toward Razul, carving a clean line through dust and air alike. Razul crossed two arms just in time. The slash struck with a shrill screech, sparks bursting as it scraped across hardened chitin. Razul slid backward several meters, claws digging trenches into the earth.
He glanced down at the shallow cut etched into his armor, then back up at Loki.
Without hesitation, Razul stomped the ground.
The earth answered.
Jagged spires erupted upward, stone lances hurtling toward the sky. Loki clicked his tongue and darted between them, wings folding and flaring as rocks tore past. Mid-flight, his fingers traced a sharp arc.
Dismantle.
The spires split cleanly down the middle, collapsing into rubble before they could touch him.
Loki landed lightly, knees bending as he absorbed the impact. He rolled once, sprang forward, and closed the distance in an instant. His fist drove straight toward Razul's core, compressed energy roaring around it.
Razul met it head-on.
The collision thundered across the battlefield. A shockwave exploded outward, flattening grass and sending soldiers stumbling backward. Loki skidded across the ground, boots carving deep lines, while Razul sank several inches into the earth under the force.
Razul moved first.
One arm feinted low while another swept high. Loki ducked under the first, felt the second shear past his hair, then drove his knee into Razul's abdomen. The impact rang like metal struck by a hammer.
Razul grunted, sliding back half a step.
Then his wings burst open.
With a violent beat, Razul launched himself into the air. He closed the gap instantly, strikes raining down like artillery. Loki raised his arms, blocking and parrying, each blow rattling. When space vanished, he twisted aside by instinct alone.
He hits like a damn fortress.
Loki flared his wings and kicked off Razul's chest, flipping backward through the air. He snapped his fingers mid-spin.
Dozens of glowing constructs bloomed into existence, spears, blades, cannon-like frames, all humming with destructive energy.
Alright. Let's spice it up.
They fired as one.
Beams and projectiles screamed downward, ripping trenches through the battlefield. Explosions swallowed Razul whole, smoke and debris blotting him from sight.
Silence fell.
Then something moved.
Razul burst from the smoke, armor scorched and cracked, chitin peeling from one arm. His breathing was heavier now but his eyes burned brighter than before.
He surged forward.
Loki barely had time to react. Razul's elbow slammed into his ribs, launching him like a missile. Loki crashed through a stone outcropping, rubble exploding outward as he coughed and laughed.
'Yeah… you're definitely the real deal.'
Loki shot back into the air, wiping dust from his face. His grin widened, something sharp and dangerous creeping into it.
'Razul, huh…'
Razul's body shifted. Plates rearranged, muscles bulging beneath reinforced armor. Energy pulsed through him in heavy, rhythmic waves, the ground trembling with each step.
They clashed again.
Too fast for the soldiers below to follow, fists met claws, kicks slammed into armored limbs. Cleave and Dismantle flashed repeatedly, leaving clean scars across Razul's body, while Razul's counters sent Loki tumbling through the air again and again.
Blood and ichor splattered the ruined field.
Both of them smiled.
Loki drifted backward, hovering high above the battlefield. Energy gathered in his palm—dense, heavy, and unmistakably powerful. The air warped around it, light bending unnaturally as color began to drain from the space nearby.
Rain's eyes widened.
Loki… no way.
The energy condensed further, forming a small, swirling sphere of violet-black destruction. It wasn't flashy or explosive, just absolute. The ground beneath Loki began to crumble into nothing, erased rather than destroyed.
This was Hakai.
A power that didn't burn or break.
It erased. And although it wasn't a full power Hakai, as Loki's Unique Skill didn't allow him to create matter erasure. It was still not something to joke around with.
Loki looked down at Razul, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Razul. Let's see if you can tank this."
Before the sphere could fully stabilize, a blur slammed into Loki's side.
The pressure vanished instantly.
"That's enough. It's time for us to return." Rain's voice cut through the air, sharp and absolute.
Loki spun toward her, irritation flashing across his face.
"Don't tell me what to do, Rain." His voice was edged with annoyance. "I was just getting into it."
Rain met his glare without flinching.
"Those are Guy-sama's orders."
Loki scoffed, the remnants of Hakai fading from his hand.
"And remind me again why the hell should I listen to Guy?"
Rain's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Because you made a deal. Ten thousand souls for a mission. You finish the mission, you leave. That was the agreement."
Loki stared at her for a long moment.
Then he clicked his tongue.
"…Tch. Fine." He turned back toward Razul, stretching his arms lazily. "Guess you live another day, insect."
Below them, Razul straightened, breathing heavy but steady. His gaze never left Loki.
'I'm lucky that Rain stopped him. Was that Loki planning on erasing the entire border. What the hell has that Guy Crimson brought into this World!?'
Rain floated between them, signaling the retreat.
The battlefield lay ruined, scorched, carved, and broken.
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Loki meets Razen again next chapter! 😈. It's payback time.