"Your back is wide open..."

"Huh—?"

Arin didn't even bother turning around.

Instantly, he activated the Water Bubble Spell, summoning three Water Bubbles around him.

In that same instant...

BOOM!

Kiara's claws crashed into the Water Bubbles.

The three Water Bubbles shattered instantly, but Arin had already leaped away from Kiara, landing several feet back.

He clenched his fists as his breathing grew ragged.

What the hell...? I could barely follow her movement...

Arin's thoughts raced.

Had she been holding back all this time? Or was this her true strength?

He couldn't tell anymore.

And how did she bypass the Chaotic Ember fireballs?

His eyes drifted to her claws and he noticed that they were enveloped in a bluish-purple energy.

She's fast, I know that for sure. She must have gotten behind me and destroyed the Chaotic Ember fireballs with her claws.

Now, standing a short distance away from her, both of them locked eyes, the tension between them crackling like lightning in the air.

The battle wasn't over. Far from it. Arin knew one thing for certain...

I must go all out!

With that resolve burning in his chest, he gripped the sword he had gotten from Valtor. His gaze sharpened, his entire demeanor shifting as he glared at Kiara.

Kiara raised a brow, amused by Arin's sudden change.

Arin didn't stop there.

Blood Armour.

Instantly, his entire body was encased in the Blood Armour, a sinister blend of red and black with streaks of deep purple scattered like bruises across its surface. Spikes jutted from both arms and shoulders, sharp and menacing.

The crimson gem embedded in the center of the chestplate pulsed faintly with a glow, as if alive.

The moment Kiara laid eyes on the armour, her expression hardened.

"Tch... He can already use the advanced skill of those leeches..." she muttered under her breath.

"Don't worry, brother. Mother and I will make sure you don't end up going down their path."

But Arin wasn't listening. He had already decided. He didn't want to depend too heavily on the Blood Armour. No, not this time.

'Overheat. Aura.'

Two words, and his body erupted.

A blood-red aura blazed to life around him, engulfing the armour in a haze of crimson energy. He could feel his blood boiling, heat surging through every vein. Red smoke began oozing from his body like a predator unchained.

His glowing red eyes, hidden behind the helmet, burned with lethal intent.

He gripped his sword tighter, and then—

BOOM!

He vanished.

The ground beneath where he had stood fractured violently, cracks spreading like spiderwebs.

A sly smile curved Kiara's lips.

Without hesitation, she summoned a barrier behind her, a swirling mass of bluish-purple energy crackling like a storm.

Just then—

BOOM!

Arin appeared behind her in a flash, his sword swinging down with ferocious force. It slammed into the barrier, sending shockwaves rippling through the forest.

But then—

CRACK!

The barrier splintered like fragile glass under his strike. His sword continued its deadly arc toward her.

WHOOSH!

Kiara leaped back, evading the blade with barely an inch to spare.

"You've gotten faster," Kiara said coolly. "I know there are a lot of things you want to know, but trust me—if you come with me, Mother will answer every question you have."

Arin didn't respond. He had already made up his mind. He wasn't going anywhere with her.

He wasn't about to step into a trap.

His silence was his answer.

Raising a hand—

WHOOSH!

Deadly Water Spikes formed above his head, but these weren't ordinary spikes.

Each spike glimmered faintly with a crimson hue, the sharp tips radiating lethal energy.

'I've infused Blood Energy into them. They should be far stronger than normal Water Spikes,' he thought.

In an instant, the spikes shot forward, hurtling toward Kiara like guided missiles.

BOOM!

They struck with explosive force, tearing apart the ground and sending up a massive dust cloud.

But then—

WHOOSH!

Kiara burst from the dust, closing the distance between them in a blink.

Arin's eyes narrowed.

Quickly, he conjured three Water Bubbles in front of him. These, too, had a crimson tint, the Blood Energy coursing through them like veins.

In that instant—

BOOM!

Kiara's claws slammed into the first two Water Bubbles, shattering them instantly. The third one, however, resisted, holding firm for a split second longer.

That moment was enough.

Arin leaped back, putting distance between them. But he wasn't done.

With a flick of his fingers, he summoned a massive Water Dragon.

The serpent-like creature coiled as it surged forward, its body twisting violently as it rushed at Kiara with devastating force.

Kiara smirked, staring down the incoming beast.

As the dragon reached her, she raised her right hand, the bluish-purple energy swirling menacingly around her fingers.

PA!

A single slap.

BOOM!

The Water Dragon exploded into droplets, vanishing instantly.

But Arin had anticipated this.

Three more dragons lunged from different angles.

The first was another Water Dragon, the second was a Blood Dragon with glowing red scales, and the third was an Ice Dragon, its body glimmering like frozen crystal.

ROAR!

The Blood Dragon let out an ear-splitting roar, rushing at Kiara with savage ferocity.

Arin followed closely behind the dragons, his sword gripped tight, his aura flaring like wildfire.

Meanwhile, Kiara's smile deepened.

"Dragons, huh? How amusing..."

Her eyes glowed with a deep purple light.

With a sharp swing of her hand—

WHOOSH!

Three slashes of pure energy cut through the air.

In a blink, all three dragons lost their heads, their bodies dissipating in an instant.

ROAR!

The sound faded as the beasts vanished.

But Arin had already closed in.

He swung his sword with all his strength, the blade slicing through the air like a reaper's scythe.

CLANG!

Sparks flew violently as Kiara blocked the sword with her claws, stopping the strike dead in its tracks.

'Shit!'

Arin tried to pull back, but before he could react, Kiara's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.

Her right leg swung forward with blinding speed—

BOOM!

The kick connected squarely with Arin's chest, sending him flying backwards.

'My Blood Armour absorbed some of the impact, but damn...' he thought, gritting his teeth as he skidded to a stop.

STEP. STEP. STEP.

Kiara advanced, her expression calm yet her eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity.

"You still have a choice," she said coldly.

Arin gritted his teeth and swung his sword again, putting every ounce of strength into the attack.

This time—

Kiara caught the blade in her right hand.

Then—

CRACK!

Arin's eyes widened in shock.

"Huh...?"