Kai barely had time to catch his breath before Lorith cracked his neck, the sound like grinding stone. The massive Time-Keeper planted his feet apart, towering over Kai with a smirk playing across his rough features. "Alright, kid. You've taken a beating, learned a few tricks, and managed not to die. That's a good start," Lorith said, rolling his massive shoulders. "But now, we see how well you actually fight. You and me one-on-one." Kai exhaled sharply. His body was already sore from training, but Lorith wasn't the type to care about exhaustion.
"Wait, seriously? After all that?" Kai asked. Lorith chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "You think an enemy's gonna let you rest? You're a Time-Keeper. Get used to it." His smirk widened. "Now summon your Hex. You're gonna need it." Kai inhaled and focused, feeling the weight of his broadsword materializing in his grip. The jet-black blade hummed with an azure glow, his Temporal Aura surging to life around him. Across from him, Lorith extended his massive arm outward. Lorith's combat suit was a storm-gray, form-fitting attire that emphasized his sheer size and unshakable presence. Unlike traditional armor, it flowed like fabric, yet it carried the weight of something far more unyielding. His outwear consisted of a sleeveless, high-collared battle vest, tailored to fit his massive frame. The material was reinforced yet flexible, hugging his broad chest and thick arms while allowing complete freedom of movement. Across the back of the vest, embroidered in deep black, was the emblem of a giant sword and two single-edged axes crossed in perfect symmetry.
His arms were wrapped in thick, segmented bracers that extended from wrist to elbow. But the real menace lay in his gauntlets: a dark, metallic-gray pair fitted over his colossal hands. At the knuckles, small, jagged crystalline spikes jutted outward, gleaming faintly with his white temporal energy. With every movement, they pulsed as if responding to his power, ready to turn every punch into a devastating blow. His pants were of the same storm-gray fabric, tucked into heavy-duty boots reinforced at the soles. Every step he took seemed to carry weight, the sheer force behind him causing faint cracks to form beneath his feet. He was a walking fortress, a living battering ram of raw power and endurance. A deep, resonant hum filled the atrium as Lorith's Hex materialized in his grasp. The weapon was nothing short of monstrous. A seven-foot-long, one-and-a-half-foot-wide, single-edged blade, glowing with an eerie translucent white light. The handle and guard were solid black, creating a stark contrast against the crystalline behemoth of a weapon.
Kai's grip on his sword tightened. That thing could probably break mountains. Lorith rested the massive blade on his shoulder, completely at ease. Then, with a heavy THUD, he slammed the tip of his sword into the ground beside him, creating a small indent on impact. Kai felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple. "This is gonna be rough." Kai thought to himself. Lorith pointed the glowing edge of his blade toward Kai. "Go on. Take the first swing." Kai didn't hesitate. He rushed forward, using everything he had learned from Zyren. His movements were fluid, unpredictable, his footwork shifting with the grace of a seasoned fighter. With a sudden burst of speed, he sidestepped left, feinted right, then lunged in with a rapid strike toward Lorith's side. CLANG! A shockwave rippled through the air.
Kai's attack had been stopped cold. Lorith caught his blade, barehanded. Kai's eyes widened. He had put everything into that strike, enhancing his arms with overflowing temporal energy to increase his power to land a perfect hit. And yet, Lorith didn't even flinch. "That all you got?" Lorith rumbled. Before Kai could react, Lorith's free hand shot forward. BOOM! Kai barely registered the impact before he was sent flying. His back hit the ground, skidding across the atrium floor before he flipped midair and landed on his feet. His lungs burned, his Temporal Aura already working to mend the bruises forming. Lorith gave him a second to breathe, just a second. Then he stomped the ground. CRACK! The floor beneath him shattered like glass, and suddenly massive crystalline spikes erupted from the ground, surging toward Kai at breakneck speed.
Kai's instincts screamed at him. He threw himself into a high-speed roll, narrowly dodging as the razor-sharp constructs speared through the air, missing him by inches. Lorith grinned. "Not bad." Then, with a flick of his hand- BOOM! The spikes exploded. A rain of white-hot crystal shrapnel sprayed in all directions. Kai had only seconds to react. He crossed his arms in front of him, remembering Lorith's earlier lesson. His Temporal Aura condensed, forming an energy shield just in time to absorb the brunt of the impact. The force still sent him skidding backward, but he emerged unscathed. Lorith didn't let up. He charged forward, his massive blade swinging in a devastating arc. Kai's reflexes kicked in. Instead of trying to block the raw mountain-crushing strength of the attack, he used minimal movement. He sidestepped, pivoted, and slipped through the smallest openings, moving like water to avoid direct hits.
Lorith kept advancing, his white aura burning like a wildfire. Every swing of his sword was like a wrecking ball crashing through steel, shaking the very air around them. Kai gritted his teeth. He couldn't fight Lorith in a battle of raw strength, he would be crushed. Instead, he needed to be precise. He channeled energy into his legs, enhancing his speed, and vanished in a burst of motion. Reappearing behind Lorith in an instant, he struck, his sword flashing toward Lorith's back. But before it could land...
Lorith's elbow swung back like a cannon. CRACK! Kai's vision blurred as he was sent hurtling through the air. He crashed into the ground hard, his Temporal Aura struggling to mend the internal damage before he could even breathe properly. Lorith planted his sword into the ground again, watching him. "Rookie mistake," he muttered. "You thought I wouldn't see that coming?" Kai groaned, staggering to his feet. His chest rose and fell, his limbs aching. Lorith cracked his knuckles. "You've got the moves, I'll give you that. And you learn fast. But you ain't there yet." Kai clenched his fists, his aura flaring around him. He wasn't about to give up now. "It's not over yet," he growled. Lorith grinned. "That's the spirit."
With that, the battle resumed, power against precision, destruction against adaptability. And Kai refused to go down easy. Lorith slammed his massive crystalline sword into the ground with a resounding THUD, the impact forming a small crater beneath it. He rolled his shoulders, his enormous crystalline muscles gleaming under the chamber's light. "Alright, kid," he said, cracking his neck. "Let's see if you've got enough in you to make this interesting." Kai gulped. Lorith was a walking fortress, towering over him at eight feet tall, his entire form exuding sheer, indestructible power. The air itself seems heavier in his presence. But backing down? That wasn't an option. Kai's temporal aura ignited, a vibrant azure glow wrapping around his body as he griped Hex. "Alright then, big guy, bring it!" Kai challenged. Knowing he can't match Lorith in raw strength, Kai overflowed his temporal energy into his legs, boosting his speed. He vanished in a blur, reappearing behind Lorith and immediately fired, using the Chrono pistol technique, a concentrated bullet of energy from his fingertip. The shot exploded against Lorith's broad back, but when the smoke cleared.....
Lorith hadn't even flinched. "Not bad," Lorith smirked, turning around. "But you're gonna need a hell of a lot more than that." Without warning, Lorith punched the ground, sending jagged crystalline spikes shooting upward toward Kai. He barely dodged, flipping back, but before he can catch his breath, the crystals detonated. A barrage of white-hot shrapnel tears through the air, forcing Kai to shield himself with a hasty Temporal Barrier. The force hurled him backward, skidding across the floor. His arms sting from the impact. Lorith chuckles. "Still breathing? Good. You'll learn more that way." Kai knew he can't overpower Lorith, but he could use everything he's learned.
He channeled his energy into his arms, boosting his offensive power, and surged forward. His broadsword clashed against Lorith's massive crystalline blade, the shockwave from the impact rippling through the chamber. Kai followed up instantly with Temporal Fracture, pulling his fist back and slamming a shockwave punch into Lorith's gut. The result? Lorith barely shifted. "...Was that supposed to hurt?" Lorith mocked. Kai's eyes widened. "You've gotta be kidding me-" Before he could react, Lorith swung his colossal sword in a wide arc. Kai dodged, barely but the weapon slammed into the ground, sending cracks splitting through the floor. The sheer force nearly knocked Kai off balance. Realizing that he needed something bigger, Kai claps his hands together, activating a Temporal Collapse. An explosive wave of azure energy erupted outward, engulfing Lorith in a powerful shockwave. The entire chamber rumbled from the force. As the smoke cleared, Kai panted heavily. "That has to do something..."
A deep chuckle echoed through the dust. Lorith stepped forward, completely unharmed. "...Hah!" He grinned "Now that's more like it!" Before Kai could react, Lorith charged with terrifying speed, a blur of pure white energy, and in an instant, his massive fist slammed into Kai's stomach, he air leaving Kai's lungs. The force launches him backward, slamming him into the far wall. Kai collapsed onto one knee, coughing, his entire body ached. Lorith swung his sword onto his shoulder. "You did good, kid. But you're still a weakling." Kai, despite the pain, laughs breathlessly. "Damn... I really gave it my all too." Lorith smirks, offering a hand. "Come on. You ain't done yet." As Kai staggered to his feet, a voice familiar yet distant echoed in the back of his mind. "Stop hesitating. Focus on the offense. Let me handle the rest."
Kai froze. It was the same voice. The whisper that always surfaced whenever he fought, growing clearer each time he wielded Hex. He didn't have time to dwell on it. Lorith planted his foot into the ground and raised his massive crystalline sword. A moment later, jagged spikes erupted from the floor in a deadly barrage, hurtling toward Kai like spears of pure destruction. Kai surged forward, instinct taking over.....no, not just instinct. His sword guided him. Time itself seemed to slow. The azure glow around Hex pulsed in sync with his heartbeat, and as the crystalline shards closed in, his body reacted before his mind could. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Kai's sword moved like a blur, deflecting each incoming shard with pinpoint precision, every strike perfectly timed. The force of each impact sent shockwaves through the air, but he remained unharmed each attack slipping past him as if reality itself bent to accommodate his movements. Lorith's eyes narrowed. "Well, now. That's new." Kai didn't question it. The voice had told him to attack, so he did. With explosive speed, he weaved through the storm of projectiles, his sword an extension of his will. Lorith detonated more of the crystalline formations, sending a second wave of deadly shrapnel at him. But Kai barely registered the threat. His blade carved through the air, striking away every fragment, the world moving as though it were a step behind him.
Then, in an instant, he was in front of Lorith. His hands gripped Hex tightly, his Temporal Aura flaring like an unstable wildfire. A single thought pulsed through his mind strike. He poured an ocean of temporal energy into his blade and swung it, aiming for Lorith's neck.