Deryu elegantly spread his white wings, each feather shining with a holy light. A single flap of his wings was enough to create a powerful gust of wind that swept away much of Puno's approaching flames, extinguishing a portion of the blaze.
"Come," Deryu said calmly, his voice full of unwavering confidence.
The sword in his right hand, which had dimmed, now glowed with radiant energy once more. With a wave of his hand, a white halo appeared in his left hand, shining brightly and expanding to a radius of two meters.
The holy halo spun rapidly, creating a strong pull in the air, like a small cyclone ready to obliterate anything it touched.
Puno was undeterred. The flames around his body blazed even hotter as his massive form floated with a fiery red aura, clutching the Fire Seed that emitted extreme heat. His left hand shone brightly with pure red flames, while the sword in his right hand was engulfed by fierce flames, threatening to consume everything in its path.
Both surged forward. Puno with his blazing fire, Deryu with his intensifying swirl of light.
In an instant, the two massive forces collided in the middle of the ruined city. Red fire and white light clashed, creating an explosion of energy so powerful that the ground around them cracked and was thrown far by the impact. The blast sent shockwaves so intense that both men were knocked back 20 meters.
"Unbelievable..." gasped the Faithwarden woman in disbelief as she witnessed the shockwaves from the explosion. She quickly created another barrier of light to protect the civilians from the destructive aftermath of the energy collision. Her aura of light shone brightly, trembling under the pressure of the dangerous shockwave.
In the midst of the destruction, Puno's laughter echoed.
"Hahaha...!" His laughter erupted, loud and full of spirit, as if the previous explosion hadn't caused him any pain at all.
With an energetic motion, he quickly stood back up, the flames on his body blazing even fiercer. His eyes burned with the thirst for battle.
Without hesitation, Puno swung his sword with full force. A slash of bright red fire was released toward Deryu, creating a long wave of fiery light heading directly at his opponent. The wave resembled a wall of fire, consuming the air around it and moving at an incredible speed.
Deryu, who had previously been calm and unshaken, now felt the serious impact of Puno's attack. His normally expressionless face began to show signs of strain. His body was thrown 20 meters back by the massive explosion, and although he remained floating in the air, his breath was slightly heavy.
"This man..." Deryu muttered to himself, his eyes now serious. A flame mark appeared on his arm, displaying the number 3. He knew from his female companion that this would trigger an explosion with terrifying power. His halo's energy had been drained by half due to the death explosion from that fire mark.
Deciding not to play around anymore, his gaze sharpened, focusing all his energy on Puno, who was now charging toward him. The crazed smile on Puno's elemental face only caused Deryu's eyebrows to furrow slightly.
With a swift motion, Deryu raised his palm, and the holy halo he controlled floated high into the air. The halo moved with incredible speed, reaching the sky above Puno within seconds and continuing to follow him like a shadow that couldn't be escaped.
"Fate's Light Sword," Deryu spoke, his tone calm yet full of menace.
Puno, who had initially been confident, now felt something was wrong. He glanced up and saw Deryu's white halo still hovering above him. He could feel an immense holy power emanating from it.
"A sword?" Puno muttered in worry.
Sure enough, light from the halo suddenly formed a glowing sword, floating right above his head. In mere milliseconds, the sword descended without resistance, ready to cut Puno down in an instant.
The sword fell at incredible speed.
Quickly, without hesitation, Puno activated his sprint skill, his body moving 50 meters away from his previous position. His breath was slightly ragged, but the sense of relief only lasted a moment.
"Why…?" Puno shouted, his face filled with terror. Despite moving far away, the dreadful feeling from the light sword still haunted him. His eyes scanned the area, but he saw no sign of the halo or sword he had seen before.
In the distance, Deryu, whose faith energy was beginning to dwindle, remained still. He didn't chase Puno, merely gazing calmly at the spot where Puno had once stood. There, a transparent human-shaped figure could be seen.
"Your body can move, but not your soul..." Deryu's mocking laughter echoed, condescending.
Deryu watched with satisfaction as the sword of fate continued to descend, aimed directly at Puno's soul, still standing beneath it, unavoidable. Puno, who finally realized what was happening, flew quickly back to his original spot, his face filled with fear.
"No! Stop!" Puno screamed in panic. The feeling of death haunted him, and his breath became heavier. In desperation, he mustered all his strength.
"Hold it off!" Puno commanded, and his Fire Seed, a glowing red orb, flew into the air. In an instant, the seed expanded to 10 meters in size, directly colliding with Deryu's sword of light.
A massive explosion occurred, shattering the ground around them, creating a shockwave that shook the entire city. The debris of buildings flew through the air due to the explosion. The bright glow of Puno's fire seed lasted a few seconds, shining brightly, attempting to stop the pressing sword of fate.
However, no matter how powerful it was, the fire seed couldn't hold it back. The sword of fate pierced through the fiery power, striking Puno's unprotected soul, driving deep into the earth until it vanished from sight.
All sound faded with the destruction of Puno's soul. The sword of fate that had penetrated the ground disappeared without a trace, and the holy halo in the sky shrank before drifting back toward Deryu, like a warrior returning after completing its mission.