The Moonlight Swordsman

Aizel's gaze was fixated on the Grade III Dire Bjorn as it charged towards him, its gigantic body making a loud pounding as it ran.

The Grade III Dire Bjorn raced towards Aizel with lightning speed, its claws set to strike. Aizel's mind raced as he quickly sidestepped the attack, narrowly missing the deadly claws of the beast.

The rocky armor enveloped Aizel's right leg, flashing brilliant red with electricity sparks running along its surface. With a swift gust of wind and fire, Aizel spun around and delivered a powerful kick right to the monster's face.

Aizel's kick struck the monster's face hard.

He had delivered the strike with a powerful combination of magic powers, and the force of it sent the enormous Dire Bjorn flying away like a cannonball for the first time.

With a flick of his wrist, Aizel conjured a wall of jagged rocks that materialized out of thin air, appearing just behind the enormous Dire Bjorn as it was thrown through the air by his strong kick.

The monster's body slammed into the stone barrier with such force that debris flew in all directions.

Aizel flicked his wrist again, and a sphere of water emerged around the Dire Bjorn, encasing it like a prisoner.

As Aizel ran towards the imprisoned monster, his sword flashed brightly, leaving flame trails in its wake. The weapon's hum became louder with each stride, signaling it was eager to cut down its prey.

With a fast upward motion, he executed a fiery slash, but the monster evaded the strike by moving its body slightly within the water prison. It had to sacrifice one of its arms in the process.

The heat from the sword increased, causing the water prison to evaporate instantly and leaving the burnt ground in its place.

As the monster attempted to flee Aizel's wrath, it became stuck to the ground, as if its feet were glued to the ground.

The monster struggled to free itself, but the more it fought, the deeper it sank into the ground.

Aizel created a chain of fire and metal with a hook on the end, then hurled it at the monster's last leg. The hook entered the flesh deeply, and the burning chain wrapped around the leg, securing it.

"YAAAAAAAAAA......….."

Aizel let out a fierce roar, summoning all his strength and channeling his magic to enhance his physical abilities.

With a herculean effort, he lifted the massive body of the Dire Bjorn off the ground with one hand, straining every muscle in his body.

He slammed the beast into the ground with all his power, sending it soaring through the air and crashing into the ground with a deafening boom.

The impact created a massive crater, and the ground trembled beneath their feet.

"IT'S NOT OVER YETTTT..."

Aizel channeled his strength once more, concentrating every fiber of his being on lifting the big beast off the ground. Then, with a ferocious cry, he slammed the monster into the ground with a loud crash.

He motioned with his palm, and the earth shuddered beneath the monster as a giant platform rose from the ground, taking the Dire Bjorn high into the air.

Aizel launched himself into the air with the grace of a soaring bird, his mastery of wind magic driving him upwards.

He shot towards the elevated earth platform where the beast was lying with tremendous speed and precision, slicing through the air like a sword through silk.

Aizel concentrated his thoughts, and the earth platform vanished into thin air. As the monster fell to the ground, Aizel's neck began to glow as he descended through the air.

*ROARRR…*

As he gathered his strength, Aizel's chest swelled with energy, and with a deep breath, he blasted a focused jet of fire from his mouth.

The flames converged into a scorching beam aimed directly at the monster's abdomen, slamming it into the ground with bone-shattering force.

The collision hurled debris in all directions, and the ground exploded in flames, igniting everything.

He floated down to the ground, controlling his descent with his wind magic. He held his head with his remaining arm as he landed, the pain from using his mental energy and the mind potion taking their toll.

As he limped towards the monster's charred and lifeless carcass, his eyes drooped heavily. His thoughts slowed, and the world got foggy.

Finally, with a heavy thud, Aizel collapsed to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness.

*****

The next morning arrived as the first rays of the sun peeked over the horizon, painting the sky in a lovely blend of colors and sending a warm glow over the entire realm of Xelgar.

*Whistle*…

The old man levitated slowly in mid-air, drifting towards the wilderness where he had left Aizel to carry out his test. He enjoyed the early morning breeze and the chirping of birds, and he sang a pleasant tune as he flew.

The old man's gaze swept across the forest, taking in the sight of the Dire Bjorn bodies sprawled everywhere.

"Hmm… little Aizel really worked hard. So many materials, hihi..."

With a wave of his hand, the old man bathed the woodland floor in a dazzling crimson mist. The mist soon solidified into a scarlet veil that effortlessly lifted all of the Dire Bjorn bodies and brought them towards the floating old man.

With a flick of his hand, the elderly man stored the Dire Bjorn corpses in his storage ring. When he was done, he quickly spread his mana sense throughout the entire forest, looking for Aizel.

"Oh, there he is, *phew*

…still breathing."

The old man soared through the air, his heart racing with worry as he neared the area where Aizel was.

The ground was littered with bodies, scorched trees, and the burnt remains of a Grade III Dire Bjorn, which was still releasing smoke. And there was Aizel, unconscious and covered in dried blood, cuts, and bite marks all over his body. One of his arms had been severed, leaving a ghastly stump.

"This little fellow really pulled it off, but I have to treat him quickly. I can't send him off like this." He thought.

Vespara's image flashed by in his mind. He shuddered and quickly went towards Aizel.