MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

A cataclysmic eruption reverberated through the very core of the earth as the two combatants collided at a singular, explosive point.

Mana surged in waves, volatile and ferocious, swirling in the air as dust and debris were hurled skyward, consuming the battlefield.

The mountain itself seemed to shudder under the immense pressure of their clash, the ground cracking, as if the world itself was trying to flee from the fury of their power.

Then, in a split second, they vanished, erased from the mountain's summit, a mere whisper in the storm.

Selunara, her form a blur of grace and deadly precision, launched herself forward.

Her twin daggers, gleaming, lethal, shot toward Lucian's chest and stomach simultaneously, their tips flashing with intent so sharp it could cleave through fate itself.

Yet, Lucian was no novice.

His instincts, honed through various battles, surged as he leaped into the air.

His body spun with the fluidity of a seasoned fighter, propelling him above her blades with barely a fraction of a second to spare.

His katana descended in a deadly arc, aimed directly at her throat, cutting through the air like a comet of vengeance.

But Selunara's reaction was swift, far too swift for an ordinary opponent.

It was as though she had already foreseen his every move, every breath.

Her body twisted effortlessly in midair, and with a fluid motion, her dagger met his katana, parrying the strike with a deadly grace that sent sparks crackling into the air.

Sparks flew, crackling with a ferocity that matched the fury of their duel, as the weapons met with the intensity of thunderclaps.

But in the same breath, her dagger recoiled, slashing for his neck once more, cutting through the air with a whistling sound, intent on tearing through his flesh.

Lucian's wrist twisted, his katana parrying with effortless, calculated precision.

The clash of steel echoed through the valley as he countered in an instant.

His blade sliced through the air with an ease that belied the explosive force contained within each strike.

With a surge of strength, his katana sought her exposed side, aiming to break through her guard.

But Selunara was ready.

Her second dagger was already in motion, meeting his katana with a shrieking metallic sound that resonated through the mountains.

The force of their collision was so intense it shook the very earth beneath them.

In that split second, with one dagger blocking his katana, Selunara made her move.

Her second blade, sleek, deadly, stabbed forward with the precision of a serpent's strike, aiming for the heart.

Lucian's body shifted, his footing adjusting in a mere breath to avoid the attack.

The dagger was inches from his chest, but his movements were immaculate, his survival instinct razor sharp.

His body continued its momentum, and with a sudden surge, he launched into a backflip, his feet shooting upward like an explosive force, aiming for her jaw with a brutal kick.

Selunara's eyes flashed with awareness as she reacted with uncanny speed.

In a twist of her body, she evaded the incoming strike, her figure flowing through the air like liquid, a shadow slipping past a hunter's arrow.

Then, in a heartbeat, they disengaged, two predators assessing one another, waiting for the next move.

"Not bad for a human"

Selunara's voice lilted, taunting as it echoed across the wreckage of the battle.

"But that's all you are"

As the words faded from her lips, so too did her body.

Vanishing from sight like a wisp of smoke, she reappeared behind Lucian, crouched low to the ground, poised for the kill.

In a heartbeat, she surged upward, her dagger streaking through the air with a hissing sound, aimed straight for his spine, seeking to cleave through him with relentless precision.

But the moment her dagger tore through his flesh, an instant of satisfaction, of knowing she had struck, something was terribly wrong.

No blood. No scream. No resistance.

Her heart skipped a beat as a cold chill washed over her.

No response.

The satisfaction she had felt quickly turned into confusion, and before she could react, she felt an unbearable shift in the air.

Lucian's body exploded with a force that could tear the very heavens apart, swelling outward with apocalyptic fury.

Shockwaves radiated from his form, tearing through the trees, splintering rocks, shattering mountains as if the earth itself had been struck by the hand of a god.

Dust and smoke billowed up, swallowing the world, obscuring everything within its reach.

As the dust began to settle, the figures of Lucian and Selunara could still be seen, both untouched by the destruction, standing unscathed amidst the devastation.

Selunara's mind raced.

'How?'

Her eyes narrowed, trying to understand what had just transpired.

Then she saw it, the faint shimmer of an aura barrier, dimming out as she realized too late that Lucian had switched his body with a clone.

The real Lucian was standing, calmly watching her, untouched by the devastation he had just unleashed.

'Impressive'

Lucian thought with a serene calmness.

His gaze remained fixed on Selunara.

Her abilities, though formidable, had not been enough to break his defenses.

With a flicker, shadows began to writhe around her, tendrils stretching out from her body as her racial ability activated; Absolute Duality.

Lucian's expression remained unreadable, though a flicker of amusement danced in his mind.

'Funny name. Let's see how absolute it truly is'

The shadows around her thickened, forming into a human like figure, a silhouette of darkness.

A sword manifested in the figure's hand, its eyes glowing a cold, unfeeling blue.

With a sound like a cannon shot, the two forms exploded into motion, the very air around them trembling under their incredible speed.

The ground itself seemed to buckle and groan as they surged forward, moving with a force that seemed to defy nature itself.

Lucian's eyes tracked their movements, his senses sharp and honed to perfection.

They appeared at his sides at once, both figures attacking from opposite angles, their weapons descending upon him in a deadly cross.

Aura flared around Lucian's body, coating his katana and his form in a brilliant aura of pure energy.

With a dismissive ease, he raised his katana in one fluid motion, its edge meeting the shadow's blade with blinding speed, parrying the strike effortlessly.

In that same instant, his other hand shot forward, catching the second blade with an iron grip, the aura around him pulsing like a storm.

The collision of their weapons was deafening.

An implosion of energy radiated from their clash, shattering the earth beneath them, sending shockwaves that tore through the surrounding space.

Yet, despite the devastation, none of them moved an inch.

With a growl of effort, Lucian's hand rose, muscles straining as he lifted the shadowy form with ease, throwing it aside like a ragdoll.

But there was no rest.

Before Selunara could react, Lucian was already in motion, his body a blur of speed.

His leg whipped forward like a serpent's strike, aiming directly for her temple with vicious intent.

But before the blow could land, a hand materialized out of nowhere, catching his leg with a force that froze him in place.

Lucian's gaze snapped to the shadow in the distance, still too far to reach him physically, yet close enough to defend the real Selunara.

'Another ability?'

His mind barely had time to process before a punch from Selunara, blazing with fury, was already barreling toward his midsection.

The air crackled with tension as he acted.

His body blurred, vanishing from sight with almost comical speed.

The instant his leg left the ground, her punch struck nothing but empty space.

The shockwave from the blow cracked the fabric of space itself, reverberating through the mountains with maddening force.

The sound of the strike tore through the air, the shockwaves obliterating everything in their path.

Then, before Selunara could recover, Lucian appeared behind her like a phantom.

His elbow shot forward, aimed with precision at her skull, a final, lethal blow that could shatter bone and send her into oblivion.

The wind barrier around him exploded as the attack surged forward, unstoppable, a killing strike.

But just as the attack was about to land, Lucian's eyes widened in realization.

The moment he struck, his hand phased through her body.

'What?'

His senses sharpened as the world slowed in that moment.

Selunara, or rather, her phantom, had swapped places with the real body in the last instant.

Lucian's strike passed through the apparition, his attack deflected by the deception.

The battlefield had become a stage for the greatest of illusions, and Lucian knew one thing for certain, this fight was far from over.