"Rage Charm."
Klaus recognized the unique power Rose had unveiled during the Divine Tournament. This strange ability granted Rose immense power while she maintained her sleek, natural physique. Watching her activate it now, Klaus confirmed that it hadn't been part of Iris' illusion when they had fought after all.
Rose glared at Klaus, her eyes burning with quiet rage. The two demigods stood in silence, waiting for the first move to signal the commencement of the battle. In a heartbeat, they charged at each other, beginning their spar.
Klaus and Rose exchanged blows fiercely. Klaus swung his fists with precision, but Rose matched him effortlessly. Klaus, however, found himself subconsciously holding back, not wanting to hurt Rose. Yet, mere seconds into the fight, Klaus realized something shocking—Rose was overwhelming him.
Throughout their clash, Klaus remained more defensive than offensive. Despite his efforts, he couldn't find any openings against Rose. In contrast, Rose was landing heavy blows with unsettling accuracy. Klaus was baffled by the physical gap between them; Rose's attacks hit harder than he could have anticipated. He knew he had to step up his game if he didn't want to get seriously hurt.
Strikes and heavy blows continued to be exchanged. Klaus hadn't sparred or practiced in over a month since his last bout in Under World, but he seemed to shake off the rust quickly. As the fight progressed, Klaus launched a punch aimed at Rose's face. Rose ducked swiftly, dodging the strike with grace. Using her momentum, she spun around and aimed a powerful right hook at Klaus' head.
Klaus, caught off guard by her agility, barely managed to bend backward in time to avoid the punch. Seeing what he thought was his first real opening, Klaus aimed a knee strike at Rose's torso.
But what seemed like an opening was immediately shut down. While still in her spinning motion, Rose used her left palm to block Klaus' knee. Using the momentum, she redirected her right hand to strike Klaus' chest. In an instant, Rose's powerful palm strike sent Klaus skidding back a significant distance.
Rose's movements throughout the fight were graceful and precise, almost as if she were a completely different person—a seasoned warrior. Klaus couldn't help but acknowledge that her Rage Charm ability was incredibly effective, making her too powerful and leaving no openings.
As Klaus pondered for a moment, he realized he hadn't been fighting at his full potential. Unlike his previous battle, he could use his abilities freely. With these thoughts in mind, Klaus watched as Rose charged toward him again. He raised his left hand, photons swirling around his palm in a rotational motion. In seconds, Klaus had formed a first-grade Solar Ball and hurled it at the oncoming Rose.
Rose continued her charge, undeterred by the Solar Ball speeding toward her. Klaus's eyes widened as he realized his plan had failed—Rose didn't change direction at all. Suddenly, the ball of light dispersed before reaching its target, and Rose closed in, resuming their brawl.
"How did she know?" Klaus wondered subconsciously as he evaded Rose's attacks.
When creating the ball of light, Klaus had deliberately avoided compressing the photons as he usually did. He intended to create a decoy to make Rose exercise caution, giving him an opening that he had been missing throughout the fight. Somehow, Rose had seen through his ploy and was not fooled for even a second. Klaus's mind raced with curiosity as Rose began to overwhelm him once again.
The fight continued, and Klaus grew more serious. His focus sharpened significantly, and he was no longer lenient with his attacks. He used his Phantasmal State ability to evade unnecessary damage, but he knew he couldn't stay on the defensive forever. He had to land a blow.
As the clash raged on, Klaus suddenly stepped back, creating a brief distance between himself and Rose. Seizing the opportunity, he stretched his arms sideways and conjured two first-grade Solar Balls in his palms. Without hesitation, Klaus charged at Rose, finally switching to the offensive.
Klaus swung his hands, gripping the balls of light, toward Rose, who now shifted to a defensive stance, evading his attacks with grace and precision. Desperate to land a hit, Klaus grew increasingly frustrated as Rose's movements proved too fluid and calculated for him to touch.
After a few moments of this dance, Rose leaped backward, putting space between them. Klaus's face displayed clear frustration at his inability to land a single blow. He then intensified the density of the orbs of light in his hands before hurling them at Rose.
Rose tilted her head left, dodging the first ball of light, before swaying her body left again to avoid the second. And by the time she had dodged the second one, Klaus had already closed the distance between them.
The battle resumed for a brief moment until Rose suddenly lunged downward. Klaus's Solar Balls, having missed initially, now revealed their trajectory change, heading back toward Rose from behind. He had used his ability to manipulate light to control the orbs' path, but Rose had anticipated this, allowing her to evade them once more.
The two fighters clashed again, this time Rose now wary of both Klaus and the two swarming orbs of light. Despite the overwhelming assault, Rose dodged every attack gracefully, maintaining her composure and matching Klaus's punches.
Klaus was beyond impressed but couldn't afford to dwell on it, as the fight demanded his full attention. But his focus on controlling the orbs had also diluted his offensive power, giving Rose an opening she was able to seize before striking him away.
Klaus regained his footing, his expression revealing his frustration. He manipulated the balls of light and sent them toward Rose again, but before they reached her, he caused them to collide, creating a blinding flash ahead of his opponent.
Yet, even as the light filled the space, Klaus saw that Rose was unaffected. The blinding light did not faze her. For a moment, shock overtook his features as he witnessed her unwavering stance.
"What even is this ability?" Klaus wondered, stunned by Rose's Rage Charm.
Klaus' expression quickly darkened, and his frustration began to boil over. If there was still any trace of restraint he had until this point, it had completely vanished.
Klaus charged at Rose again, the brawl reigniting. The rust from his lack of training and combat for over a month had finally worn off. Their clash was now almost evenly matched, both landing and evading blows with impressive precision. The battle had reached its peak, with neither fighter holding back on the other.
As they continued, Rose managed a significant hit to Klaus's right cheek, causing his head to move to the left side. A moment later, as he turned his head back towards her, his left hand began rising as well.
As his palm continued to lift, Klaus began forming a small Solar Ball in its center, the sphere of light growing as his hand drew closer to Rose. Just before reaching her, the ball had grown to a full first-grade size, and Klaus landed a direct hit on the side of Rose's chest, around her right shoulder.
The signature explosive force and blinding light followed upon contact with its target, pushing both fighters apart significantly.
Returning his gaze as the light faded, Klaus saw that Rose had barely flinched after taking the direct attack. Her top was torn in places from the attack, but she remained standing and unwavering, her defenses seemingly impenetrable to him. Despite her damaged clothes, she still had enough clothing to maintain modesty as well as something underneath.
Rose's defenses were clearly formidable, but she also recognized that tanking another Solar Ball could be dangerous, especially if Klaus landed one of a higher grade. Before she could react, Klaus charged in once again, his face a mask of rage.
They exchanged attacks and evaded each other for several more seconds. Suddenly, both lunged toward each other, locking their palms in a test of strength. Their fingers intertwined at head level as they leaned forward, each using tremendous force to push ahead, attempting to overpower the other. The force they exerted was nearly equal, neither giving an inch.
Stolen novel; please report.
As they glared at each other, rage burning in their eyes, Klaus suddenly opened his mouth while maintaining eye contact with Rose. Photons from the surrounding area began to flow toward the front of his mouth, swirling into a rotating orb—a Solar Ball—right in front of him.
Rose's eyes widened in shock, realizing Klaus had the chance to land a direct hit on her face. She knew this attack could cause significant damage, so she had to act quickly.
Reacting instantly, Rose shifted her efforts from pushing to pulling, disrupting Klaus's aim just as he was about to release the attack. The Solar Ball veered off course, hitting the ground beneath them instead. The resulting explosion of light pushed both fighters apart.
As the light faded, Rose noticed the fury blazing in Klaus's eyes. The feeling of inferiority always seemed to ignite this rage in him.
Klaus charged at her again, relentless and unyielding. They engaged in a furious exchange of blows, each attack more intense than the last. Suddenly, Rose's eyes flickered briefly, reverting to their natural blue before turning crimson again. She was growing exhausted from the prolonged fight, while Klaus seemed only to become more formidable, his strikes increasingly difficult to evade.
Seizing an opening, Klaus landed a powerful uppercut to Rose's jaw, knocking her to the ground. Capitalizing on the advantage, he immediately pinned her down, raising his left hand to form a decisive Solar Ball above it.
Rose knew that if Klaus succeeded in this attack, the battle would be over. Suddenly, as Klaus stared at her, creating the first-grade Solar Ball, Rose's eyes shifted from crimson to a strange, deep, dark blue. As Klaus, still locked in eye contact, noticed this, he immediately felt a strange and powerful force envelop the area.
Instinctively, Klaus quickly jumped off and away from his opponent, dispersing the ball of light and putting distance between them. He panted heavily, his instincts warning him about the gravity of the situation.
"What the heck is that?" he muttered to himself, utterly surprised that Rose still had a trump card left.
Klaus had never felt such fear in his life, and he knew that the battle was far from over. But he also recognized that it would be unwise to allow Rose to gain any upper hand. Staying back would only be detrimental, especially if he allowed her to complete her strange transformation.
With determination, Klaus charged forward, attempting to continue his assault despite his body screaming in protest.
"Whoa, wait, wait, wait!" Rose suddenly called out as she rose from her lying position, witnessing Klaus rushing at her.
Rose's eyes reverted to their natural blue, diminishing the intense effect they had on Klaus and causing him to halt in his tracks upon hearing her voice.
Klaus looked at Rose in confusion as she held her neck with her right hand, cracking it, her right eye closed as she exhaled in exhaustion.
"That's enough, don't you think?" Rose said, her breathing becoming more audible by the second.
Hearing Rose's call for a truce, Klaus let his guard down and gradually sat on the ground beneath him. Both demigods exhaled in exhaustion, realizing they had expended a tremendous amount of energy in their sparring session.
Rose smiled at Klaus, allowing him to see that the fight had been much more intense and even than he had anticipated.
"That was quite a match, huh?" Rose said, her palms on the floor as she exhaled with a smile.
"It really was," Klaus agreed, sharing her sentiment.
As they continued to rest, Rose suddenly stretched out her hand and said, "Two towels."
To Klaus's surprise, two small towels materialized in her outstretched palm. She tossed one to him, and he caught it, his expression one of curiosity.
"How?" Klaus asked, still baffled.
"You mean the towels?" Rose replied, amused by his confusion. "You didn't know the training rooms operated this way?"
Klaus genuinely had no idea that the training rooms had such capabilities. He recognized the convenience of it and regretted not knowing sooner.
Rose also requested a change of clothes, allowing her to replace the worn-out top she had on with a brand-new identical one. After a few moments of refreshing, the two demigods engaged in conversation.
"So... your new charm," Klaus said, still stunned by how far she had come.
"Yeah," Rose replied. "It took me a very long time to master."
Klaus listened intently as Rose elaborated on her experience in mastering the ability.
"I realized after the tournament that control over my emotions would benefit me greatly and heighten my power, especially when using the Rage Charm."
Klaus understood the validity of Rose's words, but he still had something on his mind since they concluded their sparring session.
"What about the last one?" Klaus asked. "The one you used before calling the fight off."
"Oh, that," Rose said. "Well, it works similarly to my Love Charm, but instead, it instills and heightens one's fears upon visual contact."
Klaus was stunned by this revelation, but looking back at the scenario, he realized it made a lot of sense. Initially, he had assumed his retreat and caution were due to worry about the depths of the ability, but in reality, he was reacting to its true intentions.
"Following the naming trend you've been using for my abilities," Rose continued, "I named this one Fear Charm since that's its nature."
Klaus was heavily impressed by how far Rose had progressed in the past month. She truly deserved praise for what she had displayed during their sparring.
"You really are something else, Rose," Klaus said. "I'm impressed by how far you've come since we last met."
"Well, after the tournament, I felt like I had to step up," Rose explained. "After some thought, I realized I was potentially the weakest demigod, and I didn't like it. Initially, I didn't care much for fighting, so it didn't bother me, but it started to feel like everyone held their duties in high regard except for me."
Klaus absorbed Rose's explanations, his silence reflecting the depth of his contemplation.
"Since we last met on Earth, I returned to Higher World the next day and started my training immediately," Rose elaborated. "In fact, I was even in Higher World when you and the other demigods departed for Under World a month ago."
This revelation surprised Klaus. He hadn't known about Rose's relentless pursuit of strength. Respect for her determination filled him, bringing a warm smile to his face aimed towards her. Rose returned the smile briefly, but then her expression darkened. She turned away from Klaus, a serious air enveloping her.
"You know... I realize this isn't the best topic," Rose began, her tone more somber. "But I really want to address the... situation we had during the Cosmic League."
Klaus' smile faded as he sensed the gravity of her words, waiting for her to continue.
"I want to use this chance to sincerely apologize for what I did that night," Rose said. "I know words can't unwrite my actions, and I can't defend my choices during that moment, but I still want to try to make amends, no matter how small."
Seeing Rose's earnest expression, Klaus realized she had been burdened by guilt ever since the incident, even though it no longer troubled him.
"It's fine," Klaus replied after a brief pause. "I don't really care about it anymore, to be honest."
Rose's expression remained serious as she continued.
"Your indifference makes it even harder for me to atone, you know that?" Rose explained.
"Regardless," Klaus said, "I've truly moved on. And I want you to let go of it too and stop beating yourself up."
Rose felt the sincerity in Klaus' words and realized he had genuinely moved on. With this, she decided to find solace in his kindness.
Klaus, however, had deeper reasons for his forgiveness. He understood that the existence of Dominion-over-Inheritance in his life might have driven Rose's actions that night.
He recognized that his words and his nature of dominion might have intensified her emotions, leading her to make a regrettable decision. Seeing fault in both her actions and his nature, he couldn't hold it against her any more than he could blame himself.
After their heartfelt conversation, the two demigods finished freshening up and began preparing to leave the training room.
"By the way," Rose suddenly began, "a Solar Ball from your mouth?"
Rose stared at Klaus with a concerned smile, curious to understand how Klaus was able to do such a thing.
"Oh, yeah," Klaus confirmed. "During my fight with Riley in the Divine Tournament, she used her vines to immobilize me and I was left offensively crippled. So I decided to practice creating them without relying on my hands so it wouldn't happen again."
"Wow," Rose replied with shock. "You really give this demigod thing a lot of thought, don't you?"
Klaus maintained his dim expression before responding to Rose's recent words.
"I wouldn't say that," he started. "Recently, I had even been doubting myself so much that my father had to break divine customs just to set me back on the right path."
Rose was taken aback by Klaus's openness about his struggles with doubt, but it only deepened her respect for his dedication.
"Despite all that," Rose began. "I doubt any other demigod thinks so drastically about it like you do."
Klaus turned to Rose, listening intently as she continued.
"I can tell just by reading your emotions that you care a lot about being a demigod, which is possibly why you were overthinking things in the first place," Rose explained to Klaus. "So don't beat yourself up for caring."
Klaus found Rose's words comforting. They offered him a new perspective on his own feelings, one he hadn't considered before. After their brief moment of reflection, Klaus and Rose concluded their time in the training room and began to head towards the transportation podiums.
"You're not staying back anymore?" Klaus asked as they walked towards the Golden Gate.
"Nah," Rose replied with a smile. "It's been a month and a half since I've been to Earth. I want to see my mom and friends."
"Friends?" Klaus queried.
"Of course," Rose said after a smile. "You know, those humans on Earth who care about you?"
Klaus realized he had somewhat neglected the concept of human friends since becoming a demigod. It hadn't even crossed his mind until now.
"You realize not every demigod is an emo like you," Rose teased lightly.
"I'm not an emo," Klaus retorted.
"Awww, that's adorable," Rose replied with a grin.
They continued chatting until they reached the podiums, where they bid each other farewell. Following Rose's departure, Klaus stepped onto the podium before finally transporting back to Main World.