Charlotte's greatest advantage was the spiritual enhancement brought about by facing the evil god twice. That was why, during the period after he crossed over, his progress in cultivating Bloody Glory had been astonishingly fast. Only recently had it fallen back to the level of an "ordinary genius."
Even so, that heightened spirituality still gave Charlotte particular advantages in certain areas. For example, he could divide his attention to control multiple targets. When using Hand of Blazing Flame, he had not noticed it, assuming it was simply normal. But now, wielding twin swords, separating and joining his attacks, changing each blade independently as though they were extensions of his arms, with nothing failing to obey his will, he finally understood.
After several hundred exchanges, Ban Lamorak gradually gained the upper hand. His cultivation was ultimately deeper than Charlotte's, and he had practiced the spear techniques for far longer. Their combat experience was roughly equal; Charlotte's hundreds of duels with Hughes in the Dreamscape, along with several battlefield massacres, had made up for his shorter cultivation time. Overall, however, Ban Lamorak's true strength was still greater.
Charlotte's twin swords danced, and he gradually began to feel hard-pressed on both sides. Just as everyone thought the battle would see no further change, the swords in his hands suddenly shifted, each unleashing a different style of swordsmanship.
Though both were Twelve Angelic Movements, the sword in his left hand resembled the rising sun, dawn, and the sea, while the sword in his right hand resembled twilight, night, and haze. It was as though he had split into two, with two equally skilled swordsmen fighting together. In an instant, he evened the disadvantage and pulled the battle back into an exchange of attack and defense.
Outsiders did not understand the mystery behind it, but