At first, Rhydan only thought of Lucian as a filthy demon, that too, of the worst kind.
A creature of Desire.
A manipulator.
Someone who would use charm, deception, and cowardly tricks to get what he desired.
Rhydan was actually waiting for it.
He was expecting Lucian to secretly attack his companions, pretend to surrender before attacking, or use the girls behind him, but...
The demon did not do anything like that.
He fought directly.
He used tricks, yes, but they were the tricks of a Warrior.
Attacking blind spots, changing balance, feints, creative combinations.
Nothing about his fighting style was dishonourable.
Nothing broke the rules of a duel or endangered those around him.
When Rhydan saw Lucian move, he could feel the years of effort he had put into every single movement. Sure, his technique was incomplete, filled with flaws, and his lack of experience on a true battlefield was glaringly obvious but—
There was no form of demonic trickery in them, nor was there any arrogance.
He was not careless.
Someone had trained him well.
More importantly, the boy had listened.
Every single one of his movements had the foundations of proper combat.
And the even more absurd part?
The boy was changing.
Rhydan could literally see him change in front of his very eyes. He noticed him becoming physically stronger and faster.
And it wasn’t just his physical abilities, his technique was improving at an impossible rate as well.
His steps were becoming cleaner, wasted movements were decreasing, his recovery after each strike was faster, and even his regeneration speed was improving.
Rhydan couldn’t believe it.
This was simply not possible.
Techniques could improve, sure, but people did not grow visibly stronger during a single battle.
Growth needed time.
Repeated injury and recovery could strengthen the body over months or years.
Not minutes.
Yet...
The boy was doing exactly that. He was growing right in front of his eyes.
And he was not even a true Demon.
He was a Blood-Altered Human.
That too, a Desire-Class one.
Desire Demons were not known for overwhelming physical growth. They were the weakest when it came to physical abilities.
Their strength was in charm, emotions, influence, and control.
Then how was this boy, who barely had a fraction of that blood... doing what he was doing...?
’What... are you?’
Rhydan began questioning what stood in front of him.
Lucian rushed forward again. Rhydan caught his fist, a knife attacked from behind, Rhydan caught it without looking, Lucian moved towards his side, Rhydan turned, Lucian altered his direction with Telekinesis, Rhydan still blocked and during their exchange—
Their eyes met.
Lucian’s violet eyes burned with excitement, determination, and even exhaustion.
But beneath all of it—
Rhydan recognised something else, something... he was very familiar with.
Love for battle.
The joy of testing himself against someone stronger.
The hunger to discover his limits.
The desire to break through them.
The stubbornness to stand even when his body was a mess and protested against any form of movement.
Rhydan recognised them because he had the same eyes.
He and the demon were similar, of the same kind.
And when the Wolf realised it, the disgust he initially felt began to... fade away.
What he was seeing was not a filthy demon full of tricks.
He saw a Warrior.
And a damn good one at that.
Lucian attacked again. Rhydan blocked him, the knife returned to Lucian, Rhydan avoided it again. A stone flew towards his face, he shattered it with a punch.
Lucian used the dust as cover. Rhydan tried to follow his heartbeat, he silenced it using Red Quiet, even controlling his blood flow for that particular moment. Rhydan then followed his scent. Lucian threw his coat towards Rhydan’s face, blocking his vision for an instant.
And in that exact instant, Lucian shot forward and attacked from below.
Rhydan caught his wrist.
Lucian used One-Inch Dominion anyway, forcing Rhydan to redirect his arm. Lucian used the momentum to attack with his knee, Rhydan blocked, the knife came from behind, Rhydan kicked it away, Lucian changed the knife’s direction in the air and sent it back.
Rhydan caught it, Lucian used that moment to punch, Rhydan stopped his fist.
Their faces were only inches apart.
Lucian kept grinning.
Rhydan felt his own mouth begin to curve.
The fight was becoming enjoyable.
Suddenly, Rhydan released Lucian and stepped back.
Lucian frowned in confusion, not understanding why he would do it.
But then—
Rhydan lowered his body.
The Werewolf’s stance changed.
And Lucian’s grin widened.
The Wolf was finally taking him seriously and as if to prove him right—
"You have landed enough."
Rhydan spoke as his golden eyes glowed dangerously.
"What does that mean?"
Lucian asked with a frown as he wiped blood from his mouth.
"It means you will not touch me again."
Rhydan declared.
The glow in Lucian’s eyes intensified at the challenge.
"We’ll see about that."
He accepted the challenge as he straightened his broken body, then he attacked.
Rhydan moved as well.
Lucian’s first punch was redirected, his second was caught, the knife flying behind Rhydan was kicked aside, and the stone beneath Rhydan’s foot was crushed before it moved.
Lucian tried to alter his own direction in the middle of a step.
Rhydan followed him.
Lucian tried to punch, Rhydan redirected it again. Lucian attacked with his damaged shoulder reinforced with a barrier, Rhydan caught his body and slammed him down.
Lucian rolled, recalled the knife, and attacked again.
Rhydan stopped him.
Lucian tried another combination.
Then another.
Rhydan saw through every single one of them.
Every attack was blocked, every weapon, be it the knife, the debris, or anything Lucian could find, was either caught or shattered.
Just as he said, Rhydan no longer allowed even the smallest strike to touch him.
But that did not dampen Lucian’s spirit for one second.
The glow in his eyes continued to grow stronger and stronger. He started using more and more energy to refine his attacks even further. Everything else around him blurred, only Rhydan remained.
He attacked.
He failed again.
Then again.
Then again.
He failed numerous times and every time he failed, he learned more and more.
He could feel himself getting stronger and stronger.
And that excited him even further.
The battle maniac inside him was shining in its full glory.
He...
He was going to win.