Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 253: Chapter: 252 Dueling Magnus.[2]

"Bahahahaha! Is this all you’ve got?"

Magnus’ laughter echoed throughout the underground arena as Kavin and Jasmine continued their relentless assault. Their attacks came one after another without pause, creating a storm of steel around the giant warrior.

Every strike carried enough force to cripple an ordinary spell caster, and every movement displayed the skill and coordination they had forged through countless battles together.

Yet Magnus remained standing. The giant moved with surprising ease despite being surrounded by their attacks.

His fists intercepted Jasmine’s blades while his body twisted just enough to avoid the most dangerous angles.

Whenever Kavin’s weapon descended, Magnus either blocked it directly or forced it aside with overwhelming strength.

The spectators watched in amazement.

Although Magnus appeared to be on the defensive, everyone could see that he remained completely composed. The giant was enjoying himself.

Kavin’s eyes narrowed.

’This won’t do.’

Their current attacks were incapable of breaking through Magnus’ defenses.

Without hesitation, Kavin took a step backward. The massive greatsword slipped from his fingers, but before it could hit the ground, it dissolved into particles of mana and vanished into thin air.

A moment later, a wakizashi appeared in his hand.

The weapon was far smaller than the greatsword, its blade slender and elegant. A black scabbard accompanied it, resting naturally in his grip as though it had always belonged there.

Kavin slowly drew the blade. The polished steel gleamed beneath the arena lights.

At the same time, his free hand moved forward. Mana gathered around his palm before condensing into a glowing circular construct.

Strange runes rotated along its edge, releasing faint ripples into the surrounding air.

"Time Leaps."

The moment the words left his mouth, an indescribable sensation spread throughout his body. His muscles felt lighter, his movements felt sharper.

The flow of time around him seemed to shift ever so slightly.

Then he vanished.

Across the battlefield, Magnus was in the middle of blocking Jasmine’s twin blades when his instincts suddenly screamed.

The giant froze.

Kavin had disappeared from where he was.

Taking advantage of the brief opening, Jasmine lunged forward.

Her shorter sword shot toward Magnus’ chest while her tachi slashed toward his side.

The attacks arrived with deadly precision.

However, Magnus was far from careless.

His fist moved instantly.

The shorter blade was knocked aside at the last second. Even so, a thin graze appeared across his knuckles.

By the time he redirected his attention, Kavin had already arrived. The wakizashi appeared directly beside Magnus’ right shoulder.

The giant grinned. He could see the attack clearly. His hand moved to intercept the blade.

Under normal circumstances, he would have swatted it away effortlessly.

Then Kavin spoke.

"One point five speed."

The change was immediate. The wakizashi accelerated, it wasn’t gradual nor was it natural. The blade simply became faster.

It was as if a portion of time itself had suddenly been skipped.

Magnus’ eyes widened.

"What the—!"

Before he could finish speaking, the wakizashi sliced deep into his shoulder.

Blood sprayed into the air in a vivid crimson arc. Yet, before the edge could bite into bone, the giant’s reflexive instincts overrode the pain.

Magnus’ dense muscles contracted with terrifying, hydraulic force, clamping down like a vice to trap the steel within his flesh.

"Got you!" Magnus laughed, his voice booming.

His massive fist descended toward Kavin’s chin with enough momentum to end the match right there.

But Kavin had already anticipated the counter. Pivoting on his heel, his leg whipped through the air toward Magnus’ stomach.

It was a powerful strike, but Magnus remained unfazed, shifting his weight backward to absorb the brunt of the impact.

Then, Kavin’s lips moved. "Two times speed."

The kick exploded forward. The sudden burst of acceleration completely shattered Magnus’ spatial prediction.

It looked less like a natural strike and more like a glitch in reality, as if time itself had fast-forwarded for a fraction of a second.

The boot slammed squarely into the giant’s abdomen, releasing a deep, resonant boom that vibrated through the stone floor.

Magnus stumbled backward, his heavy boots dragging across the dirt.

The audience collectively gasped.

For a brief, suspended moment, the entire underground arena fell dead silent. Kavin planted his feet back on the ground, his face immediately contorting into a grimace.

Sharp, searing pain surged through every muscle fiber and nerve ending in his body. His chest heaved as his breathing turned ragged, and heavy beads of sweat poured down his forehead.

Time Leaps was the crown jewel of his inheritance, but wielding such an ability demanded a horrific toll.

He could artificially accelerate his limbs; he could force his weapons to break the laws of velocity.

However, every single activation drained his mana reserves and tore away at his stamina. Worse still, the physical strain was excruciating.

Each burst of speed felt as though thousands of white-hot needles were ripping through his muscles.

Even with a superhuman physiology, maintaining the spell for a solitary minute pushed him dangerously close to total physical collapse.

Yet, Kavin endured the agony. Without this trump card, drawing blood from Magnus would have been an impossibility.

The crowd’s stunned reaction validated his sacrifice. Shock paralyzed every face in the stands. Spellcasters leaned over the railings, gripping the barriers.

Wealthy merchants stared with slack jaws, and seasoned adventurers froze in disbelief. No one had expected the giant to bleed.

But as the initial shock subsided, a wave of raw ecstasy washed over the spectators; the mere thought of the fortunes they could amass by gambling on this duo sent a thrill through the stands.

At the edge of the arena, Salena watched with wide, unblinking eyes, stunned by the sheer absurdity of Kavin’s hidden spell.

"What a surprise."

Magnus traced the crimson line on his shoulder. A slow, savage grin spread across his face.

It had been a very long time since anyone had managed to break his skin, let alone a pair of juniors whose levels were vastly inferior to his own.

Instead of sparking anger, the wound kindled a fierce excitement. For the first time since the fight, genuine anticipation ignited in his eyes.

Unfortunately for him, Kavin and Jasmine granted him no leisure to savor the thrill.

Jasmine lunged from the left while Kavin flanked from the right, their coordination operating with flawless, lethal synergy.

The wakizashi constantly threatened Magnus with unpredictable, hyper-accelerated thrusts, forcing the giant to divide his attention and guard his blind spots.

Meanwhile, Jasmine orchestrated her assault with cold, calculated precision. Her twin blades moved in a fluid, continuous dance, probing his defenses and instantly exploiting every micro-opening her partner created.

Despite their success, Jasmine remained dissatisfied. Magnus was still parrying their onslaught. He was actively adapting to their rhythm.

’This won’t do,’ she realized.

The giant was too fast, too durable, and too powerful. Worst of all, he still wasn’t fighting at full capacity. They needed to force his hand.

’Camouflage.’

Compressed mana surged into her weapons. In the blink of an eye, both swords vanished.

They didn’t physically dissolve; rather, they became entirely invisible to the naked eye.

Magnus’ eyes widened, confusion clouding his features for the first time in the bout.

"What the fuck?" the curse escaped his lips involuntarily.

Two unseen blades descended through the air...one tracing a path toward his heart, the other aiming directly for his head.

Simultaneously, Kavin’s wakizashi hissed toward his leg in another sudden burst of accelerated speed. For a split second, a genuine chill of mortal danger spiked through Magnus’ spine.

His mind raced at a frantic pace. What kind of spells were these? A temporal acceleration technique? Invisible weaponry? A localized time field? Were these two ancient legacies or closely guarded clan secrets?

He desperately hoped they were inheritances, because if these two had engineered these spells themselves, he didn’t know whether to be deeply embarrassed or profoundly impressed.

Probably both.

But the battlefield left no room for contemplation. The giant reached an undeniable conclusion: these two were absolute monsters.

If he continued to hold back out of pride, he would genuinely lose this match. A fierce, unbridled smile split his face.

Then, he roared.

"Roar! Beast King!"

The battle cry exploded outward, rattling the very foundations of the arena. A blinding golden light erupted behind him, reshaping itself into a massive, ethereal lion.

Its spectral fur shimmered like molten gold under the flickering arena torches, its torso as large as a fortified house.

Every strand of its glowing mane radiated pure, majestic dominance. The moment the construct fully materialized, the lion unhinged its jaws and unleashed a thunderous, concussive bellow.

The stone arena vibrated violently. A gale-force shockwave of wind blasted outward, slamming into Kavin and Jasmine and forcing them backward as the sheer atmospheric pressure crashed against their chests.

The roar was far more than mere acoustic volume; it carried a localized mental force that struck straight at their consciousness.

For a terrifying second, their hearing cut out into static. Their thoughts slowed to a crawl, and their minds went completely blank.

Magnus seized the opening instantly. His massive, towering figure blurred forward across the dirt.

Before either of them could snap out of the mental paralysis, his heavy fists crashed squarely into their midsections.

The dual impacts detonated with the concussive force of artillery fire. The sheer, monstrous momentum launched Kavin and Jasmine backward across the length of the arena.

Shockwaves rippled out from the points of impact, sending plumes of dust and jagged stone fragments flying in every direction, while the stadium crowd erupted into a deafening, frenzied roar of cheers.