"[Phantom Surge]…" I muttered under my breath.
And then—I moved.
Zig-zagging along the battlefield, my form began to blur. Each step left behind an afterimage, flickering like ghosts caught mid-sprint. My speed surged, the world slowed, and I split into a dozen versions of myself across the ground. To the untrained eye, I was everywhere.
Orion narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on the golden spear at his side. He spun in place, trying to track me, but I could tell—he'd already lost my true position.
I was just a flicker. Just an echo.
Then—I was right in front of him. My fist raised, only inches away from shattering his smug expression.
But he reacted.
"[Second Style – Slash]!"
His arm blurred, slashing diagonally with the golden spear. The sound of wind tearing echoed—but his blade hit only air.
An afterimage. One of many.
I was already behind him.
"[Violent Fist]!" I roared, amethyst mana erupting from my knuckles.
