A Dance of Death

"Leader, it seems someone is trying to sabotage our plan… by killing the child."

A heavy silence lingered in the chamber before a voice, deep and controlled, responded.

"Oh, and who dares to stand in our way and knows what we intend to do?"

"Before our spy was killed, he sent us his identity. It's that Emperor Kaelvar."

"Kaelvar, huh? Sigh. I should've taken the matter into my own hands instead of letting that useless king handle it," the cloaked figure sighed.

"Anyway, the child better not be dead. Otherwise, I'll be forced to flatten his entire empire and turn it into a power source for the Rift."

"What should we do now? Should we go and check if the child is still alive?"

"Yes, but not you. Tell Merus and Kovus to go. You wouldn't stand a chance against that old man."

"Understood, my lord."

Just as the subordinate was about to leave, the leader added:

"Oh, and don't forget—if the child is alive, good. If you find only his corpse, extract the elemental core."

"As you command."

The subordinate left to carry out his mission, while the leader remained alone in his dark chamber, lost in thought.

Hmm, there are five empires on this continent. We've taken full control of one, and nearly half of another. As for the others, I don't need them. But it seems they will be a pain if I don't deal with them. I believe two empires are enough. But the others clearly have discovered our presence. Hmm, but how? I left no openings…

Back at the battlefield between the two emperors, a heavy stillness settled over the scene. It appeared as if the fight had frozen, until Kaelvar regained his composure—or at least, that's what Selene thought—right before a golden surge of power erupted from his entire body, accompanied by a wild grin stretching across his face.

"Hah, now this is it! Since when was I this close to death? I must have gone stiff from the lack of real battles."

With that, he shot toward her once again like a bolt of golden lightning. This time, his field of vision was wide, keenly attuned to even the slightest shift in the air around him. Just like before, two steps away from her, she slashed her sword low in the same manner, aiming at the same target. But this time, Kaelvar was ready.

He raised his armored right forearm to block the blade, and with his other fist glowing gold, he aimed a crushing punch at her waist.

Seeing the power bearing down on her, even she couldn't escape it unscathed. So, using the collision between her sword and Kaelvar's arm to her advantage, she weakened her resistance, allowing his force to overpower hers. The result? Her sword was thrown back in the opposite direction.

At that moment, she redirected her momentum, twisting her body and channeling her force into the same reversed motion. Spinning with a powerful swing toward his right side, she narrowly avoided his punch.

After his failed strike, Kaelvar lost his balance slightly, but he quickly bent forward, narrowly dodging the incoming blade. Only a few strands of his hair were cut, and a thin patch on his head froze slightly from the blade's lingering energy. But the clash was far from over.

After completing her spin, Selene now stood behind him, her second sword finally ready to strike, which she hadn't used till now. Sensing the danger behind him, Kaelvar didn't turn. Instead, he dropped his entire body low and launched a sweeping kick aimed at throwing her off balance.

Seeing this, Selene drove her first sword deep into the ground and pushed her body upward, flipping vertically with all her weight pressing down on the hilt. Her face now faced the ground, and her legs extended toward the sky.

As if he had anticipated this move, Kaelvar, still crouched, launched a powerful backward kick with his other leg, aiming straight at her face. But with her agility, Selene channeled her strength through her hand planted on the sword and pushed herself forward and up, using the momentum to launch herself into the air, narrowly dodging the kick.

The very moment Selene's feet touched the ground, she launched herself at Kaelvar like a bullet. He had already regained his balance, turning just in time to see her sword slicing toward his neck. In the same motion, she pulled the other sword from the ground. With his full focus on the deadly threat before him, Kaelvar stepped back swiftly, dodging the attack. In the next instant, he lunged forward, but another blade met him head-on, forcing him to duck and unleash a crushing upward punch, glowing with golden energy. Because of the momentum from her spin, Selene couldn't fully avoid the strike. Instead, she released the sword in her left hand, the one she had swung first, then pushed her other arm in the opposite direction, guiding the second blade back toward Kaelvar. The very same sword he had dodged a moment ago now came flying back toward him, but his punch was already in motion. There was no turning back. The only way out now was if his attack landed first. Just as his blow was about to connect, a wall of ice erupted between his fist and its target.

Huh?

BAAANG

SLAASH

The battlefield was now stained with Kaelvar's blood. A second, deeper wound had opened, this time stretching from the right side of his neck down to his chest. From the angle Selene had attacked, the strike should have severed his neck completely—an instant kill. But Kaelvar's punch, which she had blocked with the ice wall, had been powerful enough to push her ever so slightly off balance. That subtle shift weakened the depth of the wound. Sensing this in the final instant, she twisted her wrist mid-swing, redirecting the blade to slice deeper into his chest instead.

This was a battle between giants. Tiny, precise movements determined everything. Every decision, every reaction, occurred within fractions of a second. To the eyes of an ordinary person, this fight would have been nothing more than flashes—one golden, one icy blue, dancing at speeds far beyond comprehension.