ARI'S GROWTH, SLY'S AMUSEMENT

A sudden burst of air rippled through the ruins as Ari and General Sly vanished from sight, colliding in midair with such force that the shockwave cracked nearby stone pillars and sent dust spiraling into the sky. Neither of them could be seen with the naked eye—only the thunderous impacts and flickers of movement betrayed their battle. Each clash rang out like a hammer striking iron, echoing through the battlefield and reverberating in the hearts of those watching.

"W-Where did they go?" Isla gasped, shielding her eyes from the whirlwind of debris. Her voice trembled as she tried to follow the blurs darting across the air.

"They're moving too fast," Beatrice muttered, her brows furrowed and her fists clenched. "I can't keep up. That speed… that power… Is this really Ari?"

Lily stood frozen, her eyes wide and locked on the battlefield. Her heart thundered in her chest, not from fear, but from awe. "That's our Ari," she whispered, almost in disbelief. "When he said he was going to save the princess on his own, with or without our help and we didn't believe him… but now—look at him. He's even more of a threat than the three of us combined."

Her thoughts drifted to the kiss they shared before the battle began. The kiss that saved her life. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but it wasn't from embarrassment—it was a fuzzy feeling, and something deeper, stirring in her chest.

The two figures reappeared midair for a split second—Ari's foot met Sly's upper mandible with a sharp crack, only for Sly to retaliate with a sweeping backhand that sent Ari skidding across the broken stone. Ari flipped backward, landing lightly on his feet, his breathing steady despite the bruise blooming across his jaw.

That hit almost dislocated my jaw… but I'm still standing. So this is what it's like to fight a high-ranking Grasshopper at full force. My strength really did improve after sticking to the training quest for a few days… If not i'd already be dead.

Sly landed opposite him, a wide, feral grin stretching across his face. His gleaming yellow eyes sparked with exhilaration.

"You've gotten strong, soldier," Sly said, his voice low, growling with excitement. "I didn't expect this much resistance from a mere ant with a low rank. Tell me—how'd you do it? What drove you to become stronger?"

Ari wiped a smear of blood from the corner of his lip and narrowed his eyes. "I had a goal in mind… to save the princess and it kept me going. When you have something to protect, someone you care about… you don't stop getting stronger."

If I can't even beat this guy, there's no way I'll be able to take on Hopper. This grasshopper is my strength tester. A wall I need to break through, here and now Ari said to himself.

Sly let out a booming laugh. "Now that's what I like to hear! Passion! Resolve! It's been far too long since I fought someone like you!"

He lunged forward, and Ari met him head-on. The two clashed again, this time exchanging a flurry of kicks, and mandible strikes at speeds that created afterimages in their wake. Ari ducked under a vertical slash of Sly's upper mandible and retaliated with a spinning heel kick that cracked into the side of the general's head.

But Sly barely flinched and a long smile engulfed his face, he was enjoying the fight—he caught Ari's follow-up slashes with his lower mandible, then countered with a sudden elbow to the gut that sent Ari staggering backward.

Still, Ari didn't fall.

From the sidelines, Isla's hands trembled as she gripped her mandible. "I knew Ari was fast, but I never expected him to be going toe to toe with a grasshopper this strong…"

"And he's only a Lance Corporal…" Beatrice added, her voice quiet with disbelief.

"Rank never mattered to Ari to begin with," Lily said, her gaze locked on him. "He's transcended it. Right now, he's fighting on a level that puts most Lieutenants to shame, a level achieve through hard work and the fear of being too weak. And that's making him unstoppable."

Back in the fray, Ari blocked a double slash from Sly's upper mandibles, sliding backward across the ground from the force. His feet left deep gouges in the stone, but he held firm. Gritting his teeth, he pushed back, locking both of Sly's upper mandibles with his bare arms, his muscles straining from the pressure.

Sly's eyes widened slightly. "You're holding me off? Impressive…"

Ari grimaced under the weight of the assault but met Sly's gaze unflinchingly. "I'm just getting started."

Sly's smirk widened. "Heh… This is the best. I've been waiting for a challenge like this for ages. I knew it the moment I saw you—you've got something inside you, a fierce and fearless fire, something that sets you apart from the rest."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Ari said, fire dancing in his eyes. "Because I'm done holding back too."

Sly burst into laughter, then stepped back, raising both arms. "Good! Then let's take this to the next level!"

With a sudden shift, Sly's body tensed—and from beneath his waist, he took out his two lower mandibles .

Beatrice paled. "He was holding back…? He wasn't using all four of his mandibles against Ari"

"Those are his lower mandibles… Ari is definetly at a disadvantage…" Lily muttered, her throat tightening.

Sly's energy surged, sending a tremor through the air as he crouched low, all four mandibles poised like blades. "Let's see how long you can last now, ant!"

He vanished.

Ari barely managed to twist to the side as a mandible slashed through the space where his neck had been, then ducked under a second swipe aimed at his midsection. Sparks flew as he blocked a follow-up strike with his forearm bracers. He countered with a knee to Sly's chest—but Sly didn't budge.

Instead, Sly slammed his shoulder into Ari and hurled him through a crumbled wall. Dust exploded outward, and the girls cried out as the sound of stone shattering echoed through the air.

But before the dust settled, Ari erupted from the debris, launching himself into the air. He twisted mid-flight and rocketed toward Sly with a blinding burst of speed, delivering a flying kick aimed at the general's head.

Sly caught the kick with one of his lower mandibles, then swung Ari like a ragdoll and hurled him into the ground.

The impact cratered the earth.

"Ari!" Isla screamed.

A moment of stillness.

Then, Ari stood bruised, but eyes burning brighter than ever. He wiped his mouth again and smiled. "You hit hard. I'll give you that."

Sly tilted his head, both amused and intrigued. "You're still standing?"

"I told you…" Ari said, lifting his mandibles again, "I'm not stopping until I win."

Sly's laughter returned—wild, unrestrained. "YES! That's the spirit! Don't you dare die on me, Ari! Show me more!"

The two charged again. Ari ducked under a cross-slash, slipped inside Sly's guard, and slammed his elbow into the general's abdomen. Sly reeled back a step, and Ari capitalized, unleashing a flurry of strikes to his chest and shoulders, landing blow after blow. He leapt into the air and brought down a devastating arc with his two mandibles—

Sly blocked it with all four mandibles.

They locked in the air.

Time slowed.

He's stronger. Faster. But I've got something he doesn't—a reason to win. I'm not fighting to prove something. I'm fighting to protect. And I won't lose.