*Slash!
With a clean arc of thundering crimson, Jinn sliced through the tendrils wrapped around his feet.
*crack! *snap! *thud!
They fell apart like brittle wood, cracking and snapping as they dropped to the ground.
But before he could even take a step, more vines erupted from beneath, wrapping around his legs once again.
These were tighter, stronger, more aggressive.
"Tch. It’s no use," Jinn muttered, trying to shift his stance.
The vines weren’t letting go.
He had to think of sothing else—fast.
Jinn’s eyes moved from his trapped legs toward Hector, who was already charging forward.
His blade was raised high, ready to strike again. The hilt of Hector’s weapon still shimred green, pulsing with life, as more wooden veins snaked behind him as if they were loyal beasts.
Jinn’s mind raced.
What if I do the sa thing as him?
He rembered how he had once copied one of Zendrell’s attacks—not exactly, but in his own way.
Zendrell’s technique had looked different when Jinn did it, his own crimson eidra changing how the move felt and looked.
It had worked then.
Why not now?
If I can recreate that, maybe I can turn this around.
"Guess we’ll find out," Jinn muttered under his breath, exhaling with focus as he lifted his sword high above his head.
Then he plunged it into the ground with force.
*Crack!
Cracks split the dirt in a wide arc around him, lines glowing bright crimson as his eidra poured into the earth.
The effect was imdiate and wild.
The ground trembled beneath his feet as more and more of his power flowed outward.
The cracks spread further than he expected, reaching the edges of their training field.
"Watch out! Get out of the way!" Jinn shouted at the onlookers nearby.
The ground beneath them trembled. Small pieces of dirt lifted from the surface as if the earth itself was shaking awake.
"Run! We might get caught!"
"Stand back! Stand back!"
The panic was short-lived.
Because in the next instant—
*Boom!
A deafening bang rang out as the cracks exploded upward, releasing jagged pillars of red thunder from the ground.
One by one, columns of eidra surged up in a furious storm, glowing with raw power. Each ti one erged, it roared with energy, sending wind and force in every direction.
Hector’s green vines were the first to be consud. The crimson eidra didn’t just cut through them—it erased them, severing their connection and leaving nothing behind.
"Tch!" Hector grunted as he dove to the right, dodging one of the rising pillars.
But he wasn’t safe yet.
Another shot up right beside him, forcing him to roll the other way.
As he moved, one of the pillars grazed his shoulder, burning through the edge of his shirt.
"Damn it!"
Jinn’s attack had turned into a wall of pure eidra, a storm that raged across the field. It wasn’t just strong—it was unpredictable. The pillars erupted randomly, forcing Hector to keep moving.
He tried to move back.
But it was too late.
Jinn was already there.
He had blinked through the storm, using the chaos as cover. In the ti it took Hector to blink, Jinn’s form appeared right in front of him.
"Shit!" Hector yelled, trying to lift his sword in defense.
But Jinn was already moving.
His poml struck Hector’s chin with a loud
*CRACK!
snapping his head back from the force.
"Kurgh!" Hector coughed, clearly dazed.
Before he could recover, Jinn followed up with a quick and solid kick to the stomach.
*Thud!
The impact forced the air from Hector’s lungs and sent him skidding backwards.
He hit the ground with a thud, landing on one knee, coughing hard as he tried to catch his breath.
*cough! *cough!
Jinn walked forward, tapping his sword lightly on his shoulder as he looked at Hector.
"What are you doing, Hector?" he asked, his tone calm but firm. "We’ve still got ti."
Hector looked up, still coughing, a smirk forming on his face despite the pain.
"You truly don’t hold back, Jinn," he said between breaths.
Then, without waiting another second, Hector rose to his feet and rushed forward again.
Their blades t with each other, creating a tallic clash that resounded in the area.
Once.
Then again.
And again.
Sparks flew each ti steel t steel.
The two fought with everything they had, pushing each other past their limits.
The crackling of Jinn’s crimson eidra filled the air, mixing with the echoes of Hector’s earthy green energy.
They circled, dodged, struck, blocked.
Neither gave the other room to breathe.
They fought with purpose, not to win, but to grow.
Their bodies ached, their arms grew heavy, but they kept going.
They paused only to catch their breath before lunging at each other again. No words were exchanged.
None were needed—only action births improvent.
The sun climbed higher, warming the camp and casting long shadows behind the fighters.
Around them, others trained as well, but it was Jinn and Hector who seed to draw the most attention.
By the ti an hour had passed, sweat dripped from their faces. Dirt clung to their clothes. Their hands trembled slightly from exhaustion, but still, they trained.
They took small breaks—short monts to breathe, drink water, wipe their faces.
Then they returned to it again.
Jinn’s movents were precise.
He didn’t waste energy.
Every strike had intent.
Hector’s style was more reactive, using the environnt and his energy to trap and bind. It was like watching a storm collide with the forest.
Eventually, their movents slowed.
Not from lack of will—but from fatigue.
Their breaths were ragged. Their legs heavy.
Still—they stood.
Still—they trained.
And in that long, drawn-out battle beneath the rising sun, they grew stronger.
Not just in skill.
But in understanding.
In pushing each other, they learned more about themselves and the very eidra that they wielded.
And with each clash of blades, they stepped closer to who they needed to beco.
To be strong.
For the days to co.
And for their survival.
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