The final sparring match began beneath a sky drowned in crimson.
The endless scarlet sea roared below the shattered platform while distant waves crashed violently against ancient black cliffs. Above them, the blood-red heavens stretched endlessly across the horizon like an open wound carved into reality itself.
The battlefield had already been destroyed long ago.
Broken pillars leaned at crooked angles.
Cracks spread through lted stone.
Burn marks and shattered arrows littered the ground like remnants of a forgotten war.
Heat still lingered in the air from the earlier battles.
And yet—
The atmosphere only continued growing heavier.
Sunny sat atop a fractured slab of stone near the edge of the battlefield while drinking silently from the Flask of the Eternal Well. His ribs still hurt from the previous sparring session against Senrix, and every ti he inhaled too deeply, pain stabbed through his chest.
Nearby, Nephis stood quietly with her silver hair dancing beneath the cold sea wind.
Neither of them spoke at first.
Their eyes remained fixed on the two figures standing at the center of the battlefield.
Then Sunny suddenly exhaled slowly and muttered:
"...Who do you think wins?"
Nephis remained silent for a mont.
"Hard to say."
Sunny blinked.
That alone already surprised him.
For Nephis to say sothing was "hard to say" ant both fighters were absurdly dangerous.
Sunny glanced toward Elysia.
The pink-haired girl stood calmly while adjusting the Midnight Cloak resting loosely around her shoulders. Unlike her usual carefree self, the current Elysia felt strangely sharp.
Dangerous.
Like a hidden blade wrapped in silk.
Then he looked toward Senrix.
Fully armored.
The Crimson Engine radiated terrifying heat beneath the dim scarlet sky while faint streams of crimson fla escaped through the gaps between the armor plates.
Just standing there—
Senrix looked oppressive.
Sunny grimaced slightly.
"...Actually, scratch that. Your brother is a complete monster."
For the first ti in several minutes—
A tiny smile appeared on Nephis's face.
Small.
Almost nonexistent.
Yet it was undeniably there.
"He is."
Sunny stared at her suspiciously.
"...Was that pride?"
Nephis calmly looked away.
"No."
"...That definitely sounded like pride."
"I simply stated a fact."
Sunny clicked his tongue.
anwhile—
At the center of the battlefield—
The two monsters finally faced each other properly.
Elysia smiled brightly while twirling an arrow lazily between her fingers.
"You know, if we accidentally destroy the entire platform, Sunny might actually cry."
A low chuckle escaped from beneath Senrix's helt.
"If that happens, I'll throw him into the ocean before he starts complaining."
"Wow. How cruel."
Elysia placed a hand over her chest dramatically.
"And here I thought we were comrades."
"You literally shot in the face earlier."
"Correction."
She pointed at him with the arrow.
"I shot your helt. Very different things."
The flas around Senrix intensified slightly.
"You aid for my face."
"But I missed your face beautifully."
Sunny stared blankly from the sidelines.
"...Why are they talking like this before trying to kill each other?"
Nephis answered calmly.
"They're comfortable."
"...Your definition of comfort is terrifying."
The battlefield slowly fell silent again.
The wind weakened.
Even the waves below seed quieter.
Then—
Elysia smiled.
Not her usual carefree smile.
This one carried sharpness hidden beneath warmth.
"You better not cry after losing."
Crimson flas slowly ignited around Senrix's gauntlets.
"Funny."
The flas spread violently around his body.
"You should worry about surviving first."
The instant those words fell—
The battlefield exploded.
BOOOOOOM!
The ground beneath Elysia shattered instantly as she vanished from sight.
Sunny's eyes widened.
Fast.
Far too fast.
Even after witnessing her previous battles, Elysia's speed still felt completely absurd.
One mont she stood calmly in place.
The next—
She was simply gone.
At the sa instant—
The air scread.
TWANG! TWANG! TWANG! TWANG!
Dozens of arrows suddenly appeared from multiple directions simultaneously, streaking through the battlefield like silver stars descending from the heavens.
Each arrow targeted a lethal point.
Eyes.
Joints.
Neck.
Weak gaps within the armor.
Yet Senrix did not retreat.
He stepped forward.
BOOOOOM!
Crimson flas erupted violently around him as several arrows collided against the Crimson Engine simultaneously.
Explosions shattered nearby ruins apart.
Fragnts of burning stone scattered everywhere.
And through all of it—
Senrix continued advancing.
Unstoppable.
The instant the smoke obscured vision—
Elysia appeared directly above him.
Another arrow was already drawn.
At point-blank range.
TWANG!
The arrow descended like divine judgnt.
Senrix reacted instantly.
His flaming gauntlet smashed upward violently.
BOOOOOOM!
The collision detonated like artillery fire.
The shockwave cracked the battlefield apart beneath them.
Yet before the flas even settled—
Elysia had already disappeared again.
She moved like flowing moonlight dancing across the battlefield.
Graceful.
Untouchable.
Impossible to predict.
anwhile—
Senrix fought like a collapsing mountain wrapped in flas.
Every step shattered stone.
Every strike distorted the air itself.
Crimson fire spread violently around him, lting nearby ruins into flowing magma.
Yet despite the sheer weight of the armor—
He sohow continued keeping pace with Elysia's movents.
Not through speed.
Through instinct.
Through battle experience forged through endless slaughter.
Every ti Elysia appeared—
Senrix was already attacking.
BOOOOOOM!
A flaming punch tore through the battlefield violently enough to annihilate an entire section of ruins.
Elysia narrowly twisted away.
The residual heat alone scorched part of her cloak black.
Yet instead of retreating—
She grinned.
"Ooooh. That would've hurt."
Senrix imdiately lunged toward her again.
"It still can."
BOOOOOOM!
The battlefield exploded once more.
Elysia slid backward while firing arrows continuously mid-movent.
Silver streaks filled the air like a teor shower.
So arrows shattered against Senrix's armor.
Others pierced through smaller openings.
Blood slowly stained portions of the Crimson Engine crimson-black.
Yet Senrix ignored the injuries completely.
He continued advancing through the storm like a beast incapable of pain.
Sunny unconsciously tightened his grip around the flask.
The pressure radiating from the battle alone felt overwhelming.
Even Nephis narrowed her eyes slightly.
Then—
Elysia suddenly vanished completely.
Sunny frowned.
A killing intent erupted behind Senrix.
TWANG!
A single arrow shot directly toward the back of his helt.
Unlike the others—
This arrow felt terrifyingly concentrated.
Senrix twisted instantly.
BOOOOOM!
His gauntlet barely intercepted the projectile.
The resulting explosion erased everything nearby.
Dust and flas erupted everywhere.
And through the chaos—
Elysia suddenly closed the distance directly.
Her bow slamd toward Senrix like a staff weapon.
CLANG!
The impact echoed violently across the battlefield.
The two exchanged blows at terrifying speed.
Elysia fought with fluid grace resembling flowing water.
anwhile, Senrix embodied pure devastation.
Violent.
Heavy.
Absolute.
At one point—
Senrix finally managed to grab Elysia's wrist mid-motion.
The entire battlefield seed to pause.
Then his flaming fist moved toward her stomach.
Fast.
Too fast.
Yet Elysia suddenly smiled.
"...Got you."
Sunny's eyes widened.
Three arrows had already been secretly positioned behind Senrix beforehand.
The mont he attacked—
They fired simultaneously.
BOOOOOOM!
Explosions erupted directly against the back of the Crimson Engine.
Senrix released Elysia instantly as both fighters were blasted apart in opposite directions.
Elysia landed gracefully atop shattered stone while coughing lightly.
anwhile, Senrix slowly stood back up through the smoke.
Part of his armor had cracked heavily.
Yet instead of anger—
He laughed.
A deep, dangerous laugh.
"Now that's more like a fight."
Elysia stretched her sore shoulder casually.
"Hehe. Thanks. I worked hard on that one."
The battlefield gradually collapsed further around them.
Flas spread endlessly.
Explosions echoed continuously.
The sea below churned violently from repeated shockwaves.
Minutes passed.
Neither slowed down.
Neither retreated.
Their injuries worsened steadily.
Burn marks covered Elysia's body while blood flowed endlessly from wounds across Senrix's armor.
Yet both continued fighting like monsters incapable of exhaustion.
Then—
Everything escalated again.
Elysia suddenly accelerated.
Faster than before.
Her body blurred completely while silver arrows rained endlessly through the air like falling stars.
At the sa mont—
Crimson flas erupted violently around Senrix.
The battlefield drowned in fire.
The sea below reflected burning crimson light as though the ocean itself had ignited.
Then—
The final clash began.
Elysia descended from above like silver lightning.
Senrix lunged upward through erupting flas like a volcanic eruption given human form.
Arrow and fist collided.
Silver light and crimson fire exploded together violently enough to erase the battlefield entirely.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The resulting shockwave annihilated everything nearby.
Sunny instinctively shielded himself while nearby ruins completely disintegrated beneath the explosion.
For several monts—
Nothing existed except blinding crimson light.
Then—
Silence.
The battlefield had vanished.
At the center of the destruction—
Two figures remained standing.
Barely.
Senrix's armor was heavily fractured while blood flowed endlessly from countless wounds.
One of his gauntlets had nearly shattered completely.
anwhile—
Elysia's condition looked no better.
Burn marks covered her arms and shoulders while blood slowly dripped from her lips.
Parts of her Midnight Cloak had completely burned away.
The two stared at each other silently.
Then—
Elysia suddenly laughed weakly.
"...Okay. Maybe you really are a monster."
Senrix wiped blood from beneath his helt.
"Took you long enough to notice."
Then—
Both collapsed simultaneously.
Sunny stared blankly at the destroyed battlefield.
"...What the hell did we just watch?"
Even Nephis looked genuinely stunned.
And hidden beneath the aftermath of battle—
Unknown to everyone watching—
Two identical voices echoed within the souls of the fallen fighters.
[You have received an Aspect Legacy!]
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