A few minutes prior…

Moby and the unknown shalker stood over one hundred meters apart, yet the tension in the air made it seem like they were face to face.

​​

Their weapons were drawn, both blades imbued with their very own coloured flame-like aura.

Their gazes were the only communication they needed, and as though they read each other's minds, they both took their first step and exploded off the ground, disappearing from where they once stood as they clashed in the middle.

They locked eyes in their clash. At first, they seemed to be evenly matched, yet that was soon debunked by a slight smirk appearing upon the shalker's face as he suddenly applied more power, leaving Moby struggling on his back foot.

When he tried to freeze the ground beneath his feet for a chance at escape, it was soon halted by black flames exploding from his opponent's sabatons, destroying any attempt at it.

The fire ravaged the ground and skimmed Moby's feet, yet instead of getting burned through his boots, he felt sheer pain instead.

'Shit…' He inwardly cursed. And like a pure intuition overwhelmed him, he opened his mouth, and from it emerged a freezing breathe-like blast of air that shot out with little to no delay.

The shalker's blade was immediately retracted as he forced his body to move.

That was Moby's opportunity to strike. With his right hand, he waved several signs, and a golden shine sprung forth from his god slayer, infusing it with sharpness before bringing it back to the hilt of his sword. He even infused his blade with ice crystals that exploded forth from it like flowers multiplying with sharp death.

He activated all the skills he possessed, and with one single strike he cleaved down towards his disoriented opponent's chest, cutting through his armour-like butter and slathering his blade in blood.

"Wha—"

However, to his surprise, he found his blade stuck within his seemingly rock-hard skin, and his opponent looked him in the eye with pure malice.

Yet to his gaze, Moby did not panic as he let loose all the ice infused within his sword towards his opponents' system, making him cough a hint of blood before he infused his fists in black flames and struck Moby in the stomach since his blade was out of reach for a fatal attack, sending him flying and crashing on the walls many meters away as he fell down into a pile of rubble.

"Not bad! You almost had me there! That sword burns! What kind of blade is that? I'm certain it will make a fine gift for my master! And who knew you could breathe out your mouth like a dragon! You caught me off guard yet that will not work on me again sadly," The shalker shook his wrists and smiled as he looked over towards the panting yet smirking Moby slowly standing in the distance.

'Fuck… He's damn strong! If I hadn't use my phase skill to get my sword free in time I might have been dead… Charging him head-on won't work. I need a change of plans, I need to know what truly hurt him deep down...'

"You! That's some display of demon energy you got there! Where did a shalker like you get them!"

"It is my master who has graciously gifted me! And with his generous almighty gift, I shall put you in your place!"

"All mighty gift!?" Moby broke out in laughter. "Those black flames are nothing but a poor imitation of my pure demon energy!" He held his right hand out and displayed a ball of his demonic powers. "A flame-like aura that does not burn but deals pure damage! It's the same! This is no mere coincidence!"

"Blasphemy! These flames are superior to whatever you possess!" The shalker roared.

"Your master is nothing but a little bitch who'd bow before me and lick my boots clean!" Moby smirked as he felt energy suddenly flood his body. "If you think those black flames are superior then prove me wrong!"

"I'D GLADLY OBLIGE!!" His aura roared like an exploding star, and his flames spread throughout the entire hallway like a tidal wave as he rushed towards his opponent, his blades thrust ahead of him.

Moby reacted by sending ice spears in his direction, ones that left from his own two hands, yet they were easily dodged or deflected by the rushing bull ahead of him.

"Hmph…"

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Moby disappeared from place as though he was never there, instead appearing directly adjacent to one of his purple ice spears.

He could not believe his eyes, the shalker only reacted a split second before he witnessed a purple aura enveloping his field of view.

He panicked, at his current velocity there was not much he could do, so with all the energy he could muster, he twisted his torso and delivered a lightning-quick punch, one that he had no time to infuse with his energy. But as his fists made contact with his opponent's face, they went through it as though hitting air.

The rage and surprise on his face exemplified, he knew not what to think other than what was in front of him must have been an illusion, but with one simple word and the purple aura in front of him increasing evermore, his opinions immediately shifted.

"Gotcha…"

Moby blasted him with all he could, his beam of pure demon energy growing stronger along with his opponent's emotions.

The shalker yelled a shriek of pain, and Out of instinct, he blocked his face with both hands, yet his attempts were futile as the blast completely consumed him and sent him soaring up in the air like fireworks.

Moby's smile grew even larger as he felt his power soar along with his opponent, looking up as he witnessed his blast breaking through the roof as he rocketed far up in the sky.

And with no time wasted, Moby decided to capitalize on the situation as he spread his wings wide and flew up in the air. To his knowledge, his opponent possessed no wings, and up in the air, he was nothing but a sitting duck.

However, to his surprise, as he rose up and followed his own blast up into the sky, he was met with quite the pleasant surprise.

"YOU… I'LL END YOU…"

Above him, his pure demon energy faded away, and it was instead replaced by the face of his angered opponent as he let loose all he had. Wings of blackened flames sprouted out of his back like an abomination, and his entire body was consumed in a thick black aura that burned as violently as the hatred he kept hidden within.

The gray sky bellowed a thunderous cry and turned to black akin to his flames, and the wind and clouds swirled all around them like an arena of fog.

The shalker's previously calm and collected air was no more. The calmness remained on his face, yet to Moby who was an expert in deception, he knew it to be nothing but a facade.

Without a doubt, his opponent was far stronger than before, as though he had entered a completely new realm of power. Yet in his current state, with all these emotions surging through his veins, Moby felt even stronger...