Levi quickly retreated, his heart pounding, but his mind was sharp and focused. The combination of his Shadow Warden ability and Second Skin had saved him, but it had been far too close.
Kai sneered, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he twirled the crimson artifact sword in his hand.
"What's the matter?" he taunted. "That smile of yours is fading already."
Levi wiped the blood off his cheek with his thumb, smirking defiantly.
"You're not bad, I'll give you that," he said calmly.
Kai's fury boiled over at Levi's calm deanor.
"Arrogant till the end, huh?" He gripped his sword tightly and charged again, his movents swift and aggressive. The sword humd with power, leaving a faint red trail as he swung it with lethal intent - he was clearly using so kind of skill!
But this ti, Levi was ready.
Using the heightened senses from Shadow Warden, he could see the trajectory of the blade clearly. He ducked under the first strike, feeling the air shift as the sword cut through where his head had been just a mont before. As Kai spun for a follow-up slash, Levi sidestepped fluidly, positioning himself just outside the arc of Kai's attack.
Then with all his power - Levi threw a fist which landed heavily on Kai's left torso.
The impact was so hard that Kai stumbled two steps back!
Levi's eyes glowed faintly as his confidence grew.
"This is all you've got?" he muttered under his breath.
Even though both Kia and Levi were in follower rank - the gap in their strength was huge. Kai failed to recognize this, however.
While he was sitting outside the Sanctum for the last month waiting for an opportunity - Levi was inside the Sanctum, fighting off monsters and creating his own opportunities.
More than that - even as in the sa rank - Levi's progression was different than his - Above the strength of being a follower, Levi had gone through another evolution while forming his core - so even without weapons his punches carried more strength than Kai could have expected.
But Kai was also not a pushover either.
He had been trained by the elites of the Malakani family, not to ntion the countless elixirs and tressures he had consud to strengthen his body.
There was simply no way he would go down with just a punch. Studying himself Kai lunged again, and this ti Levi didn't retreat.
Instead, he surged forward, stepping inside Kai's guard and delivering a sharp elbow to his ribs.
Kai staggered back, winded, clutching his side. His expression was a mix of pain and disbelief. He couldn't understand how an unard opponent could be slipping past his attacks so easily.
"You...!" Kai growled, tightening his grip on the sword.
But Levi didn't give him ti to recover. He pressed the advantage, closing the distance before Kai could launch another attack.
Every ti Kai raised his sword, Levi was already a step ahead, dodging with minimal effort and countering with calculated precision.
When Kai stumbled, Levi saw an opening and aid a punch straight for his face.
But this ti, it didn't connect. An invisible shield shimred between them, and Levi's fist was pushed back as if striking a wall.
Clicking his tongue in frustration, Levi leaped back.
It was another artifact - this ti, a defense type!
Fighting against a rich kid with tricks up his sleeve wasn't as easy as he thought. Still, he couldn't resist throwing out another taunt.
"I told you I wouldn't need a weapon," Levi said with a smirk.
Kai used the brief respite to regain his footing, his face twisted with rage. His eyes, which once only held disdain for Levi, now burned with pure hatred.
The crowd, who had initially expected a quick, decisive victory for Kai, murmured in disbelief.
What had started as a seemingly one-sided match in which Kai injured Levi in their first exchange, had shifted dramatically. Many had written Levi off as just another commoner, but now it was evident—he was far more than that.
And that only made their theory more evident! Whatever Levi had gained inside the Sanctum - it was very valuable for sure.
Kai, breathing heavily and clutching his ribs, glared at Levi with venom in his gaze. His pride was hurt more deeply than his body.
"You'll regret this!" Kai spat, his voice quivering with anger and frustration.
Levi wiped the sweat from his brow, still smiling. "Maybe," he said coolly. "But not today."
***
Two spectral eyes glead from the shadows of the crowd, silently observing the clash between the two young n. Even though the individual stood among the gathered onlookers, it was as if no one noticed their presence.
It wasn't that the individual was being deliberately ignored—it felt more like they were invisible, their existence veiled from the senses of those around, as if the individual wasn't there at all.
The figure remained motionless, their gaze fixed on the unfolding duel.
"He's more impressive than I expected," the individual murmured, though their words seed to vanish into the air, unheard by anyone nearby. Their voice, like their presence, was swallowed by the shadows.
It had been a while since both
For a while, they simply observed the fighters exchanging blows. But then, sothing shifted.
Their eyes widened in shock.
From within Levi's shadow, as he fought the young man from the Makalani family, a pair of eerie, glowing green eyes stared back at them.
The gaze was unnerving—direct, piercing, and impossible to dismiss. The figure froze in place, their heart pounding with sudden alarm.
It was looking at them!
'How?' they wondered, their mind racing. They had been so careful, so well-concealed, yet sothing—or soone—had noticed.
Before they could react, before the question could fully form in their mind, sothing unexpected occurred.
From Levi's shadow, a dark, shadowy form erged—silent, swift, and terrifying. The figure lunged toward Kai with startling speed.
It was a creature born of darkness, leaping from the depths of Levi's shadow like a predator.
---***---
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