Their des danced, sparks flying with each collision. Mara''s sword aura sliced through the air, forcing Jaegar to evade and counter. She moved with a grace and precision that left him in awe. Her strikes were lightning-fast, and her footwork was impable.


    She pushed him back with a powerful swing of her long de, and Jaegar''s mist sword dissipated into the air. He cursed under his breath, realizing that he couldn''t rely solely on his Chaos Arts. Mara''s sword aura was a force to be reckoned with.


    Both of them had stopped, creating a huge gap between them. Jaegar''s chest heaved with breath, and his hands trembled slightly as he sped them tightly.


    On the other side, Mara was standing, leaning to the side with the support of her long sword.


    The other men were watching the fight unfold. They were focused on Mara, their leader, and they were also watching Jaegar and couldn''t help but admire him, he was able tost this long with their leader.


    "Boy, you are really an interesting one," she said as she licked her lips. "I wonder, what''s your origin?"


    Jaegar still not changing his determined expression, let out an exasperated smile.


    Jaegar realized that a direct confrontation with Mara wouldn''t lead to victory. He had to outsmart her and use his chaos art to create an opening. As Mara closed in, he conjured a swirling vortex of purple mist around himself.


    Mara''s eyes narrowed as the mist obscured her vision. She shed through the mist, her strikes precise but meeting only empty air. Jaegar used the opportunity to reposition himself, appearing behind Mara.


    He unleashed a barrage of chaotic projectiles, aiming for her blind spots. Mara spun around, deflecting most of them, but a few grazed her, leaving shallow cuts on her arms.


    Mara''s smile widened. "You''re more skilled than I expected," she admitted. "But you can''t outmaneuver me."


    Jaegar couldn''t afford to back down. He charged forward, his chaotic sword formed from the purple mist right into his hand, poised for a powerful strike. Mara met his attack head-on, their des shing with a deafening roar.


    The de he formed waspletely purple and as hard as steel. He had even mixed his lightning with the purple sword.


    The force of their collision sent shock waves rippling through the battlefield. Mara''s strength was overwhelming, and Jaegar struggled to hold his ground. But he couldn''t give in to doubt. He had to trust in his abilities, and moreover, his body had given him an advantage to stand against the force of nature.


    The men had moved away from the area where the fighting and the forest were already in utter mayhem. Trees were uprooted, and debris was scattered everywhere, creating a treacherousndscape. The once serene forest was now a battleground of destruction, with no signs of life except for the two locked inbat.


    Then the witches of the spire hade looking for Jaegar and the thief. They ended up here and watched the scene in front of them and couldn''t believe what they were seeing.


    Amidst the group, Evanore emerged as the leader, her keen eyes caught sight of Jaegar and the other women. As she saw her, a realization hit her, and her lips moved silently, forming the words, "Death sword," a whisper lost to the tense air around them.


    Back to the area where Jaegar and Mara were fighting.


    Jaegar''s chaotic sword shed with Unohana''s de, and the sh of their auras filled the night air. The moon bore witness to their duel, casting an eerie light over the scene.


    As they locked des, Mara''s eyes bore into Jaegar''s. "You have potential," she said, her tone almost encouraging. "But potential alone won''t save you in battle."


    With a sudden burst of strength, Mara pushed Jaegar back. He stumbled but quickly regained his footing. She was right; potential alone wouldn''t be enough. He needed experience with actual people, all his time in the sinner''s domain, he fought stronger creatures and demons but never really fought with human beings.


    Those creatures back in the domain were all brutes and had no brains and just ended up being killed by him, and now he realizes all that experience was nothing before an expert.


    And most of the time, he took his time when fighting the stronger creatures and killed them slowly.


    Mara lunged forward once more, her strikes relentless. Jaegar blocked with his barrier, parried, and dodged, his chaotic abilities keeping her at bay. But he could feel the exhaustion creeping in. Mara showed no signs of fatigue, her stamina seemingly endless.


    Jaegar channelled his lightning ability, sending bolts of electricity through his chaotic sword. The de crackled with energy, and he made a daring move. He closed the distance between them lightning-fast and unleashed a powerful sh. His purple sword glowed with lightning and struck her, illuminating the dimly lit forest.


    Mara parried with ease, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Impressive," she said, her voice low. "But not enough."


    She countered with a devastating strike, her sword aura tearing through Jaegar''s chaotic de. He staggered back, a gash on his arm. Mara didn''t waste a second. She lunged again, her de aimed at his heart.


    Jaegar rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike. He needed to be more strategic. Mara''s strength and speed were overwhelming.


    Jaegar summoned a barrage of chaotic projectiles, materializing multiple spears crafted from mes and directing them swiftly toward Mara. The fiery spears streaked toward her, converging to create a tempest of fire, aiming to engulf her entirely.


    Responding with grace, Mara wielded her long de with calcted finesse, executing a series of gentle strokes that cleaved through the fiery onught. Her sword exuded an aura that dispersed the mes, quelling the inferno surrounding her. Though she swiftly neutralized the fire, this distraction granted Jaegar a precious moment to gather his focus and strategize.


    The battle continued, and both warriors locked in a deadly dance. Mara''s movements were like liquid poetry, each strike calcted and precise. Jaegar fought with all his might, but the wounds on his body were taking their toll. Blood seeped from multiple cuts and gashes, staining his uniform in a gruesome tapestry of red.


    Mara''sughter filled the night once more, a haunting melody that taunted Jaegar. She had a sadistic edge, revelling in the thrill ofbat. He knew he had to end this quickly, so he took out his wand.


    He could feel his fatigue, and he knew if he wanted to win, he needed to put all his effort into the next attack, and the wand could help him with that and do it more efficiently.


    With a burst of speed, Jaegar closed the distance between them and unleashed a series of lightning-charged strikes. Mara defended with grace, but the lightning sizzled around her, leaving her breathless for a moment. It was the opening Jaegar needed.


    He summoned the power of his immemorial arts, conjuring a massive, crimson serpent that coiled around Mara. She struggled to break free, but the serpent constricted around her, squeezing the air from her lungs.


    Jaegar pressed his advantage, his crimson serpent tightening its grip. Mara''s long de slipped from her hand, ttering to the ground. Her face contorted in pain as she gasped for breath.


    Then Jaegar held his wand up in the air, and suddenly, from the ground, stones started to shoot up, forming a sharp, sucked at one point in the void in front of restrained Mara.


    She was still struggling to break free from the confines.


    Soon, the stones turned into a long sharp de, standing straight, pointed towards the sky. Jaegar''s breath was uneven and blood streamed from his nose he moved his wand down and then the huge long stone sword moved slowly towards Mara.


    Sensing what Jaegar wanted to do, Mara stopped wiggling to break free, a huge smile appeared on her face as her eyes locked on Jaegar.


    "You are one hell of a brat!" Mara''s voice echoed through the valley, her thrill apparent even in the midst of such peril. Her demeanour remained fearless, and she embraced the adrenaline of the situation.


    But just as Jaegar''s victory seemed imminent, Mara''s eyes zed with an intense fire, and her entire body radiated a blood-red aura.


    She rose into the air, levitating.


    In the background, an enormous, ominous shape took form, causing both the men and the women to fall to the ground, ovee by dread and the oppressive weight of an intense bloodlust that hung heavily in the air.


    As this monstrous entity emerged, a deeply disturbing noise reverberated through the air, a gut-wrenching sound that seemed to emanate from the depths of nightmares, adding an eerie and unsettlingyer to the already ominous atmosphere.


    The colossal face resembled that of a monstrous entity, withrge, menacing canine teeth jutting out from a blood-red, ck-mottled countenance. Its visage exuded an aura of horror and grotesque terror, a sight that inspired dread and a sense of foreboding.


    Its hair, drenched in blood, framed a nightmarish visage, while enormous horns curved back from the sides of its head, adding to its terrifying and ominous presence.