Whooooooooosh.

Wain ducked as he jumped as high as he could. The elves in the camp spotted him, so they wanted to attack, but August stopped them with a wave of his hand. They dared not oppose their commander's will, and Wain and the others entered Purple Carnation's territory without obstruction.

"Hey, does everyone who gets a key suddenly become so polite?" Wain grinned and stared at August, "Why didn't you attack?"

"Wouldn't you be curious to know what was going on if you were me?" August said in a calm voice, "Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was attacked with such arrogance. Do you want my head, or are you more interested in the key?"

"Hmm? Would my answer make any difference?" Wain grinned.

"Sure." August nodded, "I never ask meaningless questions. If you've come for the key, then I have a proposition for you. You give me all your keys and never cross the road to Purple Carnation again. I advise you to take this opportunity. I'm not always so kind."

"Well, well..." Wain muttered while walking from side to side thinking about something, "Too bad I didn't just come here for a key. Unfortunately, I also need your head."historical

After hearing Wain's words, August became wary as he gripped the hilt of his sword tighter.

"We certainly haven't met before. You can't have any personal business with me... So someone ordered me from you. Right?" August asked.

"Bingo!" Wain snapped his finger, "You'd make a pretty good detective, don't you think?"

"Maybe, but I'm a better swordsman. You'll have to check that out!" August exclaimed as he drew his sword from its sheath.

Several streaks appeared in the air beside Wain, and space began to warp. Wain's body split in two, and August returned the sword to its sheath.

'Done.' August sighed, but suddenly his eyes widened, "What?!"

Wain smiled and grabbed the strips with his hands that didn't really exist since it was a dimensional cut. He put them back where they were, so August's attack became nothing.

"You're surprised. How interesting..." Wain smirked before a stream of aura swept over him, "See, you're not the only one who can manipulate space. Your attack would actually kill anyone but me, however... that's not that case."

A gray mantle appeared on Wain. He used the third form.

"Okay. Let's get started. I can't leave here without your head anyway." Wain muttered as he opened his left eye, which had the image of a mirror in it.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The space next to August distorted. Like shards, bits and pieces of the world became blades that pierced August.

August reflexively reacted by swinging his sword several times. He shattered all the shards before running at Wain.

Wain snapped his finger as a spatial rift appeared behind him. He stepped back, and the rift closed.

August was confused for a second. He didn't understand where his opponent had gone. He watched his surroundings closely to notice any changes.

"Hello. I'm here." Wain's cold voice sounded as he suddenly appeared behind him touching August's shoulder.

Bam.

Wain pressed August abruptly to the ground, and a phantom snake tail appeared above him. The tail swooped down on August's like a whip, leaving a trail of blood on his back.

The pain was terrible, but August didn't even cry out, he only clenched his teeth tightly. He'd been through hundreds of battles, so it wasn't enough to stop him.

Wain attacked again. He created several magical circles and energy beams headed toward August. However, August thrust his sword into the ground as a spatial rift appeared beneath him. He fell and a second later appeared above Wain in a completely different guise.

August was enveloped in a layer of purple energy, like a veil. He wore a long black military coat with red straps, tall boots, and scarlet gloves that gave off a bloody aura.

"Die!" August exclaimed as he swung his sword from top to bottom at lightning speed.

The world in front of him split in two, as did Wain, but a moment later, Wain's silhouette blurred, and he was ten meters away from the battlefield while carelessly shaking the dust off his mantle.

"I must admit that it's rather unusual to fight an opponent with similar abilities. Isn't it?" Wain smirked.

"It doesn't matter." August said briefly as he put his sword out in front of him, "You have no chance of winning either way. The wound on my back will be the last!"

"Whatever you say." Wain closed his eyes, "But I'll put you in a more unusual situation. What will you do if space ceases to matter?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" August was wary.

"Huh, I just want to show you how wide the world is!" Wain exclaimed as he opened his eyes.

They were now dark, and pupils turned amber. Streams of yellow flame appeared around his hands as his aura changed chaotically.

'What is it...?' August muttered inwardly as goosebumps ran down his body.

"Burn!" Wain waved his hand before a torrent of flame rained down on August.

The flame destroyed everything in its path, whether it was rocks, air, or even space itself. It was like a piranha that left behind a trail of boundless cosmos.

When August realized the power of this flame, he immediately abandoned all attempts to destroy it. He created a spatial rift and found himself a hundred meters away from the battlefield, at one of the Great Tree's roots.

August stared at Wain warily. For the first time in his life, he encountered such a force, so he did not know how to act.

Wain's flames were a serious obstacle for him. August was used to his opponents being powerless against the attribute of space, but Wain was not just at par with him. He had a superior weapon to space.

'That could be a problem... Though if I beat him, I'll definitely outdo myself. I have to do it.' August muttered inwardly.