CHAPTER 73: THUNDER COLLIDE

On one side of the vast battlefield, Imperial Alden stood resolute, his lightning-charged blade humming with raw power. Opposite him stood Captain Raikus, draped in a storm-colored cloak, his silver armor marked with two glinting golden stars on each shoulder badge—symbols of his exceptional strength and rank.

Nearby, Vice Commander Gray was locked in an intense duel with Captain Veyra. Magic and blades clashed, sending shockwaves across the scorched earth. But as the tension thickened, time seemed to slow.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Imperial and Raikus vanished from their places, the clash of metal echoing violently through the air. Their swords met with explosive force, the shockwave flattening the earth beneath their feet. The speed of their movement made it appear as though they were teleporting, appearing in flashes across the battlefield.

The ground trembled.

Fighters around them, both those still engaged and those who had already claimed victory, paused for a brief moment. The overwhelming power of the duel between Imperial and Raikus was unmistakable—this was not just a fight, it was a battle between titans.

As their swords locked again, Imperial caught sight of the golden badge on Raikus' shoulder. He recognized it instantly.

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Flashback:

Master Kaien's voice echoed in Imperial's memory.

"I've already told you about the magical ranks and the royal army's structure. But there's one more thing you must remember. Within the same rank, not everyone is equal. Some captains are far stronger than others. That's where the star system comes in.

Only Vice Captains and Captains receive the golden star badge. The number of stars indicates their strength. Zero stars means they are standard at their rank. One star—stronger. Two stars—the peak of that rank. Very few possess two."

"So if you see two stars," Kaien warned, "you better brace yourself."

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Back in the present, Imperial gritted his teeth. "Those two captains I fought before didn't even have a single star... but this guy—he has two. Their combined power doesn't even come close to his."

Suddenly, Raikus burst into the air. Lightning arced from his boots to the sky, lifting him like a living magnet. Thunder boomed above.

"Lightning Magic: Storm Spear Rain!" Raikus bellowed.

Dozens of electrified spears materialized around him, then descended like meteors.

All fighters on the field instinctively backed away from the target zone.

Imperial stood still. He gripped his sword tighter, infusing it with his own lightning.

"Come."

As the spears crashed down, Imperial blurred, his body moving faster than most could see. Each swing of his blade shattered a spear in midair. One after another, he cut them down until the sky cleared.

Raikus watched, impressed. "You really do have the Alden blood in you."

But he wasn't done.

Raikus slammed his palm into the ground. "Lightning Magic: Thunder Field!"

A surge of electricity spread across the battlefield, crackling across the terrain. Anyone who moved would be zapped violently.

Imperial blinked. "He knows I'm a lightning user. This shouldn't affect me... so why—"

Before he could finish, Raikus was already on him.

"Lightning Magic: Flashpoint Impact!"

A bolt-fast close-range strike. Raikus's sword was almost at Imperial's throat—but he narrowly avoided it using Lightning Walk, teleporting several meters away.

But Raikus predicted his move. He appeared behind him instantly, sword slashing. Imperial ducked—just in time.

"How...? He knew where I was going to blink."

Then he noticed something—the pattern in the ground, the field's conduction. Raikus was using the terrain to sense his movements.

A grin broke across Imperial's face. "Got it. Now let me turn your trap against you."

Lightning crackled around Imperial. From his hand, a whip formed—

"Bolt Chain!"

Raikus conjured his own whip of electricity. The two lashed at each other, their strikes colliding mid-air with violent bursts.

Then Imperial changed tactics.

"Thunderbolt Barrage!"

From both palms, dozens of high-speed lightning bolts launched forward, each like a humming missile.

Raikus countered. The blasts met mid-air, the collision shaking the sky.

Then Raikus raised his hand again.

"Sky Splitter Javelin!"

A massive javelin formed in the sky, followed by a rain of others. They dropped like a divine punishment.

Imperial dodged left, then right, cutting through some, ducking others. One pierced through and cut across his chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

As he tried to rise, a shadow loomed.

Raikus's knee crashed into Imperial's ribs, enhanced by lightning.

The impact sent Imperial flying.

"Lightning Magic: Sky Breaker!"

A divine blast of electricity shot down from above, combining every bolt in the sky into one terrifying beam.

The battlefield lit up as if struck by divine judgment.

BOOM.

Raikus exhaled, believing the fight was over.

Smoke clouded the field.

He approached the impact zone slowly. "It's over..."

Then—

CLANG!

Raikus's instincts flared. He turned and blocked—just in time—as Imperial struck from behind.

Both were flung back from the clash.

Imperial, panting, thought: "If I didn't have that move... I'd be dead."

He activated his next technique—

"Storm Step – Quad Phase!"

His body split into four lightning clones, all moving impossibly fast.

Raikus smirked. "You still don't get it. I control this battlefield."

He tapped the ground, extending his Lightning Field again to sense.

But this time—

He sensed... nothing.

"What?"

Imperial blurred into motion. Only one was real.

SLASH!

A direct hit. Raikus was thrown back, a deep wound across his chest.

Imperial sheathed his sword. "It's over."

But it wasn't.

Raikus chuckled, blood leaking from his mouth. "Didn't think I'd need this against a punk like you..."

"Lightning Drive – Second Mode!"

A surge of power enveloped him. His speed increased exponentially.

Imperial was now on the back foot, barely keeping up with Raikus's strikes.

Ari, Tracey, and Dawn had finished their battles and now watched anxiously.

Imperial pulled power back from his blade.

The air around him thickened. Energy warped space.

"I know that technique," he muttered. "Master told me it's temporary... he'll burn out."

"Lightning Magic: Voltquake!"

The earth shattered beneath him. In a burst of blinding light, he surged forward at lightning-speed.

He struck again.

The two engaged in the fastest sword fight yet. Those watching couldn't see them—only the sound of their blades clashing echoed through the field.

"Lightning Magic: Volt Dragon Strike!"

A massive lightning dragon shot forward, roaring.

Raikus countered.

"Sky Splitter Javelin!"

Some javelins struck the dragon—BOOM!

The blast shook the sky.

Raikus followed up with "Bolt Chain!" Chains erupted from the ground, snaring Imperial and lifting him.

His sword fell.

Ari and the others rushed to help.

But Imperial smiled.

He raised a single index finger.

"Lightning of Hell."

From beneath Raikus, a thick bolt of death erupted upward, piercing through his body in one brutal stroke.

BOOM!

The chains vanished. Raikus fell, unconscious.

Imperial dropped to the ground.

Ari rushed to him, healing magic glowing.

The battlefield stilled.

Everyone had finished their fights.

All except one.

From his place, bruised and bleeding, Imperial turned his head.

In the distance, Vice Commander Gray was still battling Captain Veyra—the only fight still raging, even as the storm of lightning finally faded...