As soon as the space cleared, Scar lunged forward, his blade aimed in a series of thrusts at Aether. The latter evaded them with an unreal fluidity, with scarcely any visible effort. In that moment, Scar spun in a spiraling motion, unleashing a whirlwind of elemental energy. Aether leapt backward, his eyes fixed intently on his opponent.
He wasn't thinking of attacking yet; he was studying his foe carefully. In an instant, Scar hurled his sword like a projectile toward Aether's chest. Aether avoided it, but instead of retreating, he dashed in at a strange angle—rather than moving out of the enemy's range, he entered deep into it. Scar shouted, "Now you're in my grasp!" before whispering, "Shift." He swapped places with the sword, and while moving swiftly through the air, he recalled the blade to his hand and hurled it once more toward Aether...
At that moment, Aether activated Second Gear. With immense speed, he moved behind Scar and struck him in the back, knocking the wind from his lungs and causing him to lose his grip on the sword...
Aether suddenly stopped... while Scar stumbled backward, trying to catch his breath. He looked at Aether warily... realizing he might truly be a formidable opponent. He planted his feet firmly, regaining his posture, and looked seriously at Aether, raising his hand to summon his sword back from the sky.
"It seems I underestimated you. Show me your full strength."
"Or have I already proven it enough?"
Aether said calmly, his face expressionless. He glanced at the others... whose reactions were mixed: Leo and Clare were wary of Aether, while Victoria wore a light smile. Scar replied:
"Not yet... Your match this time will be with the kingdom's blade master. Victoria."
Aether stared at Victoria briefly before returning his gaze to Scar, who continued:
"If you can keep up with that blade master, I'll tell you how to reach the chamber."
Victoria leaped into the arena with skill and agility, her black cloak fluttering behind her. She chuckled softly:
"Let's see how long you last, oh mighty one, against the Blade of Death."
She took a ready stance, drew her sword from its sheath, and pointed it at Aether. Her eyes gleamed with mischief, knowing that feinting was her best tactic. She winked for a moment and feigned a sudden attack, moving like a violet lightning bolt around the area. Aether didn't move; he knew she was intentionally missing to lure him from his position and into her trap.
At that moment, specifically during the final strike, Aether raised his hand above shoulder level. His hand glowed with a purple light exactly where Victoria attempted to strike. The arena trembled from the force of their collision, and dust covered the area, greatly reducing visibility. Aether continued blocking strike after strike; although the shoulder of his shirt was torn, his body showed no signs of injury. At that moment, Aether activated Second Gear again. He moved so fast that time seemed to stop for an instant. What was he doing? He had to be more careful here—he couldn't kill her. At that moment, he deactivated Gear and took a blow to his arm, after reinforcing it to act as a shield. With the speed of First Gear, he directed a strike toward the sword, sending the blade flying away. His hands gripped her wrists, pinning her in place. He kept his eyes locked on hers.
"You have defeated me. I admit my loss to you."
Aether looked at her calmly, deactivated Gear, and steadied his breathing. He released her wrists and brushed the dust off his exposed shoulder.