Why had he felt irritated if what he wanted most was to fight? Well, now he understood—it wasn't just because his opponent was hard to hit. If that were the case, it would be ridiculous for him to have such thoughts. The main reason was that he could have fought alongside Enrico if he had waited a little. Just as it was obvious that light magic could surpass the speed of lightning, it was also obvious that his feelings of wanting to face and fight beside his rival were greater than any other emotion.
'This isn't my personality. What I like is facing strong guys and training to surpass anyone.'
That's right—he liked surpassing himself and those stronger than him. So he would simply surpass the creature in front of him. Just like Kilihit had done earlier, Kai took a single step forward and disappeared, leaving the ground beneath him shattered. But his opponent managed to dodge by leaping upward.
"Close."
Looking at where he had just been, he saw a cut in the air. Kai had tried to split him in half with his sword, but it didn't work—he was still slower.
"Oceanic Magic: High Tide."
A wave of water surged forward. Pointing at its center, Kilihit created a sphere of electricity that tore a hole through the tide rushing toward him. Letting it pass, his body transformed into lightning.
"Lightning Dragon."
With both palms raised, a dragon made of lightning surged toward his opponent. Taking one step forward and one to the side, Kai deflected the attack with his sword, redirecting it to the right. His nose bled even more as he vanished again using his light magic.
What was happening was that he was using his light magic only on his body, focusing purely on speed. That caused his body to ache and injure itself from the pressure of reaching such velocity. Moreover, the strain grew the longer he maintained it, and even the air felt more solid against him—one of the problems of reaching that speed without having the level to withstand it.
Now the biggest issue was that since he was using his light magic only for a specific purpose, he could only use his oceanic magic to attack.
'Your speed has increased.'
A cut appeared across Kilihit's ribs when he tried to dodge another strike. Kai's sword was now wrapped in a blue aura. He was using his full potential in this battle, and his weapon—already enhanced with Lúmen'Thyr—was at the maximum an ego weapon could reach at circle six.
"Oceanic Magic: Shell Scales."
Small blue-silver markings appeared along his shoulders, ribs, and legs, forming patterns that resembled translucent scales. They were not physical in the usual sense—they were compressed mana structures, organized into microscopic plates that fit perfectly over his skin.
The scales expanded until they covered his entire torso, part of his neck, and his legs down to the knees. They didn't increase his mass—only covered him. He looked more solid yet lighter, taking on a white hue. On his face, a completely white mask of scales covered his head like a knight's helmet.
'It doesn't hurt as much now.'
The pain caused by the speed still existed, but it was dampened. Muscles tore less. Joints endured more. Mana circulation strengthened as the armor completed itself.
'Finally, I've reached the maximum potential of the armor I wanted.'
When he advanced again, the ground no longer exploded beneath his feet—he slid across it with almost silent precision. Now he was adding a bit of oceanic magic to his speed as well.
The blade shone brighter when another slash tore into Kilihit's ribs. It wasn't deep enough to be lethal, but it was the first clean hit he had landed since the battle began.
'Damn it, he's evolving.'
Kai's eyes were focused and sharp. He had fully awakened his unique ability called "Evolution."
[Unique Ability: Evolution. In battle, this ability behaves passively. As long as the battle continues, the user will not stop evolving.] Circle 6 – 47% → 48%
Kai's speed increased with each exchange—not explosively, but progressively. The pressure crushing his muscles and bones began to transform into something different. The pain remained, but it no longer limited him in the same way.
'I can do this—I'm managing.'
When a green bolt struck his shoulder, the scales flared brightly for an instant, absorbing part of the impact before returning it as concentrated vibration, increasing the force behind his punches. Kilihit's face snapped backward when Kai's fist struck him.
'What the hell is this?'
Kai no longer looked like someone merely forcing his limits. Now he looked like someone who had found a way to endure them. Shell Scales didn't make him invulnerable—but it made him capable of continuing the fight, which was perfect for his unique ability.
'Calm down, I can still—'
"So you want to keep up with me?"
Kilihit stared in shock as the sword itself seemed to respond to Kai. Hero's Magic began to emerge from within it—not as a grand flash, but as a silver glow infiltrating the blade's blue aura. The energy was no longer just light or water—it became condensed pure magic.
Kilihit sensed the change. His electric body fragmented into dozens of green beams that shot in all directions before converging at an unexpected point. He reappeared above Kai, compressing thunder into his claws until the air around them distorted.
"I can keep up with you this time."
Kai crossed his sword and received the attack head-on. The collision created an explosion of energy that opened an even larger crater than before. The electrical discharge surged through his body, burning nerves and locking his muscles for a fraction of a second.
"Even if you're getting stronger, I just need to defeat you before you surpass me."
"Ha, you're right—but I still have one more card."
Behind him, a blue fairy appeared, beginning to heal Kai's body. Kilihit's eyes widened even further. What kind of aberration was he facing?
'Was this some kind of test set by my lord?'
Even with fear creeping in, he continued his assault. A second thunder strike pierced Kai's shoulder, launching him into the ground. Electricity spread through the cracked earth, expanding like green roots beneath the surface.
"If that's the case, then I won't give up."