The next words that spilled from his mouth came from so deep within his gut that it nearly made everything he had said before seem like a lie.

"You... I'll fucking kill you."

Arnold's smile flashed again. "Oh? Is that so, Demon-Born?"

Alexander grit his teeth and dropped the sword. Before it even fell to the ground, before it clattered on the bloodied gravel, Alexander launched himself at Arnold.

Arnold was not an average magician. He was a titan under the Golden Dawn. The Titan of the Skies, at that. Now all he could do is smile to himself as he took in a sharp breath and began to think.

'Alexander Lane constantly disregards his own life. I can do anything I want to him until he reaches that. He's a child of Furcas so he must be capable of it. I believe "hatred" will be enough to bring it out. If killing the two in front of him didn't trigger it... then I'll just have to kill more. After all... his friends must be trying to find him by now.'

Arnold's teeth once again flashed in his twisted grin as he pushed his hands together. As soon as they separated, pale yellow light began to glow from his palms.

Alexander's thoughts ran rampant even as he ran towards his enemy. His accelerated mind focused on the opaque energy on Arnold's hands. It was light, he realized.

But Arnold had just used lightning magic, hadn't he?

This only served as confirmation to Alexander. The Titan could use both lightning and light. Two of the trickiest forms of magic happened to be the ones in Arnold's power.

Alexander had thought and considered this in the time it took for him to take another step.

But the truth was... Arnold's magic didn't lie in a multitude of affinities. The Titan only bore a single affinity. That magic of his... was the magic of the sky. Wind and water, light and lightning, the clouds themselves, the very sky- It was all in his palm.

That's why Arnold Norr was bestowed with the title of Titan. The Titan of the Skies.

The golden magic was wrapped around his very fingers. And the light in his hands shifted, molded itself into a thin whip.

Alexander had no time to reflect upon his battle with Arnhild, and what he witnessed with the same attack. The whip extended for meters, sliding past and through entire trees as Arnold swung it, lashing it at Alexander.

The Demon-Born slid on the ground to evade it, launching himself back up as soon as Arnold was in his range. His fists were already clenched as his swift movements were brought to a halt, launching a punch at Arnold Norr.

The Titan practically slithered in the air, dodging each of Alexander's rapid punches and palm strikes and kicks by stepping back and weaving his body to each side.

Alexander Lane fought like a beast, each strike being dealt with the singular intention to kill. No, maybe a demon would be a better descriptor. It was taking everything he had to dodge Arnold's lethal attacks, to keep up with Arnold's rapid movements, and to create his own attacks in the process.

But to Arnold Norr... This was nothing more than a dance.

The Titan grinned and snapped his fingers. In an instant, the shining light that illuminated the inside of the woods disappeared. He had only stopped moving for a second and Alexander pummelled his fist into the Titan's chest.

The impact reverberated into his chest, vibrating into his ribcage and forcing out the air from his lungs.

Arnold's boots skidded against bloodied mud and gravel. He turned to the ground.

The two fighters now stood on the death site of Morgana and Tauren.

Alexander stamped his foot into the ground and slid it across the gravel. That gliding impact forced his sword up from the ground, floating just long enough for Alexander to catch it. And as soon as he did... He slid his arm downward and slammed it into Arnold.

The Titan blocked the dirtied blade with his forearm as it tore past his layers of clothes. But just one thing surprised him. He had actually shed blood.

Arnold Norr wasn't the pinnacle of physical fortitude. In fact, Alexander's attacks had already drawn a bit of blood from him. But a simple, weak blade like this...

'Yes, that's it,' he realized. Alexander Lane was the dangerous one. He couldn't help but smile.

Alexander drew it back, readying another attack. But in that fraction of a second, Arnold disappeared.

The next place where his magic energy flared was dozens of meters away. The Titan stood atop the cave beside Alexander, light once again gleaming from his hands. The Titan's face was spread apart with a smile as cool wind pushed his stark white hair to the side.

Another whip of light burst from his hands and streamed into the air, slicing through and past more trees. With each cut and slash, more sunlight began to peer down the rooftop of the forest, cascading with golden light.

Jumping up to evade the attack, Alexander grit his teeth. He launched the blade away, driving itself into a nearby tree as his feet skid through the ground with his impact. Alexander let out a breath through his teeth and glared at Arnold.

Alexander gripped the whip of light in his hands before Arnold could attack again. And he began to pull.

The whip was still entangled around Arnold's fingers and wrapped around his hand. But...

Alexander grasped the whip of light and pulled it forth. After all, his attacks could only work if there was less distance between them. He pulled with every ounce of strength in his bones, his muscles tightening as he yanked it towards him.

'This kid's serious.'

Arnold stopped the flow of his energy into the spell. It only took an instant for the whip of light began to dissolve into the air, flakes of light streaming into the sky. But Alexander only gripped it tighter, unleashing an outpour of magic energy, resolidifying it instantly.

Arnold's smile widened. 'He solidified it to pull me closer to him!'

Arnold had already begun to lose his footing. But with his own magic energy...

Spikes flashed from within the light, piercing through Alexander's hands, once, twice, thrice in each hand. But... Alexander didn't let go. He pulled with every ounce of strength in his body, pulling Arnold down at him.

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It wasn't audible, but Arnold's laugh rang out in his own head as he crashed down to the ground.

Alexander was already in front of him by the time the Titan fell from the skies. He drove his fist into Arnold's face just before he impacted the ground. The Titan of the Sky dashed back towards the cave, blood beginning to spew from his nose. Arnold's eyes scanned over the holes in Alexander's hands as he lumbered forth. "Excellent, excellent," he said with a smile. "Most people would've just let go."

Alexander remained silent.

Alexander's arm swayed before he raised it back up, clenching his fist. More and more blood flowed out of the holes in his hand, but he didn't even flinch at that disgusting pain.

"I see now..." Arnold mumbled to himself. He began to smile. "You're controlling the magic energy in your blood to change its flow and prevent blood loss- or should I say death from blood loss? A brilliant strategy!"

And still, Alexander didn't respond. Within his relentless hatred and anger, he only shut his fists and readied himself to fight. It didn't matter who Arnold was. Vice-Commander, Titan of the Sky, High-Grade... All that mattered to Alexander was bringing him down. To attack even if he's attacked. To kill... even if he's killed.

A singular thought echoed in his head.

'I'll kill him.'

Arnold was a ranged warrior. All of his attacks, each of his spells were done and used from meters upon meters away. Even if that was his expertise, he clearly had an arsenal of all kinds of attacks at his disposal. So why was he keeping his distance?

Was it fear of Alexander? Or just a mannerism gained from experience?

Alexander didn't care. He launched himself towards the Titan. No matter how long it took... 'Even if it takes a hundred or a thousand times, I'll take him down! I'm going to crush him!'

Pure magic energy was already circulating around Alexander's arm. He slammed his fists into the ground, and launched dirt and stones and dust into the air.

'He's blocking my vision,' Arnold noted. 'So quick-witted. A natural fighter, at that.'

Alexander burst through the veil of dirt and stone mist, pummeling his fist into Arnold's chest. Droplets of blood danced in the air from both fighters.

Alexander attacked relentlessly, forcing massive amounts of magic energy through his hits, strengthening each and every one of them. Each of his punches tore through the air, leaving shockwaves through the forest.

Arnold was now pressed against the stone wall of the cavern. The wall cracked under the weight of Alexander's fist as he continued to push Arnold back. With Alexander pummelling his fist into Arnold's gut yet again, congealed blood shot out through his teeth.

But that didn't matter to Arnold. Not at all. He danced away until it was Alexander who was against the stone wall. His fluid motions were practically unnoticed by the Demon-Born who wallowed in bloodthirst.

So, Arnold could only smile. He drove his hand into Alexander's chest, impaling him at the side of his shoulder.

Alexander's body slumped over.

The forest fell silent and the magic energy died down.

"I was aiming for your heart," Arnold proclaimed. "But your movements were precise to the point that it's impressive. You redirected my strike, all to create an opening and try to kill me. Defending and counterattacking within the same second," he said. "But it didn't do much, now did it? Now you're out of a shoulder and a lung."

He wiggled his crimson-drenched hand in Alexander's wound. Arnold raised his arm. He stood nearly a head taller than the Demon-Born, so now Alexander's feet were dangling above the ground.

And there was no response to be heard. Arnold smiled. "Unconscious on impact, huh? Even after all that, it seems you just weren't that strong. If I leave you here, you'll just die on your own. So how about-"

His words were cut off as Alexander slowly raised his head. His eyes were shining with a pale white light, glowing like stars.

'What the hell?' Arnold asked himself. His confusion didn't spring from the sight of Alexander's white eyes. He was expecting that, after all. That confusion came from the depths of his gut. It was unease, swirling in his stomach. A feeling he hadn't felt enough times in his life.

The tendons in Alexander's arm were barely holding themselves together. The impact of an entire hand had run through his shoulder and destroyed practically everything in that singular spot. But Alexander...

He shakily raised his left arm and grabbed Arnold's collar. Blood was already dripping through his teeth and down his chin. Even so, he spoke, his voice hoarse and raspy. "I told you, didn't I?"

"I'll fucking kill you."

Ever since Arnold's hit, Alexander had been accumulating energy into his free arm, with a pale blue glow condensing onto his fist.

And with his right arm...

Alexander cocked his fist back, before driving it into Arnold's face. The gargantuan force pummeled Arnold through entire trees and launched him across the ground.

The Titan spat out a multitude of tired, shocked breaths. Again, he asked himself, 'What the hell was that?' Arnold was still on the ground as he stared at his hands. Blood dripped down, leaked onto them. His own blood.

And as he struggled to push himself back up, he noticed the blood dripping and spewing from not just his nose, but his mouth and the side of his forehead. 'What's with that strength? And with barely any buildup? This kid's a monster.'

It wasn't just a few drops like his bleeding nose from earlier. It was a pool, a torrent of flowing crimson.

Arnold finally looked back up at Alexander's glowing eyes.

Despite the blood that began leaking from all over his face, Arnold smiled once again.

"There it is," he muttered, pressing his hand against the ground and finally pushing himself back up.

The sight of swirling white eyes was all he focused on before Alexander appeared before him.

The Demon-Born grabbed Arnold's head, slamming his own head into the Asgardian's face. Alexander pulled back, slamming his head again. And again. And again.

Arnold dropped to the ground. Alexander drove his leg into his stomach. Again. And again. And again. Even so... Arnold's smile didn't fade. Neither did his thoughts. 'Such explosive growth. I'm so, so glad.'

"But it's incomplete," he mumbled to himself.

After all, the light in Alexander's eyes faded in just a second. It wasn't controllable.

And with Alexander's next attack, his drawn-back fist, Arnold only sighed. Arnold caught the energy-wrapped fist, his golden eyes glistening under the sun he had been avoiding. "Now..." Arnold mumbled.

The flick of his finger impacted Alexander's chest.

The Demon-Born flew through the air and crashed into the thick trunks of wood in the forest. Blood spewed through his grit teeth with the impact. His bones ached as he forced his arms to prop him up, just as his legs trembled as he urged himself to stand.

Alexander slowly brought himself back up, his left arm hanging and swaying in his destroyed shoulder. He shut his fist and raised it with his shoulder. Pure energy wrapped itself around his fist, pure magic being drawn in from the surrounding nature. The dense power in his arm glimmered with a pale blue tint.

But that wasn't what caught Arnold's attention. Once again, Alexander raised his head, revealing the glow in his eyes. A pale light, shining like stars as he lumbered forward.

Storm clouds began to rhythmically crackle overhead just as Arnold stood back up. His golden eyes met Alexander's. "Yes," he mumbled, staring into the glow of the white abyss. Louder this time, he repeated, "Yes!"

He swallowed his saliva. "Yes!" he shouted, his grin widening as he raised his voice.

"Entertain me, Alexander Lane!"

Before the Demon-Born took another step forward... Before another drop of blood fell from the Titan's lips... A voice pierced through the forest.

"Alexander!" Anastasia called.

All six of the Virtues were rushing towards him. Bruised, battered, and bleeding. But they were heading towards him. And as soon as he turned to them, the light from Alexander's eyes quickly faded.

Liam, Gabriel, Anastasia- Each of the Virtues had weapons drawn, attacks prepared, and the will to keep on fighting.

With his coat sleeve, Arnold wiped the blood off his mouth and stared at Alexander and at the quickly approaching Virtues. "I see," he muttered. "What a marvelous idea." Once again, the Asgardian smiled.

"Atlas! We're all finished over here!" he shouted into the forest.

Alexander immediately spun back at Arnold. A thin, hollow circle of darkness had already appeared behind Arnold. He took a single step inside, before facing Alexander.

"No!" Alexander shouted. He dashed forward and ripped out the blade he had dug into the tree. Veins bulged and magic energy exploded in his arm as he reversed the sword's grip and bolted towards Arnold.

"I'll kill you!" he cried.

Arnold licked his lips as he once again met Alexander with his golden gaze. "Look at that," he said, still smiling. "A corpse is talking."

Alexander shot his arm backward. And he launched the sword at Arnold with all the strength in his body.

Arnold stepped through. With a ripple of darkness, the Connection shut and the Titan of the Skies disappeared. Chunks of stone burst from the cavern wall with the sword's impact.

"No!" the Demon-Born shouted out as he forced himself to a halt. A single second later, Alexander fell to his knees again and let out an anguished howl. Nervous droplets of sweat mixed with blood as they dripped to the ground.

He stared at his hands. They were stained with blood. His, Arnold's, and Morgana's.

"No..." he repeated.

"Alexander!" Anastasia's voice called again as the Virtues finally arrived.

But it was too late, Alexander realized, before his vision went black and his body collapsed to the ground.