"That was perfect... I think I might end up falling in love with you."
Jeanne Black blinked, staring at Altair.
"What the hell are you talking about, you little shit?" she snapped, her voice dripping with contempt, barely believing what had just happened.
Altair, wearing a mischievous grin, shot forward at blinding speed. The ground beneath his feet cracked violently, shattering into fragments that flew backward. Raising his hand, he muttered, "Ruyi Jingu Bang!" The staff, thrown far away moments earlier, answered his call. Spinning through the air like a radiant propeller, it sliced through the wind with a sharp hum, irresistibly drawn back into Altair's palm. With a precise motion, he gripped the shaft with a heavy thud that echoed in the air, while his free hand plucked a strand of his hair and tossed it behind him.
Gripping the stone staff, he flexed his legs and launched forward, delivering a devastating horizontal strike.
Jeanne Black leapt to the side, barely dodging. The staff struck the ground, carving a small crater on impact.
"You bastard!" she yelled, raising her sword. In that instant, several stakes formed in the air, all pointed at him.
But before she could release the attack, a blur cut through the space. A stone staff spun with a heavy whistle, slamming into her waist with a dry impact. Jeanne gasped, blood spurting from her mouth as her body was hurled into the air, spinning out of control.
As she flew, Jeanne half-opened her eyes and caught a glimpse of the Altair clone that had struck her, bearing the same crazed smile as the original. Her heart skipped a beat—but before she could blink, an even faster blur passed the corner of her vision.
Beside her, the real Altair emerged, pulling his arm back, fist clenched.
She raised her weapons, covering them in flames, but Altair didn't care. With a punch loaded with raw force, he sent her flying even higher, ignoring the burns spreading across his arms.
At the same time, the clone lunged toward her, spinning in the air while the Ruyi Jingu Bang, now extended to an impressive twenty meters, descended toward her with a deep hum. With a sharp motion, the staff's tip slammed into her torso, hurling her violently to the ground, which cracked under the impact. Before she could catch her breath, the real Altair was already in front of her, driving a brutal blow into her stomach. The air escaped her lungs in an instant, and her body was launched skyward once more.
Jeanne's small frame was tossed around like a ragdoll caught in a storm. With each collision, the impact echoed through the air—first Altair's fist sinking into her ribs, then the clone kicking her and sending her flying in the opposite direction.
Altair's smile widened with each strike, his eyes gleaming with manic, feverish euphoria. In that moment, he was completely consumed by the brutal violence, drowning out the pain that tore through his own muscles and bones.
Without a second's reprieve, Jeanne clenched her teeth and, with a desperate spin, used the momentum from the last attack. Her feet skidded across the ground, kicking up dust, as she drove the shaft of her banner into the earth, stopping her momentum.
Panting, she leaned on the standard, her body trembling. Blood trickled from her lips, staining them red and dripping in dark drops that blended with the dirt.
But before she could breathe, the clone—with a manic glint in its eyes—was already diving toward her, swinging the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
"Get lost!" Jeanne shouted, unleashing a blast of black flames that engulfed her body. The fire devoured the clone, reducing it to ashes.
Amid the crackling dark flames surrounding her, she let out a sigh of relief. At least now she had a few seconds...
"Hello!" Altair's voice rang out as he leapt straight into the flames, as if they were a welcoming bonfire.
His body caught fire instantly, the flames crawling across his skin. However, the Monkey King's Robe shielded him from most of the damage. Even so, the heat was insidious. His body burned, the flames slithering over his limbs as the excruciating pain of being burned alive tore through every fiber of his being. But right now, pain was irrelevant—thanks to his [Mad Enhancement], which amplified his strength while diminishing his sense of reason. It didn't drive him insane; it made him act on pure pleasure.
Jeanne stepped back, her eyes fixed on the boy approaching. The flames licked his face, distorting his features.
"You're some kind of monster..." she murmured in disbelief.
Altair closed the distance at absurd speed, stopping right in front of her. But instead of attacking… he hugged her.
His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her slender body tightly against his with a possessive strength. Despite everything, a traitorous blush crept across Jeanne's cheeks, painting them soft red as ironic warmth surged through her body.
"What the hell are you doing, you worm?!" she yelled, pushing his head with her hand while trying to break free.
"Hehehe!" Altair hugged her even tighter, causing Jeanne's already cracked armor to begin shattering. "Thank you! Thank you so much! You really are a saint." He rubbed his cheek against hers, deepening the redness in her face. "Let's burn together in this bonfire." His grip tightened, even as the flames burned his body and her armor cracked along with the sound of his bones grinding.
"Get off me!" Face flushed, she shoved his head back and kicked him away. "Fafnir!" she shouted, leaping away.
Still burning in the flames, Altair shivered. He lifted his head just in time to see a dragon's claw crash into his body. The black fire scattered from the sheer force of the impact.
Jeanne landed on the ground, staring at the spot where Altair had been crushed, still feeling the echo of that strange heat and the pain in her body.
"Die! Die! Die! Die!" she screamed, climbing onto the dragon's back.
But amid her screams, Fafnir's claw began to rise. Beneath it, Altair held it up with his hands, his smile even wider. Veins bulged in his arms, blood streamed down his face—deformed by the flames—but the twisted grin remained.
"Roar!"
The dragon released a deafening roar, increasing the pressure of its claw.
"Today's one of the best days of my life, don't you think?" Altair asked, tilting his head toward the sky.
"Hahaha!" A laugh tore through the air.
Jeanne looked up and saw one of Altair's clones leaping through the sky. He spun his hand and shouted: "Grow and expand!" The Ruyi Jingu Bang obeyed, growing to the size of a building. The staff struck Fafnir, throwing the dragon backward. Its tail swung, destroying the clone with a single blow.
As Fafnir was hurled into the air, Altair climbed onto its body. "I really hate you damn lizards," he said, flexing his hands. Claws sprouted from his fingers, and he began slashing, tearing into Fafnir's face. The dragon roared—not in rage, but in pain.
Jeanne clung to the scales, stunned by the boy's resilience. Even with regeneration, he should've been exhausted.
"Fafnir, get him off you!" she screamed.
The dragon began thrashing wildly in the air. A shockwave exploded, launching Altair upward. At the same time, Fafnir's tail slammed into him, sending him plummeting to the ground like a meteor.
Falling at high speed, Altair felt the wind on his face and looked to the clouds, sensing something calling to him.
With a faint smile, he raised his hand toward the sky.
"Kinto'un," he murmured, as if calling an old friend.
Winds began to swirl, and small glowing particles appeared around him, like fireflies shimmering in morning mist. They spun into a vortex, forming a golden mist that quickly condensed. With a hum, the mist took the shape of a cloud.
The Kinto'un, the golden cloud, floated before him, alive and pulsing as if it recognized him.
Altair's smile widened. He bent his knees and twisted his body, landing gently atop the cloud. To his surprise, it held him firmly—despite being nothing but mist and light.
With a gesture, he summoned Ruyi Jingu Bang, which appeared in his hand.
Wearing the Monkey King's Robe, holding the stone staff, and standing atop the Kinto'un, Altair felt complete.
"Time to end this dance," he said with a smile. The cloud, obeying its master's will, surged forward toward Fafnir, who unleashed an ear-shattering roar.
••• ••• •••
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