Jurian landed beside Aishwani, exhaling slowly. For the first time since the battle began, he felt a hint of helplessness. He looked toward Dante, who stood calmly atop a cliff with both hands tucked inside his pockets, almost as though the battle had become little more than entertainment.
"...This guy is an even bigger monster than we thought."
Aishwani rubbed the side of her aching ribs before letting out a bitter laugh.
"I've been punched through multiple mountains."
"I realized that long before you."
Jurian couldn't help chuckling. Then his expression became serious.
"Let's think. We're not winning by brute force."
He raised a finger.
"First, he manipulates space."
A second finger.
"He possesses telekinetic abilities. Not simple telepathy, actual force."
A third.
"And those light spheres—" He frowned. "—I thought he'd copied my skill. He didn't. They felt fundamentally different. My skill manipulates light. His manipulated some kind of condensed energy. I've never encountered anything quite like it."
Aishwani silently nodded, the crimson-black sword lazily coiled around her body like a resting serpent.
"He also can't use every aspect of his spatial skill simultaneously."
Jurian looked toward her.
"You noticed it too?"
She nodded.
"When our attacks passed through him, he wasn't attacking. And whenever those impossible punches appeared, his body became tangible."
Jurian's eyes brightened.
"So we're right. He has to choose. He either shifts his body into another spatial layer, or uses space offensively. But not both."
Silence settled between them. Finally, Aishwani sighed.
"So — what do we do?"
Jurian smiled.
"We keep attacking together. If one of us gets hit, the other attacks. If he phases, he loses the opportunity to counter. If he attacks, he has to become real."
He glanced toward the telekinetic barrier surrounding Dante.
"As for that, we'll simply have to break it. Or—" He looked sideways. "—unless you've been hiding another skill."
Aishwani laughed.
"I wish."
Without another word, she disappeared.
Dante watched her approach. His smile never faded. The crimson-black sword surrounding Aishwani suddenly changed — more mana flooded into it, its already enormous length expanding even further. The blade darkened, its edge becoming impossibly sharp. Only part of it remained wrapped protectively around her body; the rest rose high into the sky. The clouds split apart. The mountain itself seemed to darken beneath its shadow.
Dante raised an eyebrow. More mana. So that's the option you chose.
The sword descended. Mountain Cleaver. This time it wasn't merely stronger — it was significantly faster.
At that exact instant, Jurian vanished. Even Dante's accelerated thoughts almost failed to register it. Then a flash. Pain. A shallow cut opened across Dante's shoulder. His eyes narrowed.
Faster? That bastard. He intentionally made me believe his earlier speed was his limit. A nice trick.
Jurian never celebrated. The moment his first slash missed a vital point, his sword reversed direction, a second strike seeking Dante's neck. Dante calmly let his body dissolve into space. The blade passed harmlessly through him.
He retaliated immediately — a single step, a perfectly timed spinning kick descending toward Jurian's head with flawless technique. Jurian barely reacted, his sword rising just in time. The kick landed.
BOOM!!
The impact drove Jurian straight into the mountaintop. Stone shattered beneath his feet. The entire summit cracked apart as he was forced downward, his arms trembling from absorbing the blow.
Aishwani appeared again. No hesitation. No pause. Her sword descended once more. Mountain Cleaver.
I just need him to defend.
Dante couldn't help smiling. Good. They're adapting. They've stopped trying random attacks. Now they're filtering. Keeping what works. Discarding what doesn't. Exactly how combat should be approached.
His body slipped into another spatial layer. The blade passed harmlessly through him. Aishwani frowned.
Damn it. Jurian, you'll have to block.
The gigantic blade continued downward without slowing. The resulting shockwave scattered clouds across the sky. The surrounding mountains shook violently beneath the force.
Jurian's eyes sharpened. Three sub-skills activated simultaneously. Light Velocity. Radiant Dash. Afterimage Flash.
For the first time, Dante's expression changed. His pupils contracted.
Three...?
Jurian became impossible to follow. Even with Thought Acceleration, his movements blurred beyond what Dante's current perception could comfortably process. Dante immediately stepped backward twice, his body disappearing into another spatial layer.
Too late. A deep slash carved across his right shoulder. Blood spilled. He frowned. That actually landed.
Inside the higher spatial layer, flesh slowly reconstructed itself.
System. Heal it. And explain.
A brief silence followed. Then—
[...Mythical-tier skills are difficult for me to analyze completely, Master.]
Dante slowly nodded. He understood immediately. I see. They baited me. The entire time. They weren't trying to win. They were trying to force me to reveal information.
Across the battlefield, Jurian landed beside Aishwani. A smile finally appeared.
"You noticed?"
She nodded.
"He couldn't mentally keep up. My increased speed, and your acceleration, were finally enough."
Jurian exhaled.
"So his combat awareness isn't perfect. It's lagging behind his abilities."
Aishwani smiled.
"We've learned enough. He won't let us exploit it again."
Jurian nodded.
"Then we step it up too."
A ripple spread through space. Dante calmly stepped back onto the battlefield, his hands returning to his pockets. His face was completely expressionless. No smile. No amusement. Only calm.
Vexion immediately smiled. Lexa noticed it too.
"...They actually managed to injure Master."
Gorgon looked toward her.
"You could see that?"
Lexa shook her head. Before she could answer, Vexion spoke.
"Master only makes that face when he's taken damage, or when something slips outside his expectations."
Amber swallowed.
"...Is that bad?"
Both Vexion and Lexa smiled. It wasn't a reassuring smile. It was the kind shared by people remembering something unpleasant.
Lexa quietly sighed.
"...Very."
Vexion's crimson eyes gleamed with excitement.
"They've finally made Master stop playing."
Dante merely looked at Jurian and smiled. Dumbass. Now you won't be able to touch me.
Jurian ignored the smile. His breathing slowed. Three skills activated simultaneously. Light Velocity. Radiant Dash. Afterimage Flash. The world around him blurred. There was no explosion. No gust of wind. One moment he stood dozens of meters away. The next—
CLANG!
His blade slammed against something invisible directly beside Dante's neck.
Jurian's pupils narrowed. A barrier?