New World - A New Beginning

JAY CADMIUM'S POV:

I stood on the fresh grass of the untouched plains, a girl with golden hair facing me. My eyes glanced toward the towering walls of Auroria, the impenetrable defense littered with multicolored dots.

I sighed. It seemed like the news of the duel had somehow been leaked to the general population of Auroria, and everyone eagerly awaited the fight to see how it would play out.

The most powerful Dragon against the most powerful human. Two individuals who stood at the epitome of power within Auroria were about to exchange blows, and it would ultimately determine Imania's interference in the war.

The terms of victory and defeat remained undisclosed, and as far as the spectators were aware, this was simply a settling of disputes between both Jean and me. I could feel the anticipation brewing inside Jean's heart, an excitement that roared deep within both of us.

For the first time in decades, the two individuals who had faced off in another world were finally meeting each other on the battlefield once more. Even if this duel wasn't going to prove fatal for either of us, we would both go all-out, attempting to destroy our opponent with the entirety of our power.

A massive surge of bind erupted around me as lightning crackled uncontrollably, my eyes swirling with energy as two distinct blades appeared in my hands. I watched as Jean opened a rift, pulling out a thin rapier from the void.

I smiled, the weapon similar to what she had used back on Earth.

"Here I come, One," I said, readying myself.

The earth cracked below me as I dashed towards Jean, appearing beside her in an instant. The girl smiled, calmly raising her blade as sparks flew from the clash of our weapons.

"Lightning, huh?" she murmured, grinning.

Jean's rapier glowed a bright yellow, absorbing bind as an uncontrollable energy blast pulsed outward from the blade. I flew back from the attack, gritting my teeth from the burn marks on my skin.

The ability to control your opponent, forcing them to dance in the palm of your hand during the entirety of the fight. That was what Holy bind specialized in, and it was something that Jean had mastered to its full potential during her time in Auroria.

I flinched as Jean materialized right in front of me, her speed on par with even my own. I raised both my weapons in a defensive stance as the girl charged up an attack, releasing her rapier forward with blinding speed.

BOOM

My feet dug into the ground as I attempted to slow myself down, binding the earth around me to shield me from the world.

I looked up, realizing Jean was simply getting started. She whipped her rapier downward elegantly, preparing for a second attack.

I launched myself at the S-rank, attempting to force her into a defensive stance. My arms extended forward, a small orb of fire detonating a few centimels away from Jean's body. I leaped into the air, tracking her position as I plummeted toward her like a living comet.

The girl raised her rapier valiantly, a golden flower made of pure bind blooming at the tip of her rapier. I crossed my arms, manipulating the flow of wind around me as I suddenly changed direction, avoiding the massive beam of light that shot forth from the pool of energy.

My body dematerialized momentarily, becoming a flash of lightning as I crashed down onto Jean's position.

BOOM

The shockwave from the attack ruptured the air around us, waves of bind bursting forth from the impact as they spread across the area. My eyes widened in surprise, realizing that Jean had simply put forth a golden shield around herself.

So this is what Amelia meant by a battle of attrition...

I took a moment to examine my body, cuts, and burns visible through the cuts on my black shirt. My armor remained generally unscathed, but my unprotected upper-body was feeling the consequences of being unprotected at the cost of more speed and agility.

I could tell Jean was surprised by the number of elements I had demonstrated during the fight, a total count of four already being apparent, with one of them being an advanced element.

Sparks of lightning shot forth from my body as I appeared in front of Jean, the girl already prepared for my attack. I smiled, freezing the ground beneath me as I watched my opponent momentarily lose balance.

BOOM

I shot myself right into her body, sending Jean flying back at a terrifying speed. A sick crack echoed across the valley, the girl's breastplate shattering from the blow.

"Five elements," she muttered in disbelief, wondering if I was still holding back my trump card.

Jean got up slowly, her eyes exploding with golden energy as she healed the wounds on her body.

"Seriously?" I whispered to myself. No matter how much I managed to hurt her, all it took was a small break in the fight for her to completely revitalize her physical condition and stamina. I felt the proud gaze of thousands of civilians, all of them watching in awe as their heroic S-rank miraculously recuperated every wound she had received during the clash.

It was clear that I was now at a major disadvantage, and the only way I'd be able to beat Jean was by taking her out in one decisive blow. I stood up confidently, igniting the neutral bind around me. Spheres of pure flames roared above my head, immediately locking onto their target as they zipped toward Jean.

The Holy knight raised her rapier, conjuring another wall of bind in preparation for the attack. I launched myself toward her, following the trajectory of my fireballs as I suddenly vaulted forward, slamming my hand into the ground.

A wave of water gushed forth, vaporizing the projectiles in a quiet sizzle as a soft coat of steam covered the field.

I dashed forward, electrifying every cell in my body as I felt myself burning up from the overuse of lightning.

I was only able to make out Jean's shocked expression through the mist as words escaped my mouth.

"Release Spirit."

Phoenix glowed a bright red, flames covering the blade as I brought it down onto Jean's defensive wall. The crimson fire following the movement of the sword as they crashed right into the swirling golden energy.

BOOM

A glimmer of hope arose within me as a crack appeared in the shield of bind, the fissure spreading across the entirety of the defensive line. Jean winced as her blockade of bind broke, the full force of Phoenix slamming right onto her thin rapier.

BOOM

The girl was sent tumbling back, creating a fissure in the earth. I eyed the battered girl, my blade hissing from the sheer heat of my strike.

Jean got up, dashing towards me immediately.

She's fine?!

I raised my weapons in vain, the S-rank slamming right into me as her rapier dug into my gut. I coughed out blood, my mind going blank from the pain. I plummeted into the ground, my eyes watching in horror as Jean radiated with a golden aura.

This was more than simply healing her wounds. She was raising her physical limits, transcending the barrier of what was humanly possible for an individual without the element of lightning.

I coughed out blood, my legs barely being able to support my weight as I attempted to regain my balance. I raised my head, meeting Jean's gaze as she finished her spell.

There was no way I could beat her without using the full extent of my powers. I had done everything that I was able to achieve alone, but that wasn't the way I was meant to fight in this world.

To fight alongside the princess I had sworn to protect, to merge our powers together, to achieve a kind of strength that was impossible for one single individual to wield, that was how I would beat my rival.

Help me one more time, Asthia.

"Integrate."