I didn't waste time.
I pulled out a dagger from the Inventory Rune and cut my thumb.
Blood ran down my hand as I drew a large rune on my arm. It stretched up from my forearm to my bicep, glowing faintly once I finished.
When the rune faded into my skin, I created a tiny portal in front of my eye.
The other end opened high in the sky.
Through it, I could see the whole forest stretching for kilometers.
"The distance is about four kilometers. It takes longer to create portals farther from my location, but it's still manageable at this distance."
I closed the portal and activated Shadow Assimilation.
My shadow fused with me completely, boosting my stats and reaction speed.
…
Yuna's POV
Yuna looked up at the figure forming in the sky.
Even from here, she could feel its pressure.
Her heart pounded hard in her chest.
'It's too strong for him.'
Her turned my eyes toward him—no, toward Alan. That was the name he wanted her to use inside the domain.
'Alan can't fight that thing.'
Cursed Spirits were already stronger than exorcists of the same rank, and Alan wasn't even close to special Elicoras Warrior in terms of rank, let alone strength.
Even with his Shadow Assimilation skill, the gap between them was enormous.
He was slower, weaker, and even if by some miracle he managed to hit it, he wouldn't deal any damage.
The difference between them was like night and day.
'He's going to die.'
She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood.
Her hands shook as she clutched her clothes tightly. Even though she was from another world, she had been with Alan for three years.
She had watched him grow, and had become close to him.
The thought of him getting hurt made her her heart twist. Tears blurred her vision, but she forced herself not to cry.
It was impossible for him to survive this, let alone win.
She decides to be satisfied with this loss being a lesson for Alan-
"Yuna."
She blinked, startled by his sudden call.
He was staring at her.
She could not see his face through the mask, but for some reason, she felt he had a confident smile.
"You worry too much. And, don't worry…"
He looked up at the special Elicoras Warrior, still forming from the swirling pixels.
"I'm going to win. I promise. So, sit back and relax."
…
Omniscient POV
The special Elicoras Warrior was now complete.
It stood still in the air for a moment before dropping from the sky like a meteor.
X'Lhaur had vanished, leaving only the echo of 'his' words.
In the glowing screens that filled the sky, the shadowy figures began to chant again.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Their voices filled the forest, growing louder with every second.
Alan stood in the clearing, staring up at the falling figure.
He took a slow, deep breath.
The Elicoras Warrior crashed into the ground with a deep thud.
Dust and debris flew in all directions.
When the air cleared, the creature stepped forward.
It had the shape of a human, but nothing about it felt human.
Its skin was dark and smooth like metal, and its muscles bulged unnaturally.
It looked like an alien wearing armor. Its head was covered in long, pipe-like tubes instead of hair.
In both hands, it held blades that shimmered faintly under the dim light. Its mouth opened wide, revealing rows of jagged, uneven teeth.
'It's going to start now,' Alan thought.
The creature tilted its head. Its neck cracked loudly as it fixed its glowing eyes on him. Then, it charged.
The dirt barely moved before the special Elicoras Warrior appeared in front of Alan, swinging both blades in a blur.
Alan reacted instantly.
He opened a portal between them, and the energy arcs in the shape of sword strikes disappeared into it.
A moment later, they shot out from another portal behind the creature.
The monster twisted its body unnaturally, dodging the redirected blades with ease.
The air cracked around it from the sudden movement.
Before Alan could close the first portal, the Elicoras warrior's head tubes shot forward like snakes, slamming toward him.
Each one moved fast, aiming to pierce through his chest.
Alan turned his hand slightly.
More portals appeared, swallowing the tubes before they could reach him.
They reappeared above the creature and slammed down, but the warrior dodged again, rolling to the side and slicing through the returning tubes to free itself.
Not once did Alan step back.
He stood in the same spot, unmoving. His eyes tracked every flicker of motion.
The Elicoras warrior appeared in front of him, then behind him, then to the left.
Its movements were almost impossible to follow, but Alan didn't flinch.
His portals appeared exactly where they needed to be, deflecting the slashes before they reached him.
At times, he even tried to counterattack, sending the creature's own sword swings through portals toward its back.
But each time, the monster dodged by bending backward or twisting midair, its body moving in ways that didn't seem human.
Sparks flew each time its swords grazed the portals' edges.
The ground cracked beneath their feet, yet Alan stayed still, his focus unbroken.
…
Yuna's POV
Yuna, who had been watching from a distance, covered her mouth.
Her eyes widened.
'How is he doing that?'
From where she stood, it looked like Alan and the special Elicoras warrior were evenly matched.
But that didn't make sense.
Alan's stats, even with Shadow Assimilation, were less than one fourth of the monster's.
He shouldn't have been able to keep up.
He shouldn't have been able to see it move at all.
And yet, he was.
'His mastery of combat is far higher than the monster.'
That meant....
'He is fighting by predicting its moves,' she thought, her hands trembling.
That idea sounded absurd.
This was Alan's first time fighting this thing.
He shouldn't know its rhythm, its timing, or its tricks.
How could he predict what it was going to do next—
Yuna remembered something.
During the earlier stages of the test, Alan had spent a lot of time watching the participants.
He observed how people moved, how they fought, how they reacted under pressure.
He wasn't watching civilian humans, but he was watching Exorcists.
'The civilians can't fight, so they won't affect the fighting style of the special Elicoras Warrior.'
'The Exorcists are different.'
'They know how to fight.'
'So the ones whose fighting style the monster is using are the Exorcists.'
Yuna recalled watching Alan observe the Exorcists battles.
Her eyes widened as realization hit her.
'Alan learned their fighting styles after observing them. And since the Elicoras warrior inherited those habits, he can predict its moves.'
It was ridiculous. Impossible, rather.
And yet, it was happening right in front of her.
Each time the monster struck, Alan's portals opened a moment earlier, as if he already knew where the attack would come from.
The Elicoras warrior's speed increased again, its swords turning into streaks of light, but Alan kept up.
His portals shimmered around him like shields, redirecting everything away.
It was a strange sight. One man standing still in the middle of a battlefield, surrounded by endless movement.
Yuna's chest tightened as she watched.
She wanted to believe he could win, but the difference between them was still too large. One mistake, one delayed reaction, one wrong prediction, and it would be over.
The creature seemed to realize that too.
It stopped for a brief second, then let out a low growl that sounded almost like laughter.
The pipes on its head twisted and pointed in every direction, glowing faintly.