'Now!'

But Aziz didn't care and stepped forward. The finishing strike was coming.

Amon's shadow spread widely from his legs. It dashed toward Aziz, wrapping itself around his legs and crawling upward over his body.

Aziz narrowed his eyes as the cold, liquid-like shadow started to creep over him at great speed.

"What the heck is this?!" he exclaimed, flustered for a second. It was the first time he had seen something like this.

But it didn't stop him. He still brought his sword, covered in fire, down at Amon. Because of the shadow, he was a little late.

That was enough for Amon to slide away from that position.

The sword met the empty ground where Amon had been lying a second ago.

Thud!

BOOM!

A loud explosion occurred at that spot. Dust and debris blasted everywhere.

The surroundings became impossible to see because of the smoke and dust.

Aziz covered his nose while looking for any sign of Amon. The shadow had already left Aziz's body, crawling back toward Amon through the cracked ground, where he stood within the dust.

Amon's breathing was slow. But something was happening inside his body.

Ba-dump!

BA-DUMP!

BA-DUMP!

His heart was beating loudly, and it gradually grew louder with each thump.

Aziz, standing a few meters away, remained still. He could clearly hear the heartbeat, and it only made him more curious. What was happening to the boy?

Amon staggered, barely upright.

His vision swam, blood slipping from the corner of his lips and dripping onto the forest floor. Wounds covered his body. Slashes, burns, fractures. Each one screaming in agony.

But his heart beat even louder.

BA-DUMP!

The sound was heavy. Deep. Unnatural.

Another beat followed. It was faster.

BA-DUMP!

BA-DUMP!

Mana inside his body stirred violently. With every pulse, his blood surged faster, flooding through his veins as if his heart had become a war drum. The air itself seemed to tremble.

BA-DUMP!

BA-DUMP!

BA-DUMP!

BA-DUMP!

The sound echoed through the silent forest, resounding like the drums of an ancient announcement. Declaring the start of war.

Amon clenched his teeth as a sudden wave of pain tore through him. Yet… he welcomed it. The pain felt familiar. Warm.

Almost comforting. It was like his muscles were changing. His bones were strengthening. He didn't notice it, but mana from the surroundings was entering his body and gathering in his heart.

'This… is…' He couldn't tell it perfectly. Still he had a guess.

Though his body was going through immense pain and countless changes, he could still think clearly. He had already been aware that this was going to happen soon.

His body changed. Shadows coiled around his wounds, seeping into torn flesh and broken muscle. His breathing came out slow and steady despite the damage, his eyes darkening with something far deeper than fear.

Aziz, watching this, felt uncomfortable. He could guess what was happening to the boy. But this wasn't how it was supposed to be. This was new. He had never seen or heard of something like this before.

The sound of the drumming heart sent shivers down his spine. His eyes trembled. Why was he feeling like this? He didn't know. He didn't move. He just watched.

BA-DUMP!

BA-DUMP!

BA-DUMP!

BA-DUMP!

BA-DUMP!

But suddenly silence followed. Amon's heart stopped. It didn't beat anymore. It literally stopped. The world held its breath.

And in the next instant.

BADOOOM!

His heart slammed once. Massive and overwhelming unleashing a violent surge of mana that exploded through his body.

A shockwave ripped outward, flattening dust, leaves, and air itself as the forest shuddered under its force.

Aziz covered his eyes with his forearm. When the shockwave stopped, he looked up. Dust and smoke had spread again because of that wave.

He gulped.

Then, from within the dust, something flew toward him.

Multiple dark slashes shot out. Streaks of pure darkness.

It didn't make Aziz waver. He lifted his hand and dodged a few of them, while slashing one with a downward swing of his sword.

Slash!

The dark slash disappeared like smoke the moment it touched his blazing sword.

Aziz's eyes widened.

Because just behind that slash was another one much closer. His sword was down, and he couldn't avoid it.

Slash!

Splash!

Blood flew through the air as a horizontal cut appeared across Aziz's chest.

"AAARGHH!"

He yelled in pain, his furious eyes shooting toward the direction the attack had come from.

The smoke slowly subsided, but there was no Amon standing there. Aziz stepped back, clutching his chest. For the first time, pain surged through his body.

Then he sensed something behind him.

He turned. But too late.

Amon was standing behind him, his sword held in both hands to one side. His left leg was forward, knees slightly bent, his right leg stretched back. His sword blazed with darkness, leaving a trail of dark smoke.

His cold eyes stared at Aziz. His lips stretched into a wide grin.

Amon swung his sword in another horizontal slash.

[Umbral Veil Sword Art: First Form – Crescent of Dusk]

A crescent-shaped horizontal dark arc traveled through the air toward Aziz at far greater speed than ever before. It was sharper, stronger, bigger than anything Amon had unleashed until now.

It was the strongest strike Amon had ever performed.

The crescent of darkness tore through the air like a screaming blade.

Aziz's pupils shrank. He reacted on pure instinct.

He twisted his body and raised his flaming sword, slashing upward with all his strength.

BOOOOM!

Fire and shadow collided head-on.

The impact detonated like an explosion, sending a violent shockwave through the forest.

Trees cracked, branches snapped, and the ground split beneath their feet. Flames scattered while black shadows tore through the smoke like living blades.

Aziz was thrown backward. He coughed once, then chuckled lightly.

"So you broke through Mana Initiate," he said as he stood back up, wiping blood from his mouth. His face still held a smile, though his hand trembled slightly from the impact of Amon's attack.

He understood that Amon had broken through. But what amazed him was the way he ranked up. Never in his life had he seen something like this. It was not normal at all. Something about this boy was strange.

Normally, when someone entered the second rank, their body released a large amount of mana.

But in Amon's case, it was far too much.

Not to mention the loud beating of his heart.

Aziz stared at Amon's figure standing there, smiling creepy.

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