Mars's killing intent flared, his mana bursting in bright golden waves. The diamond soldier let out a lifeless roar, raising its massive blade as it came crashing down again.
The huge blade smashed into the ground, splitting the stone as shards flew out like shrapnel. The shockwave shook the entire chamber, and dust rained from the ceiling. Yuno surged upward on a gust of wind, barely avoiding the crushing strike, his cloak whipping violently in the air.
"Wind Magic: Crescent Wind Scythe!" Yuno shouted, his spell cutting through the air. A crescent-shaped blade of wind slashed into the diamond soldier's chest, carving a jagged trench and sending shards scattering.
But before Yuno could follow up, Mars's voice boomed over the chaos.
"Reform!"
Instantly, the soldier's body stitched itself back together, diamond fragments snapping into place with brutal efficiency. The wound vanished as if Yuno's attack had never hit.
Dave's eyes flickered, his casual smirk turning cold. "Regeneration. Too fast." His fingers twitched, and the space around the soldier warped—its movements stuttering, diamond flows bending unnaturally, as if the soldier's own magic was resisting itself.
Mars gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his face as he forced more mana into the soldier. His eyes locked on Dave. "You again! Pest!" He raised both hands, his grimoire glowing brighter. "Diamond Magic: Shattering Barrage!"
Countless diamond spears erupted from the walls and ceiling, raining down on Dave like a deadly hailstorm.
Dave didn't flinch. The air around him twisted and bent each incoming spear slightly, some shattering harmlessly against the walls, others bouncing off the floor. Yet the sheer number of them forced Yuno to step in, wind blades slicing apart the few that slipped through.
Yuno landed beside him, breathing heavily. "Don't underestimate him. That regeneration… it's unnatural."
Dave tilted his head, calm and focused. "No regeneration is perfect. He's pushing his mana too fast. If I push harder, he'll lose control."
Mars's roar shook the chamber. "You think you understand me?! I'll crush you both under my unbreakable might!"
The soldier lunged again, swinging its blade with earth-shattering force. Yuno braced, wind wings flaring, while Dave's distortion subtly twisted the soldier's movements, making its strike gouge a crater in the ground instead of crushing them outright.
Yuno glanced at Dave, unease flickering in his eyes. "…If you could end this in one second, why aren't you?"
Dave's lips curved into a faint smirk, his eyes narrowing on Mars. "I'm giving you a chance to show everything you've got. Otherwise…" His voice dropped, sharp as a knife. "…it wouldn't even feel like a fight."
Mars's mana surged violently, diamond spires erupting from floor and walls like a jagged forest. The chamber trembled under the force, stone groaning as if the ruins themselves were alive.
For the first time, Yuno couldn't tell whether Dave was holding back for strategy—or because he was enjoying the fight.
Dave's smirk deepened. He stepped closer, voice low and steady. "Yuno—you need a real fight. One where you could die. That's how you grow. It's necessary."
Yuno's eyes widened slightly, then hardened. The wind around him tightened into a raging gale. He met Dave's calm gaze and said quietly, "Fine. Then I'll give you one."
Mars responded with a roar, his mana flaring hotter and purpler than ever. A violent fusion of diamond's cold hardness and searing heat warped the air. "You'll regret your confidence!" he bellowed.
"Diamond–Flame Fusion!" Mars shouted. Diamond spires erupted again, now glowing with molten veins of fire. They burst outward like fiery knives, steam rising wherever molten crystal met stone. The soldier reformed too, its diamond surface now streaked with molten cracks that oozed with heat.
Yuno lashed out with wind, trying to block the first wave, but the fused attacks cut through like blazing blades. He staggered under the pressure, coughing, blood trickling from a cut made by a stray ember.
Dave's eyes narrowed. He didn't step in to lead, instead subtly bending the soldier's flow with his distortion, giving Yuno room to fight. "Keep moving," he instructed. "Don't let him control the pace."
Yuno planted his feet, letting the pain sharpen him. His wind coalesced into a tighter, sharper spear than before. "Wind Magic: Gale White Spear — Crush!" he shouted, charging through the molten rain at the soldier's core.
The spear slammed in, steam and sparks erupting. The molten cracks trembled and sputtered—but began knitting back together as Mars poured mana into the fusion, trying to regenerate faster than Yuno could break it.
Dave's hands moved in subtle motions, tugging at the edges of Mars's spell. Cracks held a fraction longer than before. Mars hissed, eyes wild, struggling to maintain control.
Yuno seized the opening, pushing the spear deeper, every muscle straining. He wasn't just attacking; he was risking everything to meet Dave's challenge.
The chamber shook violently as the Gale White Spear sank deeper into the molten seams. Sparks flew like fire caught in a storm, heat warping the air. For a brief moment, the soldier froze, arms raised as if straining to hold itself together.
Mars's glare was a mixture of fury and disbelief. "Impossible… how can you—?!"
Dave stepped closer, calm and deliberate, grimoire humming with quiet energy. "I told you," he said, his voice low but cutting through the chaos, "I'm giving him the fight he need, not the one you want."
Mars stumbled back slightly, his breathing ragged, mana flickering like a storm on the verge of collapse. The diamond soldier, though reformed, moved slower, its molten cracks trembling with instability. For the first time, Mars's usual aura of unshakable control seemed strained.
Dave's smirk deepened. He didn't need to move aggressively; his presence alone twisted the battlefield. Every shimmer of distortion around him subtly tugged at the seams of the soldier's form, making it harder for Mars to maintain perfect control.
"You… you think this is enough?!" Mars bellowed, voice cracking under the strain. "I am invincible! Nothing—nothing—can stop me!"
Yuno, sweat and soot streaking his face, tightened his grip on his spear. "No one is Invincible," he muttered under his breath, eyes burning with focus. He twirled the Gale White Spear, now wreathed in a furious wind vortex, each rotation slicing the air with a sharp hiss.
*******
if you like my fanfic, and want to support me and read advance chaps, checkout my fanfic on Patreon :-
There are regular updates too.
patreon.com/FantasyLi
***