Boom!

With a deafening boom, Dorian shot forward, propelled by the wind and leaving phantom steps in his wake.

He closed the distance in an instant and before Zane could even register the movement, a fist connected with his jaw, sending him reeling backward. The force of the blow was unlike anything he had experienced before, the combination of wind and phantom energy amplifying Dorian's already formidable strength.

Zane stumbled, trying to regain his footing, but Dorian was relentless. A flurry of punches rained down on Zane's torso. The golden armor that had protected him earlier now dented and cracked under the onslaught.

"Is this all you've got?" Dorian taunted, his voice eerily calm despite the violence of his attacks. "I thought you were going to show me who would last longer!"

Gritting his teeth, Zane attempted to counter, swinging his ant-like arm in a wide arc. But Dorian was too fast, effortlessly dodging the attack and retaliating with a devastating knee to Zane's midsection.

The air rushed out of Zane's lungs as he doubled over in pain. He gasped for breath, his vision blurring from the intensity of the assault. But Dorian didn't let up.

Suddenly, Dorian leapt high into the air, his right arm crackling with intense electrical energy. "Lightning Sphere!" he roared, condensing the electricity into a ball that grew larger with each passing second.

Zane, still gasping for breath, looked up in horror as the massive orb of lightning loomed above him. His heart gripped with trepidation.

'I have to dodge! I will die if I take that head-on!'

CRACKLE!

With a thunderous crack, Dorian launched the sphere downward. Zane, summoning every ounce of strength left in his battered body, threw himself to the side.

Crash!

The lightning sphere crashed into the ground where he had been standing, exploding in a blinding flash that sent debris flying in all directions.

Zane rolled to his feet, his legs trembling with exhaustion. But Dorian wasn't finished. Landing gracefully, he immediately began preparing another attack. His left arm morphed into molten lava, growing and shaping itself into a massive fist.

"Magma Fist!" Dorian roared, punching at Zane.

Unable to dodge in time, Zane took the full brunt of the attack. The impact sent him flying across the room, his body carving a path through debris and broken furniture. Before his body could even touch the ground, Dorian's frightening speed came into play. In an instant, he appeared beside Zane's airborne form.

"Too slow!" Dorian taunted, delivering a devastating kick that sent Zane tumbling high into the air.

Seizing the opportunity, Dorian leapt up after him, his arm once again transforming. "Volcanic Hammer!" he bellowed, swinging the colossal hammer down at the helpless Zane.

Barely hanging on to consciousness, Zane saw the attack coming. In desperation, he unleashed his frost breath, but the icy blast seemed pitifully small against the oncoming inferno. Realizing the futility, Zane poured every ounce of his remaining energy into the attack.

"HAAAAA!" Zane cried out in pain as the frost breath exploded into a powerful gust of frigid wind. The backlash was immediate, frost spreading across his skin, but it served its purpose. The cold pressure launched his body to the side, narrowly avoiding the lava stream.

BOOM!

The hammer crashed into the floor, instantly melting everything it touched and leaving a glowing, molten crater.

Zane's body slammed into the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop. He lay there, gasping for breath, his body wracked with pain and now covered in patches of frostbite.

Dorian landed softly, his eyes fixed on Zane's battered form. "Just give up," he said, his voice a mix of frustration and grudging respect. "You've fought well, but this is the end."

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Zane struggled to his feet. Frost cracked across his skin, revealing his blood red flesh inside.

As Dorian rushed at him again, Zane did his best to dodge, his movements sluggish and pained. Some attacks he managed to avoid, others he was forced to tank, each impact sending waves of agony through his body.

Oliver watched in horror as Zane was pummeled by Dorian's relentless attacks. Each blow landed with a sickening thud, and he could see the toll on Zane’s body. His heart raced, and he clenched his fists, desperate to help but powerless against the overwhelming strength of Dorian.

Cough!

The violent cough wracked Zane's body as he fell to his knees, a mouthful of blood spilling onto the ground. His internal injuries were now turning fatal as he could barely muster the strength to stand.

Dorian watched this with a disappointed look, his brow furrowing. "Is this really all you have left?" he mused, shaking his head.

Zane didn’t respond as he stayed down.

Then Dorian sighed as a determined glint sparked in his eyes. With a sudden burst of energy, he leapt high into the air.

As he ascended, Dorian raised his right leg, which began to crackle with electricity. In an astonishing display of power, he enveloped his entire leg in molten lava, the fiery red glow intensifying as it mixed with the crackling lightning. The air around him shimmered with heat and energy.

Crackle! Crackle!

The combination of elements created an ominous aura around Dorian's leg, making it look like a weapon forged in the heart of a volcano. "Show me this is not all you have, Zane!"

Zane looked up just in time to see Dorian descending with terrifying speed. The electrified magma kick descended like a meteor, and Zane barely had time to react. He raised his arms instinctively, but the impact was overwhelming. The blow shattered what remained of his golden armor and thrust him deep into the ground, creating a small crater around him.

Zane grunted under the pressure, blood trickling from his mouth as he fought against Dorian's weight. Summoning every ounce of strength left in him, he pushed back against Dorian’s leg. To Dorian’s surprise, he managed to lift it slightly.

"HAHAHA! That’s it, use everything you have to kill me!" Dorian’s expression twisted into one of manic excitement. With a flick of his wind powers, he pushed Zane back down with renewed force.

From the sidelines, Oliver watched in horror as Zane struggled beneath Dorian’s relentless assault. "Zane!" he shouted, desperation lacing his voice.

The tension thickened in the air as Zane fought against the crushing weight above him. He could feel himself slipping away but refused to yield. Then, suddenly, Zane's frustrated voice rang out: "Damn it!!! If that's what you want!"

FWOOSH!

A torrent of energy erupted from Zane's body, the force of it causing the very air to vibrate. His eyes blazed with a newfound determination as he shouted, "Rank 2 Chimera Relic: Icelith Formation!"

The transformation was instantaneous. A massive gust of frigid wind exploded outward, catching Dorian off guard and sending him flying back several meters. The temperature in the restaurant plummeted dramatically, turning the air into a swirling blizzard of ice.

Dorian, regaining his balance, looked down to find his leg now encased in solid ice. With a scoff, he channeled magma through his limb, melting the frost. But as he lifted his gaze, his eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.

Through the howling winds stood Zane, but he was barely recognizable. His body had taken on the form of a serpentine dragon made entirely of ice. Crystalline scales covered his body, reflecting the light in mesmerizing patterns. Massive wings of frost extended from his back, and wickedly sharp icicles served as claws and fangs.

But the transformation was unstable. Blue scales were constantly falling away, disintegrating into icy mist. Zane's eyes, now a solid, blood-red, held a look of pure, unrestrained madness. The beast-like Zane let out a bone-chilling roar that shook the very foundations of the building.

Dorian's expression shifted from shock to intrigue. "I was wondering which beast’s arm could unleash such nasty ice energy. But I never imagined it would be the Icelith. A beast of that caliber..." He trailed off, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"If I were to face a real Icelith, I'd most certainly meet a helpless death," But then, a smile played across his lips as he observed Zane's unstable form. "Too bad you're not strong enough to tame that beast, Zane. It seems you've already lost your mind to its power."

A bone-chilling roar erupted from Zane. His blood-red eyes blazed with primal fury as he lunged at Dorian with terrifying speed, ice crystals trailing in his wake.

Dorian's eyes widened, but his Phantom Step relic allowed him to dodge at the last second. “Cutting it close there," he muttered, his afterimages shimmering in the air.

Crash!

Zane's massive form collided with the concrete, sending debris flying. But he recovered instantly, whirling around with surprising agility for his size.

"Impressive!" Dorian called out, preparing a lightning attack. "Let's see your defense!"

Zane responded with another deafening roar, frost spreading from his feet as he charged again. This time, when Dorian launched his lightning bolts, Zane's icy armor absorbed the impact without a scratch.

"What?!" Dorian exclaimed, barely sidestepping Zane's razor-sharp claws by a hair's breadth.

Dorian then quickly soared high into the air. "Then what about this!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the devastated restaurant. "Volcanic Hammer!"

His arm morphed into a colossal fist of molten rock, growing larger as he descended.

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But Zane was ready. His transformed body tensed, ice crystals forming around his maw. With a deafening roar, he unleashed a Frost Breath. But this was no ordinary Frost Breath - the cold was so intense that the air itself seemed to freeze.

It’s power had been amplified by at least 10 times!

The icy blast collided with Dorian's Volcanic Hammer, instantly freezing it solid. The force of the wind so strong that it sent the now-frozen attack hurtling back, shattering as it broke away from Dorian's arm.

"Impossible!" Dorian gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Zane didn't let up. The air around him crystallized, forming hundreds of razor-sharp icicles. With a thought, he sent them hurtling towards Dorian.

Dorian's shock quickly gave way to excitement. He twisted and turned mid-air, dodging the icy projectiles gracefully like a butterfly. "Hahaha! I haven’t had this much fun in a long time!" he taunted, a grin spreading across his face. "Come on Zane! These little sticks won’t do anything to m–"

Whizz!

His words were cut short as an icicle whistled past his face, leaving a thin cut on his cheek. Dorian touched the wound, feeling warm blood on his fingertips. Instead of anger, a thrill of excitement coursed through him. Even with only 30% of his soul energy remaining, the battle was more exhilarating than ever.

Zane roared in frustration, intensifying his icicle barrage. Dorian’s view increasingly turned white as the 100s of icicles covered the sky.

Realizing the danger, Dorian shot towards the ground. The moment his feet touched the floor, he activated his deadly combination of wind propulsion and Phantom Step relic.

Shooooooo!

The sound cut through the air like an arrow being loosed from a bow. Dorian became a blur, circling Zane at incredible speed. The transformed Zane whirled around, trying desperately to track Dorian's movements, but his bestial mind couldn't keep up with the lightning-fast opponent.

In desperation, Zane unleashed another Frost Breath, this time aimed at the floor. The ground froze instantly, spreading outward in a rapidly expanding circle of ice.

Dorian, caught off guard by the sudden change in terrain, couldn’t react fast enough and his feet instantly froze with the floor. When he looked forward, a nervous chuckle escaped his lips, "Haha, damn this is going to hurt," Zane was already in front of him with, his razor-sharp claws mere inches from his face.

BAM!

The impact was devastating. Dorian's body went flying, smacking against the floor and rolling several times before coming to a stop.

"BURAA!" He coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His breathing was ragged, and when he touched his chest, his hand came away drenched in crimson. A giant claw mark decorated his torso.

Despite the severity of his injury, Dorian struggled to his feet, his legs shaking with the effort. "Not bad, Zane," he wheezed, a pained smile on his face. "I should end this soon or I’m really going to be in trouble the next time I get hit."

Dorian knew this was bad. His soul energy was dangerously low, and the wound on his chest was severe. Zane’s armor was too tough and his attacks were deadly. It seemed like his opponent had endless soul reserves. There was little he could do against him.

Zane, still in his berserk state, roared mindlessly. The temperature dropped even further, frost spreading across every surface. Icicles formed on the ceiling, growing larger by the second.

"HUP!" Dorian grunted, his body tensing as his eyes glowed a faint red from the strain.

Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down Oliver's spine. 'I-I don't know what the manager is doing, but it's definitely not good!'

“...Oliver”

A wave of dread washed over Oliver, and he felt an ominous premonition settle in his gut. 'I have to do something...'

"…Oliver"

'But Zane's already lost his mind; I will die if he locks onto me.' The thought made his heart race. 'What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?'

"Oliver!"

"Ah!" Oliver jumped slightly at the sudden shout, whipping his head to the side. His eyes widened when he saw Jace crawling on the floor, breathing roughly, a strained look etched across his features.

"Jace!" Oliver exclaimed in surprise as he quickly rushed to his side. "Are you okay? Is your Mind Core alright?"

But Jace abruptly cut him off. "Shut up!" His voice was weak and strained, making Oliver fall silent immediately.

With great effort, Jace turned his head to face the other direction. "Listen to me," he said with struggle. "Zane won't last long at this rate. His body is already close to breaking; he will die if he gets hit by the manager's next attack."

"What?!" Oliver blurted out, panic rising in his chest as he looked back at Zane. Despite the ferocity of Zane’s transformation and the energy radiating from him, Oliver noticed that the scales on Zane’s body were starting to break away at an alarming rate.

"And look at the manager," Jace urged. Oliver turned his gaze to Dorian.

Dorian lifted his hands in the air and commanded, "Wind!"

Suddenly a fierce gust swept through the restaurant. The force of it knocked debris aside and sent chills down Oliver's spine.

Dorian's brows knitted together as he concentrated, shaping the wind into a giant vortex above his head. The vortex grew larger by the second, swirling with raw power.

Roarrrrr!

Zane howled in response, sensing that this was Dorian’s last stand. The primal instinct within him surged forward as he opened his mouth wide. A small ball of light began to condense in front of him.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The violent blizzard winds that had been raging since Zane's transformation now started rushing together into the ball of light, amplifying its size and intensity.

Dorian watched this unfold with a mix of fatigue and amusement. "Ha! Look at this guy," he laughed weakly, "finally deciding to use his Innate Law: Ice Dominion."

Oliver watched with a shocked expression as Zane’s usage of his Innate Law worsened the degradation of his transformation even further. "What do I do?! I don’t have enough soul energy!" Oliver said frantically to Jace.

Jace fell silent for a moment, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Oliver looked at him with anxiousness. Finally, Jace spoke, bringing his hand forward, "...Give me your hand. I will transfer my remaining soul energy to you."

"T-then what about you? Don't you need it to stabilize your Mind Core after the backlash from the Unbreakable Oath Relic?" Oliver asked, worry etched across his face.

Jace shook his head. "Luckily, I avoided the worst-case scenario, and my Mind Core only suffered small damage. I already used half of my soul energy to stabilize it," he explained.

Oliver felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Hurry, we don’t have much time!" Jace urged.

Oliver nodded solemnly before grabbing Jace's hand, feeling the warmth of his friend's energy pulse through him.

At the front, sweat poured down Dorian's neck as he meticulously manipulated the raging vortex above him. He glanced over at Zane and saw that the ball of energy had already grown to over 20 meters in diameter!

A flicker of anxiety slipped onto his face as he quickly turned his attention back to the vortex and yelled, "Magma!"

With a swift motion, Dorian produced a large blob of burning hot magma that shot up into the vortex.

FWOOOOOSH!

The winds intensified even further as the vortex glowed red-hot.

"And finally... Lightning!" Dorian shouted.

CRACKLE! CRACKLE!

He poured it into crackling bolts of electricity that merged with the swirling vortex.

"Ha... Hah..." Dorian gasped for breath as he looked ahead at Zane. The beast roared in defiance, tensing up as his body grew slightly larger. With every ounce of power he had left, Zane shot the giant ball of light toward Dorian.

A grin appeared on Dorian’s face. "Ahahahaha! I have to thank you for this, Zane!" He laughed maniacally. "You really got my blood boiling for this fight!”

“Rank 2 Elemental Fusion Relic: Volcanic Storm Surge!"

The vortex shot forward with frightening energy, lightning crackling violently within it.

"Rank 2 Tomesmith Relic: BREAK!" Oliver shouted as he felt a surge of power coursing through him. His body tensed as a long scroll appeared in front of him. Suddenly, an almost two-meter-tall bow—larger than Oliver himself—materialized from the scroll.

With determination etched on his face, Oliver positioned the bow in front of himself before quickly pulling out a giant halberd from the scroll and positioning it alongside the bow. The weight felt reassuring in his hands as he prepared for what was to come.

Seeing the raging vortex before him, Zane's beastly instincts kicked in; he willed all the countless icicles that had formed above them to rain down onto it. The air filled with sharp projectiles as they plummeted toward Dorian’s vortex.

The countless icicles collided with the swirling mass but were helplessly engulfed in its power, barely making a dent in its swirling chaos.

Then finally, the vortex and ball of cold energy collided with earth-shattering energy.

CRASH! CRASH!

The two forces pushed against each other violently; neither willing to relent.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" Dorian yelled as he lifted his hands high, straining every muscle and sinew in his body to will the vortex through Zane’s attack. Veins bulged from his forehead as sweat dripped down his brow.

Zane roared in response, tapping into every last reserve of strength within him as he willed the ball of light to break through Dorian's onslaught.

The restaurant shook violently under their combined energies; walls cracked and debris fell from above as their powers clashed with cataclysmic intensity.

"Hey! Over here!" Suddenly, a voice called out from behind Dorian. Instinctively, he looked back, his heart stopping at the sight of Oliver.

With fierce determination, Oliver shouted, "Rank 2 Tomesmith Relic: Halberd Shot!"

Shooooooo!

The halberd launched from the bow, enveloped in a massive golden aura as it shot toward Dorian with incredible speed.

"You fucking assholeeeee!" Dorian cursed, forced to react quickly. "Wind Shield!"

BANG!

The halberd collided with the wind barrier, producing waves of energy that rippled through the air.

ROARRRRRR!

Dorian's heart gripped at the ear-piercing roar behind him. He turned just in time to see Zane using every last bit of strength he had to push back even hard, and then it happened—the vortex faltered, and the ball of light broke through!

Dorian watched helplessly as the ball of light closed in on him while being pinned down by the halberd.

KRRRRSH!

The ball of light engulfed Dorian in a blinding flash.

BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted at the restaurant.

…

Cough! Cough!

In the desolate restaurant, a coughing figure suddenly crawled out from under the rubble.

It was Oliver.

Oliver gasped as he glanced around at the destruction. "Ronan's gonna kill us when he sees the amount of damage we caused," Most of the restaurant had been completely blown to smithereens.

As he walked through the debris, Oliver spotted Jace pinned beneath a table. He rushed over and lifted it off him. "Are you okay?" he asked urgently.

Jace replied in a weary tone, "Yeah, more or less. Go check up on Zane."

Without hesitation, Oliver quickly got to his feet and started looking for Zane. It didn't take long for him to find Zane's reddish body lying on the floor. Oliver hurried over and knelt beside him, placing a hand near his mouth to check for breathing.

"Phew," he sighed in relief upon feeling Zane's breath, though his entire body was flushed red like a tomato. "Zane, you..." Oliver’s voice trailed off as a complicated look appeared in his eyes remembering the conversation they had about Theo before.

Just as he was looking at Zane, Oliver's thoughts were abruptly cut short by a foreign cough that echoed through the air.

With fear etched across his face, he slowly turned around and saw something he wished he hadn't. Dorian stood in the distance, wounds covering his entire body and a halberd protruding from his side.

"Cough cough, fuck, that almost killed me," Dorian said casually, feeling around his battered body.

With an expression of grim determination, he grabbed the halberd with one hand. His face contorted in pain as he slowly pulled it out of his stomach before tossing it aside.

Dorian breathed roughly, watching a constant stream of blood flow from his wound. He then looked up from his wound to see Oliver staring at him with a frozen shock.

"I will give it to you," Dorian said with a sly smile. "You're not useless at the least. That last attack of yours was really something and using that perfect timing to attack when I was the most vulnerable. I will give it to you guys for today."

With a slight wave of his hand, Dorian turned and said, “Later, suckers” before speeding away.

Oliver stood there for a moment, paralyzed by disbelief. Then Jace's shout broke through his daze: "What are you doing?! Go and catch him! He doesn't have much soul energy left by now!"

Snapping back to reality, Oliver stammered, "A-alright!" before chasing after Dorian.

Seeing this, Jace finally relaxed as he felt himself slipping away, darkness creeping into his vision and lost consciousness.