The air in Valoria was thick with tension as Kopa crouched low, his breathing labored, his mana flickering weakly around him. The insect tracient stood a short distance away, his insectoid form imposing, his mandibles clicking with malicious anticipation. The faint hum of his gossamer wings vibrated through the air, mixing with the eerie rustle of his insect legs shifting restlessly.
Kopa's sharp eyes narrowed as he studied his opponent. The Tracients chitinous body bore the unmistakable mark of the Hazël rank #15 etched boldly on his shoulder. The insect tracient's reputation was infamous.
"I heard of an insect monster who decimated and devoured his siblings and parents moments after escaping the egg," Kopa said, his voice steady despite the poison sapping his strength. "Even though the insect clan has long been banished, your deeds were so vile that they're still spoken of today. Trask the Horrible."
Trask chuckled darkly, his mandibles clicking faster. "Is that right? So I'm famous? What an honor…" He fluttered down from his floating position, landing with an ominous thud. "…to be acknowledged by the Viceroy of ArchenLand. What's your rank again? #17?"
Kopa's ear twitched, but he didn't falter under Trask's taunt. The mana pressure between them rose sharply, each tracient's aura pushing against the other's. Kopa, as a sensory type, felt every ounce of Trask's malevolence, but he remained firm, unyielding.
"How did you get in?" Kopa demanded. "Lord Thrax's shield is practically impenetrable. Any attempt to break it would have been detected long before now. Who is the traitor?"
Trask's compound eyes gleamed with amusement. "You Narnans always want to play the clever one," he sneered. "But enough talk!"
With that, Trask launched forward, his speed amplified by mana. Kopa was ready. His body transformed, arms turning into thick, thorny plant stems. When Trask's attack came, Kopa blocked it with a thunderous impact that shook the ground.
"You're strong," Trask admitted with a sinister grin. "But it's not enough."
A second pincer extended from Trask's abdomen, piercing through Kopa's side—only for his opponent to dissolve into wood.
"You let your guard down," Kopa said, his voice calm but edged with satisfaction.
Wooden vines extended from Kopa's substitution, wrapping tightly around Trask's body, squeezing with unrelenting force.
"NO!" Trask howled as the vines crushed his form.
Kopa stepped back, his wooden arms returning to their normal shape. He exhaled deeply, steadying himself.
But then—
"So, it was a substitution," Trask's voice came from behind. Kopa turned sharply to see him standing unharmed, the crushed figure nothing more than a shed skin. "I'm impressed. I almost fell for it."
Kopa frowned. "Then let's finish this."
"Karanlık Yumruğu: Gölge Kovan!"
From behind Trask, a massive swarm of insects emerged, their buzzing filling the air as they surged toward Kopa in a suffocating wave.
Kopa planted his hands firmly on the ground. "Gaias Touch: Diken Yağmuru!"
Thorns erupted from the earth and from Kopa's body, flying outward in all directions. The swarm disintegrated under the onslaught, torn apart by the razor-sharp projectiles. When the cloud of remains settled, Kopa stood unscathed.
"My Arcem directly counters yours, Trask," Kopa said with a smirk. "You can't beat me."
Trask chuckled again, his antennae flickering. "We'll see about that."
He charged forward, pincers clashing against Kopa's thorned arms. Their battle raged back and forth, each exchange growing more intense.
But then Kopa noticed something. His movements were slowing. His breaths were shorter. His strength was fading.
Poison, he realized.
The faint cloud of remains from the swarm hung around him. It wasn't just debris—it was laced with toxins.
Kopa gritted his teeth and pressed a hand to the ground, summoning a small sprout. Its restorative properties would take time, but he didn't have many options.
Trask loomed over him, his pincers glinting. "You were a challenge," he admitted, "but now it's over."
Kopa looked up, smirking despite his weakened state. "You may want to move, if you want to live."
Before Trask could react, a massive shadow fell over them. Trask instinctively leaped back as the ground shook from a powerful impact.
Through the clearing dust, a calm, commanding voice rang out. "Are you alright, Kopa?"
Kopa smiled faintly. "Yes, my King. I'm sorry you had to see me like this."
"You're forgiven, Viceroy," the voice said, growing sharper. "However…"
The dust cleared fully, revealing Daruis in all his imposing presence. His golden fur glinted in the sunlight, his broad, muscled form exuding raw power. On his back, the Hazël symbol with the rank #1 shone brightly.
"…This is my fight."
Daruis clenched his fists, his mana flaring like an unrelenting storm.