Chapter 455: Ninety-Fifth Floor, Phantom of the Predecessor (2)
[Annihilate the Phantom of the Predecessor. Time remaining: 2 hours 54 minutes.]
Breathing was one of the most vital elements in battle. It could seem trivial, but the way one regulated it determined the strength they could unleash. After trading so many strikes in the span of moments, my breaths were coming out short, ragged, and without rhythm. Kalain was no different. Each time our weapons collided, our harsh breaths tangled chaotically in the air.
Our domains clashed in much the same way. The divinity we radiated slammed together, gold against black, mingling, colliding, and unraveling with each impact.
He is formidable.
From that first brief exchange alone, I realized that the ninety-fifth floor wouldn’t end quickly. Of course, I knew that the higher I climbed, the harder the trials became. Interestingly, Kalain’s phantom wasn’t as strong as Eternal Feast—who had even wielded causality—despite the restrictions placed upon him.
Despite that, Eternal Feast and I hadn’t had what I would call a “proper fight.”
In terms of raw strength, he clearly surpassed me, but he wasn’t as skilled.
Though he had pushed me back with every strike, I had exploited an opening and claimed his life. Kalain was different. His swordmanship rivaled my axemanship, and his strength was no less formidable. In truth, he was far more deadly than Eternal Feast. I couldn’t expect him to falter due to setbacks like Eternal Feast had. With capabilities akin to my own, I wasn’t even certain that the Heart Sword would prevail against him.
The edge of his blade brushed my nape as he thrust heavily. I slipped aside and ducked swiftly in anticipation of the follow-up strike.
As expected.
Kalain twisted his wrist, turning the thrust into a slash. The back of my bowed head prickled as a chill ran down my back. I raised my axe in a diagonal sweep. Though he had caught me off balance, the strike was too close for me to evade.
Seeing that his attack had failed, Kalain spun, flipping backward into a somersault. He lashed out his foot with lethal precision and grazed my chin. Tearing through the air, it swept past my face.