Spikes of ice and water shot upwards from the sea, their tips shining with a promise of blood. Gaius glanced at the unmoving Paragon, and immediately understood what his intentions were. It would seem that despite his words, the Paragon was dissatisfied with him as an opponent. The indiscriminate hail of attacks was his way of displaying his disdain.

A new emotion welled within Gaius’ heart, and the boy licked his lips. It had been a long time since someone looked down on him, but if anyone had the qualifications to do that, it had to be a Paragon, after all. With the Terminus in his right hand, and a silver knife in his left, Gaius shot through the field of ice, breaking apart everything in his way.

It didn’t take long for him to reach the Paragon. In silence, Gaius floated ten metres away from Paragon Abele, whose smile had widened into a grin. The other enemies that had surrounded him earlier had vanished with the Paragon’s descent, turning it into a one-on-one.

“Excellent, little Knight. You’re good enough as an opponent. The Lord never allowed us to use nature as we pleased, but here, under this dome…” The Paragon’s eyes glittered. “He cannot see us.”

Gaius twisted to his right, just in time to dodge a blade of water that came from the sea below. He hadn’t noticed the attack, but his instincts did — and they were also warning him about how dangerous it was. Getting hit by that blade would have… rather painful consequences.

“I thought you guys were all the same,” Gaius replied evenly. “Loyal servants of Conrah, mindless drones who do his bidding.”

“Paragons must have their own will,” Abele replied. “It is the nature of things.”

The Dragoon shot out of Gaius’ right hand, slicing down onto the Paragon as he spoke. He glanced at the whirling blade of qi, before clenching his fist. The Dragoon slowed down, but it was fast enough that the Paragon could only lean back just in time to watch it skim past his nose, destroying the helmet on the way out.

“You…” Veins bulged on the Paragon’s exposed face, and the Dragoon crumbled away as a devastating torrent of might struck it. Gaius shuddered, and blood dribbled out of his mouth as the Ability was forcibly deactivated. The boy tried to call upon it again, but it seemed that the Dragoon couldn’t be used for a few minutes.

Gaius wiped his mouth with his left hand. “I didn’t know that was possible.”

The Paragon glanced at a blue fragment of metal, which turned into light a moment later. “Nor did I. Excellent! I must give my thanks to the Lord for this…wonderful opponent.”

He bared his teeth. “Let’s go.”

A shockwave ran through Gaius as Paragon Abele slammed his sword onto Gaius’ Terminus, before withdrawing his blade to parry the knife in Gaius’ left hand. Silver and azure mixed together in a brilliant harmony as the two fought, each blow and block coursing through Gaius’ body without restraint.

Fortunately, I managed to strengthen my body somewhat after ingesting so many Engines…Gaius winced slightly as he blocked an overhead slash. Paragon Abele had turned into a chopping machine, putting him on the defensive through sheer momentum.

It couldn’t be helped, really. Gaius was still a child, physically, and the Paragon in front of him had double his melee range. It was a situation where Abele’s skill at controlling distance would determine whether the boy could get into range or not.

Unfortunately, it was the worst-case scenario for Gaius. Paragon Abele was evidently a prodigy in fighting, enough that the boy didn’t have an overwhelming edge in a straight-on fight. The Paragon had kept a cautious distance from him the entire time, despite his fierce offensive — Abele, despite his ongoing offensive, was clearly not confident that he could take on Gaius’ counterattack. He was focused on Gaius’ right, forcing the boy to block his attacks with the Terminus.

“For all the bravado,” said Gaius, blocking yet another flurry of blows, “you really don’t dare to let me attack, eh?”

“I love fighting,” Paragon Abele replied. “But I love my life more.”

Gaius brought his right knee up, knocking aside a stab intended for his chest, before propelling himself forward with a burst of qi from his back. At the same time, his right arm shot out, the Terminus making a beeline for the Paragon’s neck with a silvery flash. Time seemed to slow in that moment, with Paragon Abele’s eyes widening as he saw the knife close in on him.

A brilliant azure glow forced Gaius to turn his head away, before an enormous wall of wind slapped the boy and sent him flying. After tumbling in the air for a few seconds, he stabilised himself, and glanced at the Paragon, who was touching his chest plate.

It crumbled apart as Abele touched it, revealing a silvery-blue inner shirt. A moment later, a dark patch appeared on it, spreading by the second.

“Impressive, human,” said the Paragon. “You actually managed to harm me with a single counterattack, even when I’m at my most unrestrained.”

He licked his lips. “It’s exciting, isn’t it? The thrill of life and death coursing through your veins!”

“Savour it while you can.” Gaius smiled. “You probably don’t have that many chances to cut loose, right? While under your master.”

“Yeah, well, you must be alive to fight,” replied the Paragon. “The Lord is almighty. I will vanish like snow in the sun if he so wills it.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Nice try, little Knight. Still, you have lived up to my expectations perfectly.” The Paragon stretched his neck, and the glowing blade of sparks in his hands turned solid. “Shall we continue?”

Gaius raised his blade, the blood pounding in his ears. For all his feigned calmness, the boy could also taste the excitement of a good, hard fight. He’d rarely faced a prepared opponent — assassins had to strike when their target was unprepared, or they don’t tend to live long — and in this fantastical world of Orb, fighting was an absolute thrill.

The dome rocked and quivered as the two combatants exchanged frenzied glares with each other, and Paragon Abele clicked his teeth. “Looks like the game’s over, for now. Don’t die that quickly, little Railgun.”

The artificial skybox shattered, as did Abele’s form, leaving Gaius behind as his would-be rescuers arrived on the scene.

“Are you alright?” Paragon Ying Xin, who was panting slightly, asked.

“Never better.” Gaius nodded, before turning his gaze to where the Lifespring’s Paragon had vanished. The boy thought of a few things, and then followed Ying Xin as she returned back to the main body of the assault force.

Eo-Seu’s southern shoreline was in sight. Ready…and waiting.