Vined watched, as his wife walked away from him and stood at the sitting area of the arena.

They had come to one of the public arenas in Akron City to have this spar.

The sun blazed high above them, it was noon, and the weather was clear and warm.

The golden light stretched across the ground, making everything glow softly under its touch.

But in this arena if anyone was nervous, it was Vined.

It wasn't because of what his son had asked, no, that was nothing compared to what Elena had just said to him moments ago.

Her words still echoed in his head, sharp and heavy, making his stomach twist.

His face was pale, caught somewhere between nervousness and fear.

He was a brave and courageous man, but even the bravest can fear someone, right?

If anyone asked who he feared most, it would, without a doubt, be his wife.

As a child, he used to fear his father's strict tone and heavy discipline.

But when he grew older, he understood that his father's harshness came from love, from wanting him to become better.

Elena, though, she was different.

Her anger didn't need loud words; just one look from her was enough to make him freeze.

He could already imagine what would happen if things went wrong today.

Now, as she sat there calmly watching, Vined felt a chill crawl down his spine.

Somehow, he wished he could trade this spar for anything else in the world.

Vined's throat went dry when he remembered Elena's smile and her words:

"Look, honey, if a scratch appears on my son then be prepared for the consequences."

He swallowed hard.

Only the gods knew what kind of punishment she had in mind, but one thing felt sure, Vivian would end up with more than a few scratches.

The thought made Vined force a bitter smile.

He had to be ready to take whatever came.

Giving a bitter smile his gaze shifted towards his son who was stretching, thinking back to why this fight had to be different.

Vivian's intuition needed to wake, and a light spar wouldn't do it.

To break through, Vivian had to feel the edge of danger, just enough to push him past his limits.

Vined leaned down and spoke in a low voice, half a joke and half a warning.

"Remember your old man. If I die by your mother's hands, don't forget what your father sacrificed for you."

Vivian only grinned and stood straighter.

Vined let out a wary sigh, then asked, "Are you ready?"

Vivian nodded.

Calm and sure, he pulled his sword from the subspace and took his place.

In the crowd, there weren't many people, just their family members.

Edward's excited voice rose above the rest as he jumped and waved his hands, shouting, "Brother! Brother!" to cheer Vivian on.

Vivian smiled at his little brother before turning back to his father.

His eyes sharpened, and he lowered into his stance, his sword steady in his grip.

"Okay, you attack first," Vined said, keeping his tone calm though his chest felt tight.

"Alright."

Vivian stomped his right foot on the ground and said firmly, "Earth."

Boom!

The ground shook violently, dust rising as cracks spread out beneath his feet.

A surge of power shot forward toward Vined like a wave.

At the same time, Vivian took a deep breath, focusing his energy inward.

"Vehemoth Physique," he muttered, the name he'd given to the transformation born from his new body.

Two pitch-black horns burst from his forehead, curving slightly backward.

His ears stretched into sharp points, and his hair flowed longer and darker until it reached his waist.

The air around him thickened, and the earth's tremor grew heavier, like it too recognized the shift in his power.

Vined's eyes widened for a moment.

Whatever nervousness he'd felt earlier was quickly replaced by seriousness.

This wasn't just a spar anymore, this was a test of strength between father and son.

As the transformation settled, Vivian's aura surged.

Sparks of lightning flickered across his body, crackling around his arms and shoulders.

He pushed off the ground, and in an instant, he vanished from where he stood, leaving only a faint trail of blue light.

He appeared before Vined like a flash, his sword already raised high.

Flames wrapped around the blade, mixing with swirling gusts of air, creating a roaring blaze that seemed alive.

"Fire and wind," Vivian muttered under his breath.

Boom!

Their swords met with a deafening crash.

Dust and debris burst outward from the impact, rolling through the arena like a wave.

Yet when the haze cleared, Vined was still standing firmly in the same spot.

He hadn't even taken a single step back.

His expression was calm, his grip steady.

He tilted his sword slightly, releasing a ripple of mana that burst forward like a shockwave.

"Tsk!" Vivian gritted his teeth as the pressure hit him, forcing him to slide backward.

He dug his heels into the ground, leaving shallow marks as he came to a stop.

Instead of charging again, he took a few steps back, his sharp eyes studying his father's stance.

He knew rushing in blindly wouldn't work, not against someone like Vined.

Vivian backed away until there was about forty feet between him and his father.

He exhaled slowly, sheathed his sword, and raised both hands.

"Lightning," he said softly.

Bolts of electricity began to dance across his arms, crackling louder with every passing second.

The light grew blinding, and soon both his forearms transformed into glowing lances made entirely of condensed lightning.

Vined's eyes flickered with a trace of pride.

Most people wouldn't dare attempt that, the sheer energy would tear their arms apart.

But Vivian's new body could handle it with ease.

Still, pride didn't stop him.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, his movements so smooth that the ground cracked under each stride.

Vivian narrowed his eyes. His father was fast, too fast.

As Vined closed the distance, Vivian raised his arms and shouted, unleashing his attack.

One. Two. Three… six bolts in total, six thunder lances shot through the air, each one trailing a streak of blue light.

They ripped through the arena with a sharp whistle, aiming straight for Vined.

But Vivian didn't stop there.

Even before the last lance left his hand, he drew his sword again, lightning still coiling around his body.

He charged forward, his steps echoing like thunder as he rushed in to meet his father head-on.

Vined's gaze stayed steady as the six lightning lances tore through the air toward him.

His body moved with practiced ease, twisting and sidestepping each bolt as they scorched past him.

The last one, however, curved midair in a sharp arc, aimed right at his blind spot.

It was fast, but not fast enough to worry him.

Vined raised his sword with a calm precision and deflected the incoming lance, sending it shooting harmlessly into the sky with a sharp crack of thunder.

But just as the echo faded, he sensed a sudden shift in the air beside him.

Woosh!

Vivian appeared at his right, moving like lightning itself.

His sword came down in a blazing arc, filled with the combined force of fire, wind, and sheer speed.

Vined turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting his son's determined gaze.

Then, with almost lazy grace, he bent at the waist, letting the sword slice through the air just above him.

The blade barely missed, grazing the edge of his shoulder, exactly as he intended.

Before Vivian could recover, Vined twisted his hips and drove his foot forward.

Thuk!

His kick landed squarely on Vivian's stomach.

The younger man's breath left him in a painful gasp as his body shot backward, slamming into the ground with a heavy thud that sent dust flying.

But Vined didn't stop.

His eyes sharpened as he moved again, steps quick and silent, closing the distance between them for the next strike.

This wasn't cruelty, it was control, the kind that came from decades of battle and teaching.

Vivian wanted to awaken his intuition, and Vined would make sure he did.

"Damn," Vivian muttered under his breath as he saw his father rushing toward him like a storm.

His body ached from the kick, but he forced himself to move, slamming both palms onto the ground.

Rumble… rumble… rumble.

The earth trembled under his touch.

The ground around him shifted and rose, forming a thick wall of stone and dirt in front of him.

Boom!

Vined didn't even slow down.

With a single, clean swing of his sword, the wall shattered apart, breaking into countless chunks of rock that scattered through the air like leaves in the wind.

As the dust cleared, Vined's sharp eyes caught the sight of his son crouched behind the debris.

Vivian's horns were glowing, no longer black, but bright, shimmering with the color of pure light.

The glow intensified, growing so bright that it lit up the entire arena.

Vined narrowed his eyes, sensing what was coming, but Vivian didn't hesitate.

The energy reached its peak—

—and then exploded outward in a beam of blinding light.

The beam surged toward him, tearing through the air with blinding speed.

To anyone watching, it looked unstoppable, a flash of divine light that could erase anything in its path.

But Vined didn't flinch.

"Good," he muttered, almost to himself.

He steadied his footing and pushed his sword forward.

A wave of dark energy spread from his blade, coating it in pure shadow.

The darkness pulsed once, deep and heavy, before he swung.

Woosh.

The moment the two forces met, the air itself seemed to twist.

The light slammed into the darkness, yet instead of exploding, it vanished.

The brilliant beam was swallowed whole, devoured by the black mist around Vined's sword.

Not even a flicker of light remained.

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