Is this really a Game?!

The immense power both men possessed made even the space in the area tremble. The platform was no longer a place for the 'Heaven's Hooligans' to battle against the other teams, it was now a place reserved only for Reign and the mysterious man to battle.

The rest had all moved to battle on the huge stairs and paths that led to the platform, not willing to stay too close and get injured or perhaps even killed by the two.

As Reign and the man clashed with what seemed to be one of their strongest attacks, the space between them rippled before they clashed, creating a powerful shockwave that would have sent anybody who was still on the platform flying away.

For a moment, it seemed as though they were evenly matched. But Reign could feel the strain on his body. His transformation, while powerful, was consuming vast amounts of energy, and he knew he couldn't maintain it indefinitely. The swordsman, on the other hand, seemed to be holding back even more, as if he had reserves of power that he hadn't fully tapped into.

In the midst of the struggle, the swordsman suddenly shifted his stance. With a twist of his wrist, he redirected Reign's swords downward, breaking the stalemate and creating an opening. Before Reign could recover, the man's sword flashed forward, aiming for his neck.

Reign reacted on instinct, summoning a wall of darkness to block the strike, but the sword aura cut through it effortlessly, grazing his shoulder and drawing blood. The pain flared, but Reign forced himself to stay focused. He had to keep pushing, to find a way to break the swordsman's defense.

"You're strong," the swordsman acknowledged, his voice steady even as they clashed again. "But your power is still wild, untamed. It lacks the refinement needed to reach true mastery."

Reign's frustration mounted as the swordsman's words cut deep. The man wasn't just mocking him; he was stating a cold, harsh truth. Even with all of Reign's power, his attacks lacked the finesse and control that only years of experience could provide. The gap in skill was undeniable, but Reign wasn't the type to back down in the face of adversity.

He had always thrived on overcoming insurmountable odds, and this time would be no different.

The swordsman pressed his advantage, his strikes coming faster and sharper. Reign's defenses began to falter under the relentless assault. Every block and parry sent tremors through his arms, the force of each blow reverberating through his bones. The swordsman's blade was a blur of silver light, its movements elegant and lethal.

Reign's wings flared, his lightning crackling around him as he tried to counter, but each attempt was met with precise and brutal efficiency.

Even flying and trying to attack from above did not help, in fact, Reign was at an even bigger disadvantage there since he was still not used to flying.

"You've got power, I'll give you that," the swordsman continued as he deflected another of Reign's strikes. "But raw power without control is like a storm without direction. It rages, it destroys, but in the end, it accomplishes nothing."

The words stung, but Reign gritted his teeth and focused. He couldn't afford to be distracted by taunts. He had to find a way to disrupt the swordsman's rhythm, to create an opening that he could exploit. But the swordsman's mastery of the blade was such that even the slightest hesitation or miscalculation on Reign's part would result in a devastating counterattack.

Reign took a deep breath and made a decision. If he couldn't outmatch the swordsman in skill, he would overwhelm him with unpredictability. He channeled his energy, letting the power of his light, darkness, and lightning mix chaotically. His aura became erratic, surging and fluctuating wildly. The swordsman's eyes narrowed as he noticed the change, sensing the danger in Reign's unorthodox approach.

"Trying something new, are we?" the swordsman remarked, his tone still calm but with a hint of curiosity.

Reign didn't respond. Instead, he launched a series of attacks that seemed almost random—wild slashes, sudden bursts of lightning, and feints that left traces of darkness in their wake. The strikes were unpredictable, lacking the usual rhythm and flow that the swordsman had grown accustomed to countering.

The sudden shift forced the man onto the defensive, his blade moving rapidly to parry the chaotic onslaught.

For the first time in the battle, Reign saw a crack in the swordsman's defenses. It was subtle, but it was there—a brief moment of hesitation as the man adjusted to Reign's erratic tempo. Reign seized the opportunity, pouring more energy into his next strike, a powerful overhead slash infused with both light and darkness.

The clash sent sparks flying as the swordsman blocked it, but the force behind the attack drove him back a step.

The swordsman's eyes flickered with something that seemed like annoyance. "So, you can be unpredictable. But chaos without purpose is still chaos."

The man's aura flared, and suddenly, the chaos Reign had introduced into the battle was met with an even greater surge of control. The swordsman's movements became smoother and more fluid, and he began redirecting Reign's attacks with the slightest shifts in his stance.

What had initially been a wild and erratic offense was now being turned against Reign as the swordsman used the momentum of each clash to reposition and counter with ruthless efficiency.

"You can't win by being reckless," the swordsman said as he sidestepped a lunge and countered with a precise cut across Reign's thigh. "Your strength lies in your adaptability, but you haven't yet mastered it. You react, but you don't anticipate."

Reign grimaced as the cut stung, blood trickling down his leg. The man's criticism was harsh, but Reign knew it was accurate. He had always relied on his ability to adapt to new situations, to think on his feet and outmaneuver opponents who underestimated him, or overwhelm them with his power and skill.

But this time, he was up against someone who had already seen every trick in the book, someone who had spent a lifetime perfecting the art of combat, someone with the same power as him, but a lot more skill.

Yet, Reign wasn't out of options. He hadn't fully unleashed the depth of his Nephilim form, nor had he truly combined all aspects of his power into a single, focused attack. He needed to push himself beyond what he thought was possible, to blend his chaotic energy with a level of control that could rival the swordsman's precision.

With renewed determination, Reign's aura shifted once more. The erratic surges of light and darkness began to stabilize, the chaotic energy refining itself into something more focused, more potent. His wings crackled with lightning, the black and white feathers shimmering with an otherworldly glow.

His swords hummed with power as he infused them with his elemental energies, creating blades that pulsed with a dangerous mix of light, darkness, and electricity.

The swordsman's eyes sharpened, sensing the change in Reign's aura. "Truly going all out now, are we?"

Reign's voice was steady, his eyes locked onto his opponent. "I've been going all out from the start, this is just something above even that."

The atmosphere around them grew heavy with tension as the two combatants prepared for what would likely be the final clash. The platform beneath them cracked and splintered, unable to withstand the sheer pressure of their auras. Even the other combatants who had retreated to a safer distance could feel the oppressive weight of the power being unleashed.

Reign moved first, his speed blinding as he blurred toward the swordsman. But this time, his movements were no longer erratic; they were deliberate and precise, yet still infused with the unpredictability that had thrown his opponent off earlier. Each strike flowed seamlessly into the next, a perfect blend of aggression and control.

Light and darkness wove together with arcs of lightning, creating a deadly dance that pushed the swordsman to his limits.

The swordsman's expression grew more serious as he realized that Reign had closed the gap between them, if only slightly. His sword moved in response, parrying and countering with the grace and efficiency of a master, but Reign's attacks were relentless, forcing him to adjust constantly.

For the first time, the swordsman had to exert more effort to maintain his dominance, his movements no longer as effortless as before.

"Good!" the swordsman shouted, his voice tinged with excitement. "This is what I was waiting for!"

With a burst of energy, the swordsman unleashed a technique that caused his sword aura to expand outward in a brilliant arc. The silver light cut through the air like a crescent moon, aiming to slice Reign in half. Reign didn't back down. He met the attack head-on, his swords glowing with a radiant mix of his elements.

The clash of their energies created a blinding explosion of light and darkness that engulfed the platform, obscuring everything in a veil of shimmering power.

For a moment, it was impossible to see who had the upper hand. The energy swirled and crackled, creating shockwaves that rippled through the surrounding area. But as the dust began to settle, two figures emerged from the smoke, both battered but still standing.

Reign was breathing heavily, blood dripping from several wounds, but his eyes were fierce, unyielding. The swordsman was similarly injured, a gash across his chest and blood staining his once-pristine clothes. Yet, despite the injuries, there was a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes.

"You've grown in the span of this battle," the swordsman said with a nod of respect. "But you're still not there yet."