Despite his large and ripped size, Boman's steps were unusually silent. His feet were definitely touching the ground, but not a single sound was made.
The Ravenblades of the Ravenstein family had once been a tier three family, which meant their strongest and most talented warriors had been at the master+ rank in power.
However, after decades spent with the Ravenstein family and countless generations passing, a small percentage had broken through this limit, advancing into the grandmaster ranks.
Boman, Avalon's Ravenblade, was one of those fortunate few.
A battle hardened veteran, Boman had seen and survived the worst the world had to offer.
One of the few remaining from the first generation of Ravenblades, Boman had earned his place through blood and war.
Back then, the Ravensteins hadn't fully understood what to do with the Ravenblades yet, so they were instead sent to fight in wars.
In those early days, the Ravenblades acted as assassins in the shadows, eliminating threats with ease. Their reputation quickly grew as silent killers who could dismantle armies from within.
It was then that the Ravensteins realized their true value and officially established the Ravenblades, using them to protect important figures in the family.
Since then, Boman had been with Avalon, watching over him as he grew into the leader he was today.
Avalon was like a son to him, and there was no way Boman would allow any harm to come to his family—not while he was still breathing.
Boman rolled up his sleeves, his aura shifting. His gray eyes met Gideon's black ones, and their auras exploded simultaneously, two grandmaster+ ranks clashing for dominance.
The ground cracked under the pressure, and the air became increasingly unbearable.
Anastasia and the others shifted away from the scene, their eyes glued to the impending battle. Anastasia and Arya were both at the master+ rank in strength, which meant that neither of them could even dream of participating in this battle.
Gideon suddenly burst into laughter, a wide grin on his face.
"Are you sure you want to do this, old man? I don't care how old you are—I'm going to crush you until there's nothing left!"
Boman didn't respond in words, but his actions spoke volumes.
"Cloak."
The temperature in the area suddenly plummeted, as an intense darkness swirled around him.
The shadows coiled around Boman like a living entity, wrapping his body in tendrils of pure black. Silent and cold, the darkness enveloped him, curling around his fists and body, solidifying into a dense armor of shadow.
Gideon's muscles bulged, expanding with power as his frame seemed to double in size. His skin, darkened from its rich black hue to a shimmering bronze, and the ground buckled as his weight multiplied.
Both their auras grew to unimaginable heights, the air quaking. And then, one of them moved.
Gideon rocketed forward without hesitation, his massive form covering the distance in less than a second. His charge caused the entire estate to quake as he barreled toward Boman with a powerful swing of his fist. However…
"Umbra Shift."
A dark voice echoed as Gideon's massive fist collided with Boman's body. But the expected impact never came— Boman's figure suddenly exploded into a black cloud.
Gideon's fist struck the ground with tremendous force, sending a deafening boom reverberating through the estate. The floor heaved as if hit by a meteor, dust and rubble shooting up in a cloud, the ground trembling beneath him.
Instantaneously, Gideon's shadow swirled in formless waves, and Boman's figure shot out from it, appearing behind him, gripping two daggers in a reverse hold.
"Mirror of Shadows."
Another dark voice sounded, and multiple figures of Boman emerged all around Gideon in a burst of darkness. Each of their blades exploded with intense darkness, closing in with deadly precision, each one aiming for Gideon's vital points.
As the blades of Boman's clones neared, Gideon's aura suddenly erupted with overwhelming power. In that instant, a primal roar tore through the air like an earthquake, shaking the very foundations of the estate.
The sheer force of the roar unleashed a violent shockwave, rippling outward in all directions.
Boman's clones disintegrated into dark mist under the pressure. The ground cracked and splintered as the shockwave hurled Boman backward. However, he performed a mid air spin, stopping his momentum and landing firmly on the ground.
Boman stood up calmly, sending a measured gaze toward Gideon's new form.
Gideon's skin, which had shimmered bronze, had now turned a metallic silver hue. His aura had become visible, and his mass had grown even larger than before.
'The reports were accurate,' Boman thought, rolling back his sleeves and slowly removing his suit jacket as he assessed the situation.
The Ravenstein family had collected detailed information about Gideon's bloodline. It was simple but terrifying—he could channel mana from the air into his body, amplifying his physical abilities and endurance to near-m unfathomable levels.
'According to the reports, his bloodline has four stages. Silver must be the third,' Boman pondered.
From the intelligence they had gathered, Gideon's bloodline had four stages, each reflected in his changing skin tone. His base form was black, with the second stage being bronze. The third was silver, and the final stage, gold, would match the beard growing beneath his chin.
Gideon burst into loud, intense laughter that shook the estate before turning toward Boman, a smirk forming on his lips.
Boman tightened his grip on his daggers, his gaze cold. Without wasting a second, both their forms disappeared in a blur, shockwaves spreading out as they clashed.
Anastasia, Freya, and Arya watched the battle unfold, their faces serious. However, their focus on the fight was quickly interrupted.
"Your life looks delicious," a voice purred.
Elysia landed a few meters away from the group, licking her lips as she gazed at Anastasia.
"You're so full of vitality and youth. I'm so jealous. Why don't you come here? I'd love for us to be friends," she said with a twisted smile.