Nameless King

For a long time it was quiet around the Shining Tree, but as soon as Wain and Virion began to fight powerful waves of energy began to attract powerful monsters that gradually headed toward the tree.

...

A flaming vortex with violent lightning bolts was heading straight for Wain, but it was as if he wasn't paying attention to it at all as his gaze passed through the vortex, heading straight for Virion.

'What...? Why is he so calm...? My runes definitely had a strong effect on his ice, shouldn't that have weakened him?' Virion inwardly muttered as his eyes went wide.

'Hahaha, this idiot thinks a few hot rocks can get rid of my ice? Wain, it's time to show our seriousness!' Cursed Swordsman exclaimed with an excited look as his aura intensified.

Wain took a deep breath, stepped forward, and with a calm look blew out an incredibly cold vapor that seemed to be able to freeze even space.

Though the heat from the vortex was terrifying, it rapidly began to slow down as particles of flame froze right on the move, turning into plain ice.

'What the hell...? How can he freeze fire?! It's fucking impossible! At the very least, a fire should just evaporate!' Virion internally exclaimed with an angry look as suddenly he realized what was happening and his eyes went wide, 'Shit... That bastard is not freezing the fire, but energy... But how...? It's only possible if his energy is an order of magnitude greater than mine...'

Step.

Wain took a step forward as his eyes flashed and when his foot touched the ground all around him were covered in lines of ice. They spread like threads of spider's web around him, covering the entire top of the glowing tree.

"You possess two attributes, and surely you think you can defeat me, for though I have many powers, none of them are at their peak, do you?" Wain uttered in a piercing voice as his gaze became as cold as ancient glaciers, "However, you shouldn't underestimate me, especially if you want to take my power."

Whoooooooooosh.

The runes on the sword shone brightly as they transformed into a stream of cold energy that swept over Virion like a wave, destroying its vortex with ease.

"Damn it!" Virion exclaimed as his ring glowed brightly and four more flaming runes appeared next to it.

Virion created two streams of flames in front of him, so the temperature next to him rose almost instantly to a breaking point, burning even the air and making it look like a mirage. All that was needed to stop Wain's single attack.

Shoooooosh!

A wave of ice met fire as it began to explode, filling the entire room with it. Virion was an experienced fighter, so even in such a dangerous situation he managed to calculate correctly and his heat was enough to deal with all the ice.

'Agh... That hurt like hell!' Virion internally exclaimed while holding onto his right arm which was partially covered in ice, 'But... I was able to block his attack. He definitely used a lot of energy, so now it's my turn!

Whoooooooosh.

Suddenly the steam in front of Virion dissipated as Wain appeared in front of him. His gaze was calm as though nothing significant had happened and he was ready to attack again.

"Hey, aren't you tired already?" Wain muttered with an emotionless expression as the blade of his sword flashed and his hand turned into a blur.

Crackling.

The icy sword came down on Virion with tremendous speed as he managed to take only one step to the side. Virion instinctively tried to move his hand as far away as possible, but the sword blade only left a long, deep cut on his shoulder that immediately froze, preventing blood from gushing out.

Virion was mad as hell, as rage burned inside him like the hottest flame. He wanted to tear Wain apart as the years passed since he had last been wounded. However, he had just enough of a heartbeat to take control of his emotions and instead of attacking, retreat.

'Hmm...? Was he able to calm down so quickly? Damn, judging by the look on his face he's furious, but he did the right thing. Well, I should have expected nothing less from such a dangerous opponent, right?' Wain wondered before swinging his sword again.

He directed an icy cross toward Virion that hurtled toward him at great speed.

Virion had a few more flame runes, but he didn't use them. Instead, he looked at his wound with a multi-digit expression and whispered, "Well, looks like the first round is on you. I couldn't beat your ice, I admit... but it's only the beginning."

Whoooooooosh.

Virion's aura intensified considerably as the ice around the cut quickly melted and the wound began to heal. At the same time, massive streams of fire appeared around Virion, completely covering his body.

'Oh... Looks like he's decided to get serious, doesn't it?' Wain muttered to himself, canceled the action of the form, and created a barrier of dense darkness in front of him.

For a few moments, the temperature around Virion reached its limit as the icy blades evaporated just in a blink.

The streams of flame vanished while the steam slowly dissipated, revealing Virion's new appearance.

A wreath appeared on his head with a pulsing line of energy as his hair grew a little longer and got a faint glow at the tips. The runes on his robes became scriptural as several symbols hovered around him, each with a unique, incomparable aura.

White flames covered his right arm, fitting tightly around it like a veil, while his left was covered by white lightning, powerful and violent.

"Decided to use your a Beyond? Hah, looks like I'm winning already. You'll never beat me at this rate." Wain grinned in a mocking way.

"Yeah... I hate to admit it, but it's true. However, I'm not going to lose." Virion muttered with a calm look as he selected one of the symbols. It glowed brightly as the others headed toward the robe, waiting for their turn.

Step.

Then, Virion stepped forward and the ground beneath him cracked as if he weighed as much as a mountain.