The moment the dark energy spear struck the pillar behind Aiden, a heavy silence fell over the battlefield. Those who had been fighting turned their heads toward the source of the attack.
Makarov's eyes widened in recognition. "No… it can't be."
Bob from Blue Pegasus took a cautious step back, his usually cheerful expression replaced by rare unease. "Varik… That monster is still alive?"
Goldmine clenched his fists. "Varik the Annihilator. Once an S-Class mage… until he slaughtered his own guild."
Aiden narrowed his eyes, tightening his stance. "So that's who I'm dealing with."
Varik smirked, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. He was tall and lean, wrapped in a tattered black cloak that billowed with each movement. Jagged scars lined his arms, a testament to the battles he had endured. His dark, unkempt hair framed a face that carried both arrogance and malice.
His voice was smooth but laced with cruelty. "Ah, so you know my name. I suppose I did leave an impression." He raised his hand, letting dark energy flicker between his fingers. "That was years ago. My guild was weak, pathetic. They didn't deserve to call themselves mages. So, I removed them."
A wave of anger spread through the room. Even among battle-hardened mages, there were lines that should never be crossed.
"You bastard!" Macao spat. "You wiped out your own comrades, your family!"
Varik chuckled. "Family? No. They were dead weight. I've grown far stronger without them."
Makarov exhaled heavily, his expression dark. "Everyone, be on your guard. This man isn't just another dark mage. He's on a completely different level."
Aiden stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "Good. I was looking for a real challenge. Leave this guy to me, Master!"
Makarov hesitated, scanning the battlefield. The dark mages were closing in fast, attacking without restraint. His fists clenched. "Are you sure, boy?"
"I've got this," Aiden assured him with a smirk. "There are still plenty of enemies to deal with. I'll handle this one Master."
Makarov exhaled sharply. He wanted to stay—wanted to help—but the rest of the alliance needed him. The alliance mages were already engaging the enemy, and if he didn't take command, many alliance mages and innocent civilians would fall. With a heavy heart, he gave a firm nod. "Fine. But don't you dare lose."
Varik grinned, cracking his neck. "Confident, are we?"
Without warning, Varik vanished. Aiden's instincts kicked in just in time to raise his golden-armored forearm as a black blade materialized inches from his neck. Sparks erupted as the two forces clashed, the sheer impact of the strike sending a shockwave across the hall.
Aiden pushed back, forcing Varik to retreat a few steps. The moment his feet touched the ground, Varik twisted his fingers, and jagged black tendrils shot from the floor, aiming for Aiden's torso.
Makarov turned, grinding his teeth as he watched the fight unfold. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to intervene, to stand beside Aiden against such a powerful foe. But the chaos around him wouldn't allow it. Explosions erupted across the battlefield as dark mages clashed with the alliance.
Ooba let out a sharp cry as a blast tore through a nearby pillar, sending rubble crashing down. Makarov clenched his fists. Damn it all… I can't afford to stand still!
Varik smirked. "I must say, you're tougher than I expected. Most would have fallen by now."
Aiden cracked his neck, unfazed. "You talk too much."
He lunged forward, his armor gleaming as golden energy surged around him. He swung his fist, but Varik flickered out of existence just before impact.
Behind him.
Aiden spun around just in time to block another dark blade with his gauntlet. Varik was fast, but Aiden's reflexes were faster. He caught Varik's arm and, with a grunt, twisted, slamming the dark mage into the ground with enough force to crack the stone.
Before Varik could react, Aiden raised his hand, golden dagger materializing into his palm. But Varik grinned even while being pinned.
"Nice try."
A shockwave erupted from Varik's body, blasting Aiden backward. The dark mage flipped to his feet, completely unscathed.
Aiden didn't waste time. The moment he regained his footing, he reached into his inventory, summoning a weapon into his grasp. A long, ornate spear materialized, its shimmering green surface pulsing with magic. The Spirit Spear Chastiefol—a legendary weapon of immense versatility—hovered at his command, its presence alone making the air feel heavier.
Varik's eyes gleamed with intrigue. "Oh? Not bad. I'll take it off your hands once I kill you"
Aiden didn't respond. Instead, he shot forward, Chastiefol extending in an instant, its sharp tip striking at Varik with blinding speed. The dark mage barely managed to dodge, twisting his body as the spear grazed his cloak, cutting through it effortlessly. The stone floor beneath them split from the sheer force of the attack.
Not giving him a chance to recover, Aiden gestured sharply, and Chastiefol changed form in a blur. The spear dissolved and reformed into a swarm of razor-sharp daggers, Form Five: Increase. The floating weapons shot toward Varik like a storm of needles.
Varik raised a swirling black shield to block the attack. "Nice trick."
The moment the daggers struck, the shield shattered like brittle glass.
Varik's smirk vanished.
Aiden capitalized on his surprise. With another flick of his wrist, Chastiefol shifted again, returning to its true spear form. He hurled it with all his strength, the weapon spinning through the air like a golden comet.
Varik barely managed to teleport away before the spear embedded itself into the ground, sending out a shockwave that forced nearby mages to brace themselves.
Macao, still recovering, barely dodged a strike from a dark mage before countering with a blast of fire. His gaze snapped toward Aiden's battle, eyes widening. "What the hell is that spear?!"
Even as he fought, Makarov kept stealing glances at Aiden, his expression unreadable. He blocked an incoming strike with his enlarged forearm, sending an enemy mage crashing into a wall. "This boy… he's full of surprises."
Bob, dodging an attack with surprising grace, chuckled breathlessly. "I don't think I've ever seen a weapon like that before. Where does he get these things?"
Jura struck down an approaching enemy with a swift motion, his eyes locked on Aiden's duel. "His control is remarkable. But even with that power, Varik is no ordinary opponent."
Makarov gritted his teeth, swatting aside a wave of dark tendrils aimed at him. I want to help him… but I can't afford to take my eyes off this battlefield. He exhaled sharply, focusing on the enemies swarming them. "All we can do now is trust him."
Varik reappeared a short distance away, his stance slightly lower. His fingers twitched as dark energy coiled around him. "You've got tricks, I'll give you that."
Aiden held out his hand, and Chastiefol instantly returned to him, floating obediently at his side. He adjusted his grip. "And I've got plenty more."
Varik scowled. "Then I'll stop holding back."
Dark energy surged around him, the floor beneath him cracking under the sheer pressure of his aura. His smirk returned, but this time, there was a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Varik narrowed his eyes as he circled Aiden, his dark energy swirling with growing intensity. His instincts screamed at him—something was off. He had fought countless powerful mages before, but there was something unsettling about this boy.
Then it hit him.
Aiden wasn't fighting at full strength.
Varik clenched his fists, a sneer forming on his lips. "You're holding back."
Aiden stood firm, Chastiefol hovering beside him, its green aura pulsing steadily. His grip tightened slightly, but he didn't deny it.
Varik let out a cold laugh. "Tch. You think you're toying with me?" His magic flared violently, the sheer pressure of it sending cracks through the floor and causing the air around them to distort. "I should be insulted."
Aiden didn't flinch. He watched Varik carefully, but his thoughts drifted inward.
He's not wrong.
Sure, he could end this fight instantly. He could unleash Chastiefol's full power, overwhelm Varik, and finish him in one devastating strike. But… that wasn't what he wanted.
If I just rely on my strongest weapons, I'll never grow.
Fights like this weren't just about winning. They were about pushing himself, testing his limits, and becoming better. That's what truly mattered.
Aiden exhaled slowly, his golden armor gleaming under the flickering lights of the ruined hall. His stance remained steady, but his resolve burned brighter than ever.
Varik's eyes twitched, sensing the shift in Aiden's energy—not because it grew stronger, but because Aiden had made a choice.
"Tch… fine," Varik spat. He raised both hands, dark magic crackling like black lightning around his fingers. "If you won't take this seriously—"
Aiden smirked. "Oh, I am."
With a flick of his wrist, Chastiefol shifted instantly into Form Three: Fossilization, its tip morphing into a jagged, thorned whip of green energy. Without hesitation, Aiden lashed forward, the weapon striking the ground where Varik had just been, turning the stone floor into brittle, crumbling rock.
Varik barely managed to evade, flipping backward, but the whip lashed again, faster this time. He swung his dark blade, attempting to deflect the strike, but the moment his sword made contact, his weapon began to petrify.
"What?!" Varik growled, tossing the blade aside before the effect could reach his hand.
Aiden didn't give him time to breathe. He dismissed Chastiefol and summoned Excalibur Morgan, the dark twin of the legendary sword. The blade pulsed with crackling violet energy, the sheer force of its presence distorting the air around them.
"Since you like destruction," Aiden said, resting the massive black-and-red sword on his shoulder, "let's see how you handle this."
Varik snarled, forming a new blade from pure darkness, its jagged edge humming with cursed energy. "You think a different sword will change anything?"
Aiden didn't answer. He simply vanished.
Varik's eyes widened—Aiden's speed had increased tenfold. Before he could react, a blur of gold and black appeared before him, Excalibur Morgan already mid-swing.
BOOM!
The impact sent a shockwave through the entire hall, tearing the floor apart and sending debris flying in all directions. Varik barely managed to block with his dark sword, but the sheer force of the blow sent him skidding backward, his feet digging trenches into the cracked ground.
Aiden pressed forward, his attacks relentless. Excalibur Morgan clashed against Varik's blade in rapid succession, each collision sending sparks and bursts of energy surging through the battlefield. The dark mage gritted his teeth, struggling to keep up.
"Damn it…! Where was this strength earlier?!"
Aiden's smirk never wavered. "You said I was holding back, right?" His blade pulsed, dark energy surging along its length. "Then I figured I'd cut loose a little."
He pivoted suddenly, dismissing Excalibur Morgan in a flash of violet light. In its place, a new weapon materialized—a crimson spear that radiated an ominous, lethal presence.
Gáe Bolg.
Varik took a step back instinctively. He didn't recognize the weapon, but every fiber of his being screamed that it was dangerous.
Aiden twirled the spear effortlessly before leveling it at Varik, his stance shifting slightly. Unlike the raw destructive force of Excalibur Morgan, this weapon exuded a chilling certainty—like fate itself had already decided the outcome of this battle.
Varik narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to be?"
Aiden's smirk grew. "A weapon that never misses."
Before Varik could process those words, Aiden moved—faster than ever before. In a flash, he was already within striking distance, Gáe Bolg lunging forward like a crimson comet.
Varik's instincts screamed at him to dodge, to block—something—but his body wouldn't move.
Why? Why can't I react?!
And then it struck.
Gáe Bolg pierced straight through Varik's chest.
A stunned silence filled the hall. For a moment, Varik could only stare, mouth slightly open as if trying to comprehend what had just happened. Then, the pain hit him—blinding, searing agony that made his knees buckle.
"Wha… how…?" he rasped, coughing up blood. His hands trembled as he reached for the spear, but the wound… it wasn't normal.
Aiden's voice was calm, almost casual. "Gáe Bolg doesn't follow the rules of battle. It reverses cause and effect." He yanked the spear free, and dark energy spilled from the wound like a broken dam. "The moment I decided to pierce your heart, it was already over."
Varik staggered back, barely able to stay standing. His dark magic flared violently, desperately trying to mend the fatal wound, but it wasn't working. The attack wasn't just physical—it had struck at the very concept of survival itself.
Still, he refused to fall. His grip tightened, his body shaking with rage and defiance. "I… I won't… lose to you…"
Aiden twirled Gáe Bolg once dismissing it. His golden armor gleamed under the dim, flickering light, his expression unreadable.
"Then get up," he said simply. "If you can."
Varik clenched his teeth, trying to summon the strength to fight back. But deep down, he already knew—this battle was over.