Chapter 180: Was this fear?

"The rules are simple: no maiming, killing, or fighting dishonorably." Guinevere outlined the rules of the 'duel' dully, a cryptic smile on her face. Her lilac eyes gazed downwards at an expansive clearing with patches of grass decorating the dirt ground and a few trees here and there. Along with the others, she stood hoisted upon a small grass-covered cliff. Her voice effortlessly reached the two combatants who stood a few meters apart.

Mikoto's expression hidden as he idly stood with a hand on his hip. Lukas had his body tensed for action, a determined glare directed at Mikoto as he awaited the go-ahead to start the battle.

("Despite his power, even Mikoto should be somewhat hard-pressed against Lukas. The Divine Relic Gallariynin Karqan is quite powerful despite its simplicity.") Guinevere internally mused, ("The Divine Relic is more than just the ability to control the weather. It is a reflection of the Storm God's deep understanding of the natural world, his ability to perceive the subtle rhythms and patterns that govern the realm. To sense the subtle shifts in atmospheric pressure, the subtle changes in wind direction, the subtle currents of mana that flow through the world. Something Lukas can now do: let us see what you're capable of, Mikoto Yukio.")

To her side, Astrid gazed downwards with a frown, "Must... must they really fight?"

"It is a pretty good solution; Lukas gets all his aggression out, and this pointless squabble comes to a halt." Adrian shrugged, "And we get a show."

"While I would not word it like that, I do somewhat agree," Fiona remarked. "His ire with Mikoto will not be easily quenched; his pride as a knight gets in the way of any logical thinking." The Solkari shook her head. "To continue with our test unabated, this conflict must cease."

"Seems most agree with your idea, Mai." Guinevere smirked, glancing at the general. "That's a first."

Mai groaned with a small pout, "You say it like all I have is bad ideas. I am pretty smart, you know!" She whined.

Guinevere chuckled, "Ah, good to have you back. You've been dreadfully silent until now."

"Even I can't take slander lying down." An exaggerated 'Hmph' followed after Mai's words. She seemed somewhat appeased, what was bothering her earlier almost a distant memory. But there was still a hint of apprehension in her eyes.

Down below, Lukas leveled his glare at Mikoto, "Like many others, I have heard tales of your supposed 'great' strength."

"Uh-huh."

"However, words are but air and easily exaggerated; a mere boy like you had no hope of apparently matching Selwyn Von Auerswald. A ruffian, that's what you are; you no doubt utilized underhanded methods to survive." Lukas stated, though his words only served to convince himself.

Fiona stared down at the knight with a hint of pity, ("You poor fool.")

"Okay, you stooge. Did you pull your theory outta your ass like your confidence?" Mikoto questioned.

"You da-" Lukas quickly cut himself off, knowing the boy was merely trying to get under his skin. He took a left-leading stance, his left gauntleted hand firmly clenched and his right idle and clenched to his side while he spaced his legs. "Your words shall not taunt me," he declared. Mikoto was not convinced. "Though I will present you with conditions to this duel." 

"Why should I follow them?" Mikoto tilted his head.

"If I should win, you shall apologize to King Thordan and distance yourself from Princess Astrid." Ignoring Mikoto's question, he immediately presented the conditions.

Astrid sighed heavily, a heavy frown creeping up to her luscious' lips, ("Lukas....this level of pettiness should be beneath you.") She mentally reasoned.

"Then if I win, you have to stop being a little bitch," Mikoto heard a snort from on high as he spaced his legs, with a flourish of his right hand. Sabre appeared in a burst of red. Gripped into his gauntleted hand, he adjusted his grip and placed the blade-wielding hand behind his back, extending his left arm with an open palm forwards. 

Mai quirked up a brow at the odd stance, her transfixion on Sabre not dulling her keen eyes, ("Judging by his stance, he intends to utilize both magic and Sabre. But the sword is almost large enough to be a greatsword. Even taking into account how easily he can lift the blade, fighting with one hand while casting magic would be bothersome. Parrying would be difficult, as well as blocking, let alone actually attacking.") Yet Mikoto's stance was firm and confident; it was clear to see beyond his armor that he was tense and ready to spring into action at any moment, yet Mai failed to see the benefits of such an unorthodox stance.

"What? No weapon?" Mikoto noted as Lukas held his combat stance.

"Gallariynin Karqan has no physical form." The young knight informed almost diligently,

The tension was at its peak; Guinevere saw no better moment to start than now. Raising her hand high, she held it as she brought it down in a swift arc, "Commence!"

The sky seemed to darken at her declaration, the clouds obscuring the skies with their somber gray. Rain began to fall heavily, the steady patter escalating into a downpour that drenched them in moments. Each drop seemed to sizzle and evaporate as it touched Lukas, his body now an incandescent storm of pure mana. An aura of lighting engulfed his form, the electric-blue light radiating from his armor intensified. Thunder rumbled ominously overhead, seemingly as a result.

Lukas's eyes locked onto Mikoto; with a burst of speed, he surged forward, the ground beneath him exploding into shards of earth as he propelled himself at breakneck speed. The lightning around him lashed out unpredictably, carving jagged trails of destruction in its way. His fist, charged with raw mana, pulled back.

("Using the same principle as calling down lightning spells, huh? Affecting the makeup of the world and influencing it to start a storm. But this is way more refined than even what I'm capable of.") Mikoto's stance was unchanged, feet firmly planted, left arm extended, Sabre angled behind. He shifted his weight slightly, just enough to brace himself as Lukas closed the distance.

The punch came down with the force of a storm, Lukas's fist enveloped in crackling lightning as it hurtled toward Mikoto's now extended blade. The collision was explosive. Sabre caught the blow, the red glow of the sword clashing violently with the blue lightning surrounding Lukas. Sparks and arcs of mana erupted from the point of impact, illuminating the clearing in a blinding flash. The ground beneath them shattered, a shockwave rippling outward in a deafening sound that sent chunks of earth flying in all directions.

Mikoto's stance held steady, though the force of the punch reverberated through his body. With a subtle motion, Mikoto pivoted on his heel, redirecting Lukas's immense momentum. The punch veered off course, its mana exploding harmlessly into the ground a few paces away, leaving a deep, smoking crater in its wake.

Lukas didn't falter. His body twisted fluidly, the motion carrying him into a spinning kick aimed at Mikoto's torso. The attack came with the ferocity of a gale, the arc of his leg trailing crackling bolts of lightning. The force of the kick whipped the rain around it into a swirl. Mikoto sidestepped, a shift that carried him just out of reach of the devastating strike. His blade flicked upward in a swift motion, the flat of Sabre deflecting Lukas's kick mid-swing. The resulting clash sent another burst of mana into the air, the lightning dispersing harmlessly into the surrounding storm.

Lukas landed and immediately transitioned into a low sweep, his leg carving through the waterlogged earth with enough force to send a wave of debris toward Mikoto. The sweep was accompanied by an arc of lightning that scorched the ground, the mana lashing out unpredictably. Mikoto leaped back, Sabre held at the ready, the red blade slicing through the air as he positioned himself out of harm's way.

Lukas pressed forward, his strikes relentless as he threw rapid punches, his fists blurring with speed. Mikoto leaned back, narrowly avoiding the first punch, then twisted to the side, Sabre deflecting the second. A high kick followed, the motion swift, but Mikoto ducked under it. With a roar, Lukas leaped into the air, his body twisting as he unleashed a spinning kick that sent a wave of wind and lightning cascading toward Mikoto. The force of the attack tore through the clearing, ripping through trees and sending debris flying. Mikoto raised Sabre, the blade glowing fiercely as it absorbed the brunt of the assault. He slid backward slightly, his boots carving twin furrows into the earth, but his balance remained.

"Wow, so this is what Gallariynin Karqan is capable of." Fiona looked on in slight awe, "To bring about a storm like this in an instant..."

"Though a simplistic Divine Relic, it is quite powerful with a compatible user," Guinevere informed, a large circular barrier having been conjured above them to combat the pouring rain. "If only the boy could rein in his emotions, then he would truly be a force to be reckoned with."

"Seems easier said than done," Fiona chuckled sheepishly.

"But they're really going at it. Curious, but why is Mikoto not making use of any magic?" Adrian remarked.

Fiona sighed slightly, "Knowing him, he most likely wants to prove something or test something."

"So he is holding back intentionally?" Astrid furrowed her brows at that.

"He's pretty good with a sword, though; it seems his stance is focusing on parrying and blocking. Though his moves are a bit unrefined," Mai critically noted, folding her arms under her chest. "Still, he's not made use of any enhancement magic yet he matches Lukas, an exceptionally strong knight in training. That kind of physical ability is not normal". Mai frowned slightly; Mikoto Yukio was not normal. She gathered as much when he seemingly came back from the Abyss unscathed; it was unnerving to say the least.

Meanwhile Lukas and Mikoto were locked in a stare, neither making a move.

("He's dodging everything so easily.") Lukas frowned but kept his stance and guard, ("Yet not because he's greatly skilled; no, he's just that physically superior.") He begrudgingly noted.

("It seems without any kind of enhancements I'm stronger physically to some degree.") Mikoto hummed at the thought, ("Though if our physical prowess were equalized, I'd be more hard-pressed. I really should get some more training in.") Mikoto halted his thoughts as he took note of the shift in the young knight's mana.

The storm overhead roared to life, the darkened sky brightened by violent flashes of lightning that zigzagged chaotically across. Rain fell in sheets now, the glow of Lukas' armor intensified, the electric-blue accents pulsing as he raised an arm to the sky.

The air grew heavy, thick with the charged mana. The surrounding trees swayed wildly, their branches creaking and snapping under the force of the wind whipped up by the storm. The rain, once a steady torrent, now seemed to swirl around Lukas, pulled toward him as if drawn. Above him, the storm clouds churned violently, condensing into a single point high in the sky. From this came a blinding flash, followed by an ear-splitting crack of thunder that seemed to shake the earth itself. A massive bolt of lightning, brighter than any that had come before, tore through the sky. It raced downward with terrifying speed, aimed directly at Mikoto.

Mikoto's posture was relaxed, almost leisurely, as he tilted his head upward to watch the descending bolt. Rain cascaded off his horn-like helmet, and as the lightning neared, Mikoto raised Sabre with a single motion. The blade caught the light of the oncoming strike, its silver edge gleaming. The collision was cataclysmic. The bolt of lightning struck Sabre with an earth-shattering roar, the force of the impact sending shockwaves rippling outward. The sheer mana of the strike created an enormous wave of destruction, ripping through the ground in all directions and reducing the surrounding trees to splinters. The air itself seemed to explode, the rain vaporizing in an instant and leaving the clearing engulfed in a cloud of steam and dust. 

"What? Is he trying to kill him!?" Fiona incredulously exclaimed, covering her face as the intense shockwave spiraled their way.

"Is this battle not going much too far?" Astrid worriedly mumbled, "This is supposed to be a simple duel, yet Lukas is taking it out of proportion."

"It will be quite alright," Guinevere merely smiled uncaringly.

For a moment, there was silence below. The storm raged on overhead, but within the clearing, the world seemed to hold its breath. Lukas stood tense, his eyes locked on the dissipating dust cloud, searching for any sign of his opponent. He braced himself. ("I might have gone too far.")

As the dust began to settle, Lukas's expression turned to one of shock. Standing amidst the devastation, utterly unharmed, was Mikoto. His black armor was steaming, faint trails of vapor rising from its surface, but there was not a scratch to be seen. The red glow of Sabre remained steady; Mikoto lowered his weapon slowly, his movements almost mocking. 

"That kind of firepower could do some serious damage, no?" Mikoto's voice was low, and with his expression hidden, it was difficult to gauge what he felt. "You really have a screw loose, huh? That shit stung like a bitch. I'm about to return the favor."

Before Lukas could process what he was seeing and hearing, Mikoto sprang into action. In a blur, he charged forward, his speed impossible to track. The ground beneath his feet exploded with each step, the sheer force of his movement creating small craters in his wake. He closed the distance between them in an instant, his blade held low. Lukas, caught off guard, threw a wild punch, his fist crackling with residual lightning. The strike was powerful, but its form was unrefined, a desperate attempt to catch Mikoto mid-charge. Mikoto anticipated the attack with ease. His body twisted fluidly, the wild punch sailing past him by mere inches, the faint crackle of lightning dissipating harmlessly into the air. 

Mikoto's counterattack was swift and brutal. Pivoting on his heel, he brought his leg up in a powerful arc, his foot ascending toward Lukas's chin in a axe kick. The impact was thunderous, the force of the kick lifting Lukas off his feet and sending him hurtling skyward. The ground where Mikoto's foot had landed cracked and cratered under the sheer power of the blow, the surrounding earth torn apart by the residual shockwave.

Lukas's body shot upward, the force of the kick carrying him high into the stormy sky. The air rushed past him as he ascended, rain pelting his armor and lightning crackling faintly in the clouds above. His head snapped back from the impact, his body spinning uncontrollably as he was launched higher and higher. The wind howled as Lukas's body reached the apex of its arc high above the field; gravity seized him, pulling him down in a rapid descent toward the ruined clearing. Mikoto leapt upward, his black-armored form cutting through the storm like a comet.

Lukas barely had time to brace himself before Mikoto was upon him, closing the distance with blinding speed. As Mikoto ascended to meet him mid-air, his body twisted as his right leg lashed out in a punishing kick aimed squarely at Lukas's stomach. The blow connected with a thunderous crack, the sheer force behind it driving the air from Lukas's lungs and contorting his body with the impact.

The kick sent Lukas hurtling downward at an incredible velocity, the wind roaring past him as he crashed through the collection of the surrounding forest. The trees offered no resistance to the force of his descent; their thick trunks splintered and exploded into shards of wood as Lukas's body tore through them. Each impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, uprooting smaller trees and scattering debris in all directions. The ground trembled as Lukas finally hit it, his impact carving a deep crater into the forest floor.

("M-merely two attacks and I am this damaged?") Slowly, with a pained grunt, Lukas rose from the crater. His armor, though glowing faintly, bore the scuffs and dents of the assault. His breathing was heavy, each breath ragged as he fought to steady himself. Yet, despite his injuries, his eyes burned with anger.

The air around Lukas began to hum with mana as he straightened, the pulse of his lightning aura reigniting. Crackling arcs of lightning moved across his form, leaping from one segment of his armor to another. The rain sizzled and evaporated as it touched him, creating a faint mist that clung to his body. Even before Lukas could fully regain his composure, Mikoto appeared before him, his movements so fast they seemed to defy the laws of physics. One moment the clearing lay empty, and the next, Mikoto was there, standing just beyond the rim of the crater. His stance was casual, almost relaxed, yet there was an undeniable eerie feeling in the way he held Sabre at his side.

"Looks like you're about to croak there, chīsana kishi." Mikoto snorted; Lukas's eye twitched. He had no idea what the boy had just called him, but he had a hunch that it was something insulting.

"I am still able to fight you, ruffian," Lukas growled out, already in his stance. Mikoto shook his head at the display as if disappointed. Lukas's response was immediate. The winds around them shifted violently, gathering strength as they swirled around Mikoto. In seconds, an enormous hurricane formed, its center directly where Mikoto stood. The storm grew with alarming speed, its powerful winds tearing through the forest and uprooting trees as though they were twigs. Debris and rain were sucked into the vortex, creating a swirling maelstrom of chaos that spread over a wide area.

Lightning arced within the vortex, illuminating the storm with flashes of electric blue. The winds screamed, their strength enough to carve deep gashes into the earth and reduce the surrounding forest to little more than scattered rubble. Mikoto stood unperturbed; the winds howled around him, but he didn't so much as flinch. Lukas gritted his teeth, pouring even more mana into the hurricane. The winds grew fiercer, the lightning strikes more frequent, as the storm reached its zenith. Yet Mikoto remained unfazed.

Then, with a single motion, Mikoto raised Sabre. The crimson veins along the blade flared brightly, casting an eerie red glow across the eye of the storm. With a mighty swing, Mikoto brought the blade down in a sweeping arc. The motion was fluid, almost effortless, yet the result was cataclysmic. The swing released a wave of raw, pure kinetic energy that exploded outward, cutting through the hurricane like a knife through silk. The winds dissipated instantly, their immense power dispelled as though they had never existed. The debris and lightning that had filled the storm were flung outward in all directions, the ground trembling as the force of the wave carved a deep trench through the area. The hurricane was gone, reduced to nothing.

Lukas stood in stunned silence, his hands still raised as if commanding the storm that was no longer there. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Mikoto, who lowered his sword and returned to his calm stance.

His vibrant blue eyes burned with disbelief, the glow of his armor flickering erratically as his emotions began to spill over. The forest around them was now an unrecognizable wasteland of shattered trees and craters, the storm overhead continuing its relentless fury.

"I don't get why you try so hard." Mikoto implanted Sabre into the ground, resting his hands atop the hilt. "Honestly, when it comes to fighting, I'm a novice; I usually just throw out huge-ass attacks and hope for the best."

Lukas furrowed his brows at the random admission. Attempting but failing to gauge the purpose for it.

"Even so, even ignoring those huge-ass attacks you threw at me, you're fighting to kill, right?" Mikoto deduced, almost bluntly. Lukas narrowed his eyes at the observation but said nothing. "I could fight to kill you too if you want."

Before Lukas could fully process what he had just said, Mikoto vanished. The air where he had been standing rippled faintly. A sharp burst of displaced wind followed.

In less than the blink of an eye, Mikoto appeared directly in front of Lukas. The movement was so sudden, so seamless, that Lukas barely had time to react. Mikoto stood unnervingly close, his imposing black armor reflecting the sporadic flashes of lightning from above. Sabre rested casually at his side, but he made no move to raise it. Instead, he extended a single armored finger and pressed it lightly against the glowing emblem on Lukas's chest plate.

"Shall I?"

The gesture was deliberate, taunting. The faint pressure of his finger against Lukas's armor was infuriatingly dismissive; Lukas's jaw clenched as he stepped back sharply, swatting Mikoto's hand away. The taunt had done its job, igniting anger. Without hesitation, Lukas swung a powerful punch, his fist crackling with lightning as he aimed for Mikoto's helmeted face. The motion was driven by a mixture of desperation and annoyance, his body moving before his mind could second-guess.

But Mikoto was already moving. With a shift of his head, he dodged the punch effortlessly, the strike passing harmlessly by him. The faint sound of the storm echoed between them as Lukas's fist cut through empty air, the mana surrounding it dissipating into nothingness.

Undeterred, Lukas pressed the attack. He slammed his foot into the ground, sending a massive shockwave outward. The force of the stomp tore through the earth, a devastating wave of wind and debris surging toward Mikoto. Simultaneously, he raised his arms and summoned another surge of lightning, arcs of electric-blue mana lancing outward in every direction. The combination of wind and lightning created a storm of destruction, the area around them erupting in chaos.

Trees were uprooted and flung like twigs, the ground splitting open as the forces collided and expanded. The clearing, already devastated, was reduced to an even more desolate expanse, every inch of it marred by Lukas's power. The intensity of the attack sent shockwaves rippling through the stormy air, the rain sizzling into steam where it came into contact with the lightning.

But Mikoto remained untouchable. With an almost bored feeling, he sidestepped the worst of the destruction, his movements impossibly quick. When avoidance wasn't an option, he raised Sabre, the red blade deflecting lightning bolts and cutting through the gale-force winds with ease. Each swing of the blade was fast, a response to Lukas's attacks that left no opening for retaliation.

Lukas's frustration grew with each failed strike. He poured more and more mana into his attacks, his lightning and wind becoming increasingly wild and destructive. Yet, no matter how much power he unleashed, Mikoto remained untouchable; it seemed as though he could predict Lukas's every move. He dodged a particularly vicious kick by leaning back just enough to let it pass by him, the motion effortless. In the same instant, he pivoted on his heel to avoid a follow-up punch, his body a blur of black and red as he moved.

Despite his best efforts, Lukas found himself unable to land a single meaningful blow. Each attack was met with either a dodge or a deflection. The sheer disparity in their abilities was becoming painfully clear, the gap between them highlighted by the ease with which Mikoto handled everything Lukas threw at him. And it dawned on him, Mikoto had not even made use of magic yet. The destructive power he had heard whispers about was nowhere to be seen; Mikoto had only landed two blows, yet they had taken their toll on his body.

This fight, he could not win.

Mikoto felt no pleasure. Usually, when fighting and dominating an opponent, there was a slight thrill. But here, it was all but absent. He would have liked to attribute it to the enormous gap in their strength, but that was not it. His mind was focused elsewhere. ("A great death.") The Ancestor's words sat fresh on his mind.

He wanted to get his mind off of that. That's why he healed all those people, why he accepted this pointless duel. By all accounts, her words should not have irked him so, but they did all the same. He frowned as he dodged another punch, leaping backwards. Lukas stopped his assault, taking a breath. Mikoto stared up at the dark skies, the rain pelting down on his armor.

("Since coming to this world, I've been killing so casually. Hm, I wonder how they felt. Death must be scary; you don't know what awaits you...") Mikoto exhaled a breath he did not know he was holding in. He held such vast power, yet apparently Death would come for him as well? Him? With all the power he wielded, he was going to die one day.

Sabre felt somewhat loose in his grip now. He no longer paid any attention to Lukas; he seemed so insignificant right now. He thought he came to terms with what the Ancestor spoke of was false back within the forest. Yet the thought of Death still plagued him. Rain fell through his visor, coating his face, but he paid it no mind.

This feeling, it was new.