Chapter 170: East Anekta Crisis (9)

The two Awakened moved at the same time.

Leonard’s golden sword met Eden’s Dark Matter blade, and the resulting impact shook the entire skyscraper.

For a fraction of a second, neither weapon moved. Their blades pressed against one another, golden Essence grinding against the black, shifting mass of Dark Matter. Then the pressure exploded outward.

Every window in the skyscraper shattered simultaneously.

Glass burst from the building in a glittering wave, scattering into the night as the shockwave swept through the surrounding streets. The floor beneath their feet cracked, and several reinforced storage cabinets were torn from their foundations and hurled against the walls.

Leonard’s eyes widened slightly.

Eden pushed forward.

The blonde S-Rank was forced backward, his boots carving two deep grooves into the floor. Before he could regain his footing, Eden twisted his wrist and swung again, aiming for his neck.

Leonard barely managed to block.

The second collision sent another shockwave through the building. The ceiling above them fractured, and a section of the floor below collapsed under the combined force.

Leonard retreated through the opening, landing on the floor beneath.

Eden followed.

Neither of them had any intention of holding back now.

Unlike his earlier fight with Ember, Eden wasn’t concerned about preserving the merchandise or avoiding unnecessary destruction. The items he wanted were already secured in his inventory, and the island was rapidly descending into chaos.

There was no reason to restrain himself.

Leonard seemed to share that sentiment.

Golden chains erupted from his back, spreading through the air like the limbs of some enormous metallic creature. Several shot toward Eden, while others wrapped around the surrounding support structures.

Eden cut through the first wave, but the remaining chains came from behind. He twisted, allowing one to pass beneath his arm, and severed another before it could wrap around his torso.

Leonard appeared in front of him.

His golden sword descended.

Eden raised his blade.

The impact drove him through the floor.

He crashed into the level below, breaking through the concrete and landing among the remains of a storage facility. Before he could stand, Leonard dropped through the opening above and swung again.

Eden blocked, but the force sent him sliding across the floor.

He planted his foot, stopped his momentum, and immediately counterattacked.

Their weapons collided once more.

The building shuddered.

A deep groan travelled through its foundations as the damage accumulated. The structural supports had already begun to fracture, and the upper floors were slowly shifting out of alignment.

Leonard glanced toward the ceiling.

"Seems like this place wasn’t built to withstand us."

Eden’s expression remained cold.

"Then stop hiding behind it."

He surged forward.

Leonard’s smile disappeared as he raised his sword.

Their next clash tore through the remaining walls.

The fight had become a disaster in its own right.

Eden’s Dark Matter blade struck with enough force to split entire sections of the building, while Leonard’s golden chains constantly altered the battlefield around them. He could attack from multiple directions, restrain Eden’s movements, and manipulate the surrounding structures with frightening precision.

Every time Eden tried to close the distance, chains appeared between them.

Every time Leonard attempted to create space, Eden used Burst-Step to catch up.

Neither could maintain an advantage for long.

Leonard was clearly the more experienced fighter. His movements were refined, his attacks economical, and his control over Malevolent Chains allowed him to dictate the pace of the battle whenever he found an opening. Yet Eden’s physical abilities were beginning to make up for the difference.

Ferocious Evolution continued repairing the damage to his body, while Corrupted Surge and his Dark Matter reinforcement kept his strength at an extraordinary level.

He wasn’t simply enduring Leonard’s attacks.

He was adapting to each and every one of them.

Leonard noticed it.

’What the hell is this kid?’

He had expected Eden to be strong. The reports surrounding the tournament incident had made that much obvious. But there was a difference between being unusually powerful for an A-Rank and standing toe-to-toe with a seasoned S-Rank.

And Eden was doing the latter.

Leonard’s eyes narrowed.

’He’s not even using a weapon skill. He’s just swinging that thing around with raw power!’

He didn’t have time to dwell on it.

Eden’s blade came toward his shoulder.

Leonard twisted aside, but the Dark Matter edge still caught him. A deep gash opened across his upper arm.

Purple-black energy spread along the wound.

Leonard immediately pulled back, golden chains wrapping around his injured arm. The chains glowed, and the bleeding slowed as his Essence stabilized the damage.

Eden pressed forward.

Leonard raised his hand.

"Enough."

The chains surrounding the floor suddenly tightened.

Several massive golden links emerged from beneath Eden, wrapping around his legs and torso. He attempted to cut them, but more appeared before he could finish.

Leonard pulled.

Eden was dragged across the floor and hurled through the outer wall.

The entire section of the skyscraper burst apart.

Eden emerged into the open air, surrounded by fragments of concrete and glass. For an instant, the ground below seemed impossibly far away.

Then the chains tightened.

Leonard stepped out through the shattered wall.

"Let’s take this somewhere with a little more room."

He raised his hand.

The chains pulled Eden upward.

The sky above East Anekta became their battlefield.

Leonard swung his arm, sending Eden hurtling through the air. The chains dragged him across the night sky, changing direction abruptly and slamming him against the side of another building.

The impact shattered several floors.

Before Eden could recover, Leonard pulled again.

This time, Eden was thrown across the island, crashing through the roof of a restaurant and emerging from the opposite side in a cloud of dust.

Leonard followed.

He moved through the air with the help of his chains, using them as anchors to propel himself between buildings. His golden sword remained in his hand, while dozens of chains stretched behind him.

"You’re surprisingly durable!" he shouted.

Eden tore himself free of the debris.

Leonard raised both hands.

The chains spread outward.

At first, Eden thought he was preparing another attack. But then the golden links began wrapping around the surrounding buildings.

One chain after another.

They dug into the foundations of nearby shops, restaurants, and smaller facilities. The metal groaned as the structures began to shake.

Eden’s expression changed.

’What is he—’

Leonard pulled.

The buildings came apart.

Concrete foundations cracked, steel supports twisted, and entire structures were ripped from the ground. Shops and restaurants rose into the air, their interiors spilling into the streets as they were dragged upward by the golden chains.