In a blink, they both vanished from the chasm as even the chasm itself began to collapse inwardly, unable to withstand the madness they had wrought with their bodies and attacks. Space trembled as though reality itself had grown unstable. An instant later, they reappeared above, their feet kissing the familiar sand of the desert once more, grains scattering beneath them as if startled by their return.

But even as they resurfaced, neither gave the other even a fraction of a second to breathe or think. There was no pause, no hesitation, only motion. They bled into action as their bodies blurred into streaks of golden and blue light, tearing across the desert at incomprehensible speed. Sand erupted wherever they passed, dunes collapsing like fragile, waterlogged paper beneath invisible pressure.

Ravines split open despite the sheer depth of the desert, the land screaming in silent protest. Above them, the sun poured down its relentless heat, yet even it seemed to hesitate, as though questioning whether these two would ever acknowledge its presence.

Aura Nova's fingers shot forward like a spear, tearing toward Kingsley's golden eyes as she moved to blind him where he stood. But Kingsley simply sidestepped to the right as though it were the easiest thing in the world. He did not merely evade, he retaliated. With the same fluid motion and force, his golden eyes locked onto Aura Nova's elbow, his palm booming upward from below as he aimed to snap her arm cleanly in two from the joint.

Yet Aura Nova had already guessed his intentions. She saw through the incoming attack the moment it was born. Her elbow snapped outward as her arm bent at a practical angle, instantly halting Kingsley's palm in place before it could gather enough momentum to inflict injury. The clash rang through the air like a muted thunderclap. Kingsley immediately abandoned his first attack, his second hand already in motion, his fist tearing toward her lungs from the side.

Aura Nova's blue eyes snapped toward the incoming strike. She disengaged at once, her footwork fluid and precise, her movements seamless as her blue hair danced with her body. She narrowly dodged the close-range attack, the wind of his fist grazing past her. As she evaded, her leg snapped upward, tearing toward Kingsley's neck from the side. Her heel moved with lethal intent, perfectly aligned to snap his neck and end him where he stood.

Kingsley did not even take a step back. He merely tilted his head with insulting ease, Aura Nova's foot missing its target by mere centimeters. But she did not stop. She transitioned immediately into her next attack without delay or hesitation. The moment her kicking foot touched the desert floor, her second leg snapped out, her knee screaming toward Kingsley's abdomen with crushing force.

Kingsley's palm moved in a blitzing flash, intercepting her knee mid-motion. A ring-shaped blast of compressed wind tore outward from the impact point, slamming into both of them. Yet it was far too weak to push either back or elicit any reaction. Without hesitation, Kingsley's arm caught Aura Nova's leg. He spun with brutal precision and slammed her into the desert below.

For a brief moment, Aura Nova lost control of her body. Her blue eyes watched the desert floor rush toward her at terrifying speed. Still, she did not panic. Her hand snapped forward, and with a thunderous boom, she struck the sand. The desert exploded outward upon impact, the force halting her descent and preventing her body from colliding fully with the ground.

Without missing a beat, Aura Nova twisted the instant she came to a stop. Her free leg tore toward Kingsley's ribcage in a sharp, merciless arc. Kingsley raised his free hand to block, but before their limbs could meet, Aura Nova's foot shifted trajectory mid-motion. Her initial strike had been nothing more than a feint. This time, her target was Kingsley's waist.

Kingsley had no choice but to release the leg he was holding. He needed that hand to defend himself. Yet just as both limbs were about to collide, Aura Nova drew her foot back and flowed into a smooth backflip, creating distance between herself and Kingsley in one elegant motion.

For a moment, silence descended between them. Neither spoke; neither felt the need to. They were not the type to waste breath on words during battle. For the first time since the fight began, a small, unseen smile appeared on Kingsley's face. Slowly, deliberately, he raised his hand and beckoned Aura Nova forward, inviting her to attack.

The smile on Aura Nova's face never faded. She could not remember the last time she had experienced this level of exhilaration. After all, she rarely ever left the Dusk Planet, and now she found herself having a ridiculous amount of fun. With a spark of excitement burning in her eyes, she accepted Kingsley's invitation. Her knees dipped slightly, and then, in a burst of motion, she shot forward like a shooting star, her feet barely grazing the sand as she moved.

Her fist tore toward Kingsley's chest. The small smile on his face remained unchanged as he sidestepped casually, as though sparring with a child. But before Aura Nova could even blink, she felt something touch her stomach. The next instant, the impact arrived, and it was titanic in every sense of the word.

Pain threatened to flare, but she suppressed it. She transitioned into her next attack immediately, refusing to lose momentum. Yet Kingsley dodged again. This time, his elbow descended from above, tearing into her shoulder with merciless precision. Aura Nova felt as though the weight of a star had been dropped onto her shoulder. Before she could react, Kingsley continued, linking his movements into a continuous combo. A fist tore in from the left. Aura Nova raised her guard to block, but it was futile. Kingsley adjusted his motion mid-strike, and the blow landed with the force of a comet.

Aura Nova scrambled to defend against another attack, but it was hopeless. She had become little more than a punching bag. Kingsley did not slow his assault simply because she was a woman. His fists and legs landed one attack after another as he effortlessly evaded anything Aura Nova threw at him.

Kingsley was a master of martial arts. The only person present who could dare claim the ability to match him in that discipline was Anthony. For Aura Nova, engaging Kingsley in pure hand-to-hand combat was nothing short of a death wish.

She had been warned. She had been told that Kingsley was the embodiment of martial prowess itself. But Aura Nova was not one to back down based on words alone. She needed to see it with her own eyes, and now she had.

A swift kick from Kingsley snapped into her jaw, wrenching her head violently to the side. The force dragged her entire body with it, and she was sent flying sideways at tremendous speed, inertia tearing her through the air. Her body slammed into a sand dune before finally coming to a halt, sand exploding outward and upward in a massive cloud that obscured all vision.

Then, footsteps echoed.

Through the thick cloud of sand and dust, Aura Nova emerged, walking calmly. Not a single scratch marred her face. The sand clinging to her body vanished as though it did not dare remain. Her smile endured as she gazed at Kingsley. She was not about to frown simply because he had landed a few attacks. If he could not manage even that much, then he would not qualify to stand here.

With a thought, her twin short swords materialized in her hands. She had never been a martial artist. This, these blades, were where her true mastery lay.

As she entered her stance, her entire presence shifted. The air around her grew sharper, more dangerous, as though a predator had finally revealed its fangs. Sensing the change instantly, Kingsley assumed his own martial stance in response.

And then, as though fate itself had given the signal, they launched forward once more, colliding like thunder tearing through the night.

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