Rhys felt fear crawl up his spine.

"…That's not a compliment, is it?"

Balron lifted Bloodmaw with both hands.

The runes turned blood-red.

The blade vibrated violently.

Rhys recognized the feeling.

He's charging another skill—

Balron roared:

"EARTH REND!!"

The axe slammed down.

A shockwave ripped forward, splitting the ground into a massive canyon.

Rhys jumped sideways—

—but the wave still clipped him.

The shock sent him tumbling through the air before he slammed into another crater.

He hit the ground and didn't get up at first.

His whole body throbbed.

Puddle cried out,

"MASTER!! MASTER FLATTENED LIKE PANCAKE!!"

Lyra stepped forward slightly, ready to intervene.

But Rhys moved.

Slowly.

Painfully.

He rolled over, planted his sword in the ground, and stood.

Barely.

Balron's grin widened even further, which shouldn't have been possible.

"YES. YES! KEEP GOING!"

Rhys exhaled shakily.

"…I'm starting to think you don't actually want to win."

"I want a FIGHT," Balron corrected.

He charged again.

Rhys steadied his stance.

He lifted his hand.

Mana gathered again—

wild, crackling, barely controlled.

Balron raised Bloodmaw high.

Rhys pointed at him.

"Fine then—

TAKE THIS!"

FIREBALL!!

MAGIC MISSILE!!

WATER BLADE!!

All three fired at once—

a messy, chaotic combo of flame, light, and water mana.

Balron's eyes sparkled like a child seeing fireworks.

Bloodmaw shrieked happily.

"MOREEEE!!!"

The attacks hit.

Then—

BOOOOOOOOM!!!

Smoke filled the arena.

The stands shook.

Dust swallowed everything.

Sophia held Puddle tightly.

Caria covered her face.

Lyra narrowed her eyes.

When the smoke cleared—

Balron stood in the center.

Steam rose from him.

His armor was cracked.

His chest was bruised.

His beard was smoking.

He looked like a man who had just been hit by a small explosion.

Then he smiled.

"Good."

Rhys, panting, raised his sword again.

"You're…

still standing…"

Balron pointed Bloodmaw at him.

"Now it's MY TURN."

Rhys swallowed hard.

"Oh no."

Balron rushed forward like a boulder rolling downhill—

faster than before—

stronger than before—

because now he was WARMED UP.

Balron's footsteps sounded like falling mountains.

Each heavy stride shook the cracked arena floor as he barreled straight toward Rhys, Bloodmaw glowing a hungry red.

Rhys didn't even have time to curse.

Balron swung.

WHOOSH—BOOM!!

Rhys threw himself sideways, rolling across the ground as the axe smashed into the spot he had been standing. The impact blew a crater the size of a wagon.

Puddle screamed from the stands,

"MASTER STOP GETTING HIT BY THINGS DESIGNED TO END CIVILIZATIONS!!"

Rhys staggered up, coughing dust.

"I'M TRYING—!!"

Balron didn't slow.

He ripped Bloodmaw out of the ground with one arm and launched forward again.

Rhys raised his sword just in time—

CLAAAANG!!

The impact launched him backward like a ragdoll. He bounced twice before skidding across the arena floor, leaving a long groove behind him.

Sophia yelled,

"HE IS GOING TO RIP YOUR ARMS OFF IF YOU BLOCK LIKE THAT!!"

Caria scribbled frantically,

"Balron's physical strength… absurd… absolutely absurd…"

Lyra muttered under her breath,

"He's not using even half."

Rhys groaned on the ground.

"I heard that…"

Balron stomped toward him, excitement radiating from every step.

"Come on, Rhys! You're not done yet!"

Rhys forced one knee under him.

His arms were shaking uncontrollably.

His mana was unstable.

His lungs burned.

And Balron kept coming.

I won't win trading blows.

He's too strong.

I need something else… timing… precision… maybe—

Balron swung horizontally again.

Rhys ducked too slow—

the axe's edge grazed his shoulder.

Pain exploded through his body.

He spun and crashed into the dirt—

but his sword was still in hand.

Balron roared happily.

"That's it! SURVIVE!!"

Rhys spat dirt.

"I'd rather WIN—!"

He forced himself up.

His vision blurred.

Balron was already on him again.

Rhys planted his foot and fired a point-blank spell—

MAGIC MISSILE!

At this range, Bloodmaw couldn't fully swallow them.

The missiles exploded against Balron's chest.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Balron stumbled back a single step.

Just one.

But enough.

Rhys dashed in.

He slashed—

SWIFT CUT!

Balron blocked.

Rhys jumped back.

He slashed again—

WATER BLADE!

Balron parried, sending water splashing across the floor.

Rhys slashed a third time—

VERTICAL SLASH!

Balron deflected it with one hand.

Rhys kept going.

Slash after slash after slash.

Faster.

Harder.

Wilder.

Balron laughed with every hit.

"YES! KEEP PUSHING! DON'T STOP!"

But Rhys was slowing.

His muscles were screaming.

His mana was burning his circuits.

His legs felt like they would collapse.

Balron stepped in, faster than before—

and headbutted Rhys.

THUD!!

Rhys flew backward, hit the ground, rolled twice, and lay there gasping.

Puddle sobbed,

"MASTER GOT HEADBUTTED BY A BOULDER WITH LEGS!!"

Rhys yelled back weakly,

"THAT'S WHAT IT FELT LIKE—!"

He tried to stand.

His legs wobbled.

His arms trembled.

Balron approached, dragging Bloodmaw behind him like a predator closing in.

His grin was wide and wild.

"You're reaching your limit."

Rhys groaned.

"You don't say…"

Balron pointed Bloodmaw at him.

"Show me your last power. The one you're too scared to use. The one inside you."

Rhys froze.

He knew what Balron meant.

That unstable mana inside him…

The thing that nearly exploded out during earlier fights…

The thing that burned hotter, wilder, more violently than anything he'd tried to control.

"No," Rhys whispered. "If I use that… I might blow myself up."

Balron slammed his fist to his chest.

"GOOD! Risk it!"

"NO! Bad!! Very bad!!"

Balron roared with laughter.

"COME ON, RHYS! USE IT! LET ME SEE IT!"

Rhys felt that unstable mana rising again…

boiling…

surging…

Like a beast inside him waking up.

His sword shook in his grip.

The air around him distorted.

Cracks formed under his feet.

Puddle floated up, panicking.

"MASTER IS GLOWING! MASTER IS GLOWING IN A BAD WAY!!"

Lyra's eyes widened.

"It's happening again…"

Sophia stood up in the stands.

"RHYS! Don't explode!!"

Rhys clenched his teeth.

His body was trembling.

His aura flickered violently, surging between elements.

Fire.

Water.

Light.

Dark.

Wind.

Earth.

Unstable.

Uncontrolled.

Dangerous.

Balron's grin was manic.

"That's it. Let it out."

Rhys inhaled sharply—

and the arena floor cracked beneath him.

He was at the edge.

One step away from tapping into a power he could barely contain.

One step away from blowing the arena apart.

He lifted his sword.

The blade shook with raw energy.

And Rhys whispered—

"Fine… You want my limit?"

The air snapped with mana.

"Then I'll show you…"

His aura exploded—

"…MY LIMIT BREAK!!"

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