The air around the arena suddenly rose, as if an invisible wall had split open, as both Saruto and Lucien unleashed their full power.
Saruto was the first to unleash his transformation.
Dense black shadows shot from his feet and surged up his body before his hair turned a brilliant white, churning violently above his head. Dark Awakening Level 3.
With it, a dark armor sprang across his entire body, completing his form as the Dark Knight. Black chains ignited on his arms before condensing into two swords connected by those living chains.
Lucien's transformation was less dramatic… but more impactful.
A biting chill enveloped the entire arena. His hair turned a frozen white, and a merciless, snow-blue light reflected in his eyes. Emperor Awakening. As it appeared, an ice spear formed in his hands, long and sharp, emitting a scorching vapor that stung the air. The two stood side by side, while Kaven watched them from the other end of the arena. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, then a wide, admiring smile spread across his face.
"I didn't expect you to reach this level… Well done."
But the praise was short-lived.
Suddenly, the light in Kaven's eyes shifted, his pupils splitting into sharp, elongated shapes—dragon eyes.
His aura surged from his body, a massive, hard aura that pressed against his chest, making Saruto and Lucien tremble involuntarily for a moment.
His body transformed into a hybrid form: broad shoulders, light scales on his arms, and an appearance that combined human toughness with dragon might. He shaped his sword and breathed blue fire onto its edge, turning it into a pure inferno.
Then he vanished. Only half a second passed before he reappeared, slashing his sword at Saruto. But Saruto raised his swords, still connected by chains, and parried Kaven's attack. The friction sent black and red sparks flying through the air.
While Kaven was busy pressing his sword against Saruto's, Lucien charged from the side, forming an icy plate on his hand before delivering a massive punch to Kaven's face.
Kaven crashed down and was sent flying, but he had barely traveled a few meters when Saruto was instantly above him, his sword chains dancing around him.
He swung them in a crosshatch against Kaven's stomach, a double blow that hit its mark with pinpoint accuracy. Blood gushed from Kaven's mouth, his body convulsing before he crashed violently to the ground. But the attack wasn't over.
Right above him, Lucien appeared, slashing down like an icy meteor, his spear raised with both hands and aimed at Kaven's chest. The spear slammed into the ground with a massive blast of ice, and a wave of frost rose. Amidst the white smoke, Kaven lay on his knees, having deflected the spear's impact with his blazing sword.
"Well done, you two..." he said, smiling despite the blood on his lips.
But his voice trailed off. Lucien vanished, replaced by Saruto, who appeared before Kaven in an instant.
Saruto swung his swords, now enveloped in an explosive black halo, and they pierced Kaven's chest. Kaven's eyes widened for a moment, then he seized the swords, wrenching them from his chest and shattering them with his bare hands as if they were made of glass!
In a split second, he lunged at Saruto, attempting to strike him with his aura-covered fist, but an icy wall suddenly rose before him. Lucien had appeared between them.
The wall crumbled under Kaven's force, but his delay was enough for Saruto to reshape his swords and block the attack.
The arena erupted with the clang of metal, and a direct clash ensued between Saruto's swords and Kaven's blazing sword, while Lucien intervened on both sides, delivering swift thrusts with his spear to support his partner's movements.
And so… the fight transformed into an unpredictable, three-way dance, each strike capable of shattering a wall, each step creating an echo that reshaped the very air itself.