"I'LL KILL YOU!" Julius' words echoed in the canyon as dust rose from the groaning ground and spiralled behind him. His muscles tensed, doubling in size under the influence of his Qi and erupting emotions.
Gazing at the kid's outburst and fluttering dark and red uniform with ridicule, the dullahan snickered, "Come and try. Despite your unique energy, you are weaker than your friend." Then, he thought about the man who used the same powers to defeat him sixty years ago and added, "Even he can't beat me after I learned his techniques, much less an ant like you."
However, his words fell on deaf ears as Julius thought about a single goal: destroy the head to avenge his big brother.
With a mighty stomp, the rocks cracked under his feet as he propelled his body forward, his gladius tightly clutched in his right hand and the Luminous Wildeblade in his left.
In a flash, he bridged the distance separating them. Carried by his momentum, he jumped, his brown hair dancing in the wind as he swung his glowing red gladius.
Unfortunately, the headless horseman swiftly moved his arm, smirking and lashing his sword. In mid-air after his blow's failure, he knew the kid had no chance to dodge.
As the black sword displaced air in its wake, Julius' response caused his eyes to narrow.
Using his earth Qi, he bolstered his defences before throwing the Wildblade at the smirking head.
"This tactic won't work anymore!" The dullahan roared with rage, straining his right arm to halt its momentum forcefully. Then, he swiftly placed the guard on the blade's path, deflecting it amidst clinking sounds. He had learned his lesson against Adam's devious scheme and opted to reduce his strike's strength. Anyway, using fifty percent was enough to obliterate a tier-two kid.
Despite his timely block, his eyes widened in shock upon seeing Julius instantaneously hurl his glowing left fist. But his astonishment didn't come from the martial technique. No, it came from the bizarre target. 'He is not aiming at my head?' He thought, his eyes fixing the water and fire Qi dragon rushing through the air.
"It's useless!" He said, his voice carrying his contempt after noticing the martial technique smash against the Wildeblade, pushing it into his body. However, what happened next fell outside of his expectations.
Radiant light exploded inside his torso, devouring his negative energy like a ravenous wolf, causing him to raise his brow and shrug. He didn't need energy to kill a kid in the first place. But his dismissing posture rapidly shifted as he felt his strength plunge again.
'This damned weapon is the bane of ghosts!' He screamed inwardly, realising the kid's actions weren't driven by his emotions but calculated!
'I must remove it!' He added, gritting his teeth and aiming his sword against his own body to push it out. But would Julius give him enough time?
After landing on the ground, he bent his knees, and his gladius flashed, cutting through the distracted dullahan's legs like butter.
"It's not useless," Julius replied, towering above and peering at his enemy like a predator before roaring, "Die!"
Echoing his rage-filled declaration, his right arm trembled as silver-colored metal Qi enveloped his weapon. Yet, a forgotten friend rapidly condensed to join his Qi as a blue veil melded with it, creating a dancing aura around the gladius.
In a harmonious movement, he swiftly raised his sword above his head and struck, causing the dullahan's eyes to widen in horror for the first time.
"This attack!" He roared, the image of the green-haired man who had defeated him years ago superimposing itself with the kid's
Upon remembering how he had been cut into pieces, his lips curled into a grimace as he roared, "I'll never lose again!" Then, he raised his sword before his head, determined to block the attack before it could reach it.
As the face-off climaxed, Julius swung his gladius, its silver, blue and dark lights glinting beautifully before the ferocity of the strike descended upon the dullahan.
The wind howled furiously, forced aside by the sword before the sound of the weapon's collision echoed in the canyon. Blown in a circle and revealing the clean ground, the dust swirled around them as if to witness who would emerge victorious.
"I WON'T LOSE!" Suddenly roared the dullahan, his broadsword trembling under the impact but holding.
Yet, his declaration only met Julius' sad eyes, tears welling in them. "I avenged you, big brother," he said, his voice trembling. His attack was a sword light, meaning his weapon could move after the strike.
So, with fluid movements, he raised it again, causing the struggling dullahan's features to contort into a fearful grimace. 'N-No! I'm still blocking the first!' He thought before witnessing the boy throw his second blow.
A rain of black metallic fragments danced in the air as the ghostly knight's sword shattered under the attacks' pressure. Then, Julius' gladius zoomed in on his eyes at an alarming speed, leaving him time to form one last vicious thought. 'At least I won't leave this world alone.'
Then, the glowing sword cut through the helmet as if made of paper and bisected its head cleanly, ending its life. A second later, his black armor turned ethereal and slowly dissipated amidst the canyon's mist, revealing the deeply fissured ground underneath.
After his blow, Julius fell on his knees, blood dripping from his nose and ears. Yet, he couldn't rest. Drawing his remaining strength, he rose to his feed and searched for his big brother's figure in despair. "I won, so please hold one," his hoarse voice echoed after he spotted Adam's flickering grey figure.
Hope swelled in his heart as he retrieved the dullahan's essence before stumbling to reach him. Then, he gently carried him on his back and, using his gladius as a cane, walked towards the canyon's depth.
'I must find Morgane. I'm sure she can save him,' he thought, his eyes blazing in determination, unaware his body was rapidly recovering under the Blade of Adaptation's influence.