Neron''s jaw tightened, his magic ring faintly around him as his emotions threatened to boil over.
"Why?" he demanded, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Why did you kill her?"
The Martial de God''s expression didn''t change, but there was a flicker of something—regret? amusement?—in his eyes.
"Why does anyone do anything in this world?" he replied cryptically. "You''ll find your answers soon enough. That is, if you''re strong enough to im them."
"I''m going to kill you…"
Neron growled as he stepped forward, looking at the man with hatred in his eyes.
Despite the intensity of his re, the Martial de God''s expression was perfectly calm and serene.
He eventually broke into a calm smile and nodded, gesturing for Neron toe at him with everything he had.
"Then… let us begin."
~VWUUUMMM!!!~
The air vibrated with an overwhelmingly thick tension as Neron''s magic red wildly, the shimmering glow of his Arcanas illuminating the deste mountaintop.
His heart thundered in his chest, his mind racing with a storm of emotions.
Rage. Grief. Determination.
The man standing before him wasn''t just an enemy—he was a symbol of everything Neron hated, everything he wanted to ovee.
And yet, the Martial de God stood unfazed.
His calm, almost serene expression was like a dagger twisting in Neron''s chest.
"Come," the man said, his voice steady, his golden eyes sharp.
Neron didn''t hesitate.
VWUUUUSH!
With a sh of violet energy, [The Tower] activated. Space warped, and Neron disappeared, reappearing above the Martial de God in an instant.
His hand was already crackling with energy from [The Sun], a zing sphere of condensed magic aimed to obliterate.
"Take this!"
~BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!~
The sphere detonated with a thunderous roar, an eruption of fire and light swallowing the battlefield.
The force of the st shattered the remaining ruins, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
Rocks and debris rained down, and for a moment, it seemed as though Neron''s power was unmatched.
But then, the smoke cleared.
The Martial de God stood in the epicenter, untouched.
With a flick of his wrist, he sheathed his de, the faint hum of energy around him dissipating as if it had been an afterthought.
"You''ll need more than shy tricks," he said, his tone almost bored.
"Mage Mode!" Neron growled, his fists tightening.
His Mage Mode red, his body surrounded by a swirling aura of raw mana. His outfit also changed into a strong Mage Cloak made entirely out of powerful Mana.
Lines of glowing energy etched themselves across his skin like molten veins, and his power surged exponentially.
"I''ll show you what I''ve got," Neron hissed.
In an instant, he was gone again, teleporting with [The Tower]. This time, he aimed for a pincer attack, reappearing behind the Martial de God while conjuring a barrage of high-speed magic bolts.
The projectiles screamed through the air, each charged with explosive energy.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground shook as the attacksnded, carving craters into the terrain.
But the Martial de God moved like water, flowing between the attacks with an effortless grace.
He didn''t even draw his de, his hands guiding the air currents to deflect the bolts.
"You''re trying too hard," he said, sidestepping another explosion. "Your magic is powerful, but it''s unfocused. Emotional."
"You talk too much!" Neron roared.
Activating [The Hermit], Neron froze the flow of time around him.
Everything slowed—the swirling dust, the flickering mes, even the subtle shifting of the Martial de God''s stance.
In this frozen moment, Neronunched his attack, his fists infused with the radiant energy of [The Sun].
He struck with precision, aiming for vital points.
But as his fist closed in on the man''s chest, time snapped back to normal.
The Martial de God caught Neron''s fist mid-strike.
"W-what?!"
The force of the impact sent tremors through the mountain, but the man didn''t flinch. His hand tightened around Neron''s wrist, his golden eyes locking onto the younger man with a piercing gaze.
"Time maniption?" he said, his tone curious. "Impressive. But iplete."
With a twist of his arm, he threw Neron across the battlefield.
"Gahhh!"
Neron twisted mid-air,nding in a crouch as the ground cracked beneath him.
"Damn it…" He muttered, wiping blood from his lip.
The Martial de God finally fully unsheathed his de.
The sound was subtle, almost melodic, but the pressure that followed was anything but. The air grew heavy, the weight of the man''s presence suffocating.
He held his sword with one hand, the de gleaming with an ominous light.
"This has been quite boring, wouldn''t you say?" he said, his voice calm but firm. "Will you give up now?"
Neron''s body trembled, but not with fear.
"Martial State!"
He activated his Martial State, his aura shifting from radiant energy to a darker, more primal force.
His muscles tensed, his senses sharpening to an almost painful degree.
This transformation was Lilith''s legacy, a gift she had entrusted to him.
''She taught me both Mage Mode and Martial State… but incredibly powerful transformations that I can stack up like this.''
Usually, a person could only use one of them… and even then it would be difficult.
However, Neron could use both.
And he wouldn''t waste it.
VWUUM!
The mountain shook as Neronunched himself forward, his speed blinding.
He swung with all his might,bining the destructive force of [The Sun] and the quickened rate of his body as a result of [The Hermit] with the precision of his Martial State.
His strikes were relentless, each one tearing through the air with enough force to shatter stone.
For the first time, the Martial de God moved with intent.
His de met Neron''s attacks with perfect timing, deflecting each strike with minimal effort.
~CLANG!~
Sparks flew as their energies collided, the sound of shing power echoing across the battlefield.
"Good," the man said, his voice tinged with approval. "You''re improving."
"Shut up!"
Neron yelled, teleporting behind him with [The Tower] and unleashing a torrent of energy sts.
The Martial de God turned, cutting through the sts with a single swing of his de.
The motion was so fluid, so precise, that it seemed almost choreographed.
In the end, he remained unscathed.