Mother's trial [4]

The burly knight charged forward, moving surprisingly fast for someone with such a heavy build, mana coursing through his muscles with every step.

The tall woman remained still, carefully observing the situation, while the lean boy trailed behind the burly man, using his larger frame to stay hidden from Ardyn's view.

As the knights came closer, Ardyn activated Gravity Field, covering all three knights as he advanced toward the burly knight.

The air around the knights grew dense, slowing their movements.

The burly knight's eyes widened in shock as he felt the crushing force.

Still...

Gritting his teeth, he channeled more mana into his arms, forcing his body to push through the pressure as he swung his sword with all his might.

As the sword came crashing down, Ardyn smoothly sidestepped, retracting the gravity field just in time.

Without the increased pressure slowing it, the sword sliced through the air with even greater speed and slammed on the ground with thunderous sound, sending dust and debris flying in all directions.

His body was bent awkwardly, his hands trembling violently from the impact as the pain exploded through his arms, making it feel as though his bones were about to shatter.

"Aaaaa!"

The burly knight let out a guttural groan, his face twisting in pain as he struggled to steady himself.

Released from the crushing pressure, the tall woman quickly barked orders to the lean boy.

"Distract the young lord! I'll help him recover," she commanded, her voice sharp and urgent.

Gripping her spear tightly, she moved closer to the burly knight to guard him, while, the lean boy darted forward, his wooden sword raised as he charged straight at Ardyn.

"You shouldn't shout while planning," Ardyn said, as he activated the Void shell, before they could get too close.

A dome of shimmering spatial energy formed around him and the burly knight, sealing them inside.

"Since I can hear you too," he added as he infused mana into his leg and kicked straight at the knight's head.

The impact landed with a sickening thud, the knight's head snapping to the side as the force rattled through his skull.

His body swayed unsteadily before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

The tall woman and lean boy poured more mana into their arms, relentlessly striking the dome.

"It's already cracking," Ardyn said as he noticed the cracks forming on the dome, spreading like a spider web.

With only half-mastery, it was hard for him to maintain the skill for long.

The dome shimmered briefly before dissipating, revealing Ardyn standing there with the burly knight lying motionless on his feet.

"Uh—!"

The lean boy, now closer to Ardyn, froze, his face losing all color as his eyes locked onto the unconscious burly knight.

"Come to your senses, idiot!" the tall woman shouted, her voice sharp as she intercepted the slash aimed at him with her spear.

With a swift twist of his wrist, Ardyn disengaged from the deadlock, sidestepping the lean boy's clumsy stab as the boy snapped back to his senses.

At the same moment, Ardyn activated a small Implosion, collapsing spatial energy at the center of the field as he leapt backward.

"Move back!" the tall woman barked, sensing the danger.

Grabbing the lean boy, she infused more mana into her legs and leapt back just in time, narrowly avoiding the spatial burst.

Kh..

Ardyn groaned lightly, clutching his abdomen as the familiar ache spread through him.

The energy from his space core was running low.

"Four more skills," he muttered under his breath, his gaze sharp as he assessed the situation.

"That's all I've got left."

Rather than waiting for the two to move, he took the initiative, again activating the Gravity field to slow their movements.

"Not again!"

Despite the strain, the woman gritted her teeth and managed to lunge forward with her spear, aiming straight for Ardyn's chest.

Ardyn shifted his stance as the spear closed in.

With precise timing, he parried the attack with his wooden katana, redirecting the momentum toward the boy.

At the same moment, he deactivated Gravity Field.

Freed from its effects, the boy, caught off guard, stumbled forward, colliding with the woman.

Using their brief disarray to his advantage, Ardyn focused all his energy on creating an Implosion right between their heads.

He concentrated harder than before, channeling his spatial energy with precision.

A controlled burst of spatial force erupted, disorienting the pair and knocking them unconscious as they crumpled to the ground.

"Huff… Huff…"

Ardyn's chest rose and fell as he took a moment to catch his breath.

But his respite was cut short as a massive sword came crashing down toward him.

Without hesitation, he activated Void Shell.

The burly knight, who Ardyn thought was unconscious, was now back on his feet.

The sword struck the shell with a deafening crash, sending shockwaves rippling through the barrier.

Ardyn winced, feeling the strain as his space core struggled to maintain the shell with the little energy it had left.

"How did he wake up?" he muttered, his confusion growing.

He had been certain the burly knight was completely knocked out.

Of course... I've only ever fought beasts from the illusion pods - he thought bitterly.

They never attack again after I defeat them.

His thoughts stopped abruptly as the knight let out a thunderous roar.

"Aaaaah!"

With raw power, the knight slashed at the shell, pouring all his mana into his arms as he attacked relentlessly.

Blow after blow rained down on the shell, each strike deepening the cracks and sending vibrations through the air.

Ardyn's breaths came in sharp gasps as he calculated his rapidly depleting energy reserves.

The shell wouldn't hold much longer— he could feel it.

He timed the knight's next attack, watching closely as the blade swung toward the weakened shell.

At the exact moment the sword connected, Ardyn leapt back.

The shell shattered with an earsplitting crack, fragments of spatial energy scattering like shards of glass.

Ardyn, already in motion, landed several feet away, gathering the last remnants of his energy for one final move.

He channeled everything into an Implosion, collapsing spatial energy directly in front of the burly knight.

The spatial energy collapsed violently, larger and more volatile than any implosion he had created before.

The burly knight and Ardyn were both flung backward as the force of the implosion tore through the air.

The lack of control combined with the entirety of his remaining energy made the implosion far more destructive than he intended.

Ardyn hit the ground hard, skidding several feet before coming to a stop.

His breath was labored, his space core utterly drained.

The burly knight lay sprawled across the ring, groaning in pain but still conscious.

Despite the throbbing ache in his body, Ardyn forced himself to stand, leaning on his wooden katana for support.

Ardyn groaned softly, his body aching from the impact.

He raised a hand and hit his forehead with the palm of his hand, trying to clear the dizziness clouding his thoughts.

With slow and unsteady steps, he slowly moved toward the burly knight, his sharp gaze locked onto the sprawling figure.

Reaching him, Ardyn extended the wooden katana, its tip stopping just inches from the knight's chest.

The spar was over.