Chapter 397: Destruction

Arthur’s specialization lay in Light Magic. And when people spoke of Light Magic, they weren’t referring to a single skill but an entire branch of sorcery, one that encompassed a wide range of abilities.

Among its greatest strengths was its capacity to enhance the user’s physical capabilities to an extraordinary degree, allowing them to fight at their peak as long as they remained beneath the sun’s radiance.

Most of the major battles of Arthur’s life had taken place under sunlight, where his Light Magic could reach its full potential.

Perhaps that was precisely why he had yet to encounter an opponent capable of pushing him anywhere near his limits.

He had grown accustomed to fighting with the advantage of his specialization, and few enemies had been strong enough to force him out of that comfort zone.

Kyle had chosen this Rift as a playground to assess Arthur’s true limits, specifically to see how well he could perform without the sun support.

And until now, Kyle could say that he was impressed.

"Kahahaha! What happened, warrior? Is a little scratch enough to make you hesitate?" the Kijin bellowed, spreading both arms in triumph. Its horn had managed to carve a gash across Arthur’s chest in their previous exchange, and the creature seemed thoroughly pleased with itself.

Arthur remained still for a moment, allowing his body to heal as it purged the Absence coursing through the wound. Once the injury had sufficiently closed, he lowered his center of gravity and crouched, his gaze fixed on the creature.

For a brief moment, neither moved. Then Arthur exploded forward, driving off the ground with his legs as he charged straight at the Kijin.

The Nightmare clenched its fists, preparing to meet his advance head-on. However, at the last instant, it twisted its body and whipped its tail toward Arthur, attempting to catch him off guard.

Shlik!

The tail sliced through empty air.

Arthur had already vanished, reappearing directly before the creature. Before the Kijin could recover from its missed attack, he drove a powerful punch into its abdomen, putting the full weight of his enhanced body behind the blow.

DHANK!

The impact reverberated through the surroundings, and the resulting shockwave was strong enough to reach the others watching the battle.

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly as he witnessed the aftermath. Perhaps Arthur’s claims of being stronger than him weren’t entirely baseless after all.

That single punch had forced the Kijin to take a step backward.

For a creature of its size and physical prowess, even such a small movement spoke volumes about the force behind Arthur’s attack.

Odin: [Incredible reinforcement using Aether.]

Tyr: [Combat intelligence, a rare but honorable virtue. Brother, he would make a fine soldier to have by your side.]

Athena: [Indeed. He isn’t relying on his skills blindly, and his control over magic is praiseworthy, especially considering that he is facing such a rare breed.]

The Kijin suddenly thrust both hands toward Arthur, forcing the blond man to leap backward in anticipation of a counterattack. Yet the Nightmare had never intended to catch him.

Thump!

Its palms collided, sending a concentrated shockwave hurtling straight toward Arthur. Unlike the widespread force generated by their earlier exchange, this one was narrow and focused, its destructive power directed along a single path.

’Tch!’

Arthur immediately attempted to teleport away, but the shockwave was already upon him. Before magic could fully envelop his body, the concentrated force struck him squarely and hurled him backward.

DOOOM!

The impact left a deep dent in the barricade.

Yet Arthur was nowhere to be seen.

"Hmmph!"

The Kijin snatched the Light Staff hurtling toward its flank, closing its fingers around the weapon before swinging a punch toward Arthur’s presumed position.

However, the blond man had anticipated the counterattack. He leaped upward, allowing the creature’s fist to pass beneath him, and momentarily suspended himself above the Nightmare’s massive frame.

Then he brought his leg down with tremendous force.

’He’s going to get caught... Oh.’

Kyle’s eyebrows rose as he followed Arthur’s movements. For an instant, he had thought the blond man might be a fraction too slow to outmaneuver the Kijin. But Arthur had once again demonstrated that he was always thinking a step ahead.

THUNNNK!

The creature raised its arm to block the descending kick, read to meet the attack head on.

However, Arthur had used that very moment to teleport again, appearing directly in front of the Kijin while its attention remained fixed on the attack above.

His foot slammed squarely into the monster’s shoulder.

The combined momentum of the kick and the sudden shift in position proved too much for the creature to withstand. Its massive frame lurched downward, and one knee crashed against the ground.

The concrete beneath it fractured under the force, sending cracks spreading across the surface.

Another impressive display of physical enhancement through Genesis.

Complete silence descended upon the battlefield after that strike and in that short exchange both sides had determined each other’s strength.

But Kyle dared to say, the Kijin had assessed the situation far better than Arthur considering it hadn’t revealed its true trump yet.

Athena: [That was impressive...but far from enough.]

The Kijin’s knee remained pressed against the fractured concrete for barely a second before its body began to change. Its shoulder swelled beneath Arthur’s foot, the flesh hardening into a jagged shell that forced the blond man to withdraw before the transformation could trap his leg.

"Kahahaha! You’re quicker than you look!"

The creature swung its tail.

Arthur ducked, but instead of pursuing him, the Kijin slammed its tail into the ground, sending a row of jagged spikes erupting from the pavement beneath his feet.

Arthur teleported just as the first spike pierced the ground, reappearing atop a rusted bus stop sign. He immediately kicked it off, sending the metal structure crashing down toward the Kijin’s head.

*Thunk*

It shook its head, a feral grin extending its lips. The battle was far from over.

–TBC.

....

A/N:- The Chapter went on and on about 2k words so I broke it into two.