Born In Ashes: The Enigma-Chapter 262: Let’s Cut Your Ears (Part 1)

Above the western training grounds of the Academy, the twin moons of Planet Arkanis hung suspended in silent splendor, casting a silver-blue radiance across the entire field.

Elyara stood at the center of the ground, her long black hair fluttering faintly in the gentle night breeze.

Although her cosmic energy was completely restrained, the air around her occasionally shimmered with faint distortions, caused by unstable traces of her newly attained Epic Rank aura, one she still struggled to control after her recent breakthrough.

Just as she waited, the sound of footsteps broke the silence of the training field.

Turning her head, she saw Azrael calmly walking toward her. Unlike Elyara, his aura was completely stable, showing no sign that he too had recently broken through to the Epic Rank.

"You came faster than I expected," Azrael said as he stopped a few meters away from her.

Elyara shook her head at his words and sighed softly.

"You know, you should have arrived earlier than me. You should never keep a lady waiting. If you don’t change that habit, I’m afraid you’ll remain single for the rest of your life."

Azrael ignored her teasing remark and raised an eyebrow at the unstable fluctuations of her aura.

"It seems you’ve just broken through. Shouldn’t you at least try to control your power before challenging me?"

"Fighting someone stronger, and using all your strength without holding back is the best way to understand your power and control it properly," Elyara replied as she took a few steps back. "Other than you, I don’t think there’s anyone else in our class against whom I can use my full strength. Besides..." She paused, smiling confidently.

"I’m afraid that if I wait until I can fully control my powers before challenging you, you’ll also break through to Epic Rank, and then I won’t have a chance to defeat you."

Azrael’s expression turned strange at her words. Not to mention that he had already reached Epic Rank, even if he hadn’t, he doubted she would be able to defeat him.

After all, his stat points were already far higher than those of most normal Epic Rank warriors.

On top of that, he possessed powerful Essentia Arts such as Wings of Wind, SkyRift Slash, and Eye of the Eternal Storm.

He stared at Elyara’s smug expression for a moment before asking,

"Are you not ashamed of using your higher rank to try to defeat me?"

"What’s there to be ashamed of?" Elyara raised an eyebrow. "I’m using my own power to beat you. If I had asked someone else to do it for me, or used some underhanded method, then yes, I would feel ashamed. But since I’m using my own strength, why should I feel that way?"

Azrael smiled slightly and nodded.

"Fair enough," He said, stepping back as well. "Since you’re so eager to defeat me, then let’s begin."

Elyara’s expression grew serious as her Epic Rank artifact, the Radiant Bow appeared in her hand.

"That ice guy also wanted to defeat you before you broke through to Epic Rank. Unfortunately for him, he’s still struggling to complete his breakthrough," She said, narrowing her eyes as a golden arrow formed within her bow.

"If you don’t reach Epic Rank before he does, I think he’ll also come to challenge you."

As she finished speaking, she released the arrow.

The arrow sliced through the air at breathtaking speed, a streak of golden light racing straight toward Azrael.

Azrael watched it calmly as wind began to gather rapidly at one of his fingertips.

Just as the arrow closed the distance to within a few meters, he flicked his finger, sending a small, condensed dot of wind energy shooting forward.

In an instant, the two attacks collided head-on and—

Bang!

A booming explosion echoed across the training ground, shaking the air as both attacks annihilated each other, illuminating the entire field in brilliant golden and green hues as the light and wind elements scattered wildly.

"Considering Luo Bingqing’s personality, he would challenge me even if I broke through to Epic Rank," Azrael replied to her earlier remark with a faint smile.

"You don’t need to test me with these small attacks, Elyara. Try your best to defeat me. Otherwise..."

Before he could finish, his figure blurred and vanished. In the next instant, he reappeared right behind Elyara.

"You won’t even get the chance to test your new powers before I rub your face into the ground."

Elyara’s pupils contracted to the size of needles the moment Azrael appeared behind her, an intense sense of danger washing over her.

Swish!

A sharp wind blade flew toward her and struck her right on the shoulder.

But the moment the blade struck her, Azrael’s eyes widened in surprise as the blade passed straight through her, and Elyara’s body dispersed into countless golden particles of light-element energy.

At the same moment, his expression shifted and he jerked his head back just in time as something invisible brushed past his face, narrowly missing him.

’This combat technique...’ Azrael’s eyes narrowed as he recalled Harin, the Epic Rank warrior from the security forces he had fought in the underground area after emerging from the ruins.

Once again, he sensed something invisible approaching him, but this time, his heightened senses warned him of danger coming from every direction.

’This way of using the light element is really clever,’ He thought, smiling slightly as under the effect of Infinite Comprehension, he quickly discerned how Elyara was manipulating the light around her to render both herself and her attacks invisible.

Suddenly, his eyes gleamed with a green hue. In the next moment, two wings made of pure wind energy unfurled behind his back, and he vanished from his position in a blur.

The moment he disappeared—

BOOOOOOM!

Dozens of invisible arrows struck the spot where he had just been standing, detonating upon impact and blasting apart the hard ground of the training field. The explosion turned the area into a molten pit, the stone melting under the sheer heat of Elyara’s attacks.

Reappearing over a hundred meters away, Azrael’s mouth twitched slightly as he took in the destruction.

"You’re really trying to kill me, huh..." He muttered under his breath before narrowing his eyes. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Your control over the light element has improved tremendously. You can now even bend light around yourself to stop it from reflecting your figure or your attacks in the eyes of others