Half of Erik's hair glimmered a bright yellow, the other half burned in fiery orange. His eyes mirrored that duality—one a sharp orange, the other a piercing yellow.
Across from him, Evalyn stood draped in lightning. A crown of crackling energy hovered over her head, her chest plated in lightning-forged armor. Even her eyes were veiled in arcs of electricity, glowing with raw power.
Erik raised his sword, flames engulfing the blade. With two swift swings, he unleashed arcs of fire that streaked toward her. Evalyn didn't flinch—her axe flicked up and batted them aside as if they were nothing.
Erik stomped his left foot. Lightning threads burst outward, weaving across the ground in a twenty-meter radius. Evalyn stood within the circle.
He dashed forward. Evalyn lifted her left hand skyward. A bolt of lightning struck her palm, and she seized it, swinging the raw energy like a whip.
She's able to grab lightning now? This is ridiculous.
Erik ducked and twisted, his movements sharp, evasive—almost as though he already knew where each strike would land. Despite the danger, he steadily closed the distance.
Evalyn suddenly hurled the lightning. Erik slid beneath the crackling lash, rising smoothly into a fiery counter. His sword spat a blazing arc, but Evalyn swatted it aside with her axe. She charged.
Steel met steel. The axe came crashing down, and Erik angled his sword, redirecting the force away. At the same time, he thrust his dagger toward her, but Evalyn released one hand from her axe and seized his wrist mid-strike.
Erik didn't hesitate. He swung his body around her grip, using her arm as leverage, and vaulted onto her shoulder. His sword hovered inches from her eye—then froze. A surge of mana crackled beneath his skin.
Sensing the imminent strike, Erik sprang away, landing several paces back.
Evalyn tilted her head, eyes narrowing.
"Why did you back off? You could have ended it right there."
Erik said nothing, his mismatched eyes locked on her every move.
"You sensed my counter, didn't you?" Evalyn's grin widened. Her gaze drifted to the ground—tiny sparks of electricity still danced across the threads Erik had spread earlier.
"So, that's it. A domain's effect huh? I didn't think you'd manage this much in just two months."
"Shit…" Erik muttered under his breath.
Domains—territories woven from mana. Within them, the caster's abilities shifted, gaining an overwhelming advantage. Erik's lightning domain, paired with the Walker's Eyes, allowed him to perceive the conscious decisions of anyone inside it. A perfect predictive edge. But the moment he left the domain's bounds, its power vanished.
Before he could tighten his hold on it, a punch sank into his gut. The world blurred. Erik had managed to wedge his dagger between them at the last second, but the strike still sent him flying. He hit the ground hard, rolling across the dirt until he came to a stop, his left shoulder throbbing.
"Damn it—I'm outside the domain!"
Evalyn's voice rang across the field. "So it's already undone? Just as I thought."
She raised her axe, pointing its edge toward him. "Let me show you how a real domain works."
She slammed the axe down.
"Azure Domain—Point Prison!"
The sky blackened. Thunder roared until the very air shook, stabbing into Erik's eardrums. Then the heavens split. Lightning poured from above, not in bolts but in sheets, raining down across the battlefield.
Erik spun, searching for space—but every direction bristled with danger. A single misstep, left or right, would shatter his mana shield—or kill him outright.
She's boxed me in.
With no choice, Erik lunged forward. Evalyn swung her axe in a wide arc. He slipped past her right side and stomped down, pinning the weapon to the ground. For a heartbeat, victory was in reach.
Evalyn abandoned the axe and leapt back.
"What kind of moron leaves their weapon behind?" Erik snarled, sweeping his flaming sword to unleash blazing arcs.
"I didn't," Evalyn shot back. She vaulted further away, snatched a bolt of lightning midair, and cracked it like a whip. The flames shattered under the strike, and the lash snapped toward him.
Erik ducked low, but when he rose, Evalyn was gone.
His eyes darted upward—too late. She crashed down from above, foot aimed at his skull. Erik twisted away just as the stomp cratered the ground where he'd stood.
She pressed on relentlessly. Axe forgotten, fists and elbows became her weapons. Erik slashed with his sword, only for Evalyn to flick the blade aside with a tap and drive her elbow into his chest. The air whooshed out of him. A punch followed—Erik barely leaned back in time.
He stabbed with the dagger. Evalyn's hand snapped out, catching his wrist again. With a brutal twist, she yanked his left arm across his body, turned him around, and drove a kick into his back.
Erik staggered, gasping. When he spun back to face her, Evalyn stood loose, unguarded, her grin sharp and confident.
That's when realization struck him. His breath caught.
I'm already inside her Domain.