?The gigantic explosion shook the area, sending debris raining everywhere as smoke billowed into the sky. The sound of a cracking stone filled the air as cracks ran along the wall.


    Lexx had engulfed his entire body in blue mes and had transformed into a me Atronach. His whole body was a bright white with blue mes floating out in various directions from his body.


    Complex magma-like formations appeared around his shoulders, chest, face, hands, waist, and legs, creating armor and detail amongst his frame.


    His hair was also set aze, and his eyes glowed a brilliant orange as he opened his mouth. A long stream of smoke escaped his lips and curled around his face.


    Lexx held his hand out, gripping an invisible handle as mes appeared, spreading out as his greatsword reappeared, having been transformed.


    He lifted the mighty weapon high, swinging it straight down at Jackson, who instantly dodged to the side. As soon as the fiery projectile passed, the air began to crackle as lightning arced between the twobatants.


    Jackson fell to the floor, rolling to avoid the next swing. His boots left scorch marks on the stone as he moved to his feet, lifting his own twin scimitars as he stepped back.


    "You''re not going to beat me like this!" Jackson yelled, charging at therger man, firing a st of wind at him as he did.


    Lexx simply pushed back against the force of the gust, falling backward as he slid on the stone floor, his mes growing stronger. Jackson smiled, sliding to a stop before him, jumping at him, and thrusting his swords at the bigger man''s neck.


    Lexx caught the weapons with one arm, pushing Jackson back, and kicked him in the stomach,unching him away as fire erupted from his feet, spinning into the air andunching a flurry of fireballs that arced through the air toward the young man.


    Jackson used what little control he had on his flight path tounch himself upward, avoiding the majority of the iing fire and deflecting more with his Twin Moons, but several hit his shoulder and chest, causing his clothes to catch on fire.


    He twisted in the air, patting the fire out as lightning enveloped his body, dancing through the air as he reappeared and plunged his des deep within the belly of the me Atronach.


    Lexx let out another roar before bursting intoughter as he felt the energy flowing through his veins. His mes separated, allowing the des to pass through his body without damaging him.


    Jackson''s eyes went wide as he immediatelyunched himself backward as the Atronach swung his massive de with one hand, immediately following up as he used the momentum to turn downward violently,unching a wave of mes toward him.


    Jackson flipped backward off the ground; upside down, he twisted in a circle as he quicklybined his Twin Moons into the Warive, unleashing powerful des of energy, striking the wave of mes and breaking them apart.


    "You are good, kid," Lexx said, chuckling as he brought the massive de back up, "But you aren''t better than me..."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Jackson shot off the ground, flying through the air as he fired a barrage of de beams, piercing the mes surrounding therge man.


    "And now...I''m about to prove it!" He shouted, pointing his finger at the smaller man.


    A bolt of lightning exploded outward from Lexx''s palm, hitting Jackson square on his chest te, knocking him back as he crashed into the wall behind him. He crumpled onto the floor, coughing up blood as he coughed uncontrobly, trying desperately to breathe.


    Lexx floated down slowly, his transformation recalling as he reappeared with his greatsword resting on his shoulder as his coat pping in the wind.


    He stood above the fallen boy, staring down with those bright orange eyes, "You''ve got guts, I''ll give you that." He chuckled, kneeling down and patting the dust off Jackson''s chest.


    "Megan now owes a life debt to Viktoria Snow because of you. ming Dawn will bepleting the Tenth floor, so you''ll have to wait to save her... Or you could join me." Lexx exined, standing up, and he red down at him.


    "Tch!" Jackson clicked his tongue in frustration, "I can''t join any guilds! What is wrong with you people! Leave her out of it! She has nothing to do with this! She can''t even enter the tower!"


    "You can''t or won''t?" He countered, shaking his head as he stared down at him, "I understand wanting to protect others, you should join ming Dawn."


    Jackson growled as he swung his Warive at Lexx, spinning as he jumped to his feet. The older man grinned, jumping backward as he avoided the attack.


    The younger man rushed forward, spinning his weapon around him as his des shed against the greatsword. Lexx grunted, stepping forward, and they locked their weapons together, each struggling to push the other back.


    Jackson shouted, pulling back his sword and rushing forward again, mming his foot into the ground and kicking the air, propelling himself forward as he split his Warive into the Twin Moon Scimitars, shing against the massive de and knocking Lexx aside.


    "Gah!" He roared, twisting his wrist and ripping the sword free as it burst into me. He tossed it into the air as it disappeared, leaving only a small trail of smoke in its wake. He spun, reaching out and grabbing the hilt of his sword as it reappeared and swinging it around him, creating a tornado of mes around him as it split into five different trails of fire, shooting toward Jackson.


    Jackson ducked under the first strike, diving to the right as he shed upwards with his left scimitar, deflecting the second attack, then shing downward with his right weapon as he moved to the left, slicing across the mes as he created space between himself and the enemy.


    Lexxughed, watching as Jackson continued to evade his attacks, knowing that he would be too slow to avoid all of the attacks. His smile faded as he realized that the young man wasn''t losing ground—he was actually countering every attack.


    "His speed shouldn''t be enough..." He muttered to himself as he watched on with bated breath.