The smoke thinned—revealing Varek.He was still standing tall, though his black clothes were torn in several places. The dark aura swirling around him grew fiercer, denser—like black flames raging endlessly.
He laughed—loud, unrestrained, filled with disgusting excitement.
"HAHAHA! Incredible! Amazing, Lyra Elvianne Voltheim!" he shouted, raising his sword high.
"I never expected to feel an attack this heavy from a sixteen-year-old girl!"
His eyes glowed bright red, his fangs gleaming under the faint flashes of lightning still flickering in the sky.
"No wonder they call you the Lightning Light of Velthraine… But—"
WHUUMMM!!
The black aura around him exploded outward, spreading like massive wings unfurling behind him.
The ground beneath his feet cracked in a circular pattern, and the pressure that burst forth made the air feel suffocating—like something was crushing the chest from all directions.
Lyra narrowed her eyes, her breath uneven.
"His aura… increased again," she murmured, teeth clenched. "He hasn't been using his full power at all."
Varek lowered his sword slowly, the tip pointing at the ground. The black aura drifted like thick fog crawling across the earth, burning dry grass to ash.
"But unfortunately, little lady," he said mockingly, "you're still far too… young."
His gaze sharpened toward Lyra—not playful anymore, but the stare of a true killer.
"Now… allow me to return the favor."
ZWUUSHH!!
Varek vanished.
Lyra reflexively raised her sword—
CLANG!!!
The first strike came from the right.
Lyra was thrown several steps sideways, her boots scraping against the hard ground.
"Khh—!"
ZWUUSHH!
Varek reappeared—this time from the left.
CLANG!!
Their blades collided again, sparks of black flame and pink lightning scattering in the air.
Lyra was forced back, and before she could catch her breath—
ZWUUSHH—CLANG!!!
The third attack came from above.
"Ghhh…!" Lyra blocked with both hands, her knees nearly touching the earth from the overwhelming force.
Varek grinned widely above her, his red eyes glowing like a monster.
"What? Already tired, little miss?"
ZRAAAKK!!
Lyra burst lightning from her body, forcing Varek back.
She leaped away immediately, widening the distance—her breathing heavy, sweat dripping down her temples.
"So fast…" she whispered in her mind. "He's even faster than before. Is it because of that demon contract… or is he just now getting serious?"
In the distance, Varek stood casually—his sword resting on his shoulder, that wide grin still on his face.
"You're good, Lyra. Extremely good for a teenager."
His tone sounded like praise, yet carried clear condescension.
"But this is the difference between a young noble… and a soldier who has witnessed death thousands of times."
He raised his sword—black aura gathering at the tip, forming a spinning orb of dark energy that hissed ominously.
"Now—feel this!"
WHUUMMM!!
Varek swung his blade.
Three waves of black aura—shaped like giant claws—shot toward Lyra at terrifying speed.
SHAARRKKK—!!
Lyra bit her lip.
"No choice…!"
She plunged her sword into the ground.
ZRAAAAKKK!!!
Lightning erupted from the blade, spreading across the earth to form a circular barrier.
"Voltheim Lightning Art—Thunder Barrier!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
The three claws crashed into her lightning shield.
Massive explosions shook the entire field—the ground split, nearby trees toppled, and dust filled the air.
Lyra was pushed back several meters, her boots carving deep grooves into the soil.
"Hahh… hahh…"Her breath trembled. Her hands shook as she gripped her sword.
As the smoke faded, Varek was already standing right in front of her.
"Too slow!"
CLANG!!!
Their swords clashed again—but this time, Varek didn't stop.
He attacked relentlessly—from above, the sides, the ground—every swing filled with brutal power that numbed Lyra's arms.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!
Lyra parried, dodged, leapt back—but Varek kept closing in.
He gave her no room to breathe.
ZWUUSHH—CLANG!!!
A final strike launched Lyra backward.
Her body slammed into a massive tree trunk—
BRUKK!!
"Gahh—!!" Lyra coughed, a trace of blood dripping down her lip.
Varek walked toward her slowly, dragging his sword across the ground, leaving a burning trail behind him.
"You know, Lyra…" he said casually, as if holding a normal conversation."Your aura is impressive for your age. I admit it—you're a genius."
He stopped right before her, her back still pressed against the tree, breathing hard.
"But… you're still a child. You've never killed anyone, have you?"
Lyra glared at him silently.
Varek smirked.
"I can see it in your eyes. Eyes still clean… eyes that have never watched someone die by your own hands."
He raised his sword high—black aura cascading down like a waterfall.
"So… let me be your first."
WHUUMMM!!!
The blade descended—
ZRAAAKKK!!!
Lyra exploded with lightning.
"LIGHTNING VEIL!!!"
Her body vanished instantly—leaving a trail of blinding pink light.
BOOOM!!!
Varek's sword struck the ground, creating a massive crater where she had been.
But Lyra was gone.
He narrowed his eyes, turning sharply left—
SHHRRKKK—!!
Lyra appeared beside him, her blade already swinging toward his neck.
So fast
CLANG!!!
Varek blocked at the last second—but just a hair too late.
Lyra's blade sliced his shoulder—thick black blood spilling out, sizzling from lingering electricity.
"Ghhh—!!"Varek grimaced, retreating instantly.
Lyra landed gracefully—still breathing hard, but focus shining in her eyes.
"I may have never killed before…"Her voice cold as ice."But I was trained to protect my people. And you… violated my territory, slaughtered innocent families, and defiled Velthraine's land with your cursed rituals."
Lightning gathered around her—not wild anymore, but stable and controlled.
"So don't blame me… when I show no mercy."
Varek wiped the blood on his shoulder, then burst into laughter.
"HAHAHA! Good! Good, Lyra!" he shouted, arms spread wide. "This is what I wanted! This is what makes battle fun!"
Dark aura exploded from him again—bigger, denser, more monstrous.
His red eyes shone brighter, and his voice echoed like two people speaking at once—Varek's voice… and a deeper, darker one.
"In that case… let's see how long you can last…"
The sky above them shifted—black clouds gathered, blocking out the sun.
The air grew cold, heavy, suffocating.
And in that darkness—two pairs of eyes glowed.
One pink-violet.
One red-black.
The battle wasn't over.
It had only just begun.
***
Black clouds thickened above the sky, swirling into a massive vortex that devoured the entire field. The wind howled violently, whipping dust and dried leaves into a wild spiral.
Varek stood at the center of the encroaching darkness, his body wrapped in a black aura so dense it looked almost like armor. His eyes glowed a menacing red—but something was different.
His pupils had changed—no longer round, but vertical slits like a reptile.
He opened his mouth, and the voice that emerged wasn't human anymore.
A deep, echoing growl rolled out—like it came from the bottom of a bottomless abyss.
"Zah'kareth… vel'nothir… akra'zul…"
The foreign words slithered from his lips, a language unknown—one that made the air itself vibrate. The ground beneath him cracked open, and black smoke seeped out like breath from the underworld.
Lyra narrowed her eyes, breath caught in her throat.
"A summoning incantation…" she whispered, gripping her sword tighter."He's… directly calling the demon's power."
She knew exactly what that meant.
Her father—Lord Kael Voltheim—had taught her one crucial rule about demon contractors:
"Those who form a pact with a high-ranking demon can channel a portion of the demon's power into their bodies.But the price is disastrous—human bodies aren't designed to withstand that level of energy. Push too far, and the body collapses from the inside."
The real problem?
Varek could kill her long before his body reached that point.
"…vel'krathor… BELETH!!"
WHOOOMMMMM!!!
The black aura around Varek exploded outward—expanding like a monstrous tsunami that consumed the entire field.
Lyra immediately braced herself, sword raised—
BOOOOMMMM!!!
The pressure hit her like a wall, driving her back several meters. Her boots carved deep trenches into the dirt beneath her.
"Kh—!"
When the shockwave finally faded, she looked up—and her eyes widened.
Varek… had changed.
Small black horns pushed out from his forehead.His skin had turned ashen-gray, dark veins crawling up his arms and neck.Black, translucent wings—thin like demonic membranes—unfurled from his back, twitching with eerie life.
He wasn't fully human anymore.
"Hahahahaha… HAHAHAHA!!" Varek's laughter echoed in two overlapping voices."Feel it, Lyra Elvianne Voltheim! This is the true power of Beleth—Seventh Demon of the Infernal Throne!"
He raised his sword—and black aura shaped itself into a gigantic skull around the blade, jaw wide open, fanged teeth dripping with malevolent energy.
"Now… die!"
Varek shot forward—faster than ever.
Lyra barely saw him.
CLANG!!!
Their swords clashed—and this time, Lyra was blown backward like a rag doll.
"Gah—!!"
She smashed into the ground, rolling until she dug her sword into the dirt to stop herself.
"Hahh… hahh…"Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.
His strength… had doubled.
She had barely risen when—
ZWUUSHH!!!
Varek was already on top of her.
"Too slow!"
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
A relentless barrage of strikes rained on her—left, right, above, below—merciless and unending.
Lyra blocked desperately, but her hands were numb.Every impact felt like stopping a sledgehammer swung by a giant.
'I can't keep this up…But how do I counter him?'
Her thoughts spun.
The Voltheim Lightning Arts were powerful—but each major technique like Thunder Fang required massive aura output.Too much output ruined her control—and opened gaps in her defense.
CLANG!!!
Varek shoved her back again, forcing her to skid.
'I let my emotions take over…I was too focused on ending this fast…and forgot the basics.'
Her eyes sharpened.
'Then I'll go back to the fundamentals.'
She inhaled deeply—aligning her heartbeat, regulating her mana flow.
The lightning around her shifted—from a chaotic stormto a smooth stream wrapping around her body like a serpent.
"Lightning Veil…"she whispered.
ZRAAAKKK!!!!
She vanished in a burst of pink lightning—disappearing from Varek's sight.
"What!?"
She reappeared behind him—sword already swinging.
SHHRRKK—!!
Varek turned—too late.
Her blade tore across his back, ripping through one of his demonic wings.
"GRRAAAHHH!!"Varek roared, leaping forward to gain distance.
But Lyra wasn't done.
ZRAAK!!
She vanished—appeared at his right.
SHHRRKK—!!
A slash across his arm.
ZRAAK!!
Appeared on his left—
SHHRRKK—!!
A strike to his thigh.
"ARRGHH!! STOP!!!"
Varek swung wildly, slicing only empty air.
He growled—breathing ragged—eyes darting everywhere, trying to track her.
'Damn it…!I can't sense her movements at all!'
Even with Beleth's power pouring through his body—even with his senses enhanced—he still couldn't predict her.
'Why!?I summoned Beleth's power!I should be able to feel everything around me—But that girl… she vanishes completely!'
ZRAK—SHHRRKK!!
Another cut carved into his back.
"GAHH—!!"
Varek stumbled, teeth grinding.
'Maybe… because the contract is still too new?'
Yes—he formed his pact with Beleth just yesterday.
One day.
His body was nowhere near fully adapted.
The synchronization wasn't complete—which meant he couldn't fully attune to her mana flow.
Lyra kept moving—smooth, precise, silent.
Only streaks of pink light painted her path, weaving intricate patterns around him.
This was it—Lightning Veil, the true movement art of House Voltheim.
No flashy explosions.No wasteful aura bursts.Just pure, refined movement—turning the body into lightning itself.
A faint smile touched her lips.
'I should've practiced this more.'
ZRAAK—SHHRRKK!!
Another slash.
ZRAAK—SHHRRKK!!
And another.
ZRAAK—SHHRRKK!!
And another.
Varek staggered, body covered in cuts—black blood streaming from every direction.
Varek grit his teeth. 'she's pushing me this far?'
Even with the demon's power burning in his veins, he was slipping.
"Damn it… damn it…!" he snarled. "If the contract were older—if my body were fully merged with Beleth—I'd be able to track you!"
But then… he felt it.
A tiny wobble in her stance. A blink too slow.
Lyra landed some distance away, breathing heavily now—her smile fading.
'…Is this all I can do?'
Something was wrong.
Her hand… was trembling.
Not from fear.
From pain.
She glanced down—and her eyes widened.
Red veins bulged across her skin, crawling from her wrist to her upper arm.Some veins swelled dangerously—like they'd burst any second.
"Ah…"Lyra swallowed hard, face going pale.
'I… pushed too far.'
She remembered her father's warning:
"Lightning Veil forces mana through your blood vessels. The faster you move, the more pressure they endure. If you exceed your limit—your vessels will rupture."
And now…she was close to that rupture.
Not just her arms—she felt the strain on her face, temples, neck—
'I can hold on for… a few more seconds.'
Across the field, Varek slowly stood—shaking, bleeding—but grinning like a madman.
"Hehehe… haha… You're incredible, Lyra…" he wheezed. "But I know…"
His gaze fixed on her trembling hand.
"I know you've reached your limit."
Lyra stayed silent.
But he was right.
As a veteran killer, Varek read bodies like books.He'd fought countless aura users—he knew exactly what condition she was in.
'This noble girl has more mana than a normal human, sure…but she's young.She hasn't mastered the flow between body and blade.'
'Every time she uses Lightning Veil, she forces mana through tiny vessels at extreme speed.Like pumping water into a thin pipe at maximum pressure.Eventually—the pipe breaks.'
'And she…is about to break.'
Varek felt a flicker of embarrassment. He really had panicked just now—getting hammered by Lyra's attacks over and over, even after performing the ritual. For a moment, he'd actually lost his composure.
Varek grinned wide.
"You think I don't see it, young lady?"he taunted."Your body is screaming.Your blood vessels are seconds away from bursting.One more movement—and you'll collapse yourself."
Lyra bit her lip, fresh blood dripping.
He's… right.
Her hands shook violently now—the red veins swelling, some even leaking tiny drops of blood.
'I… can't go on much longer.'
Varek stepped closer, dragging his sword.
"You know the difference between us contractors and you nobles?" he chuckled wickedly.
"We… are used to pain.We train our bodies to hold power that isn't ours.We're ready to sacrifice everything—even our own flesh—for power."
He stopped right before her—raising his sword high.
"But you…You're too precious.Too sheltered.You've never lost everything."
Black aura surged around the blade—forming the shape of a roaring black dragon.
"So—Goodbye, Lyra Elvianne Voltheim."
The sword fell—
And Lyra… couldn't move.
Her body froze.Her legs trembled.Her arms were numb.
'Ah…So this is… the end?'
She thought of her father.
Her siblings.
And the promise she made to her older brother—
that she'd beat him in the next tournament.
Her eyes slowly closed—
'Mom… it feels like I'll be coming to you soon'
But then—
"WAAAAAITTTTT!! PLEASE DON'T KILL MEEEE!!!"
A shrill, absolutely unheroic scream echoed from the distance—followed by frantic, chaotic running footsteps.
Varek stopped mid-swing.
Lyra's eyes opened.
Both turned—expressions blank with confusion.
"HUWAAAA!!! HELP MEE!!! I DON'T WANNA DIEEEE!!!"
Bursting from the treeline came a young man with messy black hair, tears and snot streaming down his pale face, sprinting like a panicked chicken.
Strangely—a faint blue aura flickered around him like a thin mist.
Behind him—ten men in black uniforms chased him, swords raised, faces red from exhaustion.
"GET BACK HERE, YOU BRAT!!"one yelled, nearly tripping.
"DAMN IT—WHY IS HE SO FAST!?"another wheezed.
"DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!
The young man—Erison—ran with the form of a drunken penguin,arms flailing like a panicked bird,tripping over his own feet—yet somehow moving at ridiculous speed.
Every time he almost fell, his body weirdly shot forward as if pushed by invisible force.
"WHY DOES MY LIFE ALWAYS GO LIKE THIS!? WHY ALWAYS MEEEEE!?"he screamed, sobbing uncontrollably.
Lyra and Varek simply stared—slack-jawed—as the absurd scene shattered every trace of their epic atmosphere.
Lyra blinked several times, unsure if she was hallucinating from blood loss.
"…Who… the hell… is that idiot?"she whispered.
Varek scratched his horned head, equally baffled.
"..."
"have no idea."