With everyone watching him, Arden didn’t hesitate to throw the strongest punch he was capable of directly into the face of the shocked Hel. Just like Vera had taught him way back in the Mausoleum, his entire body moved as one to deliver a truly devastating blow to the man harassing his girlfriend.

  Hel’s head split the table in two with an extraordinarily satisfying sound, sending up a small shower of splinters to imbed themselves mostly in his face.

  Arden didn’t know what he liked more. The sound of Hel’s head destroying the table, or the sight of his bloody face against its shattered remains.

  “Damn that felt good,” Arden said. He looked at Vera. “You alright?”

  Vera shook her wrist that was released with Arden’s attack. There was a bright red hand print indicating how tightly she was held.

  “I’m fine. You know I could have gotten out of that at any time right?”

  “Of course. But I had to look good in front of you. Plus, I really wanted to hit him.”

  The air started to heat up around them. Arden and Vera looked at the man blocking the door just as his fists began to glow with a red heat. Steam rose off his arms and the cloak ignited around the man's face, giving him the appearance of a vengeful demon.

  Arden, with a calm expression, looked at the man with burning fists.

  “It’s been a while, Yaan.”

  A groan from behind Arden and Vera let them know that Hel wasn’t out of the fight just yet, as they both expected. It would take more than just a punch to take down a Starborn.

  ‘That’s good,’ Arden thought. ‘We can beat him more.’

  Hate dripped from Yaan’s face as the cloak burned away. Then he spoke.

  “I didn’t think you were still alive, Arden. When you disappeared during the cascade, I feared the worst. But to think you were still alive and kicking. I can finally repay you.”

  “I’m assuming you don't mean by apologizing and turning yourself in. I’d reconsider if I were you. In the past two months, I’ve come a long way. I’m no longer biting off fingers. I can do so much worse.”

  The flames swirling around Yaan intensified. Just as Arden wanted, Yaan became enraged at his taunt.

  “I’ll repay you for the humiliation I’ve suffered,” Yaan said. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be nothing more than a pile of quipping ashes, too proud of your own words to recognize when you’ve been beaten.”

  Arden clapped his hands together.

  “You know me so well.”

  Arden and Yaan slowly walked towards each other with a self-satisfied smirk and an angry scowl respectively.

  Arden had Yaan’s full attention, and the people in the restaurant didn’t need anyone to tell them that now was the chance for them to escape. Arden hid his relief behind his veneer of smugness as he fronted on Yaan while the guests escaped. Lyzia took the initiative to go to Savish’s backroom and alert Staz, as she was instructed to do. Arden saw the pair flee as Staz glanced at him while speaking frantically into a phone.

  ‘Good.’

  Arden cast a sidelong glance at Vera a few meters who had already summoned an aged sword from her inventory to square off against Hel. It wasn’t a Satellite, but history had shown that she didn’t need a sword made up of Stellar Essence to kill.

  “I’ll take care of my guy. You take care of yours,” he said.

  “That's cliche,” she responded. “It works for me.”

  Arden turned his attention back to Yaan and their wills collided. Yaan’s felt hot and overpowering, like a volcano moments before it erupted. Arden’s was subtle. It was hollow and hungry, waiting for the moment to swallow Yaan up. It was also very apparent that Arden’s had less weight behind it.

  “Why did you come here?” Arden asked.

  “My friend over there,” he said, gesturing to Hel. “He told me that there was a hot piece of ass checking out of the hotel he worked at. I wanted in on that. You were just a bonus.”

  “Of course you did,” Arden said with a sigh. “Your lust hasn’t changed. I remember Staz said something about you having a wild party after your awakening. He said he spent most of the night looking for women who would sleep with you.”

  “Did that happen? I don’t know, I meet so many women these days that it gets hard to remember them all.”

  A perverted and scummy smile crossed Yaan’s face.

  “I’ll remember your girlfriend and your sister, though.”

  A sudden chill ran up Yaan’s spine. The glares of both Arden and Vera scared him for a moment. Especially Arden’s. He looked at Yaan like he wasn’t even a person. Like he wasn’t even worth being compared to a human. Like he was so far beneath humanity that the concept of life was wasted on him.

  “Wow,” Arden said. “I really wanted to not kill anymore after my trial, but I think I’ll make an exception for you.”

  Arden didn’t lose control. He needed to be calm if he wanted to come out of this fight on top. No matter how much he wanted to go ballistic, he had to keep it in check. It didn’t matter how justified he was in getting angry.

  That didn’t stop Arden from releasing his killing intent, though.

  ‘I’ve already got the blood of billions on my hands. What’s one more body to add to the pile?’

  “Before me and my girlfriend kick you and your rapist friend’s asses, can I ask you something?”

  Yaan snarled.

  “Go ahead.”

  “Where is my sister?”

  The lecherous smile returned.

  “Back at my place. She hasn’t submitted yet, though I’m sure she will once I show her your head.”

  An overpowering sense of calm descended on Arden. Sya was alive and being held somewhere by the bastard in front of him. Now he just needed to know where exactly, and that was something that he could beat out of Yaan.

  Or so he thought.

  An instant later, Yaan was upon him.

  ‘When did he get so fast!?’

  Arden remembered Yaan as the slow moving heavy hitting type of fighter as evidenced by all of Arden’s previous beatings at his hand. Either it was all a facade, or his speed had seen remarkable improvement during his tenure as a Starborn.

  Either way, it would make his fight harder.

  Arden barely managed to raise his hands in front of him to block the attack. He staggered backwards after feeling the effects of the blow. The power was to be expected from the deadly scion of Miasma, but the heat surprised Arden by managing to get past his armor.

  But while Yaan’s power was strong, there was something about the fight that was already worrying Arden. Yaan hadn’t summoned any Satellites. They weren’t meant to be held in reserve, and it wasn’t like Yaan didn’t have any in his soul cluster. He was the young master of a guild, so of course he had some.

  A battle to the death was one where neither side held back. Yaan, by his refusal to summon a Satellite or even a basic weapon or set of armor, was doing just that.

  Unfortunately, Arden was already on the backfoot without Yaan even using a Satellite.

  The slight injury wasn’t enough to stop Arden. If there was one thing he had supreme confidence in, it would be his body. Even though he was no longer a husk, his longevity was no small feat.

  Arden threw his fist forward, and it collided against Yaan, forcing him back slightly.

  Yaan wiped his lip where some blood began to flow. With a dark expression on his face, Yaan spoke, disappointed in himself that he had been hit.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Not bad. You’ve changed. You’ve grown much stronger than you were before. This will make your death even more entertaining for me. She will be pleased.”

  “Who's ‘she?’”

  “You'll find out soon enough.”

  Arden scowled at his opponent and himself. He underestimated Yaan. The scion of Miasma hit harder and took Arden’s hit much better. It was a mistake that should never happen, and now he was paying the price.

  Arden managed to claw his way out from the bottom of the barrel by becoming a Starborn. He was someone who began with nothing. Yaan however was the complete opposite of him. He had everything from the start. Mentors, resources, Satellites. It was only natural that Yaan was stronger than a slum rat.

  But Arden wasn’t ready to throw in the towel.

  Arden’s fist flew forward aiming for Yaan’s face, but it only hit the arm Yaan raised to block it. Arden lunged to the side for a better angle of attack, but again, Yaan managed to defend himself, this time with a quick step to get out of the way.

  Every attack Arden threw, Yaan managed to block it in some way. Either by using his own strength, his agility, or the environment around him, such as placing a table in between himself and Arden.

  Arden rushed forward with his claws outstretched, prepared to hack his way through Yaan’s armorless body. His right claw came down, attempting to cut him off at the shoulder, but one of Yaan’s hands grabbed him by the wrist.

  Arden’s hand began burning as Yaan used his ability. He grit his teeth, but instead of trying to disengage, he forced himself forward. Arden’s second hand, open, slammed into Yaan’s, eliciting a grunt that turned louder as Arden twisted his claw.

  Yaan released Arden’s hand and they both jumped back to gain distance from one another as they cared for their damaged hands.

  Although Arden’s hand injury was much worse than the one he managed to inflict on Yaan, he still came out of the skirmish with a smile. He learned what he needed to do to beat Yaan, though it wouldn’t be easy.

  Yaan was fast, certainly, but he was only as fast as Arden. Maybe slightly faster. They were both using the inherent traits of a red-tier Starborn. That gave them roughly the same baseline.

  But Yaan managed to block everyone of Arden’s attacks with little effort, though it wasn’t because of his unique powers. It was purely through skill. It took someone who was a genius in terms of combat to be able to manage such a feat.

  Just like Vera.

  Yaan was predicting Arden’s moves and acting on that knowledge. That was something Arden couldn’t do, being the combat novice that he was. This was the clarity that Vera talked about. It was clear that Yaan had also practised the other two facets of combat, experience and repetition.

  In order to beat Yaan, he needed to achieve clarity, or a close equivalent of such. That was the only way to tip the scales in his favor.

  ‘Can I do it?’

  Arden smirked. He’d done harder things before without a second thought.

  He lunged forward again, expanding his perception. He needed to see everything that would happen in this fight before it happened. Only then would he be able to react to it in time.

  Yaan’s fist blazed a trail forward, aiming for Arden’s throat. Just before it made impact, Arden struck the underside of his arm, shifting it off course and over his shoulder. It only singed Arden’s neck as a result.

  Arden’s eyes went wide and a nervous smile crept onto his lips. His intention was to send that attack far and wide, but he wasn’t strong enough.

  ‘If I’m not strong enough, then I need to be faster instead!’

  Yaan’s fist tried to come down on Arden’s shoulder but it only hit air again as Arden avoided the attack by ducking out of the way. It was obvious that Yaan was going to make that move, after all.

  Arden’s smile widened, satisfaction replacing some of his nervousness. He might not have achieved clarity completely, but he could at least force Yaan to make the moves that Arden knew how to react to. It was a start.

  Arden once more threw himself forwards. This time, it wasn’t just to try and deflect blows. He wanted to land some hits himself. Yaan was more than willing to try some more attacks as well.

  The fight continued as both Arden and Yaan pushed themselves to the limit. No longer was Arden using his brain to bait out attacks for him to read. Instinct guided him instead. Every time a strike would come his way, he would listen to his inner voice that commanded his body to move in a certain way.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t as painless as he hoped.

  His instincts only guided him so far. He was still getting injured every time Yaan threw an attack. His instincts defended him from most fatal blows, turning them into minor injuries that continued to pile up.

  In a fight between the pair using their basic specs, Arden's were inferior. Yaan had years of experience under his belt. Arden had only a single trial and a few days of swinging a sword.

  But Arden wouldn’t fall.

  His claws were almost completely fused to his hands thanks to Yaan’s heat power. The same went for his armor in several places. The Stoneflesh Shroud wasn’t as badly damaged as his melting gauntlets, thanks in part to both its high rank and Igneous Aspect, but it was still taking substantial damage.

  The same could be said for Yaan, now covered in shallow scratch marks as blood spilled down onto the floor and destroyed furniture of the restaurant.

  “Alright, I admit it,” Yaan said. “You’re good. If I recognized your talents earlier, you definitely would have made a good living in Miasma.”

  Arden looked at him. They were both tired.

  “It’s not me who’s talented. I just found myself a good teacher.”

  “Regardless, you are strong enough for me to go all out.”

  Red sparks came together in Yaan’s hands in the shape of a single-edged katana. Sparks of fire danced on the back of the blade as it fully manifested and he raised it above his head.

  Arden’s instincts told him to get out of the way fast, so he jumped to the side before the blade had the chance to come down. When it did, Yaan’s fists ignited once more, and the sparks on the blade ignited as well. When Yaan performed the slash, the sparks on the flat of the blade exploded in a furious inferno, launching the blade further, faster.

  A wave of fire washed over the katana’s path and the restaurant was set ablaze, as the trail of fire flew across the restaurant and only stopped upon hitting the wall.

  Arden looked at the aftermath in shock, and Vera and Hel stopped their own fight momentarily to look at the carnage before continuing.

  Yaan’s katana was now bright red and sizzling as he pointed it in Arden’s direction.

  “Oh crap.”

  Yaan rushed towards him, katana in hand, and slashed down again. Arden was able to escape it last time because there was some distance between them, but now he was not afforded that luxury.

  Whatever that katana was, it could amplify the power of flames, making it a devastating tool in the hands of Yaan. It was likely that not even the Stoneflesh Shroud could survive an attack from the katana.

  Arden clenched his teeth as the inferno set him alight. Pained screams filled the nearly empty restaurant as he was being cooked alive by Yaan again. This time was infinitely more painful than the first time in the alley a few months ago. Back then, the burning was confined to only his mouth, rather than his whole body.

  Arden felt his armor and skin begin melting away with the power of Starborn fire. He screamed in agony, but he somehow maintained a cool head. Not wanting his armor to be destroyed in his first fight with it, he dismissed it back into his soul cluster giving it time to regenerate, leaving him in the cocktail dress he was wearing before, still on fire. He did the same with his Bone Talons.

  As the smell of his own burning body entered his ruined nose, Arden rushed forward. His body would hold on. He still had his secret weapon after all.

  Vera looked back at him in shock, but Hel forced her to pay attention to him, not Arden.

  “You’re still alive Arden?” Yaan asked with interest. “Domah was right about you being resilient.”

  Arden refused to stop. He summoned Rogier’s Tree and it appeared in the form of a simple spear with a tangled wooden knot just below the spear tip. He thrust it forward, and Yaan did the same with his katana, blocking it just before the spear tip reached his throat. Another burst of fire exploded as the katana moved along the shaft of the spear.

  “It’s over for you Arden!”

  Even as the flames licked away at Arden’s mangled body, he grabbed Yaan’s hand holding onto the katana. Arden smiled through the pain and spoke. With the flesh on his face burning away, a solid third of his face showed the gashly grin of his lower skull.

  “You fell for it.”

  The tip of the spear suddenly extended several centimeters, entering Yaan’s throat, just as Arden commanded it to do.

  Yaan’s eyes went wide in shock and he fell back, trying to put some distance in between himself and Arden.

  But Arden wouldn’t let his advantage disappear. He maintained his grip on Yaan’s hand. He wouldn’t let go.

  Yaan tensed and tried to push the spear tip out of his throat with his free hand, and was shocked when Arden pulled it out of his own accord.

  Arden flicked his wrist, pulling the tip of the spear back towards himself, and the bottom of the shaft towards Yaan. When the makeshift staff was at Yaan’s waist, Arden commanded the spear to change shape again. This time the blade appeared on the bottom of the spear that was aimed at Yaan, and carved from his waist across his torso to his throat and finally ending after splitting Yaan’s chin. Yaan stared at Arden in rage as he fell backwards to the ground in a pool of his own blood.

  His own biomass.

  Arden fell to his knees on top of the nearly dead Yaan, dismissing the spear that brought Arden his victory.

  “I’m feeling hungry all of a sudden.”

  Arden grabbed Yaan’s hands and held them above his head and stared deep into his eyes. Indignation and anger were the main things present in them.

  For the first time, Arden activated his protostar ability, Devour.

  Tendrils appeared out of Arden’s hands and coiled around Yaan’s, and started slowly dragging Yaan’s hands literally into Arden’s in a vicious mess of red viscera. As Yaan’s hands were being broken down into pure biomass and absorbed, Yaan started flailing around, screaming in agony.

  It did nothing to forestall Arden’s hunger.

  After several minutes, Arden had devoured as much as he could, he breathed a heavy sigh, and released Yaan’ wrists. His hands were gone. He would no longer be able to swing a sword.

  Arden still looked like a burn victim, though nowhere near as bad as he had before devouring Yaan’s hands. Third degree burns made up the majority of Arden’s body, so he summoned his Stoneflesh Shroud again to cover his grievous wounds and help a little bit with the pain. The Shroud too looked like it had been put through the ringer. Most of it was burnt away, leaving only patches of molten black fabric in places.

  He turned to Vera, whose hair color changed from black with icy white to icy white with black, who had wrapped up her own battle. Hel lay on the ground unconscious, with several ice spikes sticking out of him in several non-vital places, including his hands and feet, pinning him to the floor like he was crucified.

  She looked at him with worry and approached him. She wanted to hug him, but refrained from doing so. Touching any part of him as he was would no doubt paralyze him with pain. Arden however, didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her.

  The pain was manageable.

  He was a Starborn, after all.