The fight stretched longer, and the air around them thickened with heat and pressure. At first it had been light probing strikes, each testing the other, but now the bandit leader's movements sharpened, his fire burning hotter with every swing. His blades carved trails of flame across the clearing, forcing Arden to step quicker, sharper, each motion guided by the steady pulse of his life energy.

"Not bad for a rat that hides in the woods," Arden muttered, mask glinting as he slipped past another cleave. His blade caught the edge of the strike, twisting it aside, before his body blurred and he reappeared at the man's flank.

The bandit leader blocked again, sparks flying, his teeth gritted. There was no more mocking in his eyes, no half-smile. Every movement now carried the weight of someone who knew that one mistake meant his life.

On the sidelines, Nyra's lips tightened as she watched. "That man… he's strong. Stronger than we thought."

Rael's gauntlet still crackled faintly from the earlier clash, his eyes never leaving the duel. "But Arden hasn't even opened up yet. Look at him. He's still holding back."

Zephyra's flames rumbled low in her throat, her cerulean eyes fixed on the two clashing figures. She didn't speak, but the heat around her swelled faintly as if echoing her agitation.

The bandit leader launched forward again, this time pushing his fire into sharp arcs that lashed like whips. Arden's blade flickered, each strike redirected with smooth precision. He countered once, twice, then ducked low, forcing the man to retreat before his chest was opened.

"You fight like a trained hound," Arden said, voice calm. "But you still snap your teeth without thinking. That's why you'll lose."

The leader growled, frustration breaking through his control. He had fought plenty of young elemental users, some with talent, some with arrogance, but none had forced him into a corner this quickly. And yet this masked boy still carried himself like it was all a warm-up.

"Enough," he spat, flames erupting from his blades, the fire surging like a wave. He slammed the ground, and pillars of fire burst around him, circling Arden in a cage of heat.

Arden's eyes narrowed, life energy flowing outward. He let his mist curl low, weaving through the flames, then stepped through the fire as though it bent around him. His blade lashed out in a Radiant Veil Slash, scattering the flames apart.

"You're wasting my time," Arden said plainly.

The leader's eyes burned with anger. He lifted both hands, weaving fire into a sharper skill. His aura flared higher, wrapping his body in a cloak of flame. He lunged forward again, this time with far greater speed, his blade thrusting in a piercing strike meant to finish the fight.

Arden caught it with one hand, life energy surging down his arm, his blade glowing as he redirected the strike. He countered with a heavy slash that nearly broke the man's guard.

The bandit staggered back, his chest rising and falling quickly. His face was set now, no longer underestimating. He knew the boy in front of him wasn't just strong. He was dangerous.

The fight had drawn the attention of everyone. Boro's guards, who had been holding the line against the last scraps of the bandits, stopped for a moment to stare. Even the remaining bandits themselves, those who hadn't yet been cut down by Rael, Nyra, or Zephyra, stood frozen, their leader's aura shaking the forest.

Then it shifted.

The bandit leader's body trembled, his breath slowing. His fire, once sharp and refined, began to twist unnaturally. His muscles swelled faintly, veins glowing under his skin as something dark mingled with his aura. His pupils thinned, burning with a feral glint, and his teeth sharpened as his jaw shifted slightly.

Arden's eyes hardened. "So that's it."

The leader growled low, his voice layered with something more primal. "I wasn't meant to use this yet… but since you've seen it, you won't be walking out alive."

His aura exploded outward, a suffocating wave that pressed down on everyone present. The ground cracked beneath his feet, fire spilling like liquid flame. His body was no longer just human, parts of him twisted into something beast-like, his arms swollen with unnatural strength, his aura a chaotic mix that reeked of tampering.

Nyra's eyes widened. "That's… no natural power."

Rael clenched his fists, stepping forward instinctively. "The organization…"

Arden stayed still, his gaze fixed on the man's shifting form. "So this is what they've been hiding. Their way of forcing dual affinities into stability."

The leader smirked through his half-beast face, his voice distorted but clear. "Close enough. The process is harsher than you can imagine. Materials rare, lives burned, but it will be perfected soon. And when it is, the world will kneel to the Creed." His fiery claws flexed, heat distorting the air. "Youd only live to see it if you and your friends will serve as fine offerings."

Arden tilted his head slightly, his voice cutting through the heavy aura. "You think I'll let you turn them into experiments?" His blade lifted, radiant energy humming. "Not happening. Not now, not ever."

The leader's grin widened, flames curling tighter around him. "Then your death will mark the first step. Surrender now, and I might let you live long enough to witness purity take root."

Arden chuckled, low and sharp. "I've been called reckless, cocky, even suicidal. But I've never been called someone's lab rat. And you won't be the first."

His life energy flared violently, his aura surging high enough to meet the oppressive heat. Light wrapped around his blade as mist bled outward, weaving into a deadly veil. He stepped forward, his presence pushing back against the beastly aura.

"Come then," Arden said. "Let's see which of us walks away."

The bandit leader lunged first, his claws swiping, the ground igniting in his wake. Arden vanished in a blur, his mist trailing like a second shadow. He reappeared behind, blade cutting low, forcing the leader to twist unnaturally to block. Fire and light clashed, the impact shaking the clearing.

Each strike now came faster, heavier. The leader's claws ripped through the air, but Arden's blade met them, sparks and flame scattering with every exchange. The ground tore beneath their feet as they moved, one radiating untamed fire, the other a steady pulse of radiant energy.

Arden's voice cut through between strikes, steady despite the storm. "So this is your big secret. A half-man, half-beast mockery, forced together in the dark." His blade flicked, narrowly missing the man's throat. "No wonder you hide in shadows. Step into the light, and the world will tear you apart."

The leader roared, flames consuming his arm as he swung with enough force to split the earth. Arden crossed his blade, life energy surging, and the strike stopped inches from his chest. His eyes glinted behind the mask.

"You'll regret showing me this," Arden said softly. His aura burst outward, a sudden flare of life energy that made the air tremble. His blade swung upward in a radiant arc, the mist around him shattering into sparks of light as he forced the bandit back step by step.

For the first time, the leader's smirk faltered. He could feel it now, the boy wasn't cracking, wasn't overwhelmed. He was only growing sharper, more dangerous, feeding off the very pressure meant to crush him.

And when Arden pressed forward again, his voice carried like a promise. "None of us will be your experiments. Not today, not ever."

The clash that followed shook the forest once more, fire and light swallowing the battlefield, as both fought knowing only one would walk away.

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