Vryndall V

To exhaust the reserves of astral energy in an opponent, I knew it required precision, not just power. Weak attacks would only meet his enhanced aura, which was sufficient to deflect them. Instead, I needed to unleash strikes that forced him to abandon enhanced aura in favor of astral energy, reserving nothing less than his utmost defense.

His art, though only Grade 4, gave me, Lucifer, and Ren a glimmer of advantage in our strategy. All three of us wielded techniques at a higher grade, shaping our efforts into a calculated assault. Yet he stood at a level we couldn't quite reach—Sword Heart, an achievement beyond mere Resonance, giving his blade a rhythm and presence we struggled to match.

Nonetheless, we pressed forward with relentless intent. Every swing and thrust from our side was not merely an attack but a push, each move seeking to strain his reliance on astral energy. The Eclipse Blade pulsed in my hand, enhancing every strike with elemental harmonies made possible by its ancient power, while Lucifer's and Ren's own layered attacks danced in precise tandem.

As the three of us squared off against the Ascendant-ranker, the air itself seemed to crackle with tension. Each breath was weighed down by the raw power radiating from him—a level of strength that far surpassed our combined might. But there was no room for doubt. We had no choice but to give everything we had.

Lucifer was the first to move, his sword flashing in a low arc as he surged forward. Enhanced aura blazed along the length of his blade, layers of lightning and fire intertwining in a deadly glow. His footwork was impeccable, every step calculated to create the perfect opening. With a quick twist, he slashed upward, aiming directly for the man's heart.

But the Ascendant-ranker anticipated him. His own blade moved like a whisper, meeting Lucifer's strike in a clash of sparks. The sound was deafening, a shockwave rippling from the point of impact. For a brief moment, Lucifer's gaze met the man's, and then he was forced back, his feet skidding across the ground as he absorbed the blow. The man's strength was monstrous, far beyond what we could match in pure power.

"Don't let up!" I shouted, my own blade coming alive with a fierce glow as I dashed to Lucifer's left. I feinted a strike at his shoulder before pivoting, using gravity magic to accelerate my speed, aiming for his exposed side. My blade cut through the air, layered with enhanced aura across all eleven elements in quick succession, each one igniting as I drew closer.

The man merely smirked, his hand shifting with fluid grace as he intercepted my strike with the flat of his sword, deflecting it with a force that sent a tremor through my arm. The impact nearly jarred the Eclipse Blade from my grip, but I held firm, spinning away just as Ren came in from the other side.

Ren was a blur of movement, his fists charged with powerful void energy, condensed so densely that they hummed with their own gravity. He aimed low, a rapid succession of jabs and hooks that danced around the Ascendant-ranker's guard, trying to force him off-balance. Void energy crackled in the air, each strike creating a ripple in space as he moved faster, relentless.

But the man didn't even flinch. He shifted his stance, bringing his foot down hard on the ground, sending out a shockwave of enhanced aura that destabilized Ren's footing just enough for him to sidestep the punch and counter. In a flash, he drove his knee into Ren's midsection, sending him sprawling back. Ren gritted his teeth as he caught himself, wheezing slightly but refusing to back down.

Lucifer and I exchanged a quick glance, an unspoken plan forming between us. I tightened my grip on the Eclipse Blade, funneling mana into it as I prepared my next move. Lucifer nodded, stepping forward and layering his sword with all six elements, forcing them into a brilliant, chaotic aura. He swung it down, sending a wave of compressed energy hurtling toward the enemy—a test of raw power meant to overwhelm him.

Our opponent reacted with a fluid grace, shifting his blade to his left hand and raising it high. His sword began to beat with Sword Heart, resonating in a rhythm that pulsed like a heartbeat, each beat amplifying the force around it. With a swift downward strike, he cleaved through Lucifer's attack, sending the aura dispersing into harmless sparks. Then he turned his focus to me.

With a burst of wind magic, I closed the distance in a heartbeat, spinning to bring my blade around in a sweeping arc aimed at his legs. He lifted his sword to parry, but that was the opening I was waiting for. At the last second, I twisted my wrist, shifting the trajectory of my blade to his shoulder, putting all my force behind it.

The man's eyes flickered with mild surprise, but his stance remained unbreakable. He pivoted with almost preternatural precision, stepping back just out of reach, my blade missing him by a fraction of an inch. Before I could reset, his fist lashed out, enveloped in astral energy as it struck my shoulder, sending me stumbling back. Pain exploded in my arm, and I knew I'd have to get creative to withstand another hit like that.

Ren launched himself at the enemy again, this time pouring everything into the Void Rupture. His fist moved with incredible speed, compressing space around it as he aimed a devastating punch straight for the man's jaw. The air crackled with the force of his punch, and for a moment, it seemed like it would connect.

But the Ascendant-ranker merely stepped to the side, twisting gracefully as he caught Ren's arm and redirected the momentum, sending him crashing to the ground. Without missing a beat, he raised his sword to bring it down on Ren. My heart hammered in my chest, and I moved on instinct, casting a six-circle teleportation spell to pull Ren out of harm's way just as the blade cut through where he'd been.

Breathing heavily, Ren nodded his thanks as he regained his stance. We couldn't afford any more close calls like that.

Lucifer, unrelenting, activated his second movement, Cocytus's Descent, the air around him dropping in temperature as a frozen storm of aura surrounded him. His blade struck out in a flurry of blows, each strike aimed at weak points in the enemy's guard. I followed up from the side, my Eclipse Blade dancing in sync with his movements as I executed a series of feints and thrusts, hoping to disorient our opponent.

Our strikes wove together in perfect harmony, creating a dance of chaos that forced our enemy to parry and dodge in rapid succession. For a split second, it seemed like we had him. Lucifer's blade crashed against his from the front, Ren struck from the left, and I darted in from the right, all three of us attacking in sync.

The Ascendant-ranker finally seemed pushed to his limit, his stance buckling under the sheer force of our combined assault. But then, with a powerful burst of astral energy, he repelled all of us at once, the shockwave blasting us back like ragdolls. We crashed to the ground, our bodies aching, our weapons barely in hand.

I struggled to rise, my limbs feeling like lead. Each breath was labored, my vision blurred, but I forced myself to stay on my feet. Lucifer staggered to his feet beside me, his expression fierce but undeniably strained. Ren clutched his side, his breathing shallow, yet his gaze held a defiant fire.

The Ascendant-ranker met our eyes, a look of mild amusement on his face, as if he was facing a trio of overambitious children. He raised his blade, the shimmering energy of Sword Heart radiating from it like the heartbeat of a star. This was the power that lay beyond the Wall—a power that we couldn't hope to match.

And yet, we had no choice but to try.

With each passing moment, our chances dwindled. Ren and Lucifer gave everything they had, striking with all the fury and desperation of fighters who knew they were outmatched. Rachel did her best, standing a little behind us, casting her healing magic like a shield of light around the two, but her spells couldn't keep up with the relentless power that kept pounding against us. She was tiring, her breaths growing shallow, but she refused to let up, her determination holding her spell together.

The Ascendant-ranker advanced, his gaze fixed, cold, and detached. Each step seemed to pull the air from the battlefield, his aura pressing down on us with an unforgiving weight.

Ren, ever the stubborn one, lunged forward, fists ablaze with the remaining scraps of Void energy he could muster. He struck out with Void Rupture again, each blow thunderous, but each one blocked with casual indifference. Our opponent grabbed Ren's arm, twisting it back. With a ruthless kick, he sent Ren tumbling backward, hitting the ground hard, his body skidding across the floor.

"Ren!" I shouted, horror sparking through me as I watched him try to get up, only to fall again. His aura flickered, dimming as he gasped for breath.

Lucifer, face pale but determined, was the next to charge, his sword gleaming with six layered auras, each element swirling around him. He took a single, unyielding step toward the man, his stance a picture of resolve. "I'm not done yet," he growled, raising his sword for what was sure to be his final attack.

The Ascendant-ranker gave him no chance to act. In a flash, he was before Lucifer, knocking the sword from his hand with one strike before sending a powerful elbow into his chest. Lucifer crumpled, dropping to his knees as he clutched his side, the breath knocked out of him.

"Enough," the Ascendant-ranker said, his voice cold as steel. His gaze swept over us, barely a glimmer of respect there—just a hint of amusement, as if this was a game and he was the only one who understood the rules. He took one final step toward me, his astral blade shimmering in his hand, ready for the finishing blow.

And then, just as the Ascendant-ranker raised his blade, a voice whispered in my mind—a voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the pounding of my own heartbeat.

"Pathetic."