Ethan sidestepped Lucien's dagger, feeling the dark energy humming dangerously close to his skin. His opponent was fast—faster than the average awakened—but Ethan's instincts had been sharpened through countless battles. He pivoted, bringing his knee up to strike, but Lucien twisted his body at the last second, barely dodging the blow.
A gust of wind howled through the underground chamber as one of Lucien's allies launched an air-compressed projectile toward Ethan. He reacted instantly, ducking low to let the attack sail past him before using the momentum to propel himself forward.
Iron Stride Activated.
His foot slammed into the ground, and his speed surged. He shot past Lucien, closing in on the wind user, who barely had time to react before Ethan's fist crashed into his stomach. A gasp of pain escaped the student's lips as he was sent flying, crashing into the stone wall with a sickening thud.
The fire user took a step back, his hands glowing with violent flames. He launched a barrage of fireballs, forcing Ethan to weave through them with inhuman agility.
But he wasn't just dodging.
He was studying.
The fire user's stance wavered slightly with every attack, revealing an opening in his rhythm. Ethan smirked. Found it.
The moment he saw an opening, he moved. In the blink of an eye, he was behind the fire user. A sharp elbow to the back of the head sent the student crumpling to the ground, unconscious.
That left only Lucien.
Ethan turned to face him, rolling his shoulders as if the fight had been nothing more than a warm-up. "Is this all Aldric's followers have to offer?"
Lucien growled, his grip tightening on his dagger. "You're too arrogant."
He lunged.
Ethan remained still.
At the last moment, as the dagger aimed straight for his throat, he raised his hand and caught Lucien's wrist in an iron grip. Lucien's eyes widened in shock.
Then, with effortless ease, Ethan twisted.
CRACK.
Lucien screamed as his wrist snapped under Ethan's strength, the dagger falling uselessly to the ground. Before he could recover, Ethan pulled him forward and drove his knee into Lucien's gut. The force lifted him off the ground before Ethan slammed him down with a single, brutal motion.
Lucien gasped, struggling to breathe. His entire body trembled as he stared up at Ethan, who loomed over him like a nightmare made flesh.
Ethan crouched beside him, gripping his collar. "This is your warning." His voice was low, controlled, yet filled with something more terrifying than anger—certainty.
Lucien shuddered.
"If you come after me again," Ethan continued, his gaze boring into Lucien's, "I won't hold back."
Lucien's pride wanted to fight back, to glare in defiance. But his instincts screamed at him—this man was a monster.
Ethan released him, standing up as if he had already dismissed Lucien's existence. "Tell your faction to think carefully before making me their enemy."
Without another word, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing in the silent underground hall.
Lucien lay there, gasping for breath, the crushing weight of true strength pressing down on him.
And for the first time in his life, he felt true fear.
To be continued…