The moment Klein's Astra Soul merged with his weapon, the alleyway transformed into a furnace. A scorching wave of heat erupted from the saber, so intense that the very space around the blade seemed to twist and warp. The air shimmered, and the stone walls glowed a dull, angry red.
If his physical strength was at the peak of Rank 3 before, the activation of his D-rank Astra Soul talent elevated his power to a whole new level. The blazing energy infused his muscles and amplified his every move. Now, his destructive capability was more than enough to rival a genuine early-stage Rank 4 Super Soldier. This was the terrifying advantage a powerful Astra Soul provided.
With a guttural roar, Klein held the blazing saber in one hand and slashed horizontally.
"Whoosh!"
The air itself seemed to part as the blade carved a two-meter-long arc of pure fire, a searing crescent that shot across the alley. It tore through the air with a hungry hiss, its destination Dravin's midsection, its intent to slice him cleanly in half.
Dravin snorted, his expression one of cold disdain. As the fiery arc closed in, he didn't dodge or retreat. He simply swung his sheathed cleaver, slapping the flat of the wide blade against the incoming attack.
"Fwump!"
The fire arc, which had looked so menacing, dispersed on contact, shattering into a spray of harmless embers that scattered across the surrounding area.
'Long-range energy attacks at this level are just for show,' Dravin thought with contempt. 'The longer they travel, the more power they lose. They are nothing but parlor tricks used to impress the ignorant and intimidate the weak.'
As if his thoughts were broadcast aloud, Klein's form flickered. The position where he had been standing was engulfed by a pillar of flame that erupted from the ground, a spectacular but empty diversion. He had vanished.
Dravin's expression changed slightly, a flicker of genuine surprise in his eyes. 'A movement technique?'
For Klein to have not only stabilized his new power but also learned a combat technique compatible with his fire-based Astra Soul in a single day was impressive. The resources of a prominent family, combined with a measure of actual talent, were truly not to be underestimated.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a wave of scorching heat materialized directly behind him. Klein had reappeared, his flaming saber already descending in a vicious overhead slash meant to split Dravin's skull.
"Whoosh!"
The air distorted under the immense pressure and heat of the descending blade.
"Clang!"
Time seemed to slow as Dravin, without even turning his head, swung his cleaver behind him in a perfect intercepting arc. Steel met steel. A shockwave, visibly riding on waves of fire and compressed air, exploded outwards from the point of impact.
The resulting heat wave was immense, a searing blast that enveloped both of them. Klein, wreathed in his own power, was completely immune. Dravin, however, was not. But as the flames licked around him, he showed absolutely no signs of discomfort. With a physique stat of 18, his durability was monstrous. The ambient heat was nothing more than an irritating nuisance. As long as the core of the flame—the saber itself—didn't make direct, prolonged contact, he would be fine.
Noticing Dravin's utter indifference to his heat, Klein's eyes turned cold. This trash was far more durable than he had any right to be. He immediately withdrew, his body already flowing into his next attack. He activated the third-level mastery of his `Basic Saber Technique`, his speed becoming a terrifying blur as he slashed at Dravin from a new, unexpected angle.
Dravin allowed a small, mocking smile to touch his lips. 'Daring to show off your puny skills in front of me?'
"Clang!"
Another perfect parry. Dravin's cleaver seemed to be everywhere at once, a silver shield that anticipated Klein's every move.
Klein's face contorted with frustration and rage. He abandoned all pretense of technique and descended into a berserk flurry. His flaming sword became a whirlwind of light and heat, slashing like a maniac, trying to overwhelm Dravin with sheer volume and speed. Sparks flew through the dim alley like fireworks as the two blades met again and again.
Combining his fire-step movement technique with his saber arts, Klein's attacks were a chaotic, unpredictable storm. Yet Dravin met them all. With his Level 7 mastery, Klein's every move was like a child's drawing—full of obvious flaws and openings. He parried when necessary, dodged when it was more efficient, never once being forced onto the back foot.
Angered to the point of madness, Klein leaped backwards, putting distance between them. His chest was heaving, his eyes wild with a mixture of fury and disbelief.
"I was saving this," he panted, his voice a low growl. "I was planning on using this move to kill a Rank 4 Primitive Beast and secure first place. But I'll use it on you." He straightened up, a fanatical gleam in his eyes. "For a puny ant like you to push me this far, you should feel proud! Now, witness the power of a god!"
'Eh? Where have I heard that line before?' Dravin thought, almost rolling his eyes.
"Inferno Slash!"
But before his amusement could settle, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. His instincts now amplified by his new body, screamed at him. Dravin's face instantly turned serious.
In that split second, all the heat in the alley converged on Klein's saber. The roaring flames compressed, collapsing into a single, terrifying point of crimson light at the blade's tip. He transformed into a crimson blur, his speed so immense that he seemed to have teleported across the ten-meter gap. His blade, no longer burning but glowing with the intensity of a dying star, drew a straight, silent line through the air.
It was his ultimate technique, a single-thrust skill that sacrificed all defense for absolute speed and piercing power.
In the blink of an eye, the blade appeared just two inches from Dravin's neck. The threat of death, cold and absolute, loomed over him like a guillotine. There was no time to think, no time to plan.
Without a shred of hesitation, he burst out with his full, unsuppressed strength.
"BOOM!"
A terrifying aura, far denser and more powerful than anything Klein had displayed, exploded from Dravin's body. The raw, untamed power of a Rank 4 Super Soldier, at 70% of his foundation, erupted outwards, cracking the stone ground beneath his feet. But that wasn't enough.
In the same instant, he activated the full power of his `Basic Cleaver Technique`. A 50% boost in raw power flooded his limbs. His muscles screamed as he poured every ounce of his energy and skill into a single, desperate, rising block.
He brought his cleaver up barely just in time.
"CLANG!!!"
The sound was not of metal hitting metal. It was the sound of a mountain breaking.