Primordial Heir: Nine Stars

”Let’s toy with him,” Nero grinned, relishing the thought of completely crushing Barak.

Barak gritted his teeth, intensifying his assault. He launched a series of strikes, each executed with increasing speed and fervor, but despite his best efforts, he struggled to land a hit. Nero’s reactions were almost preternatural, his counterattacks coming just as swiftly, keeping Barak on the defensive.

With a quick feint to the left, Barak aimed a powerful downward strike, hoping to catch Nero off guard. But Nero anticipated the move, twisting his body to the side and using the momentum to redirect Barak’s blade, sending it off-course. In that instant, he countered with a swift slash aimed at Barak’s side.

Barak barely managed to twist away, feeling the rush of air as Nero’s sword sliced just inches from him. The close call ignited a fire within Barak, pushing him to dig deeper into his training. He wasn’t about to be outclassed so easily.

”Let’s see how you handle this!” he shouted, channeling the energy of the Law of Lightning to enhance his speed. He became a blur, darting around Nero, striking from multiple angles in quick succession.

Nero’s expression shifted slightly, his focus sharpening as he adapted to Barak’s newfound speed. Relying on the power of his keen eyesight, he had no trouble tracking Barak’s movements.

He pivoted his body, swinging his sword with such speed that it generated a powerful gust of wind, creating a protective barrier of air that deflected some of the blows. However, a few strikes still managed to find their mark, leaving a shallow cut on his arm—a stark reminder that Barak was not to be underestimated.

”Nice move!” Nero acknowledged, his grin returning as he felt the adrenaline surge through him. ”But you’ll have to do better than that!”

Nero channeled his strength, pushing back against Barak’s relentless assault. He executed a series of precise counters, each one designed to create openings in Barak’s defense. The two knights were locked in a dance, their swords clashing in a rhythm that echoed throughout the arena.

As the exchange wore on, both combatants began to recognize each other’s patterns, their breaths growing a little heavier with each strike. But neither was willing to relent; the stakes had risen, and both were determined to prove their worth.

Finally, with a swift combination of strikes, Nero created an opening. He lunged forward, his sword aimed directly at Barak’s chest, but at the last moment, Barak twisted away, narrowly dodging the blow.

The two knights stood facing each other, swords lowered but eyes locked in fierce determination.

The previous clashes had been mere probing; now it was time to go all out.

Barak let out a long sigh. ”You are truly something else. If you could use a Law, I’m sure I would lose. Too bad you can’t use it.” With that, he swung his sword, golden lightning flashing around it.

Nero remained silent, refusing to respond to Barak’s provocation. ’Time to crush him completely,’ he thought.

Barak’s golden eyes shone with bolts of lightning flashing through them. Instantly, his body became encased in a shimmering aura of golden lightning, every single cell within him charged with energy. His entire being transformed into a manifestation of raw power; he called this state the Lightning Body.

In this state, Barak appeared electrifyingly fierce. His hair stood on end, crackling with energy, and his muscles flexed with newfound strength. The golden lightning coursing through him enhanced his speed to astonishing levels, allowing him to move with blinding quickness. His movements created arcs of electricity that danced in the air, illuminating the arena with bursts of light.

Not only was his speed doubled, but his strength was significantly amplified as well, making each strike he delivered even more formidable. However, this power came at a cost; he could only maintain the Lightning Body for a few minutes at best. But he was confident that this was more than enough to take care of Nero.

With a fierce battle cry, Barak charged forward, the lightning crackling around him as he prepared to unleash a torrent of attacks, determined to prove that he was not just a worthy opponent but a force to be reckoned with, Nero didn’t have his place here.

Nero’s eyes flashed with a moment of hesitation as he considered using his ability to see if he could cancel Barak’s Lightning Body. However, after careful thought, he decided against it. This wasn’t like the previous time when he had gotten away with such a move; back then, it was unexpected, and there were no experts present. With Balrog in the arena now, there was no way he could risk drawing attention to himself. If Balrog noticed something amiss, he might start to doubt him and begin spying on him to verify if he was truly responsible for any strange occurrences.

Now was not the time to expose his secret concerning his eyes; he needed to keep that as his trump card. Instead, Nero resolved to respond in kind. He would harness the Law of Fire. The crowd was about to be shocked. Those who believed he would remain unable to wield a Law would be taken aback, while those who had hoped he might eventually be blessed like their headmaster would be stunned by how quickly he had mastered this ability. He was ready to shatter their expectations and demonstrate his true power.

Barak, surrounded by golden lightning, vanished in an instant, his speed far surpassing what it had been before. The crackling golden lightning danced around his sword, emanating intense heat, much like a high-frequency blade, as it sliced through the air effortlessly, akin to a knife cutting through butter.

Everyone watched with bated breath, eagerly wondering how Nero would respond to Barak in this supercharged state. Confident of his victory, Barak appeared before Nero, raising his blade to unleash a flurry of attacks. But then, it happened. Time seemed to stop as Nero’s entire being was suddenly enveloped in blazing crimson flames, the fire reaching even his sword. His body was encased in a brilliant inferno, the flames licking at him with fierce intensity, illuminating his form in a radiant glow.