Their eyes widened as the rush of wind whipped past them. The roof of the café was gone—ripped clean off and sent spiraling into the sky. Fragments of debris rained down, scattering across the street as stunned citizens ducked for cover.
Through it all, Cael walked away unfazed, his steps light, calm. The entire city seemed to hold its breath in his presence, as if even the air itself feared to disturb him. People reached out, desperate just to brush against him, as if touching him would bring them a great blessing.
Micheal's instincts kicked in. He scanned his surroundings, his heart pounding. "Everyone okay?!"
The group nodded—everyone except Shirley.
Shirley stood motionless, his head bowed, hands clenched so tightly around his cleavers that his knuckles turned white. His breath was eerily steady, barely audible over the chaos. Then, without a word—
He moved.
Like a bolt of lightning, Shirley shot forward, his cleavers gleaming as he closed the distance between him and Cael in an instant.
"Wait—Shirley!" Micheal shouted.
Tucker's eyes widened in shock, frozen in place. Madison and Doug lunged forward, reaching out to stop him, but Shirley was already gone.
In the blink of an eye, Cael turned. His golden eyes flickered with something unreadable as he caught sight of Shirley's oncoming strike. At the very last second—
Steel met steel.
A shockwave exploded from the clash, a violent gust of wind tearing through the city. Houses trembled. Windows rattled. The streets quaked beneath the force of the impact, sending a ripple of fear through the watching crowd.
And yet—Cael still stood, his expression unchanged.
Shirley's blades pressed against Cael's sword, his muscles tensed with every ounce of strength he could muster. But Cael? He barely seemed to be trying.
Cael exhaled softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Maybe I was not imagining things."
"Hey, you!" Shirley's voice rang out, sharp with fury. "What you did back there was reckless as hell!"
Cael's golden eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained silent.
Shirley wasn't finished. He pressed his cleavers harder against Cael's sword, his grip tightening. "Guardian of Paradise, my ass! You're not guarding anything—you're putting innocent people in danger!"
Cael's expression didn't change, but there was something cold in the way his gaze flickered. "Are you questioning my actions?" His voice was calm, almost too calm. "Rest assured, if any citizen is harmed, they will be tended to. However, that is not my responsibility, young man."
Shirley's teeth clenched. "Are you an idiot?! You can't just go around destroying buildings and acting like it's no big deal! You sound stupid!"
From the sidelines, Madison winced. "Does he know who he's talking to?" she whispered.
Cael exhaled, almost bored. Then, with a single motion, he shoved Shirley back with his sword—effortlessly. The sheer force of it sent Shirley skidding backward, his shoes scraping against the stone pavement. The difference in strength was staggering.
"If you seek a fight," Cael said, sheathing his sword halfway, "find it elsewhere. I have duties to attend to."
"Hell no!" Shirley snarled.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward again, cleavers flashing as they clashed against Cael's blade. The impact sent another shockwave rippling through the street.
Shirley didn't let up. The moment their weapons locked, he yanked back, pivoted on his heel, and swung his cleavers in a wide arc.
Cael barely reacted.
With a flick of his wrist, he deflected the strike mid-swing, sending Shirley stumbling. And then—he moved.
Cael's blade sliced through the air, enhanced by the strength presence. It was fast—too fast.
Shirley barely had time to react. He managed to block the strike, but the impact was like being hit by a runaway train. The next thing he knew, he was airborne.
His body crashed into a nearby tree, the force rattling the branches. Pain jolted through him as the back of his head smacked against the wood. A sharp throb pulsed through his skull, but he grit his teeth and forced himself up.
His grip tightened around his cleavers.
And then—he bolted forward once more.
Shirley spun his cleavers in a circular motion, feinting his next move before suddenly reversing his swing. Cael easily deflected it, his expression unreadable.
Undeterred, Shirley leaped into the air, his blades pulsing with Strength Presence. With a fierce roar, he swung down with overwhelming force.
The impact was devastating.
Windows shattered from the shockwave, the ground beneath Cael's feet fractured, forming a crater as large as a boulder. Debris exploded in every direction, and the sheer force of the clash sent a gust of wind ripping through the streets, hurling citizens off their feet. Those watching from a distance clung to whatever they could, struggling against the gale.
Cael's golden eyes flickered with something unreadable—surprise, maybe? He raised his sword to deflect the full brunt of the attack.
Then—BOOM.
Both fighters were blasted apart from the sheer collision of power.
Shirley tumbled across the cracked pavement, skidding to a stop as blood dripped from a fresh wound on his forehead. His breath came in sharp, uneven gasps. Across from him, Cael had landed on his feet, but scratches marred his otherwise flawless skin.
Cael dusted off his robe and exhaled. "Look at yourself," he mused. "You're causing more harm than I ever did. Doesn't that make you a hypocrite?"
Shirley gritted his teeth, sucking in ragged breaths. "Shut up! That doesn't count!"
Cael chuckled, shaking his head. "What are you, five? You're acting like a child."
Shirley spat blood onto the cracked pavement, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Actually, I'm twelve, so you're wrong!"
Before Cael could respond, Shirley launched himself forward again.
This time, there was no dramatic clash—only pure speed. Their weapons met for a fraction of a second before they were parrying and countering at a pace so rapid it blurred to onlookers.
Metal clinked as their blades clashed over and over, their movements escalating from swift to lightning-fast. The air trembled with the sheer force of their strikes.
Then, Shirley saw his opening.
Channeling every ounce of Strength Presence into his cleavers, he twisted his grip, flipping his weapons horizontally. Power surged through the steel, crackling in the air.
Cael's eyes widened.
The attack came at an impossible angle—aiming straight for his stomach.
Cael barely dodged, twisting his body at the last possible second. But—too late.
The blade grazed his side, slicing through his robe and leaving a thin wound.
Then—BOOM. A sudden eruption of energy burst from Shirley's cleavers, the force detonating outward like an explosion. The energy shot out in two crescent-shaped arcs, slicing through the air like massive, glowing bows.
Cael had no time to react.
The attack collided with him head-on, the impact sending him hurtling backward—crashing through the side of a building.
Dust and debris filled the air, the battlefield momentarily silent.
Then, slowly, Shirley exhaled, gripping his cleavers tightly.
Shirley's breaths came in sharp, ragged gasps. His body trembled, exhaustion settling deep into his bones. That last attack had drained everything from him. His vision blurred, his strength slipping away—
Then his knees buckled.
He collapsed onto the cracked pavement, his cleavers slipping from his grasp.
"Shirley!" Tucker's voice rang out, raw with alarm.
The group instinctively moved to rush toward him—until a sound stopped them cold.
Rustling.
From within the crumbling wreckage of the building Shirley had blasted Cael into, a shadow emerged.
The dust slowly parted.
Cael stepped forward.
His once-flawless robes were now tattered, dirt and debris clinging to his form. A fresh wound marred his stomach, blood staining the fabric around it. Scratches lined his arms and face—but despite everything, his expression remained eerily calm.
Silent. Unshaken.
His golden eyes locked onto Shirley's fallen form.
Step.
Cael moved forward.
Step.
Slowly and calculated.
Shirley, barely conscious, could only manage weak, shallow breaths.
Then— Cael unsheathed his sword.
And lowered it to Shirley's throat.
A collective gasp swept through the city.
The air grew thick with tension, the once-bustling streets now eerily silent. Citizens, frozen in shock, stared at the scene unfolding before them.
The group stood paralyzed, horror written across their faces.
None of them knew what Cael was about to do.