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Damien grimaced as he blocked another of Junichiro's broad sword attacks. They were high above a mountain range as they dashed and blurred in the night sky. He couldn't keep up with Junichiro's speed. All Damien could do was remain on the defensive as each clash sent out a flash of lilac and violet light that anyone with a trained eye could probably see from the city on the horizon.
His sword snapped in half from the force of the strike. This was the second time this happened. For some reason, Junichiro's sword continued to cut through his without issue despite his spirit enhancement.
Regardless, he promptly reshaped more of the chunks of raw metal he had levitating around him, but he had still been cut across the chest as Junichiro vanished, reappeared before him, and then vanished again.
There was no time for him to access the wound as Junichiro charged him with incredible speed again. In a flurry of movements, he diced Damien's sword again and for a piercing jab, but Damien felt the blade coming as it broke through his spirit energy and narrowly side-stepped the tip of Junichiro's blade that was aimed at his heart, getting cut near his rib cage instead.
"You don't waste time, do you?" Damien remarked as he winced but moved in a burst of max speed, spun horizontally, and shockingly managed to land an electrifying downward kick to Junichiro's shoulder, sending Junichiro arcing far below with a flash of lightning.
Junichiro landed kneeling on one knee with his blade stuck into the ground to disperse the lightning. The impact was so strong it created a crater in the ground. His body and clothes steamed from the lightning, but that seemed to be Damien's electricity's only effect on him.
Damien found this vexing as he lowered closer to the ground.
Junichiro shot skyward toward him without wasting a moment as a dozen dark violet blades of his spirit energy manifested around him.
"That looks troubling..." Damien muttered as he barely dodged one of the blades sent toward him. Dodging the first one placed him in the path of the next one sent. Damien was quick enough to maneuver out of the way by ascending a bit higher, but that earned him a blade through his left leg as another was shot toward him.
"You're too slow," Junichiro stated emotionlessly as he sent out three more.
Damien responded by melting some of the metal chunks around him into twenty spinning discs coated with his electric spirit energy. One-to-one, his discs proved useless, but having three discs clash into one of Junichiro's blades resulted in the blades and discs shattering against each other.
"Oh...what a pleasant surprise," Damien said, pleased.
"Do not think that will be enough," Junichiro called out as he formed more blades.
This began their battle of attrition. At first, they were evenly matched. Damien was able to counter many of Junichiro's blades thrown at him, but it quickly became apparent that Damien couldn't keep up with the rate at which Junichiro could conjure his weapons. By the time Junichiro reconjured two of his blades, Damien could only manage the creation of four electric discs.
This eventually left gaps in his offense as many of Junichiro's blades broke through, forcing Damien to resort to Arc Burst, where he released a devasting amount of electrifying power in the vicinity. He used a version of this back when he helped Tymon destroy one of Avarice's bases. Being in his hybrid form this time, it was much more powerful—powerful enough to counter every blade hurling toward him.
When the release of power faded, Junichiro rose to level with him, his body steaming again. Damien noted how he wasn't gaining much ground due to Junichiro's endurance for pain. His discipline allowed him to ignore most of the effects of Damien's lightning. Plus, his vast number of weapons made it challenging to get close to him.
While this ran through his head, he sensed something in the distance, but he knew better than to focus on it in his current predicament.
"I will not fall to you," Junichiro spouted as he shrugged off the electric remnants. "Once you are disposed of, I will return to Father victorious."
"I take it you'd then go assist your siblings in their matches?"
"If Father wills it," Junichiro answered.
"Well, we can't have that now, can we?" Damien stated as he began to remove his gloves.
"Removing your gloves is futile. We have been briefed about each of your abilities, so I am well aware of your Overload ability. As if I would allow you to touch me."
"You're a lot like Arne," Damien began, "During my training, I found myself against someone who was less affected by my electricity and had a high tolerance for pain. So, I had to improvise to find a way around that wall."
"So, you used your Overload to overwhelm their sense of pain," Junichiro interrupted, "As I have stated, I know you must touch me for it to activate. You are far too slow to achieve that."
Damien flashed a fanged smile and waved a clawed finger in the air.
"Tsk tsk tsk. That's its previous version. You see, being pushed like that forced me to realize something that'd never occurred to me before: we can evolve our abilities," Damien declared as his aura changed from its typical chaotic, electric state to a buzzing, refined, static aura.
When he formed another sword from the metal around him, he channeled some of his aura into the blade. Damien summoned walls of raw metal from the ground to obstruct Junichiro's vision. He lowered his power to prevent detection as he sped, undetected, past Junichiro's blades, getting close enough for his sword to be within reach.
Junichiro reacted immediately as Damien struck down hard. Junichiro blocked with his broadsword, causing their blades to spark against each other. Damien knew that his sword would soon break again, but before that, he spread more of his energy outward until it touched Junichiro.
He noticed Junichiro's muscles convulse tightly, causing Junichiro to leap back.
"What is the meaning of this?" Junichiro demanded as he witnessed his arms spasm. "The vibrations from the clash, the shock from your energy...why did it feel more intense..."
"It's not just my hands you need to be wary of now," Damien warned playfully as he dashed forward.
Damien was on the offensive. He slashed and slashed and slashed at high speeds, not wanting to give Junichiro any reprieve. Each strike against Junichiro's broadsword broke his blade, but he quickly reformed them.
Why are my blades so much weaker? Damien wondered as he continued. Then, the answer struck him. He remembered Alissia handing him the necklace with the cindium pendant and telling him how it'd protect him.
So that's what she meant.
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