We moved at the same time, without any hesitation.
My sword met his axe in a direct impact that made the surrounding air tremble violently.
This time, there was no room for analysis or restraint.
All that existed in that moment was raw strength against raw strength.
The pressure increased.
Every strike I unleashed was answered with an even heavier one.
He no longer retreated—and neither did I.
The pace of the fight reached a point where any mistake would mean immediate defeat.
My breathing started to grow heavy, but my mind remained clear.
I attacked in sequence, trying to break through his defense with speed.
He blocked, twisted his body, and counterattacked with absurd force.
I tilted my sword and managed to deflect part of the impact, but I was still pushed back several meters.
I didn't stop.
I used the momentum to advance again.
My mana was at its continuous limit, reinforcing every movement.
The armor reacted along with me, expanding even further the power I could use.
I could clearly feel I was stronger than a few minutes ago.
Even so, it still wasn't enough.
He advanced.
The axe came down with a speed I could barely follow.
I raised my sword at the last moment and blocked.
The impact ran through my entire arm, making my muscles tremble.
Before I could react, the second attack came.
I dodged it by a hair.
The third hit me.
My body was launched again, this time with more violence.
I rolled across the sand until I managed to stop, feeling the weight of the impact echo inside me.
My vision wavered for an instant, but I forced my body to respond.
I stood up.
I took a deep breath.
He didn't immediately advance.
He simply watched me, as if evaluating how far I could still go.
"You're pushing your limit," he said.
I gripped my sword tighter.
"That's how you win," I replied.
He smiled slightly.
Then his presence changed.
It wasn't just an increase in strength.
It was something deeper.
The energy around him began to distort, as if space itself was being compressed.
The sand around him slowly pulled away, unable to remain close.
I understood immediately.
He still hadn't shown everything.
His body began to expand slightly, muscles tightening with intensity.
Dark veins appeared along his arms, and his surrounding aura became denser, more aggressive.
"We've reached the right point," he said.
His voice was heavier.
"Now I will also fight without limits."
The transformation completed in a few seconds.
His presence increased drastically.
Much more than before.
My body reacted automatically, raising my mana to the maximum to withstand the pressure.
Even so, I felt the difference in weight.
He disappeared.
And reappeared in front of me in the next instant.
The attack came.
I couldn't fully follow it.
I raised my sword by reflex, but the impact broke through my defense easily.
My body was thrown backward with far greater force than before, hitting the ground and opening a crater around me.
The pain came immediately.
More intense.
My breathing faltered for a second.
I tried to stand, but my body responded more slowly.
He was in front of me again.
"That's the difference," he said.
I clenched my teeth.
Not yet.
It still wasn't over.
I forced my body to move.
I stood up.
My mana was still active.
My armor still responded.
My sword was still steady.
I took another deep breath.
And then I decided.
There was no more room to hold anything back.
I activated everything.
My mana exploded outward, increasing abruptly.
The armor responded, shining with even greater intensity.
My entire body was wrapped in that energy.
And then I activated the blessing.
The world changed.
The moment the power manifested, everything around me slowed down.
My perception increased drastically.
His presence, which had felt overwhelming before, could now be clearly understood.
My strength rose.
Far beyond what I had been using until then.
He noticed.
And smiled.
"So you finally reached that."
I didn't respond.
I moved.
My speed was on another level now.
The distance between us vanished instantly.
My sword cut through the air with absolute precision.
He tried to block, but this time it wasn't perfect.
The impact forced him back—for the first time.
I didn't stop.
I attacked again.
And again.
Each strike carried all the power I could release in that state.
He blocked, evaded, but could no longer maintain the same stability as before.
The fight changed.
Now it was continuous pressure—mine.
He responded with full strength, counterattacking with equally devastating blows.
Even with the blessing active, I still had to defend properly.
Every impact was heavy, but now I could withstand it.
Time was passing.
I knew it.
I couldn't waste it.
I focused my energy even further.
My sword began to shine with increasing intensity.
All my mana was being channeled into a single point.
He noticed.
And increased his pressure as well.
His attacks became faster, more violent, trying to stop me from completing it.
I blocked, dodged, and advanced anyway.
Nothing else mattered.
Only that moment.
Only that strike.
My mind became completely focused.
I thought of everything I needed to protect.
Of everyone who was counting on me.
And then I finished it.
All my energy was concentrated.
My sword reached its limit.
I moved forward.
The strike was unleashed.
The blade met his axe with absolute force.
The impact created an explosion of energy that spread across the entire area, destroying what remained of the terrain.
The sound was dry.
Direct.
His axe couldn't withstand it.
A crack appeared.
And expanded.
Until it completely shattered.
The blade continued.
Piercing through his defense.
Striking his body.
The impact sent the Second General flying backward violently, carving a deep trail in the sand until he finally stopped at a distance.
I stood still.
Breathing heavily.
Feeling my body approaching its limit.
But it wasn't over yet.
I knew it.
And so did he.
His presence was still there.
Even after that blow.
Weaker.
But still alive.
I raised my sword again.
My time was running out.
If I didn't finish this now, I wouldn't get another chance.
I stepped forward.
Ready to end that battle once and for all.