King Gulben gritted his teeth as the relentless attacks battered his body from all directions. Each impact sent jolts of numbing pain through his limbs. Not juat that, the freezing energy sapping his strength as well.
The frost creeping along his skin grew thicker, spreading like chains of ice that threatened to lock his movements entirely.
He couldn't keep taking hits . The mist around him was unnatural—it wasn't just obscuring his vision but also freezing him.
Laston was moving through it with terrifying speed, landing attacks from impossible angles before disappearing again.
But king Gulben refused to fall here.
The humiliation of relying on Erend again burned deeper than the frost in his veins. He was the king of the Elves. If he couldn't even stop one traitor, then what right did he have to lead his people?
A surge of determination blazed within him, burning away his hesitation. He clenched his fists, forcing his Magic to surge through his body.
With a thunderous roar, he unleashed a massive explosion of silver energy in all directions.
The sheer force of the blast shattered the freezing air, driving back the swirling mist like a storm tearing through a darkened sky.
Cracks of light split through the frost, forcing Laston's oppressive darkness to retreat.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, King Gulben could see.
His sharp Elven eyes locked onto Laston who now hovering in the distance, still wreathed in tendrils of black frost. The Cyber-Mage remained composed, his crimson cybernetic eyes glowing as he studied the king's counterattack.
King Gulben wasted no time.
He launched forward, his silver aura blazing around him as he slashed his blade through the air.
Ten crescent waves of radiant silver energy streaked toward Laston, cutting through the night.
At the same time, he closed the distance, using his own attack as cover.
Laston's smirk returned. He lifted his hand, and with a flick of his fingers, the black frost around him pulsed outward.
The silver crescents met the dark energy midair.
The shockwave of clashing Magic split the sky, sending crackling sparks of silver and black in all directions. Some of the crescent slashes broke through, continuing their trajectory toward Laston.
But the Cyber-Mage didn't flinch.
With a sudden burst of speed, he twisted his body midair, evading the remaining slashes with effortless precision. Then, in an instant, he retaliated.
A massive spear of black ice materialized in his hand, its surface pulsing with eerie, shifting patterns. He hurled it straight at the incoming king.
King Gulben had no time to dodge.
With a fierce shout, he swung his blade, meeting the spear head-on.
The collision sent another explosion of energy rippling across the battlefield.
Gulben gritted his teeth as the force sent him skidding back.
The impact had been stronger than expected. Laston's power had definitely grown beyond what he remembered.
But the Elf King refused to back down.
Silver energy flared around him once more as he pushed forward again, closing the gap between them.
Laston also surged forward, his speed blurring as he moved to parry King Gulben's sword with his bare hands like before.
He had done it before. His cybernetic enhancements and energy made his body far stronger than ordinary flesh, allowing him to block weapons with nothing but his reinforced limbs.
But this time was different.
The moment his palm met the blade, a sharp, searing pain shot through his arm.
Laston's eyes widened in shock. Blood spattered into the air as a deep gash carved across his palm.
His cybernetic systems flared with warning signals. The damage he suffered now was real. Far beyond what he had expected.
"What...?" He barely had time to process it before Gulben pressed the attack.
The king moved like a silver storm, his blade singing through the air with merciless precision.
Laston dodged to the side, but another slash still managed to tore through his shoulder, sending fresh pain lancing through his body.
Then another slash coming, and another.
King Gulben's strikes came faster, heavier, and sharper than before. Each swing of his sword carried a force far beyond what Laston had received before.
His enhanced reflexes barely kept him from being cut down on the spot, but even as he dodged he couldn't escape entirely from the king's sudden raise in power.
A deep gash opened across his cheek. Another sliced his body, drawing a spray of crimson against the night.
Laston's mind reeled.
He knew King Gulben's strength. He had analyzed his power, memorized his attacks, accounted for his limits before actually decided to fight him. That's why he didn't feel even a slight worry
This shouldn't be happening.
He barely had a second to think before the king was on him again.
Gulben's silver aura burned even brighter, his eyes blazing with determination. His strikes carried an unrelenting fury. This is a king's wrath and pride.
Laston's body screamed in pain as more wounds opened across his form. His armor and flesh couldn't keep up with the damage.
He had underestimated him.
Something had changed withing king Gulben that small moment. He trapped him inside the black frost mist. It shouldn't be possible.
King Gulben wasn't just become stronger in that short amount of time. He was far stronger than before.
"Impossible!" Laston hissed, his breath ragged as he staggered back. His crimson eyes locked onto Gulben, searching for an answer.
But there was no time to ponder.
The Elf King wasn't stopping.
Laston clenched his teeth. He had no choice.
With a sharp motion, he reached to his side and in a single fluid motion, he unsheathed his weapon.
A dark blade, jagged and pulsing with crimson light, extended from his grip.
This battle had just taken a new turn.
King Gulben could see the new weapon suddenly appear, and from everything Laston had unleashed so far, that sword surely carried a great danger as well.
He had to be careful while still attacking with full force. He could already see Laston's wounds. He could bleed as well.