For a fleeting moment, doubt crept into Gil’s mind. Seeing Adrian—so innocent, so unwavering in his trust—fight for August Magnus made him hesitate.


    Could I have been wrong about him?


    But hesitation was a weakness he couldn’t afford.


    Burying his uncertainty, Gil drove his scythe into the ground. A shadow split from him, forming a clone. Then another. And another. Soon, a small army of identical figures surged forward, separating Adrian from Emily.


    Adrian tensed, his gaze flicking between the copies.


    Gil’s voice echoed through them.


    “Relax. They don’t fight. They can’t fight.”


    Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “Where did you take Emily?”


    “She’s safe. I don’t hurt girls.”


    Adrian gritted his teeth. “So what now? Are you actually going to fight me, or are you going to keep hiding behind your clones?”


    The copies surrounded him, a perfect circle of motionless figures. Then, without a word, the ones between him and Gil vanished, dissolving like mist.


    Gil stepped forward, slow and deliberate.


    “To be honest… I don’t want to fight you.”


    Adrian scoffed. “Then you shouldn’t have attacked us.”


    “You didn’t let me finish.” Gil sighed. “I don’t want to fight you. But I have to—because of your connection to August Magnus.”


    Adrian’s grip on his sword tightened. “Enough talk.” He crouched, ready to strike. “I don’t have time for this. I have to win.”


    With that, he lunged.


    Adrian moved like a bullet, his pugio flashing as he struck with relentless speed. Gil, unfazed, met every attack with precision, deflecting each blow with his chain. Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal, the battlefield ringing with the sound of their struggle.


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    Then, with a sudden flick of his wrist, Gil swung his chain in a rapid, circular motion, forcing Adrian to retreat.


    Before Adrian could reset his stance, Gil lashed out.


    The chain cracked like a whip, slicing through the air. Adrian enhanced his body, narrowly blocking the first strike—but the second and third slammed into him. Pain exploded through his ribs. Blood trickled from a fresh gash on his forehead, blurring his vision as it dripped down his face.


    He staggered, his breathing heavy.


    Gil watched him carefully. “You’re outmatched. You know that. I know that. And yet… you’re still standing.”


    Adrian wiped the blood from his eyes. He was exhausted, but something inside him refused to break.


    Then—something changed.


    His vision sharpened.


    At first, he thought it was adrenaline. But then, he saw it. The chain wasn’t just a weapon anymore—it pulsed with energy, a rhythmic flow of Source Energy moving through it. And within that energy, he spotted something strange. A single, glowing point.


    A weakness.


    Gil attacked again. This time, Adrian knew where the chain would strike before it even moved. He ducked at the last possible second, then lunged forward, driving his blade into the glowing point.


    The chain trembled—then shattered.


    Gil’s eyes widened. “Wha—what?! My Source Energy is disconnected?! That’s impossible!”


    Most Trinket wielders took years to awaken their abilities. Adrian had done it in mere days.


    He was special.


    With his newfound ability, Adrian honed in on Emily’s location. His blade flickered through the air, cutting down Gil’s remaining clones with ease.


    He found her moments later.


    “You okay?” he asked, standing between her and any incoming threats.


    Emily nodded. “Yeah… but how did you—?”


    “No time.” He glanced around. “We need to get to the mansion. Can you sense where it is?”


    Emily took a deep breath, focusing.


    “To the left,” she said. “But the chains are still blocking the way.”


    Adrian grinned. “Don’t worry about that.”


    Something about his confidence made her trust him.


    She turned and ran.


    Gil snarled, swinging his chain low, ripping through the trees in its path. The ground trembled as massive trunks toppled, aiming to cut Adrian off—


    —but Adrian leapt, flipping through the air like a gymnast, narrowly avoiding the destruction.


    The collapsing trees kicked up a thick cloud of dust, masking their movements.


    This was their chance.


    Side by side, Adrian and Emily sprinted through the haze.


    Then, as if guided by instinct, Adrian saw it—another glowing point. The weak link in the chain barrier.


    Raising his blade high, he brought it down with all his strength.


    The chain shattered.


    Emily burst through the opening. She turned back just as she reached safety, her eyes meeting Adrian’s.


    She smiled. She didn’t need to say anything—her expression said it all.


    Thank you.


    For a brief moment, Adrian’s heart pounded—not from battle, but from something unfamiliar.


    He touched his chest.


    He didn’t understand this feeling.


    But he liked it.


    The chain barrier retracted, leaving the battlefield open once more.


    Adrian turned back to Gil.


    Gil took a slow breath, rolling his remaining chain around his arm.


    Despite everything, he wasn’t angry.


    He was excited.


    “You surprised me,” he admitted.


    Then he took a step forward, his stance shifting.


    “But now—this fight ends.”