Taravan's eyes narrowed, cloak stirring in the cold wind.
Below, Gareth lay crushed against the bridge, blood streaking the pale wood.
Rynel stood above him — silent, unreadable, power radiating like a storm.
Taravan's jaw tightened, his voice low and edged with disbelief.
"How… is one of mine fighting like that?"
The mist around him trembled, reflecting the unease in his veins.
Gareth coughed, body trembling, each breath a struggle through pain.
His gaze lifted — locking onto Rynel's cold, unflinching stare.
"Still standing, huh…" he muttered, blood dripping from his lips.
Taravan said nothing — only watched, eyes sharp and uncertain.
Something was wrong with that boy's Veil — too steady, too alive.
And deep down, he felt it — this fight was far from over.
Gareth pushed himself up slowly, breath ragged but steady.
Blood dripped from his chin, his grip tightening on the slick wooden planks.
He barely rose before Rynel's fist crashed into his face.
The impact echoed — sharp, brutal — sending Gareth sprawling again.
Mist burst around him as he hit the bridge, crimson spraying across the wood.
Nessy flinched, voice trembling. "Can he… even win this?"
Gareth wiped the blood from his mouth, eyes blazing despite the pain.
"I'll win," he muttered, tone low but firm.
Rynel didn't wait — his next punch smashed into Gareth's jaw, harder than before.
Then another. And another.
Each blow sent Gareth stumbling, skin tearing, his face a crimson blur.
Still — through the haze of pain — he refused to fall silent.
Gareth staggered back, spitting blood, vision blurring at the edges.
Each hit landed with surgical precision — no hesitation, no wasted motion.
Rynel's eyes were empty, locked entirely on him.
Gareth steadied his breath, mind racing through the chaos.
Every movement, every strike — it wasn't rage. It was focus.
Unbroken, terrifying focus.
He wiped his mouth, studying the rhythm between each punch.
"He's… not even thinking anymore," Gareth muttered under his breath.
"That drug… it forced him into a flow state."
Rynel's next strike came like lightning — pure instinct, pure drive.
Gareth barely dodged, the wind of the blow slicing past his cheek.
And in that moment, he realized — Rynel wasn't fighting to win. He was fighting to be perfect.
Gareth's knees wavered, his body screaming in pain.
He felt it — the next punch would knock him out cold.
The air around Rynel pulsed, heavy, unstoppable.
Gareth's hand clenched over his heart, breath sharp and fierce.
"Then I'll just beat you out of that state," he growled.
A sudden rush of adrenaline surged through his veins.
His lips curled into a bloodied smile, wild and fearless.
The mist rippled as he stepped forward, fists raised.
Rynel stayed silent, eyes empty, movements perfect and cold.
Their punches collided midair — the sound like thunder on wood.
Veins tensed, muscles locked, neither giving an inch.
The bridge groaned beneath them, caught between will and fury.
Gareth pressed forward relentlessly, fists swinging, body aching.
Then — one punch landed cleanly against Rynel's guard.
Mist surged around the boy, curling into him, absorbed like fuel.
Tarvan's eyes narrowed, voice sharp.
"Sinatara… who is this boy? Why is he this strong?"
Sinatara's gaze stayed on the duel, calm yet detached.
"He's just a beggar's son… and his father cannot be identified."
Rynel's body blurred, moving faster and faster, too quick to follow.
Then — he vanished entirely, only to strike with a sudden, brutal punch.
Gareth's bloodied smile faltered, eyes widening at the speed of it.
He twisted aside just in time, landing hard on the bridge.
Pain seared through his ribs as he caught his breath.
A fleeting memory crossed his mind — The Devil's Viking.
Anger flared, burning hot.
He clenched his fists, staring at Rynel, furious at his own weakness.
Compared to this Rynel… compared to them… he was still far too small.
Gareth gritted his teeth, blood streaking his face, eyes blazing.
"You want perfection?" he spat, voice low and deadly.
"I'll break it myself."
Rynel lunged again, fist a blur of unstoppable force.
Gareth twisted sharply, body flowing with pain and adrenaline.
The punch tore through the air where he had stood — and missed.
Tarvan's eyes flared red, veins pulsing as he watched the duel.
Fear gripped him like ice, twisting his stomach.
"He… he has no Veil capacity," he muttered, voice trembling.
"He's… continuously absorbing the Mist Veil… endlessly."
Rynel's body tensed, energy crackling around him.
Shockwaves radiated outward, bending the mist and shaking the bridge.
With a blur of motion, a sonic boom tore through the air, deafening and violent.
Everyone froze, eyes wide, hearts hammering.
Shock and terror painted the warriors' faces in stark relief.
Tarvan's blood ran cold, his mind scrambling to comprehend the anomaly.
Sinatara's lips curled slightly, impressed despite herself.
"This… this boy…" she murmured, voice low, "he's extraordinary."
Nessy's hands clenched at her sides, panic lacing her voice.
"Gareth… can he even survive this?"
Doran's eyes narrowed, jaw tight, muscles coiled.
His thoughts raced, worry clawing at him — if Gareth can't survive Rynel… none of us can.
The mist around the bridge churned violently, reflecting the rising tension and fear.
The bridge shuddered violently, wood splintering under the force of their blows.
Air screamed with each punch, mist ripped apart, the echoes of impact bouncing across the river below.
Crimson stained the planks, the smell of blood mingling with the cold, heavy mist.
Tarvan's voice cut through the chaos, mocking, sharp.
"Die already, brat. Stop wasting my time!"
Gareth groaned, slowly pushing himself up from the bloody spot where he'd been slammed.
His body shook, pain flaring through every limb, but his eyes burned with stubborn thought.
Why am I even fighting? he muttered inwardly.
And why… why does Rynel keep getting stronger?
Rynel's fist struck the air with a deafening force, sending shockwaves rolling outward.
Gale-like winds threw Gareth back, ribs cracking, vision blurring with pain.
He hit the bridge again, sliding close to Nessy, who flinched at the impact.
Gasping, blood streaking his face, Gareth coughed, voice low and strained.
"Nessy… how… how can I use the Veil… without being corrupted?"
Her hands shook, eyes wide with disbelief.
"It's impossible… only the Valerian and Kharuun can control it safely," she whispered.
Rynel grabbed him roughly, dragging him across the bridge as each punch landed without mercy.
Gareth's vision darkened, body battered, every nerve screaming.
The boy's relentless strikes painted a brutal rhythm of domination — he could feel every blow trying to break him, over and over.
Gareth lay sprawled on the bridge, bloodied and battered, staring up through the mist.
" If I have the Mark of the Sun Eclipse… will it… react to the sun. huggh ! What's good about being the sun's pallebearl anyway?" he muttered, voice low, trembling.
Rynel's fist struck him upward, a brutal, invisible force hurling him skyward.
Gareth soared above the forest, wind tearing at his bloodied clothes.
Below, enormous corrupted birds circled, and vast beasts stirred in the treetops.
The sun shone bright above, casting golden light across the chaos.
A massive bird lunged at him, and Gareth planted his foot firmly on its back.
He shoved, redirecting its momentum downward, launching himself higher.
With a roar, he broke above the clouds, air thin and cold, the world sprawling beneath him.
Nessy squinted up, voice tight with worry. "Gareth… where are you?"
The Kharuun warriors' faces were pale, fear etched deep as they watched Rynel below.
Sinatara and the Valerian warriors exchanged slight smiles, impressed.
Tarvan's gaze narrowed, silent, staring at Rynel standing firm in the mist.
His eyes flared red as he tried to see beyond, only to find… nothing.
Tarvan raised his hands, voice loud, commanding.
"I declare Rynel the winner!"
Rynel remained unmoving, calm and unreadable.
Tarvan scowled, irritation sharp. "Why aren't you moving?!"
Rynel's voice cut quietly through the tension. " He's an anomaly like me… he's still not dead."
Tarvan laughed, scorn dripping from each word. "Nobody here survives a strike like that."
Rynel gave a sigh , " Exactly Master , that's the problem. Why is he not dead?"
Above the clouds, Gareth steadied himself, body burning with pain.
He forced his veins open to the Veil, absorbing five percent of his inner power.
A surge of strength and clarity flowed through him, fierce and raw.
"Find me… you bastard!" Gareth shouted, voice tearing through the sky.
Exhaustion hit, and his body gave way — he plummeted, blazing like a meteor.
Tarvan's eyes widened, witnessing a fiery streak tear through the atmosphere, streaking toward the bridge and forest below.
The massive bird Gareth had pushed screamed through the air, wings flailing wildly.
It slammed into the river below, water exploding outward as it sank beneath the surface.
Mist churned around the impact, ripples spreading far and wide.
Tarvan's eyes widened, gaze snapping upward.
Another fiery streak tore through the sky — smaller, faster, with unmistakable intent.
That one wasn't a bird. That was Gareth.
Gareth slammed into the bridge with bone-shaking force, wood groaning and cracks spiderwebbing across the planks.
He coughed, blood spilling from his mouth, vision spinning, but he forced himself up — standing painfully, every movement a struggle.
Mist swirled around him, the bridge trembling beneath the weight of his body.
From afar, Tarvan's voice cut sharp, laced with disbelief.
"Why isn't Rynel already overwhelmed by too much Veil?" he demanded, eyes narrowing.
"And… why aren't you dead from that impact, Gareth?"
Their gazes locked, fury and calculation blazing alike.
At the same time, both muttered, cold and low: "We're anomalies."
The words hung heavy in the mist, chilling every soul who heard them, frightening even the bravest warriors.
Gareth's bloodied eyes glinted with fierce resolve, voice low and sharp.
"I'm ending this round… immediately," he growled, each word cutting through the mist.
He snapped his fingers.
The bridge shuddered violently as Rynel froze mid-step.
In an instant, he was hurled downward, slammed onto the wooden planks with unstoppable force.
Everyone gasped, eyes wide — even the mist seemed to recoil at the display.
Rynel struggled, groaning as he tried to rise, hands scraping the cracked wood of the bridge.
Gareth floated closer, eyes sharp, body tense with controlled Veil.
He reached out and lightly patted Rynel's head. "You… are really strong," he said quietly.
Then, with a swift strike, he slammed Rynel's head against the planks, knocking him out cold.
The bridge trembled from the impact, mist curling around them as silence fell.
Gareth focused, hands hovering, trying to draw the mist essence out of Rynel with telekinesis.
His eyes narrowed, realization striking.
"It's… already dissolved," he muttered under his breath.
"The essence… it's merged into him."
Nessy, Doran, and the other Kharuun warriors rushed forward, rushing to Gareth's side.
They embraced him tightly, voices trembling with relief. "We're so glad you're alive!"
"Yes… yes," Gareth mumbled, shy and slightly embarrassed, shoulders still trembling from the fight.
Tarvan's eyes glowed faintly red, gaze fixed on Gareth with a mix of disbelief and grudging respect.
He raised his hands slowly, voice deep and reluctant.
"…Fine," he muttered, teeth gritted. "Gareth… you're the winner."
The mist hung heavy around them, silent witnesses to the victory, while even Rynel lay still, unmoving.
Tarvan's eyes swept the bridge, cold and commanding.
He pointed toward the Kharuun girl lying beside Gareth, still catching her breath.
"Next battle," he announced, voice sharp, "you — the Kharuun beside him — will face Sinatara."
Mist swirled around the pair as all eyes turned, anticipation and tension thick in the air.
Gareth lay sprawled on the bridge, sweat and dried blood streaking his face and clothes.
He pushed himself up slightly, voice weak but sharp, eyes locking on Nessy.
"It's… you, Nessy… your next, win it for the West you brat" he said, tone low and teasing, a tired smirk forming despite his exhaustion.
Gareth then fell asleep on doran's firm hand's and they laid him behind them.