"What exactly are you?" Licht asked with a furrowed brow, voice heavy with suspicion.
What the hell kind of question is that? Ethan was speechless. I'm not some "thing"! You're the damn thing here!
He honestly wished he knew the answer. But sadly, he was completely in the dark about it.
Still, this probably had something to do with his origin—coming from "across the ocean."
I wonder if Yami Sukehiro, who also came from overseas, had golden blood like me...
"Though in the original story, I think his blood was red, wasn't it?"
Unable to make sense of it, Ethan decided to let it go.
Right now, the priority wasn't unraveling the mystery of his golden blood—it was figuring out how to deal with Licht.
"Spirit Magic – Spirit Descent!"
A tremendous surge of wind elements gathered around him.
To wear the crown, you must bear its weight.
In the blink of an eye, Ethan entered Spirit Assimilation.
This was the strongest spell in his arsenal.
Even so, a sense of unease stirred in his heart.
The difference in magical might between him and Licht was at least an entire tier.
And worse still—Licht's Light Magic was faster than Ethan's Wind Magic.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
There was no warning, no hesitation.
They collided in an instant.
Instead of engaging in a long-range chase, Ethan charged forward, closing the gap.
In a fight where he had no advantage in speed—and was even at a disadvantage—timing became everything.
Pure defense would only let the opponent gain momentum. He had to take the initiative.
Boom!
Boom!
The entire cave echoed with bursts of magical impact like a storm of firecrackers.
Their movements were a blur—like a flash of wind striking against a beam of light.
Even Noelle stared in stunned silence.
Even Rades's eyelids twitched in disbelief.
This young man... he's going toe-to-toe with our leader?
If he has just a few more years to grow... he might reach the heavens themselves.
"Light Creation Magic – Judgement Whip!"
Light elements surged and condensed. In a flash, several glowing whips—soft and serpentine like ribbons—danced protectively around Licht.
The area of effect wasn't huge, but the radiant whips floated around him in constant motion, forming a rotating barrier that forced Ethan to retreat and dodge carefully.
"Tch... tough opponent."
As Ethan flew across the cavern's airspace, his expression was grim.
He had run into a natural counter.
If it were anyone else—anyone without Light Magic—he wouldn't be struggling this much.
Even against any of the Magic Knight Squad Captains, this fight would've been easier.
But without the edge in speed, neither ranged combat nor close-quarters battle worked in his favor.
Right now, he was holding steady—but Spirit Assimilation had a time limit.
And once that time was up, escape might no longer be an option.
"Wind Creation Magic – Storm Tower!"
Whirl!
In a single instant, five cyclones erupted within the cave.
Fierce magical energy twisted and surged, sending sand and rock flying across the battlefield.
The storm obscured vision, making it hard to see anything clearly.
But to Ethan—it didn't matter.
He had activated his Combat Sensory Magic, a refined perception technique he had developed through intense training.
With it, he could sense even the faintest trace of mana and movement in his surroundings.
Eyes were no longer necessary.
Licht, on the other hand, did not possess a magic domain or enhanced sensory field.
He relied purely on the instantaneous acceleration of Light Magic—not fine-tuned reactions.
"Trying to ambush me through the sandstorm, are you?"
Seeing his visibility drop, Licht quickly realized Ethan's tactic.
It was clever. The approach made sense.
But Licht wasn't limited to speed alone—his magic held much more power than that.
Shing!
The whirling sand split apart. A blade of wind had cut through, aiming straight for Licht—just five millimeters away.
But a heartbeat later, Ethan realized the strike had missed.
Licht was even faster than before.
Whoosh!
Ethan melted back into the sandstorm like a shadow, slipping between whirlwinds like a silent assassin.
He waited.
With his combat sensory magic fully active, he could pinpoint Licht's exact location, tracking every pulse of mana.
One strike.
Two strikes.
Three...
Each one missed by just a moment—each one almost landed.
Ethan understood now—basic ambushes wouldn't work.
But that was also what he wanted Licht to think.
"It's pointless," Licht called out, calm and confident. "This storm may hinder my reaction slightly, but the moment you enter my line of sight, your attack will fail. Wind may be fast—but light is always faster."
He smiled, the corners of his mouth curling with self-assurance.
He had once fought the Wizard King Julius himself.
How could he possibly fall to Ethan?
Defeat? Impossible.
Even being wounded would be a disgrace.
Whoosh!
Ethan didn't respond. He charged in a fourth time, undeterred.
The wind blade in his hand cut through the swirling sand as he launched another full-speed assault at Licht.
But Licht didn't retreat.
This time, he didn't dodge—he countered.
"Light Creation Magic – Blade of Conviction!"
Golden light flared to life in the dim haze of wind and dust.
From the entrance of the cave, Noelle's heart skipped a beat.
Another clash of life and death was happening inside.
She gritted her fists tightly in concern.
Ethan's victory or defeat didn't just determine his fate—it determined hers, and that of the children hiding nearby.
But against the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun... can he really win?
Boom!
A deep explosion echoed through the cavern.
Noelle and Rades both froze.
That sound—they hadn't heard it before.
Before either of them could process what had happened, a figure burst out of the sandstorm like a cannonball, crashing hard into the stone wall of the cave.
When the dust settled, Noelle's eyes lit up with joy—
While Rades's heart skipped in shock.
-------------------------
To Access 30+ Advance chapters head over to Patreon:
patreon .com / Samorash
~~Do leave a comment!