Meanwhile, Ferrum Ignis still hung in the air, and its sheer size had become a liability. The weapon's increased length made it unwieldy, if Thunderbird wanted to use it effectively, he'd need to adjust.
But the seasoned duelist didn't flinch. His lips curled into a contemptuous smirk as he subtly twisted his wrist. In response, Ferrum Ignis immediately shrank, its massive form condensing into a sleek, lethal shape only a few meters long, one he could maneuver with ease.
Then, without hesitation, Thunderbird swung, slashing the blade across his body just in time to meet the incoming Thunder Whip.
The two weapons clashed once more, but this time, the battle had shifted.
Thunderbird moved like a madman. He charged forward, swinging Ferrum Ignis with the reckless enthusiasm of a drunk lumberjack hacking at trees. His strikes came down again and again in rapid succession, his movements raw and unrefined, but terrifying in their sheer aggression.
Alex smirked coldly. 'Perfect.'
Melee combat was his specialty. He adjusted his footwork, weaving between the furious slashes with minimal movements, narrowly avoiding the cursed blade each time. The heat licked at his skin, but not a single strike touched him.
Thunderbird snarled in frustration. He swung downward for a crushing blow, but just before his blade could land, Alex suddenly bent low, darting beneath the strike. In the same motion, he lashed out with his Thunder Whip, aiming for Thunderbird's lower body in a vicious sweep.
Thunderbird's eyes flickered with alarm. He barely had time to react, hastily shifting his stance and pulling his blade sideways to block.
But the moment he committed to the motion, Alex changed tactics.
With a flick of his wrist, the whip, originally low to the ground, suddenly surged upward, rising in a jagged arc. Before Thunderbird could adjust, the silver lightning lashed toward his right cheek.
It was too late to block. Thunderbird's instincts kicked in. With no other choice, he twisted sharply and rolled to the left, barely avoiding a direct hit. He felt the electricity graze past him, leaving a tingling burn in its wake.
The maneuver had saved him, but at a cost. Rolling had forced him onto the defensive, he had lost control of the pace. In a duel, losing control was as good as losing outright.
Alex saw his chance. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he lashed out, unleashing a relentless flurry of attacks.
The Thunder Whip moved like a living creature, striking from every direction, sweeping, snapping, thrusting, wrapping, and slicing. Each movement was precise, calculated, designed to overwhelm Thunderbird's defenses.
Thunderbird, who had been so dominant moments ago, was now forced to dodge, twisting and retreating as he barely managed to parry with his blade.
Under Alex's relentless assault, Thunderbird could no longer stand his ground with the same ease as before. He was being pushed back, forced into a constant retreat as the lightning whip lashed at him from all directions.
Luckily, as a seasoned duelist, his footwork was impeccable. Relying on his speed and reflexes, he maneuvered backward, parrying each attack as best as he could. However, unlike before, when he could sidestep or reposition at will, Alex's attacks left no room for lateral movement. Every escape route to the left or right was cut off, forcing Thunderbird to retreat in a straight line. It was a position he despised, restricted, controlled, and put on the defensive.
'Damn it.' Thunderbird's frustration burned almost as fiercely as the Fiendfyre in his blade. 'How the hell did the tables turn so quickly?'
A few minutes ago, he had been toying with Alex, pressing him into a corner, forcing him to struggle. Yet now, Alex was fighting like a man possessed, his attacks sharp, precise, and suffocating.
Thunderbird knew he had the superior magic reserves, he could maintain high-intensity spellcasting far longer than Alex. This pace won't last. He just needed to wait for Alex's energy to wane, for the speed of his strikes to slow, and then he would counterattack.
That was the plan.
But just as he was formulating his next move His foot landed on something.
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted beneath Thunderbird's feet.
The ground detonated with a force that sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. A column of fire and debris shot skyward as the snowy terrain was blown apart. The force of the blast lifted Thunderbird off his feet, sending him flying backward in a chaotic spin.
For a moment, the battlefield was engulfed in a thick cloud of smoke, dirt, and shattered ice. The explosion tore a crater into the ground, scattering embers and debris in all directions. The sheer force of it left the surrounding snow-covered trees trembling, their branches shaking as loose frost tumbled down in a quiet cascade.
Alex watched the scene. 'That's one.'
This was the trap he had been setting up all along.
From the beginning, his strategy had been layered, first using ravens and falling snow to obscure Thunderbird's vision, then subtly disrupting the once-flat battlefield, creating pits and uneven terrain. The goal was simple: confuse, misdirect, and force Thunderbird into an area where he could no longer maneuver freely. And in the midst of that controlled chaos, Alex had planted his real weapons.
Magic Mines.
Small, rune-engraved devices, each embedded with a Thunderbolt Explosion charm. He had released them onto the battlefield earlier, controlling their movement at an excruciatingly slow pace to prevent detection. He had even deliberately adjusted his own positioning, subtly leading Thunderbird into their path.
And now, his patience had paid off.
Even as the dust from the explosion was still settling, Alex didn't waste a second. He seized the opportunity, his body already moving as he lashed out with his Thunder Whip.
At the same time, a gleaming set of enchanted chains shot from his sleeve, Spirit-Binding Locks. The moment they were released, they spread wide like a net, racing toward Thunderbird's last known position, seeking to ensnare him before he could recover.
The actions were executed in a fraction of a second.
Then, contact.
Alex felt it. His Thunder Whip coiled around something solid, and the Spirit-Binding Locks snapped tight. His plan had worked.
As the smoke finally cleared, the aftermath of the explosion came into view.
The area where Thunderbird had been standing was now a deep, gaping crater, nearly three meters across and half a meter deep. The once-smooth layer of snow had been completely obliterated, exposing the dark, rotting undergrowth and loose soil beneath.
And at the very center of the destruction,
Thunderbird still stood.
But his Ferrum Ignis was gone. The once-mighty flaming sword had been extinguished, its cursed flames no longer burning. Instead, he was clutching his wand in both hands, surrounded by a translucent magical barrier, faintly pulsing with a sinister scarlet glow. The barrier covered him completely, forming a dome around his body, and despite being wrapped in both the Thunder Whip and the Spirit-Binding Locks, the shield remained intact.
Alex frowned. 'What kind of barrier is this?'