The warehouse burned with the color of dying embers. Cracks spread across the stone floor, and the air shimmered under the heat of Lucienâs flames. Trafalgar stood in the center of it allâsilent, still, Maledicta held loosely at his side. The faint hum of mana around him was steady and unhurried, his breathing calm despite the heat.
Lucien smirked from behind the [Brawler]. "Whatâs wrong, Lord Morgain? Not feeling so confident now? Maybe that fancy family name doesnât mean much without your guards."
The [Brawler] cracked his gauntlets together, each sound echoing like a hammer against steel. "You really think you can take us both?"
Trafalgar didnât answer. His expression didnât even flicker. He took one measured step forward. The movement alone made Lucien flinch.
"Trying to look intimidating now, huh?" Lucien sneered, conjuring a ball of fire in his hand. "I wonder what your family will say when you die here like a dog."
The firelight flickered across Trafalgarâs face. His eyes shifted, sharp and calm, meeting Lucienâs.
"You talk too much," he said quietly. "Donât you ever get tired?"
The [Brawler] growled, stomping the ground as he activated [Iron Rush]. The floor cracked beneath his weight as he charged, each step shaking the debris around them.
Trafalgarâs stance changed in a heartbeat. Maledicta tilted slightly forward, his center of gravity loweringâprecise, ready.
The moment the [Brawler] swung, Trafalgar stepped aside. The massive fist missed by inches, slicing through smoke. He countered instantlyâ[Arc Slash]âa crescent of dark-blue energy exploding from his blade. It struck the Brawlerâs shoulder, tearing through his armor with a burst of sparks.
Lucien raised his staff and shouted, [Fireburst Orb]. The sphere detonated where Trafalgar had been standing, filling the air with fire and ash.
When the smoke cleared, Trafalgar was already gone from sight.
The Brawler charged again, boots cracking against the stone floor. Each step sent shockwaves through the scorched ground, and the heat of Lucienâs lingering flames made the air waver between them.
Trafalgar shifted his footing, weight centered, Maledicta held low. The moment the gauntlet swung, he movedâclean, minimal motion. Steel met steel with a deafening
CLANG
, the impact throwing sparks across the room.
The Brawler grinned, forcing his weight forward, the sheer pressure driving Trafalgar back a step. "Come on, noble boy! Hit harder!"
The response came wordlessly. Trafalgar slid to the side, twisting his wrist. Maledictaâs edge caught a sliver of the manâs exposed shoulder. Blood sprayed, a thin red arc lost in the haze.
Lucien lifted his staff. [Scorch Field] burst to life, flames spreading across the ground in a burning circle. The light painted everything in orange and red.
The Brawler ignored the heat, his body already glowing faintly with mana reinforcement. He slammed both fists downâ[Breaker Punch]!âthe blow releasing a concussive blast that shredded the smoke. The wave hit Trafalgar full on, throwing him backward across the floor.
He rolled once, stopping in a crouch. The heat clawed at his skin, but his breathing stayed even. The mana inside him flowed faster, the passive rhythm of Primordial Body feeding his strength, restoring what he spent.
The Brawler came againâanother rush, wild and powerful. Trafalgar lowered his stance, the tip of Maledicta dragging sparks as it scraped the floor.
At the last second, he stepped aside and countered. [Severing Fang]!
The air split diagonally with a sharp
THRMM
, the pressure wave cutting a clean gouge through the Brawlerâs armguard and across his ribs. The man staggered, pain flashing across his face.
Lucien shouted, launching a [Fireburst Orb], the explosion washing them both in light and smoke.
When the flames cleared, Trafalgar was already moving forward againâsilent, precise, relentless.
Lucienâs flames rolled across the floor in waves, painting the air in gold and red. Smoke and heat wrapped around Trafalgar like a curtain, but he didnât stop. He walked straight through it, each step measured, eyes fixed on the Brawler standing between him and the mage.
The manâs skin still shimmered with [Stonehide], gray and cracked like rock, steam rising from his shoulders. "Youâre still standing?" he grunted, mana swelling in his fists. "Then letâs end this!"
Trafalgar exhaled quietly and brought Maledicta to his side. Black mana gathered along the blade, twisting into streaks of shadow that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. The floor beneath him cracked slightly as the pressure built.
[Morgainâs Requiem].
The first slash came in a wide arc, a black wave slicing the air. It tore through the smoke and struck the Brawlerâs side, carving a shallow cut that burned instead of bled.
Slash.
A second cut followed, lower and faster, tracing a curved shadow along the ground. The force ripped through a nearby crate, sending splinters spinning.
Slash!
The third wave came upward, the mana laced with the faint whistle of tearing air. The bladeâs trail left a glowing crescent of darkness that grazed the Brawlerâs chest, scattering droplets of red.
Slashâ!
The fourth cut reversed direction, spinning horizontally. The pressure around Trafalgar burst outward in a violent gust, knocking aside debris and slashing through the flames that surrounded him.
Lucien shielded his face, shouting over the roar. "Heâs cutting through the fireâwhat the hell is that!?"
Slash!
The final strike descended like a guillotine. A black arc expanded outward, doubling in range, slicing through the air with a deep, resonant
THRMM!
The Brawlerâs footing broke, and he dropped to one knee, blood dripping through cracks in his hardened skin. Trails of black energy shimmered around him, the faint burn of Maledictaâs mana still eating into the wounds.
Trafalgarâs figure blurred againâ[Severance Step].
He vanished from Lucienâs sight, the sound of his boots replaced by a rush of air. A moment later, he reappeared beneath the Brawlerâs guard, sliding between his legs in one smooth motion.
The giant swung down, but hit nothing. Trafalgar was already behind him, one knee pressing into the manâs back as he climbed up in a burst of momentum. The Brawler roared in frustration, twisting, but Trafalgar moved fasterâbalanced perfectly on his shoulders, Maledicta gleaming in the flickering firelight.
The Brawler tried to shake him off, fists pounding at his sides, but Trafalgarâs focus didnât waver. His breathing stayed steady, mana flowing through him like a quiet rhythm.
The next strike would end it.
The Brawler struggled beneath him, muscles bulging, every motion shaking the scorched floor. Trafalgar stayed balanced on his back, calm amid the chaos. The man roared, slamming his fists against the ground, but Trafalgar didnât flinch.
His left hand shifted slightly. In a flash of dark light, a dagger materialized in his gripâWidowâs Whisper, its curved edge gleaming faintly in the firelight. The weapon felt light, perfectly familiar, as if it had always been there.
Without a word, Trafalgar drove it down.
SHHK!
The blade pierced straight through the Brawlerâs temple. The hidden spring mechanism clicked open inside, driving a second edge deeper into bone. The sound that followed was shortâa low gasp, then silence.
The manâs body froze, every muscle locking before gravity pulled him forward. He fell face-first with a heavy THUD, the impact shaking the ground and scattering fragments of stone.
Trafalgar stayed still for a moment, standing atop the fallen body. The firelight danced across the floor, painting his shadow long and thin. Slowly, he pulled the dagger free, blood trailing in the air before vanishing as he desummoned it.
Muffled crackling from Lucienâs remaining flames echoed through the hall.
Lucien stood several meters away, his staff trembling, sweat beading at his temple. His eyes darted from the corpse to Trafalgarâno words, no confidence left.
Trafalgar stepped down from the body, boots crunching against ash and glass. He raised Maledicta, its edge humming low with faint black mana.
His gaze locked on Lucien. His voice was quiet, steadyâalmost indifferent.
"Your turn."