Serena found herself wandering through the eerie, labyrinth like halls of the palace’s middle floor. The oppressive darkness that permeated the air weighed heavily on her, the flickering torches casting unsettling shadows that seemed to follow her every move.

The cold stone walls were slick with moisture, and the unsettling silence was broken only by the distant sound of crumbling stone.

She had felt the presence of another lurking nearby, watching her from the shadows.

Her senses on high alert, Serena slowed her pace, her hands gripping her tonfas tightly. She could feel the pulse of magic in the air, and it wasn’t long before her suspicions were confirmed. A figure emerged from the shadows, stepping into the dim torchlight.

The mage who had trapped her earlier smirked as he approached, his eyes gleaming with sadistic amusement. His lanky frame moved with an eerie grace, and the dark energy crackling around his hands made Serena’s blood boil.

"Ah, there you are," the mage purred, his voice dripping with malice. "I’ve been looking forward to this moment, Girl. You’re just as beautiful as they said you’d be."

Serena’s lip curled in disgust. "Keep talking, and I’ll make sure it’s the last thing you ever say."

The mage chuckled, clearly unfazed by her threat. He snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the room around them shimmered and blurred.

Serena felt the familiar sensation of being teleported, the space around her warping as she was thrust into another part of the palace.

When the world snapped back into focus, she found herself in a different chamber—a large, circular room with no windows and walls lined with strange arcane symbols that glowed faintly. The atmosphere here was suffocating, the dark magic palpable.

"I see you’ve figured out my little trick," the mage said, appearing a few feet away from her.

"But let’s see how well you handle it when you can’t even see me coming."

Serena’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing. The teleportation wasn’t just random—it was controlled. The mage could move her at will, as long as he had a line of sight. But she was no fool. She wouldn’t let him play this game for long.

Without warning, Serena lunged at him, her Blitz Ability propelling her forward in a blur of motion. Her tonfas swung in a wide arc, aiming for the mage’s chest.

But just as her strike was about to land, the mage snapped his fingers again, and the world shifted once more.

She was teleported again—this time to a room with narrow stone pillars and low ceilings. Her momentum carried her forward, and she skidded to a halt just before crashing into one of the pillars.

Frustration boiled inside her, but she didn’t give the mage the satisfaction of seeing it.

"So that’s how you want to play it?" Serena muttered to herself, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of the mage.

"Fine. I’ll play."

Serena landed in yet another chamber, but she didn’t hesitate. She dashed forward with Blitz, using her enhanced speed to track the mage down once more.

It was a frustrating cycle — every time she closed the distance, the mage would teleport her to a new location, only to start the game all over again.

But Serena wasn’t the type to give up easily. With each teleportation, she learned more about the mage’s patterns, studying his timing and movements. The mage’s arrogance was his weakness — he thought he was toying with her, but she was adapting.

She tried the same tactic several more times, each time using her Blitz speed to strike at the mage, but every time, she was teleported to another room.

The chambers blurred together—each one eerier and more confining than the last. And each time, the mage’s laughter echoed in her ears, taunting her.

But with each teleport, Serena learned. The mage had to be close to control where she landed, and his teleportation always required eye contact. If she could find a way to disrupt his rhythm, she could turn the tide of the fight.

After several failed attempts, Serena paused, taking a deep breath. Her mind worked furiously as she pieced together the pattern of his magic.

She knew how his technique worked now, and she was ready to use that knowledge to her advantage.

The next time the mage teleported her, she allowed it to happen—letting him believe he still had control. But as soon as she landed in the next room,

Serena activated her Blitz Ability, moving faster than the mage could track. She sprinted across the floor, her body becoming a blur as she closed the distance between them almost instantly.

This time, she was ready. Just before the mage could snap his fingers again, Serena threw a small bell she had taken from her gear earlier, attaching it to the back of the mage’s cloak without him noticing.

The bell was small, barely audible, but it would chime with the slightest movement.

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The mage, none the wiser, teleported her again, and Serena grinned. Now she could track his every move.

The battle continued, but this time, Serena had the upper hand. Each time the mage teleported her, she could hear the faint sound of the bell ringing as he moved.

She adjusted her movements accordingly, appearing in front of him faster and faster each time, her Blitz ability allowing her to predict his patterns.

The mage’s smug expression faltered as he realized what was happening. His teleportations became more frantic, more desperate, but it was clear he was tiring.

His control over the magic was slipping, and Serena was closing in on him with every move.

Finally, in a last-ditch effort to escape, the mage teleported himself—but in his fatigue, the teleportation backfired.

He reappeared in a random part of the palace, disoriented and vulnerable.

Serena didn’t waste the opportunity.

She appeared in front of him in an instant, her tonfas swinging down with lethal force. The mage barely had time to raise his hand in defense before Serena’s strike connected, slamming into his chest with a sickening crunch.

The force of the blow sent him flying through the wall of the palace, his body crashing through the stone as he plummeted to the ground below.

Serena watched as the mage’s broken form disappeared into the darkness, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths. The fight was over.

"Disgusting," she muttered, wiping the blood from her tonfas.

"I don’t have time for these games."

Without another word, she turned and made her way back toward the lower levels of the palace. Katsuo was still fighting, but before she could make her way towards Katsuo, her legs ached in pain and she collapsed on the ground.

“It seems I overestimated myself today” she said as she writhed in pain.

The chamber echoed with the sound of steel against steel, the air thick with magical energy as Katsuo and Xanus clashed.

Xanus stood effortlessly, his expression cold and detached, while Katsuo, breathing heavily, struggled to regain his footing after another devastating blow from Xanus's rapier.

Katsuo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his muscles aching from the constant barrage of attacks.

He had been pushed around for most of the fight, with Xanus relentlessly knocking him back with a flurry of precise strikes and arcane energy. Despite the overwhelming power of his opponent, Katsuo's resolve remained unshaken.

Xanus's ethereal swords floated ominously around him, their edges gleaming with a dark, otherworldly light. He tilted his head, watching Katsuo with a mix of curiosity and disappointment.

“You’re holding back,” Xanus said, his voice calm but with an edge of impatience.

“Is this really all you can offer? I expected more from someone like you.” His rapier twirled in his hand, lazily cutting through the air.

“Am I not strong enough of a foe for you to take this fight seriously?”

Katsuo’s blue eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his sword. His opponent’s words stung, not because they questioned his strength, but because they rang with truth. He was holding back.

The truth was, he didn’t sense the same animosity from Xanus that he had felt from his other enemies. This fight didn’t feel like life and death — it felt like something else, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

Xanus sighed, his disappointment palpable. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the floating swords hurtling toward Katsuo in a synchronized attack.

The air hummed with the power of the enchanted blades, each one homing in on Katsuo with deadly precision.

Katsuo moved instinctively, his reflexes sharp as he blocked the first sword, knocking it aside with a powerful strike. The second followed immediately, and then the third, each one faster and more relentless than the last. His body ached from the repeated impacts, but he pushed through, deflecting each attack with practiced precision.

The swords buzzed around him like angry wasps, cutting through the air as Katsuo weaved and dodged. He managed to knock them away one by one, but the sheer force of the magic behind each blow drained his strength.

Finally, when the last sword clattered to the ground, Katsuo stood panting, his chest rising and falling heavily. He met Xanus’s gaze, his voice steady but tired.

“I don’t want to fight you. I don’t feel any hatred or animosity from you. You’re not like the others.”

Xanus blinked, his eyes narrowing as he studied Katsuo. “You don’t want to fight me?” His tone was flat, almost emotionless. Then, slowly, a frown formed on his face, the first real sign of emotion Katsuo had seen from him.

“How dull.”

The mage stepped back, sheathing his rapier with a graceful movement.

“I thought you might be different. I thought this fight would actually challenge me.” He turned toward the chamber’s exit, his dark cloak swirling around him as he walked away.

“But if you refuse to fight seriously, I’ll leave. I’ll go find people outside who will actually give me a good fight.”

The words sent a chill through Katsuo’s spine. Xanus’s tone was nonchalant, but the implication was horrifying.

Innocent people, defenseless citizens — they would become Xanus’s next target. His casual cruelty ignited a fire in Katsuo that he hadn’t felt before.

Katsuo’s eyes hardened, his body moving on instinct before his mind even registered what he was doing. In a flash, he dashed forward and grabbed Xanus by the shoulder, spinning him around with a forceful yank.

His fist connected squarely with Xanus’s face, the impact reverberating through his arm as the mage staggered back in surprise.

Xanus straightened slowly, touching his hand to the side of his face where Katsuo had struck him. His cold gray eyes flickered with something new — amusement. He looked at the blood on his fingertips, then back at Katsuo, his lips curling into a thin smile.

“So, there is a fighter in you after all.”

Katsuo’s voice was low, but it trembled with anger. “You’re no different from the rest of the mages. I won’t let you harm innocent people.”

Xanus’s smile widened, his expression shifting from disappointment to excitement. “Finally, Katsuo. Finally, you're showing some fire. Maybe this fight won’t be so boring after all.”

With a flourish, Xanus unsheathed his rapier once more. The air around him crackled with dark energy, his aura intensifying as the chamber filled with an oppressive, malevolent force.

The ethereal swords reappeared, circling him like a deadly storm, but this time there were more of them — dozens of shimmering blades, each one glowing with magical power.

Katsuo raised his sword, readying himself for the real battle to begin. His muscles burned with exhaustion, but his mind was sharp, focused. He had no choice now but to give everything he had. The citizens of the city depended on him.

“You wanted me to fight seriously?” Katsuo growled, his voice filled with determination.

“Then you’ve got it. Let’s finish this.”

Xanus’s grin stretched wider, his eyes gleaming with sadistic glee. “Yes… let’s.”