The explosion from the middle point of the impact burst outward in every direction. The opposing flames incinerated the trees and shelters, and suddenly, the world around them became a blur of red and gray.

Both beams continued to pour into the epicenter, refusing to give way. While acrid, soot-filled smoke surrounded Levi as it billowed from his mouth, Cedric's form was shrouded in a ghostly green smoke.

A foul smelling residue filled the air, and then…the flames of decay began to win, eating away at the red fire and creeping up more and more toward the source.

When Levi saw that the rot was overwhelming his power and had almost reached his throat, he arched back in a desperate panic. The dark, decaying energy surged just over his head, narrowly missing him.

Levi scrambled to the side, then lunged in a blur at Cedric with his hand cocked back. By the time he reached his target, he struck with all his force, only to find a few dozen black feathers on the cracked earth under his fist.

He straightened and turned around, frantically searching for Cedric. Then his eyes widened when he saw that Cedric was already in the air behind him, spinning for a kick.

He couldn't react in time, and in that instant, Cedric's heel connected with his face, sending him staggering back a few meters.

Such a feat was possible for Cedric because despite Levi's monstrous size, his strength was still tethered to his level, and right now, Cedric's level was simply higher.

So, Levi decided to rely on his attribute, the berserker.

For him, the berserker attribute augmented all his stats temporarily in exchange for his tactical thinking. He would no longer calculate his movements, but simply become a force of pure, unadulterated destruction.

He didn't really like using his attribute as he loved being in control of his every instinct. But… with his pride shattered like this, he just couldn't help it right now. Cedric was simply proving to be just a bit out of reach.

"Ifrit." Levi's voice echoed. "The moment I go into the berserker state, bring up the hall of flames."

After speaking, Levi's fur changed from a brownish earth-tone to an abyssal black, and the flames that were licking his fur changed from red to a searing blue. His form also seemed to increase as his muscles swelled with unnatural power, and then, black plates of hardened bone-like armor erupted from beneath his skin.

The plating reinforced his massive forearms and shins, culminating in curved black claws that glowed white-hot at the tips. The armor climbed his spine and shoulders in sharp ridges, framing his monstrous head and making him look like a juggernaut of shadow and flame.

He reared back and let out a roar, and as he did, a small shockwave of blue flames rippled outward.

Then, he locked onto Cedric on the ground.

At the same time Levi was undergoing his transformation, Cedric had reached out a hand to the side. Aika was smoking atop one of the shelters that was still intact not too far from Cedric. She was holding the nodachi in her hand, and as Cedric reached out, she tossed the long blade through the air with practiced ease.

The weapon spun in a silver blur before landing perfectly in Cedric's palm.

Gracefully, he unsheathed the sword, and waited for Levi.

At that moment, the berserker state fully activated.

Levi went full primal. He leapt into the air with blinding speed, raising both hands high above his head like a descending hammer. Then he descended with a force that sent black dust and ash into the air. Cedric leapt back just as the impact hit the ground, but he didn't stop moving because Levi didn't stop as well.

Levi swung his fist at Cedric, but with a sharp ring of steel, Cedric stopped it with his blade. However, in the next second, the other fist was already flying towards Cedric.

Cedric gritted his teeth behind the mask as he stopped the second blow, and then another, and another. A melee of sparks and blue fire exploded between the two. It seemed that Levi's level had finally caught up with Cedric's. No, actually, his level seemed to have surpassed it, seeing as he was beginning to push Cedric back inch by agonizing inch.

At the same time, Ifrit was silently chanting in a foreign language, and as he did, a large orb of fire began to form in the air behind Levi. Whatever he wanted to do with that, Cedric did not know.

Thankfully, Aika did not plan on letting him find out.

She leapt down from the top of the shelter she was sitting on, then reached into her own shadow to draw her katana. Aika raised the weapon high above her head as huge black flames enveloped the blade, surging upward like a pillar of darkness.

With as much strength as she could muster, she brought the blade down, sending a massive crescent of black fire screaming toward the orb.

The black crescent sliced through the air and struck the orb with a deafening roar, and then came the detonation.

It was as if the black flames engulfed the orb, eating it up and causing it to shrink. After a heartbeat of unnatural silence, it exploded into cold energy that sent a green, foul dust billowing across the ruins.

"Tch." Aika clicked her tongue in annoyance as she slid her katana back into its sheath.

Meanwhile, Levi kept on trading blow after blow with Cedric.

Cedric would strategically dodge some of them, sending Levi crashing into a shelter and splintering the wood under his weight.

Levi would jump and spin to crush Cedric with his legs, only for Cedric to vanish, appearing behind him in a flicker of movement.

Levi would turn and raise a hand to deflect the blade, and the sound of metal would ring out against his obsidian plates.

Cedric would leap back to create distance, and Levi would leap into his space instantly, their weapons clashing again.

It was brutally chaotic.

But then, all of a sudden, to his surprise and disbelief, Levi's black fur began to revert back to its natural, dusty brown as he could no longer feel his rage anymore.

For some reason he couldn't quite grasp, the fire of his rage was being snuffed out, replaced by a cold, creeping sense of dread.

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