Transcending Paragon (New)

Sorry for the delay, I've been having writer's block but I hope I'll be able to find the perfect song to listen to while writing since it helps.

Anyway, if yah have suggestions feel free to tell me. I'm trying to finish this volume at around 60 chapters then start a new world which I haven't decided. 

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The battlefield roared with explosions and the clash of steel, the ground trembling beneath their relentless exchange. Dust and debris filled the air, but the haze quickly cleared, revealing two warriors locked in a fierce duel. 

Caelum twirled Eleonora's Poleblade, its twin crimson blades gleaming ominously as he advanced. Hajime, wielding his upgraded twin gunblades, fired off a rapid barrage of mana-enhanced bullets. Each shot pierced through the air with deafening cracks, the sheer force creating shockwaves. 

Caelum, however, moved with inhuman agility, weaving between the bullets, his blade a blur as he deflected some mid-flight. Sparks ignited with each deflected round, the sound of metal meeting magic ringing through the cavern. 

"Is that all you got, Hajime?" Caelum smirked, sidestepping a blast before countering with a swift, spinning slash aimed at Hajime's side. 

Hajime barely dodged, leaping back and countering with a point-blank explosive round. The force of the shot sent a shockwave tearing through the ground, leaving a deep crater. 

"I'm holding back so you don't cry later!" he shot back, grinning. 

Caelum clicked his tongue. 

"Oh, please. I'd be worried about you if you weren't using aimbot bullets." 

Hajime snorted.

"Jealous?" 

Caelum vanished in a blur, reappearing behind Hajime in an instant. 

"Nah—just annoyed." With a single, fluid motion, he swung his poleblade. Hajime barely managed to cross his gunblades in time, blocking the strike, but the force sent him skidding backward, his boots carving trenches into the stone floor. 

From the sidelines, Yue watched with unwavering admiration, her golden eyes solely focused on Caelum. 

"Mn. Caelum is incredible." 

Caelum grinned, hearing her. 

"You hear that, Hajime? My darling Yue thinks I'm incredible." 

Yue nodded firmly. "Mn. You are." 

Hajime groaned. 

"Of course she does! She's biased" 

Yue tilted her head.

"Why? I only love Caelum. I should be biased." 

Hajime sighed. 

"Okay, whatever."

Caelum shot Hajime a smug look before dashing forward at blinding speed. He spun the poleblade, its crimson edge cutting through the air as he launched a rapid series of slashes that forced Hajime on the defensive. Hajime parried and countered, his gunblades releasing bursts of energy with every clash. 

Hajime growled, his eye glowing red.

"Fine! Let's take this up a notch!" He activated Aerodynamic, boosting his mobility, and kicked off the ground, flipping over Caelum while firing point-blank mana bullets. 

Caelum tilted his head, barely dodging. 

"Tch—sneaky bastard." He twisted mid-air, kicked off a nearby rock, and slammed his poleblade downward, forcing Hajime to block again. The impact sent another shockwave through the area, deep cracks forming in the cavern floor. 

Hajime suddenly fired a gravity-enhanced round at Caelum's feet, creating a localized gravity well that pulled him down. Seizing the moment, Hajime lunged, swinging his gunblade with deadly precision. 

But Caelum smirked.

"Not bad, but—" His body flickered, and in an instant, he was behind Hajime, his poleblade's tip pressed lightly against Hajime's neck. 

"Dead," Caelum said smugly. 

Hajime sighed, lowering his weapons. 

"Damn it…" 

Yue clapped softly. 

"Mn. Caelum wins." 

Hajime groaned.

"Yeah, yeah. No need to rubbed on my face." 

"Mn." Yue didn't, walking over to her lover. 

Caelum grinned, stretching. 

"Alright, break time!" 

Hajime sighed, holstering his weapons. 

"Finally. I was getting tired of wiping that smug look off your face." 

Caelum smirked. 

"Admit it. You missed sparring with me." 

Hajime scoffed. 

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever helps you sleep at night." 

As Caelum walked over to Yue, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed herself into his embrace. 

"Mn. You were amazing." 

Caelum chuckled, running his fingers through her silky hair. 

"Of course. Had to make sure my beautiful Yue wasn't disappointed." 

Yue smiled, tilting her head up.

"Mn. Never." 

Hajime gagged.

"Oh for—get a damn room!" 

Caelum grinned, leaning down to whisper in Yue's ear. 

"We should. Later." 

Yue's cheeks tinted slightly pink, but she nodded.

"Mn. Later." 

Hajime groaned, rubbing his temples. 

"I hate both of you." 

Caelum laughed, tightening his hold on Yue. 

"You love us. Admit it." 

Hajime turned away. 

"Like hell I do."

After some time, everyone settled down to rest, their bodies recovering from the intense sparring session. As they lounged around, the conversation naturally drifted toward their next move. 

Caelum leaned back against a rock, arms crossed.

"Alright, once we're out of here, we need a plan. My priority is collecting all the Ancient Magic." 

Hajime nodded, his expression serious. 

"Yeah. If we're gonna take down that bastard Ehit, we need every advantage we can get. Plus, it's my ticket home." 

Yue, nestled comfortably against Caelum's side, glanced up at him. 

" I will stay with Caelum." 

Hajime sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. You two are joined at the hip." 

Caelum smirked, wrapping an arm around Yue's waist and pulling her closer. 

"Admit it, you're just Jealous." 

Hajime scoffed. 

"Yeah, jealous of you being a damn lolicon." 

Caelum rolled his eyes.

"Oh, here we go again." 

Yue frowned, confused. 

"I still don't know What is a lolicon?" 

Hajime grinned. 

"Oh, it's—" 

Before he could finish, Caelum flicked his forehead, making him yelp.

"Don't you dare corrupt my Yue." 

Yue pouted.

"Explain." 

Caelum smirked, tilting her chin up.

"Ignore him. He's just bitter he doesn't have a girl clinging to him." 

Yue smiled, pressing closer. 

"Only Caelum." 

Hajime groaned, covering his face. 

"I swear to God, you two make me want to die." 

Caelum chuckled, leaning down to whisper in Yue's ear. 

"Should we make it worse?" 

Yue nodded immediately. 

With that, Caelum scooped Yue into his lap, holding her bridal style. Yue curled into him with a content sigh, and the two locked eyes, radiating pure affection. 

Hajime gagged. 

"Alright, I'm done. I'm going to bed before I vomit." 

Caelum smirked.

"Sweet dreams, virgin." 

Hajime threw a rock at him.

After some time, everyone was low ready to head out into the surface. Caelum had upgraded his armor to be flexible yet durable. He came up with the design as a mixture of fantasy and real life armor. 

The armor is a dark and imposing full-plate set with intricate details and an ominous aura. The primary color is a deep, metallic black, accented with glowing crimson patterns that resemble arcane runes or curses. 

The shoulder pauldrons are adorned with thick, tattered fur dyed in a deep purple hue, giving the armor a regal yet menacing presence. The chest plate features elaborate engravings and red glowing symbols, hinting at possible enchantments or magical reinforcement. 

The arms and gauntlets are heavily armored, with intricate silver engravings running along the forearms and hands. The gloves are reinforced with claw-like fingertips, emphasizing a brutal and fearsome aesthetic. 

The lower half of the armor is composed of segmented leg plates that allow flexibility while maintaining maximum protection. The knee guards are large and reinforced, featuring additional engravings and sharp edges. The boots are similarly armored, ending in pointed, almost claw-like designs. 

A dark, flowing cloak drapes over the shoulders and cascades behind the warrior, adding an air of mystery and power. The hood partially obscures the character's face, but a single glowing red eye is visible beneath, exuding a sense of dread and supernatural menace, making them look like an executioner from a nightmare.

[ Image here ]

They noticed the familiar design etched into the heptagon before Caelum activated the 'Treasure Trove' equipped to his finger. The ring they had taken from Oscar's finger appeared in his hands as he held it up to the etched heptagon.

With a grandiose boom the line in the wall pulled open like a door and revealed the rest of the path. The trio followed the path, coming across similar doors and other traps, each being opened or disabled with just the flash of the ring.

It wasn't long until the scenery changed, The trio twitched their noses before halting their steps. They looked at each other at the same time before noticing the faint light at the end of the hall. Careful steps became brisk jogging, then running, then sprinting as the two raced towards the exit.

Sunlight. Just beyond this hall was the world they seeked. As such there was no way they would ignore their excitement. Their desires only became stronger as they felt a fresh breeze hit their faces.

Both of them burst out into the light at the same time. Yue spread her arms as if embracing the world while Caelum smiled, finally enjoying the warmth of the sunlight. He felt irritated how dark and wet the dungeon was but he simply shrugged it off for the most part. 

Caelum glanced at Hajime who felt overwhelmed by emotion and he simply placed his hand on his shoulder and enjoyed the moment. Soom they realized the ground he was standing on was neither soil nor grass.

Instead what they both currently stood on was a floor not too different from the stone lining the Grand Canyon. In fact Caelum looked up before noticing that they indeed stood at the bottom of some gorge surrounded by the same rocks.

As of now he had no doubts as to where they've found themselves. The Reisen Gorge, a great gash in the earth that divided the north and the south. 

A gorge that ran anywhere from one kilometer deep in shallow areas to two kilometers in other places. Spanning anywhere from nine hundred meters wide to eight kilometers wide. One could make it to the Gruen Desert so long as they followed it to the west or to the Haltina Woods if they decided to go east.

However there was another property of this area that made it such a dreaded one besides the powerful monsters that inhabit it, that being so long as you stood beneath these cliffs it was impossible to use magic. Or so that's what Caelum had read from the Holy Church's documents and Oscar's library.

But for now none of that mattered. The only thing Yue and Caelum wanted to do was gaze at the sun together. Though the 'sun' in Oscar's hideout was indeed created to have identical properties to the real deal, Yue and Caelum couldn't help but find a greater sense of serenity from just seeing the true sun. They smiled brilliantly as they laughed out loud when they both had to look away and wipe the tears that had accumulated.

As Yue and Caelum stood there, basking in the warm embrace of the true sun, they couldn't help but get lost in the moment. Caelum pulled Yue close, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear before whispering.

"You know, the sun is bright... but it's got nothing on you." 

Yue blinked before a slight blush crept onto her cheeks. 

"Smooth talker." She smirked and poked his chest, tilting her head. 

"You really missed sunlight that much?" 

Caelum grinned. 

"I missed a lot of things down there, but..." He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. 

"You're the only thing I need." 

Yue closed her eyes, savoring the moment. 

"Mn. Keep talking like that, and I'll never let you leave our bed." 

"AHEM." 

Both turned to see Hajime standing there, arms crossed, face completely deadpan. 

"Guys." Hajime sighed, rubbing his temples. 

"We just escaped literal hell. Can you two at least pretend you're not on a honeymoon?" 

Caelum raised a brow.

 "Come on lighten up!" 

Hajime's eye twitched. "Tsk. Watching a guy turn into a full-time simp? No thanks." 

Yue, still wrapped around Caelum, gave Hajime a completely unimpressed look. 

"Virgin." 

Hajime almost fell over. 

"EXCUSE ME?!" 

Caelum burst out laughing.

"Hajime, I didn't even have to say it this time." 

Hajime groaned. 

"You two are actual menaces." 

Caelum smirked.

"Speaking of menaces..." He pulled out a sleek, high-tech key fob and tossed it up before catching it mid-air.

"Time to ride in style." 

With a single press, the ground rumbled. A deep mechanical growl echoed as Caelum's motorcycle materialized beside him—a monstrous futuristic beast, armored in sleek black plating with glowing orange accents that pulsed ominously. The engine purred like a caged beast, and its glowing wheels spun lazily, as if taunting anything that dared to chase it. 

Yue's eyes gleamed as she traced her fingers over the smooth, cold metal.

"Fast?" 

Caelum chuckled. 

"The fastest." 

Hajime, arms crossed, scoffed. 

"Tch. Big deal." 

Caelum smirked and revved the engine. The deep, mechanical roar was so intense it shook the ground beneath them. Hajime stumbled slightly. 

Caelum smirked wider.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" 

Hajime gritted his teeth. "I said—" 

Suddenly, a blaring text overlay appeared in Hajime's vision: 

> Achievement Unlocked: Witnessed True Sigma Behavior 

> "You have observed an Alpha Male flex his superiority. Try not to cry." 

Hajime froze. His mouth opened, then closed. He slowly turned his head to glare at Caelum who using magic to project that text.

Caelum held up an invisible microphone. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, we got him." 

Yue tilted her head. 

"Hajime... lagging?" 

Hajime was absolutely seething. 

"I hate both of you." 

Caelum smirked as he hopped onto the bike and pulled Yue up behind him. 

"Hajime, you're my bro, but I will never stop bullying you." 

Hajime pinched the bridge of his nose before summoning his own ride. A massive, armored vehicle appeared, its engine roaring to life. He gave Caelum a deadpan stare. 

"Fine. Race me, then." 

Caelum grinned. 

"Oh, you're on." 

With a loud rev, the two shot off into the horizon—Yue clinging tightly to Caelum as she laughed, and Hajime silently vowing to one day wipe that smug grin off his friend's face.