Zaren began to lose his temper but quickly regained his composure. He started charging his attack, gathering all the dark energy around him. "Julicious, your time is up!" Zaren shouted, looking at Julicious, and launched his attack.
The dark energy took the form of a semi-solid slash. The attack connected with its target, and the area was engulfed in smoke and dust. As the dust began to settle, Zaren saw Julicious smiling at his actions. Julicious slowly moved his right hand back. Zaren was shocked and confused but quickly recovered.
Julicious closed his left hand into a fist, and the dark thunder disappeared as a result. "Why... if you can, then why..." Zaren muttered in shock, but he quickly regained his calmness and started dodging Julicious's attacks. "Zaren, what is that strange energy? Is this what's causing all of this?"
Zaren started thinking while dodging. "Only a mistake... just a single mistake, Julicious." Zaren was pushed back. After a few minutes of retreating, Zaren found the opportunity he had been waiting for. "There it is..." Zaren said. In a fraction of a second, Zaren released all his energy and closed the gap between them. Zaren moved his sword, and a clink sound filled the area. Zaren quickly moved in for another clink, another clink, clink, clink. The area echoed with the same sound over and over. Despite Zaren closing in, Julicious didn't yield ground and stood still.
Julicious spoke a word for the very first time during their battle. "Pathetic." Zaren didn't react and rushed forward. This time, Zaren used his physical blade to attack Julicious. Zaren suddenly burst with energy; his speed and reflexes increased significantly. Julicious missed him by a hair's breadth, but clink. Julicious blocked his attack.
Zaren was successful in his attempt; he had closed the distance between them. Zaren started to push his blade further. His blade began to move slowly towards Julicious's heart, but Julicious quickly pulled it back and blocked another of his attacks. Zaren released something, but it was too late.
The battlefield shook with the sound of clink. Zaren's body was breathing heavily, but Julicious hadn't even moved a finger the entire time. Zaren used all his remaining energy in a final strike and attacked Julicious. Zaren's leg muscles were injured, and the majority of them were strained by the force, but his attacks were incredibly fast and powerful – two hundred strikes in just a few seconds.
Julicious easily dodged and parried the first few strikes, but as time passed, the power behind each strike only grew. However, the main problem was its speed. On the thirty-fourth strike, Julicious was late by a few nanoseconds but managed to shift the trajectory of the attack. The forty-eighth strike connected, but Julicious moved his head, resulting in a cut on his cheek. Zaren's speed only increased. The fifty-sixth strike connected in his chest, leaving a large diagonal cut.
Julicious moved a few steps back, spitting blood, but Zaren didn't stop for even a moment. Zaren quickly moved forward and continued his assault. After a few minutes, Julicious's entire body was covered in thousands of cuts. The majority of the cuts were minor, some were deep, and there were more than two hundred cuts so deep they revealed his flesh. Fortunately, only twenty cuts were in his vital areas.
Zaren slowly moved back and began to take deep breaths. He tightened his teeth against the pain but quickly calmed himself. Zaren looked towards Julicious, who was still standing in his position. "Now tell me who is pathetic... You were too eager to judge someone by how they were made in th..." Zaren quickly moved a few steps back. "What was that?" Zaren looked at Julicious, whose body was still standing there.
Zaren slowly started moving towards Julicious but hesitated for a moment. He swallowed his fear and extended his arms. His arms touched Julicious, but nothing happened. Zaren started giggling and looked at Julicious in anger, but after some time, he decided to move back to meet Xenthiour.
"It was quite easy; I didn't expect it to be this easy." Zaren turned and started moving towards Xenthiour's camp. After traveling for some time, he turned his head to see Julicious still standing in the same position. Zaren thought for a moment and then continued moving. He slowly turned his head once again and stopped. After thinking for a few more minutes, he started heading back towards Xenthiour.
Zaren's feet froze in fear. He slowly turned and looked towards Julicious, apprehension gripping him. Zaren considered something and slowly, slowly moved towards Julicious. He quickly moved a few steps back and then looked at Julicious. Zaren took a deep breath to calm himself. "Okay... okay, that was his blood," his voice shaking with fear, his breath uneven from the sudden movements.
Zaren quickly moved closer and closer, bringing his ear near Julicious's heart. Before Zaren could hear a heartbeat, he heard something else. "Snore?" Zaren said in fear and looked at Julicious, quickly getting ready to fight. Zaren stabbed his blade into Julicious's body, but it wouldn't pierce his skin.
Zaren tried his best to pierce his body, but his blade wouldn't move even a bit. "What is happening?" Zaren tried to push his blade with all his power, but it had no effect. Zaren looked towards Julicious, who was still standing as if nothing had happened.
Julicious opened his eyes and stretched his arms with a big yawn. He looked towards Zaren. "Who are you, and what are you doing?" He looked around him and asked in confusion, "What is this place? Where am I? And who are you?" he asked Zaren.
Zaren, confused, looked at his blade and then at Julicious. Julicious followed his gaze and saw that Zaren was trying to stab him. Zaren's blade was trapped in mid-air, just a few centimeters away from Julicious's body. Julicious looked at Zaren in confusion, but Zaren was sweating with fear.
Zaren looked once again at his hands and tried to pull his blade out but failed. He slowly looked at Julicious's face, which was looking cluelessly back at him. Zaren again looked at his hand and then at Julicious.
But before he could process what was happening, his head started to hurt, and he was sent flying a few meters.
Fortunately for him, the impact freed his sword, and he tried to stand. "Where did that power come from?" Zaren looked towards Julicious, who was observing his surroundings, and then he looked towards Zaren. Their eyes met. Zaren started to sweat, took his fighting stance, and prepared himself for the battle.