The wind carried the faint scent of ozone and scorched earth, remnants of the earlier fights lingering in the air. Kaelen's hands tightened on his blade as he took a deep breath, circuits flaring in anticipation. Gravity and Chrono circuits hummed with energy, already stage two, ready to manipulate both time and spatial flow around him.
John slowly descended from the faint golden glow that marked his presence above, landing lightly on the ground with barely a whisper of motion. The black slime sword molded seamlessly around his hand, ready.
Kaelen lunged instantly, channeling his Gravity-Chrono circuit. The ground beneath John seemed to distort, time itself twisting slightly around him. Kaelen's blade left streaks of light in the air as he struck in a flurry, gravity amplifying his momentum, chrono circuit slowing his perception just enough to anticipate his own swings.
Yet John didn't dodge. Not even a step.
He simply countered. The black slime sword met Kaelen's blade with an audible snap and a pulse of energy. Kaelen's defenses shattered, sparks flying as the force reverberated through his arms. His body staggered from the impact, circuits screaming in strain.
"Focus," John said quietly, the calm in his voice betraying the lethality beneath. "Strength alone won't win a fight. Think smarter. Anticipate, adapt, but don't rely solely on power."
Kaelen blinked, breath ragged. The lessons from Tessandra and Arata flooded back, his mind scrambling to calculate, to adjust. He adjusted his stance, using gravity to anchor himself, chrono to bend the microseconds of perception—but John's movements were already beyond calculation. Every step, every slash, perfectly timed and precise.
Tessandra watched from the sidelines, her violet-silver eyes glittering as a small, proud smile tugged at her lips. "He's really enjoying this," she murmured.
Alzwalt hovered nearby, golden wings folded but aura flickering with amusement. He glanced at Tessandra, his voice smooth but teasing. "Tessandra, you should be glad John isn't irritated, annoyed, or mad right now. That would truly level this place. All you'd hear is Nova, and…" He chuckled darkly. "…if John deems you an enemy, just know you'd die."
Tessandra's smile deepened, a faint blush brushing her cheeks. "Noted," she said softly.
Alzwalt noticed immediately, a grin tugging at his lips. He leaned slightly toward John, whispering with a smirk, "Bro… you're locked in. I can see it. She likes you."
John's expression didn't change much, but the faintest curve of a smile touched his lips. "I'll go with you to Astria if that's what you want," he murmured casually.
"Aiite, bet," Alzwalt replied, shaking his head with amusement.
Kaelen adjusted again, sweeping his blade in a complex gravity-assisted arc. Time bent around him as he attempted a rapid Chrono strike, the air distorting in front of John like waves in a heat haze. But every strike, every feint, every trick was met with the same effortless counter. John anticipated, blocked, and redirected with an elegance that made the earth itself seem still.
By the end of the spar, Kaelen stood panting, circuits overloaded, eyes wide in awe and frustration. Not once had he landed a hit. Every move had been read, every attack countered.
Tessandra clapped softly, her expression amused and proud. "He's not just fast… he's precise, controlled, and completely unpredictable in his calm."
Alzwalt chuckled, shaking his head as he looked at John, who simply sheathed his black slime sword and straightened. "Man of focus," Alzwalt muttered with admiration. "No wasted movement, no wasted thought. That's why he's untouchable."
Kaelen slumped to one knee, exhaustion and exhilaration flooding through him. He looked up at John, respect blazing in his sky-blue eyes. "I… I understand now," he breathed. "I have so much more to learn."
John nodded once, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Good. Keep up. You'll need it."
The wind swept across the plateau, carrying the echoes of their battle. And in that moment, Kaelen knew—he would someday reach this level of power but now he's like dust to them.