Finn couldn't help but marvel at the events that went around him. 

—Sling 

—Clank!

While he pondered, the duel went on without halt. 

The sound of metal clinking and clattering against each other echoed through the grounds. 

'I went to the Iron Heart tavern because it was the best spot in Citrinia for finding part-time jobs. Who'd have guessed I'd find the one and only Manakai of the continent here.'

His eyes trailed over the two clashing their weapons against each other in great fury. 

'A right swing...! No a faint!'

Thomas raised his sword, blocking the axe that came down dropping in him. 

The wooden handles of the axe made contact with the flat edge of the sword. 

'Relentless attacks indeed, I never expected him to be this strong.' 

Twisting his grip on the sword, Thomas slid it off the axe, swinging his right fist at Jack. 

—Thwap!

He brought up his forearm, blocking the punch and slightly twisted it, veering the fist off course. 

"Is this all you can do after after all that barking?" 

His voice was taunting, deep and hard while glaring at Jack. 

"Grr!" 

Stepping forward, Jack held up the axe with both his hands. 

"Ha."

Thomas took his long sword, tightening his grip for a counter. 

Jack's eyes sharpened at his stance. 

'Isn't this...!'

By the time Thomas had realised it, it was already too late. 

Frost manifested around his feet, connected to a trail of cold energy emanating under Jack's feet, keeping Thomas stuck to the ground. 

His eyes widened in wonder noticing how the frost had gathered around his boots without his knowledge. 

"King's Gambit."

He huffed half heartedly as the energy around him expanded outwards thickening around the silver haired man. 

"Tch!"

Noticing the gathering of the energy, Jack withdrew leaping back. 

Meanwhile, Shia's eyes were on Jack, watching every movement without missing a single second. 

'Strange... there is an odd aura around him, however—'

Interrupting her thoughts, a large ethereal figure manifested behind Thomas. 

Reigning regal attire, the great figure stood at almost three meters tall, holding a long sword in its hands. 

Instead of it's legs, the lower of half of the crowned figure was connected by energy tendrils to Thomas. 

"A martial apparition?" 

Apparition, an advanced skill mostly used by those who had conquered the Fifth-star. 

The two men were both Six-star's, but the intensity of the skill Thomas had showcased was pure and refined. 

"What do you think?" 

The frost beneath his feet dispersed as he made his way over towards Jack. 

"It's nothing great."

Jack replied, rolling up his sleeves right above his forearms. 

"If it's nothing great, why do you keep running?" 

He held up the sword, pointing at Jack. 

The ethereal apparition behind him mirrored his move, pointing it's own sword at Jack.  

—Wham!

With a smirk, he was nowhere to be seen. 

"Huh!" 

Thomas couldn't hide his surprise as the man disappeared without a single trace. 

His eyes slightly sneered at the situation while raising his guard. 

'For someone as big as him, how did he sure is agil—behind me!'

Feeling a presence behind him, Thomas turned instantly. 

The dust around him shifted slightly at the quick reflexive movement, but there was nothing behind him. 

'What was that!'

... 

The silence lasted even longer without any sort of movement from either sides. 

But then suddenly, feeling something behind him Thomas twisted his body, bringing his sword up. 

—Clink!

It was the axe, but there was great force behind it as Thomas twatted it away with his sword. 

The axe that had fallen a few feet away drew his attention away for a few seconds. 

It was all that took for Jack to appear behind Thomas while his guard was down. 

"When did he—!" 

Before he could react Jack's fist connected with Thomas's abdomen, but the impact was not want he had desired.  

His fist smashed against the thick wall of energy around Thomas. 

—Boom!

In the split second, the apparition brought down it's sword, splitting the ground as rocks flew in multiple directions at the impact. 

"Tch! Gone again!" 

He made the remark, noticing how Jack had disappeared once again. 

'This technique... it's similar to an assassin's, but somehow I cannot sense his presence until he gets really close.'

"Again!"

Thomas twisted hurriedly, but there was nothing behind him. 

His senses screamed at the looming threat around him, yet he couldn't figure out the source of the danger. 

'If I spread out my force, I should be able to sense him.' 

Just as he had the thought, the blue hue around him grew out, spanning over him. 

'Again!'

He felt the same sensation, but did not move. 

'It was not him. He's redirecting his intent, just enough to make me feel as if it is his presence.'

Raising his eyes, Thomas shifted over to the blank space behind him. 

—Whooooo

The slight blowing of the wind steadied the tense atmosphere. 

"There you are..."

The blue hue around his body covered his sword completely. 

Focusing at an empty spot, Thomas raised his sword in great elegance and brought in down in one single beautiful arc. 

The apparition stood still while the sword in Thomas's hand drew a small white line, creating an arc barely the width of a thread. 

The blue hue around his body intensified as the the small thread like arc thickened, forming a large arc that tore through the ground. 

What was a simple string like slash had turned into the now destructive energy pulsating and heading off outwards from Thomas, straight without stopping. 

—Boom!

Crashing through the chopped up log and the fence, the strike escaped the compound and tore through the small crowd of tree, leaving behind a large scar on the earth. 

Large amount of rock and debris went out, flying off everywhere. 

Shia instinctively drew a line on the air with her fingers. 

—Tap tap

The small pieces of stone and mud tapped off against a white wall that shimmered bright. 

The figure was that of geometrical shapes forming together to form a barrier, protecting her and the trio behind her. 

"Strong..." 

Gabriels words trailed off at the destruction left behind by the General's attack. 

Yet despite the clearing move, Jack was nowhere to be seen. 

"Hm... I see!" 

Thomas held out the sword, before completely swinging behind towards his blind spot right behind him. 

—Clink!

The sword was intercepted by a small circular figure of solid grey energy. 

"There you are!" 

Thomas yelled out frantically, finally having brought Jack out of his hiding place. 

He was there behind the small circle that had stopped Thomas's blade. 

"Mana, the seer of truth, I ask for thy guidance." 

As soon as the words escaped Jack's mouth, the hue around him gathered around his other open palm, forming a long transparent sword. 

Without further wait, Jack swung his sword at Thomas, but right before it made contact, the apparition above him moved swiftly, slamming the sword at him. 

—Boom!

"Are you going to keep running like that? Face me like a man."

He spoke tauntingly at the man that had retreated, escaping the apparition's strike. 

The General was a proud man, but Jack was not one to be swayed by the idea of respect and honour. 

This aspect of him was what bothered Thomas the most, prompting him to this duel. 

But for Jack who had lived through a life of unimaginable darkness, concepts such as pride and honour did not make sense. 

For he was someone who believed in fighting to win no matter the cost, even if it meant stabbing hus opponent from behind or even biting and clawing through their flesh and blood. 

"You're quite the rat bastard." 

"Does that matter?" 

Jack held the sword back, right beyond his head as the hue around it intensified. 

The transparent sword grew over two metres in height and got wider, adjusting to it's new size. 

With a single slash, a powerfully large slash formed, heading for Thomas. 

Having expected the strike, Thomas released a similar slash, stopping the strike. 

The grey and blue slash struck. 

—Boom!

The strike mid-air created a large gust as the air swirled and stormed around, throwing the small piece of rocks. 

—Clap 

Finn caught an stray rock heading for his face with his palms. 

"Despite my good reflexes..."

He dropped the stone, looking at his palms. 

"...this body is quite weak." 

He wiped off the crimson trail from the small cut that had formed when he caught the rock. 

"But aren't these two sure taking their sweet time."

Finn had said it because this had been going on for some time. 

Neither sides were giving their all nor making any decisive move. 

This was how Finn had felt as a spectator who had been through multiple similar scenarios. 

"Sword Force." 

Thomas muttered beneath his breath. 

The sword in his hand shone deep blue with tints of pink around the edges of the energy. 

It slowly coated his sword, making its way over to the sword of his apparition as well. 

Twisting his sword once, Thomas ran towards Jack. 

The apparition moved along with him since it was attached to Thomas as the tendrils of energy extended from his body. 

The sword in Jack's hand had turned into dust, disappearing off as if it never existed. 

"The seer of truth, forming one as strong as the immortals that soar the skies, unbound and limitless, I climb without halt, aiming for a world beyond the natural order." 

He was speaking an incantation, something that helped mages, or masters of mana with mental imagery. 

The grey hue around him grew large, forming a humanoid figure—an apparition!

The grey hue transitioned over to deep scarlet red, the figure emerging from the large pool of energy. 

—Fwoop 

The energy scattered in multiple directions as a female figure came out of the cloud of energy, 

Fluttering it's robe, the apparition stood at the same height as Jack, just higher than him floating up in the air. 

"First Moon~The cresent of the night fell on unseen eyes."

Thomas said, swinging his sword horizontally. 

The sword path drew a fine thread just like it had done earlier, only that this time the apparition behind him followed suit drawing another thin line. 

The two lines grew large into the destructive techniques, same as earlier. 

The light of the blue slash flashed in front of Jack's eyes since Thomas had used it after getting really close to him, just few feet away. 

—Bang!

The sound was deafening as the shockwave travelled across the ground once again. 

Thomas's eyes strained because he did not he feel his 'sword force' connect with him at all. 

"Barrier."

The low hum of his chanting could be heard from the other side while the dust settled. 

Thomas's eyes widened in surprise, but he had half expected this to happen. 

After all, it would be a shame if an esteemed Six-star went down after getting hit with a single skill. 

A large hexagonal sheet of energy stood still, like a wall, Jack's eyes sneering at Thomas from beyond the red barrier. 

—This is no fun. I'd hoped to see you rumble, not hide. 

The familiar voice whispered within his head. 

The edges of his voice sneered, showing his dissatisfaction at the duel. 

"Too bad."

Whispering off to the voice, he trudged on forward. 

_________________________