Rio and Alverto both refused to back off; both of them had their reasons to not take a single step back, and thus a clash was inevitable.
Alverto glanced at Riya and spoke in a calm tone.
"Continue with the ritual; I will stall for time myself…"
He sighed deeply and walked down the giant altar with slow yet steady steps.
"I am surprised that you haven't already attacked the altar and tried to destroy it…"
Alverto looked into Rio's dark black eyes; his words carried surprise and doubt in them.
"It's not that I don't want to… I have already spread minute amounts of sword intent in this entire place… I can sense that the altar is inside a powerful barrier…"
"I am more surprised by the fact that you willingly walked out of it and didn't stay inside it…"
Alverto shook his head and replied calmly,
