Chapter 278: Crazy Vs Closet Crazy Chapter 278: Crazy Vs Closet Crazy Swoosh! Swoosh! Aaron made two empty swings through the air with his bronze greatsword, the blade carving clean arcs as if testing its balance and his own control over it. The weight hummed through his arms, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. THruss! With a sharp, decisive motion, he pointed the blade straight at Lily. Jing! Jing! Jing! Jing! The ground suddenly erupted. Countless earthen spikes burst forth in violent waves, tearing through the arena floor as they surged toward Lily in rapid succession. Lily focused, her gaze sharpening as wind energy gathered beneath her feet with a low hum, lifting her upward just in time to escape the advancing spikes. But— Tham! Tham! Tham! Three earthen footholds shot out from the ground in front of Aaron, each one higher than the last, forming a wide, staircase-like path into the air. Aaron rested the massive sword against his shoulder and dashed forward, his speed startling for someone wielding such a heavy weapon. In mere seconds, he had ascended the makeshift steps, his figure jumping above Lily. Then, without hesitation, he leapt and came crashing down. The greatsword descended in a brutal downward slash aimed straight at her. Unlike his previous weapon, which favored lighter, faster strikes, this blade carried overwhelming weight. The very air groaned under its descent, the pressure alone enough to crush. Earth energy surged into the weapon, making it heavier with each passing second. Lily’s instincts screamed as she created a foothold mid-air and sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the strike as it tore through the space she had occupied— But Aaron didn’t stop. Mid-air, he twisted his body, reinforcing his legs with a surge of energy before unleashing a vicious kick. He even formed a earthen foothold himself and supported his weight with teleklenesis. Lily raised her sword to block— Tham! The impact sent a violent shock through her arms, the force overwhelming. Her body spun uncontrollably as she was hurled toward the ground. Wind gathered beneath her just in time, cushioning the fall—but even as she landed, Aaron was already upon her. Thang! Crack! Her sword rang sharply as she blocked again—only for a faint, ominous crack to echo through the blade. It held, but barely. Aaron’s eyes remained calm. With a twist of his wrist, he transitioned into a wide sweeping slash— At the same instant, Lily lunged forward. Her damaged sword thrust straight toward his chest. Neither of them flinched nor they retreated. The blade pierced into Aaron’s right chest— And his greatsword connected. A brutal force slammed into Lily, sending her flying sideways. Flesh tore—nearly half her arm was hacked apart as blood sprayed into the air. But even as she tumbled, wind wrapped around her, stabilizing her body as the wound began to knit itself back together. "Tsk... damn healers," Aaron muttered, voice calm despite the blood soaking his torso. "Looks like I need to be more aggressive." Without hesitation, he grabbed the embedded sword from his chest and yanked it out. Blood spilled freely. He glanced at the blade once—then tossed it aside. Crack! It snapped cleanly in two upon hitting the ground. Aaron didn’t have any healing ability. The wound in his chest remained open, blood continuing to pour. Yet he didn’t even slow down. With the greatsword pulled back, he charged again, his steps heavy but relentless. Lily steadied herself, her breathing controlled. She raised both hands, her focus locking onto the approaching figure. Shish! Shish! Shish! Countless wind blades formed around her, slicing through the air as they shot toward Aaron in a relentless barrage. Aaron raised his sword and cut through them mid-charge, each swing precise, deflecting the attacks before they could reach him. But after a few seconds— The intensity increased. The wind sharpened as some blades slipped through. They tore into his body, carving shallow cuts across his arms, chest, and face. Blood splattered with every step he took. Yet he didn’t stop. Not once or even when half his body was drenched in his own blood. The audience watched in stunned silence, a chilling tension gripping the arena. How could someone keep moving like that? And how could someone keep inflicting such damage without hesitation? When Aaron finally closed the distance, Lily unleashed a concentrated burst of wind. BOOM! The explosion of air forced him back, creating space once more. Once again, he charged without hesitation. Again and again, he sometime even threw rock lances at her, but seeing how futile were projectiles to her with wind at her command, he disregarded them completely. The cycle continued. But then, something shifted within Lily. Her attack pattern changed and no longer aimed to finish the fight. Each strike was deliberate—calculated to wound, hurt, or bleed—but never to kill. Every attack avoided vital points by the narrowest of margins. Pain without end. And whenever a finishing strike did slip through— Aaron would cut it down. Back in the beast area, the battle was no less brutal. The Shardfall Warden, despite being bound in thick vines and roots, continued to fight like a mad beast. Stone lances formed around it, launching relentlessly at the treant, piercing its body in multiple places. The treant, in turn, minimized its use of Lily’s mana, only healing the most critical damage to keep itself from collapsing. Unlike physical beasts, a spirit beast could continue functioning even with severe bodily damage—something clearly visible in the treant’s battered form. "HAAAAA!!!" Aaron roared, his voice tearing through the arena as he charged again, wounds old and new spilling blood with every step. Lily raised her hand once more, invoking the treant’s power. Roots and vines surged forward, coiling toward Aaron. Yet again, she avoided vital points. They pierced into his shoulders, his thighs—binding and restricting. Aaron snorted, almost amused. With a single swing, he cut them apart. Lily’s eye twitched with irritation because he was the only one till now who had endured her "torture" without breaking. In fact, she had already inflicted more than 3 times the damage she dealt to Nord Birel—the one who injured Miho—and still, he refused to fall. And all of the torture was disguised as competitive exchange.