I flicked the sword to the side, casting off sparks of excess mana before drawing it back into a ready stance. My fingers curled, and the ambient mana responded—twisting with flickers of amethyst like dancing flame.
Opposite me, the spear guy reset his posture too. His shoulders squared, spear lowered slightly, the tip gleaming with crackling energy. His aura surged, tangible now, like a storm compressed into human form.
And then—
We moved.
CLANG!
The impact echoed like a thunderclap across the field.
Sparks erupted where our weapons met. Mine technically wasn't a "real" blade—just mana condensed into form—but it had weight, momentum, and intent. That was enough.
What made it worse for him? His spear was a natural conductor. So the moment our weapons connected, the amethyst lightning in my blade surged across the shaft, rippling into his arms.
A jolt.
He grunted and staggered back two steps, clicking his tongue in irritation. "You're annoying, you know that?"
