"Rare is the youth of your caliber," Gultron remarked, gazing down at the fresh landslide where smoke still obscured his vision. "You should die with pride, knowing you faced me in battle."

Slowly, the dense curtain of dust began to settle, leaving behind only a faint haze over the ruined mountainside.

Gultron turned, preparing to depart. Given their remote location, he needed to make his way toward the nearest city or contact an associate to conjure a portal back to the Golden Crane Academy. What a nuisance, he mused.

Requesting a portal from a subordinate was his most practical option. Teleportation magic was notoriously complex, demanding precise control over spatial mana that few possessed, preventing him from casting one personally.

Yet, before Gultron could activate his communication artifact, a tremor shuddered through the earth. He froze. Could it be...?

Whirling around toward the shattered slope, Gultron watched in disbelief as Aji—the very youth he had just buried—burst forth from the rubble. The boy shot forward like a meteor, leaving a localized explosion in his wake.

Enveloped in a aura of radiant light, Aji charged directly at him. Gultron instinctively crossed his dual blades to form a defensive block, coating his vessel in a dense layer of dark magic.

CLING!

A split second before Aji's strike connected, the youth vanished. Where did he go?! Before Gultron could fully turn, a heavy blow slammed directly into his spine from behind.

THUD!

The impact launched Gultron forward, the sheer force and velocity of Aji's strike catching him completely off guard. Regaining his footing mid-air, Gultron pushed out a wave of internal mana to stabilize his momentum. He spun around, locking eyes with Aji, who stood calmly where the strike had landed.

"Impressive, Aji!" Gultron sneered, a sinister excitement creeping into his voice. "Seeing your true power gets my blood pumping—just like when I faced the Three Legends twenty years ago! I'm genuinely thrilled! But... my time is short. I must return to the Golden Crane Academy!"

Aji met his gaze with a tranquil smile. "You won't be returning to Orpris, Gultron. Your time in this world ends today."

"Arrogant brat! You have no idea who you're dealing with!"

Gultron's dark energy exploded outward once more, unleashing a terrifying surge of pitch-black mana. High above, Aji traced his hands in a fluid motion, constructing an intricate magic array. It was not an offensive spell; rather, Aji manifested a luminous, circular portal pulsating with spatial energy.

"Let's place a wager, Gultron," Aji said calmly. "This portal beside me connects directly to the battle at the Golden Crane Academy. Defeat me, and you may step right through."

Gultron stared at him, bewildered by the youth's sheer audacity. Who does this boy think he is? To open a spatial rift directly to the Orpris continent while standing in the middle of a battle was absurd. Was he mocking him? Did he truly not comprehend the absolute power of the Five Gates?

Igniting his Demon Transformation to its absolute limit, Gultron surrendered completely to his dark mana. He abandoned all restraint, resolving to pulverize the youth named Aji in a single, decisive assault. Channeling his physical stamina, speed, and explosive dark energy, he primed his body for the final clash.

Gultron launched himself at Aji with terrifying velocity, the displacement of air howling like a gale-force hurricane behind him. A trail of black mist clung to his wake like storm clouds. In the blink of an eye, Gultron materialized directly in front of Aji.

He drove a heavy fist forward, but Aji shifted his weight to the left, narrowly evading the blow. Gultron immediately followed up with his dark-cloaked blade, unleashing a relentless barrage of heavy slashes and lethal strikes. Aji wove through the assault, twisting and leaping backward to dodge every murderous swing.

Recognizing he was being forced onto the back foot, Aji focused a surge of kinetic energy behind his heels. Acting like a sudden booster, he propelled himself forward just as Gultron raised both heavy swords for a downward execution slash.

Shooting inward, Aji buried a solid fist straight into Gultron's chest.

BLAAARRRRRR!

Driven backward several paces, Gultron anchored his footing against the earth, immediately springing forward to renew his assault. He realized Aji's raw strength was formidable, prompting him to release every drop of corrupt mana within his core.

"Ultimate Demon Destruction!"

Gultron transformed into a blur of raw destruction, flickering erratically across the area. Aji dropped into a defensive stance as the attack expanded, surrounding him from every conceivable angle. Gultron's high-speed trajectory formed an intricate, geometric barrier, trapping Aji within a triangular spatial seal.

Completing the seal, Gultron re-emerged, locking Aji within the center of the triangular barrier.

Gultron clasped his hands together, forming a triangle with his index fingers and thumbs. A concentrated pulse of dark magic erupted from his hands. Though small at first, the energy expanded exponentially, igniting the triangular barrier holding Aji into a roaring inferno of pitch-black flames.

The dark flames crackled with terrifying intensity, laced with arcs of black lightning that vaporized everything caught within the seal. The concentrated blast grew denser, compressing the space inside. To Gultron, survival was an impossibility; the youth would be reduced to ash.

No mortal can withstand my absolute black fire, Gultron thought triumphantly. The primordial black flames burning within the barrier represented the pinnacle of dark element magic.

Muffled explosions echoed from inside the seal as the violent energy tore through the space. Smiling in satisfaction, Gultron prepared to depart, confident his opponent had been thoroughly erased.

With a wave of his hands, Gultron dissolved the triangular barrier, causing the dark flames to dissipate into the air like scattering storm clouds.

As the smoke cleared, Gultron's expression froze in utter shock.

Standing before him was a bowed figure enveloped in a aura of pure, radiant white energy. It was Aji. Slowly, the youth raised his head to look Gultron in the eye.

Lacerations and severe burn marks covered Aji's face and torso. Yet, Aji remained unmoving, his trembling hands gripping his staff in a firm stance.

Then, something impossible occurred.

The burn marks and deep lacerations inflicted by Gultron's dark fire began to knit together and fade away. A powerful regenerative aura washed over Aji's body, restoring his damaged skin to flawless condition within seconds—a high-tier regenerative feat eerily reminiscent of the Demon Lord himself.

Gultron reeled back in horror. "What... what are you?!"

Before Gultron could process the sight, Aji shifted his grip, grasping both ends of his staff. Instinct screamed at Gultron to strike immediately.

As Gultron lunged, Aji charged to meet him, pulling the two ends of his staff apart. The weapon flared with blinding light as its outer shell detached and fell away. In Aji's left hand gleamed a radiant longsword, while his right held an elongated, sharp dagger.

The two crossed paths mid-air. Moving at a velocity that defied comprehension, Aji passed through Gultron's form in a flash of light. In that split second, his dual blades executed thousands of precision slashes across Gultron's frame.

"Listen closely, Gultron," Aji whispered softly as he landed behind him. "I am the Thunder Striker."

Gultron's eyes widened in sheer terror. Before his mind could process the name, a final flash of radiant energy severed his head clean from his shoulders.

The... Thunder Striker...?