Chapter 43: Dangerous
[A/N: This Trial world will be just twenty or so Chapters and then we are back to real World ]
The battlefield fell silent once more.
Neither Kaiser nor Ryder rushed to attack. Instead, they slowly circled one another, their eyes never leaving their opponent. Both were searching for an opening, carefully reading every movement.
Ryder was the first to speak.
"You control those swords well."
Kaiser gave a small nod.
"They’re easier to control after reaching perfection."
A faint smile appeared on Ryder’s face.
"I agree."
The silence broke in an instant.
Bang!
The ground cracked beneath their feet as both of them burst forward.
Ryder was slightly faster.
His silver sword flashed toward Kaiser’s neck with incredible speed.
Clang!
Kaiser instantly raised a Spectral Blade and intercepted the attack. The collision echoed throughout the clearing, sending a wave of force across the ground.
At the same time, three ghostly swordsmen rushed toward Ryder from behind.
Without even looking back, Ryder swung his sword in a smooth arc.
"Spectral Arc."
A circular wave of silver energy exploded outward.
Boom!
The three spectral warriors were torn apart before they could reach him.
Kaiser immediately retreated several steps.
"Just how many arts you have learned..."
He quietly memorized the technique.
Ryder gave no reply.
Instead, he pressed the attack.
His sword moved like flowing water.
Every strike was clean.
Every movement was efficient.
There wasn’t a single wasted motion.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of colliding blades echoed continuously as the two exchanged one attack after another.
Neither could find an opening.
Seeing that a direct duel wouldn’t work, Kaiser stepped back.
With a thought, the remaining spectral warriors spread out and surrounded Ryder from every direction.
Ten ghostly swords pointed toward him.
Ryder calmly glanced around.
Then, unexpectedly, he closed his eyes.
Kaiser frowned.
"What is he doing?"
The answer came immediately.
Ryder’s eyes snapped open.
"Spectral Flash."
His figure vanished.
Before Kaiser could react, Ryder appeared directly behind him.
Slash!
A silver streak cut toward Kaiser’s back.
His instincts screamed in warning.
Four Spectral Hands instantly grabbed his shoulders and pulled him sideways.
The blade barely missed its target, only slicing through part of his sleeve.
Kaiser glanced at the torn cloth.
"Fast."
Ryder calmly lowered his sword.
"It’s my fastest Art."
Kaiser smiled faintly.
"I can see that."
Without another word, dozens of Spectral Blades shot toward Ryder from every direction.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The forest filled with streaks of gray light.
Ryder didn’t retreat.
Instead, he charged straight through them.
His sword blurred so quickly that countless silver afterimages filled the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
One Spectral Blade after another was knocked away.
Some shattered completely.
Others were forced off course.
Within seconds, Ryder had cut a path through the storm of blades and reached Kaiser once again.
Their swords collided repeatedly.
Neither gave the other even a moment to breathe.
As the duel continued, Kaiser suddenly smiled.
"You’ve been watching my sword."
Ryder nodded.
"So have you."
The two immediately separated.
For a brief moment, neither attacked.
They simply stood facing one another.
Then Ryder’s expression changed.
His feet refused to move.
He lowered his gaze.
Several Spectral Hands had silently crawled beneath the battlefield during the fight.
Now they tightly gripped both of his ankles.
Kaiser slowly raised his hand.
"I’ve been preparing that for a while."
The remaining Spectral Blades instantly shot toward Ryder.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Ryder narrowed his eyes.
Soul Mana erupted from his body.
His silver sword shone with brilliant light.
"Spectral Burst."
Boom!
A violent explosion of silver energy erupted around him.
The Spectral Hands binding his legs were destroyed instantly.
The incoming Spectral Blades were blasted away before they could reach him.
A cloud of dust spread across the clearing.
Nearby trees bent under the force of the explosion.
Both fighters were pushed backward.
When the dust finally settled, neither of them looked untouched anymore.
Ryder’s breathing had become noticeably heavier.
Small cuts covered both of his arms, and several tears had appeared across his academy uniform.
Kaiser wasn’t in much better condition.
His right sleeve had been completely cut away, and a shallow wound stretched across his shoulder.
Several of his Spectral Hands had been destroyed, while many of his Spectral Blades had shattered during the exchange.
For the first time since the battle had begun, both had suffered genuine injuries.
Far away, inside her Death Realm, Leoness had long since forgotten the snacks on the table.
She leaned forward without taking her eyes off the screen.
"They’re adapting during the fight..."
"They’re improving with every exchange."
A satisfied smile appeared on her face.
"This is exactly what talented students should be doing."
Back on the battlefield, the two young men quietly looked at each other.
Then, almost at the same time, they smiled.
Ryder slowly lifted his silver sword.
"I’ve enjoyed this fight."
Kaiser nodded.
"So have I."
Soul Mana began gathering around both of them once again.
The air grew heavier.
Both understood the same thing.
The next exchange would likely decide the battle.
The air grew heavy as Soul Mana gathered around both of them.
Neither of them intended to hold back anymore.
Kaiser slowly raised both hands.
The remaining Spectral Hands and Spectral Blades began moving toward each other.
One after another, the ghostly hands and Spectral Blades merged into a single entity.
Its form gradually became more complete.
First came the arms.
Then the shoulders.
Next, the chest.
Finally, the head.
Within seconds, a single Specter Knight stood in front of Kaiser.
It was over two and a half meters tall.
Its body was made entirely of condensed Soul Mana.
Dark silver armor covered its upper body, while a long ghostly cloak fluttered behind it.
Unlike the earlier incomplete forms, this one looked far more stable.
Although its lower body was still missing, the Specter Knight held a large Spectral Greatsword with both hands.
A powerful aura spread across the clearing.
Ryder’s eyes widened slightly.
"So this is your true trump card."
Kaiser nodded.
"It’s still incomplete."
"But it should be enough."
The Specter Knight slowly raised its greatsword.