Far from the crystalline spires of Vrasnia's city, the group gathered in a desolate expanse—a scarred battlefield from ancient wars, where the ground lay cracked and blackened, a testament to forgotten apocalypses. The purple moon hung low, casting an eerie glow over the ruins, while the aurora borealis danced above, its ribbons of light weaving a cosmic tapestry against the star-strewn sky. The air was heavy with the weight of history, the wind carrying whispers of battles long past.
Raijin stood at the edge, his white coat billowing like a banner, his baggy pants fluttering as the breeze tossed his green hair. "This wasn't what I expected," he said, his voice tinged with awe. "The two strongest, duking it out? Never thought I'd see the day."
Lihanna, her nodachi sheathed at her side, smirked. "At least we lived long enough to witness it."
Felicia, her black hair swaying with her flowing skirt, shivered slightly. "Ugh, this place looks terrifying. Like the world ended here."
Nearby, Jessie brushed her two-toned purple hair, her focus interrupted as Neve crept up, gently lifting a strand. "Can I brush it for you?" Neve asked, her voice teasing.
"No," Jessie snapped, pulling her hair back. "I can do it myself."
Neve pouted, her white hair catching the moonlight. "Aww, I just wanted to help."
"And I said no," Jessie retorted, her tone final.
At the center of the ruined field, Vanessa stood between Kazimir and Riah, her abyssal aura a calm anchor amidst the growing tension. Kazimir's black hair, tipped with blue, shimmered under the aurora, his violet-blue eyes swirling with galaxies and a crescent moon pupil. Riah's red-and-white striped hair flared like a battle flag, her crimson-red and black eyes burning with fiery resolve. Vanessa raised her hand, her voice steady and commanding. "Are you two ready?"
They nodded, their gazes locked with unspoken intensity.
"Alright," Vanessa continued. "The rules are simple: ten minutes. If neither of you is down, we'll vote to decide the strongest. Make it count."
Neve clapped her hands, her ice aura sparkling. "Ooo, I love these terms! Ten minutes, you two—make them unforgettable!"
Kamaki, arms behind his head, his long hair swaying in the night breeze, grinned. "I wanna fight too." He glanced at Raijin, who raised an eyebrow.
"I'll take you on," Raijin said, "but not now. I'm sore from my workout."
Vanessa's hand sliced through the air. "Ready… set… GO!"
In an instant, Kazimir and Riah lunged, their forms blurring as they clashed with earth-shaking force. Their forearms collided, a shockwave rippling through the ruins, kicking up dust and shards of ancient stone. Riah's lips curved into a fierce grin. "Well, I guess this isn't a spar anymore, is it?"
Kazimir's galactic eyes glinted, his voice steady. "No. It's a battle now—a fair one-on-one to see who's strongest."
Riah's smile widened, her flames flickering with excitement. "Perfect. Fight me like I'm your enemy, Kaz. Because I will."
"Roger that," Kazimir replied, his void energy humming softly.
They leaped back, the air crackling with anticipation. Riah raised her hand, phoenix flames erupting to form a blazing sword—Eternal Renaissance, its blade wreathed in white-hot fire. Kazimir extended his palm, an electrical void tearing open as the Twilight Deliverance materialized, its black and indigo blade pulsing with cosmic menace. The two circled each other, their footsteps silent on the scarred ground, their weapons gleaming under the purple moon.
"Let's have fun with this, Kaz," Riah said, her voice a mix of challenge and joy.
"I'm already enjoying it," Kazimir replied, his smirk sharp. "But I won't lose."
Riah chuckled, her eyes flashing. "I won't either. Here I come!" She lunged, her sword slashing overhead in a blazing arc. Kazimir parried with the Twilight Deliverance, their blades meeting in a shower of sparks—fire and lightning colliding with a roar that echoed across the desolate field.
Kamaki, watching from a distance, whistled. "Damn, they're fast. It's like they're perfectly matched."
"They've always been rivals," Tyrone said, "It's wild that they're lovers too. But right now? They're pushing that aside. They're pure rivals out there."
Lihanna's eyes tracked their movements, her swordswoman's instincts sharp. "I can barely follow their patterns. Their speed… it's unreal."
Jessie nodded, her voice calm but analytical. "They haven't tapped into their full powers yet. It's only been a minute. Soon, we'll see a shift."
Kazimir's blade flashed, a slash so swift it cut through the air like lightning. Riah barely reacted in time, the strike grazing her glove, splitting the fabric and drawing a thin line of blood. Neve gasped, pointing. "Look! Riah got hit—her hand's bleeding!"
Raijin pumped a fist, his green hair whipping in the wind. "Let's go! I knew Kazimir would land the first hit! Show us what you've got, Eye of Nullity! You've got my vote!"
Jessie smacked the back of his head, her purple hair swaying. "No favoritism, Raijin!"
"Ow, fine!" Raijin grumbled, rubbing his head. "Damn, you hit hard."
The combatants paused, Kazimir standing with a confident smirk, Riah mirroring him with a fierce smile, her glove torn but her spirit unbroken. "You landed the first hit," she said, her voice low and playful. "Guess it's time to step this up a notch."
Kazimir's eyes narrowed, his smirk widening. "Yeah, we've got eight minutes left."
Riah giggled, her head dipping before snapping up, her right eye igniting with a white flame. Embers of phoenix fire swirled around her like a deck of blazing cards, orbiting her form with lethal grace. Kazimir gripped his nodachi tighter, his violet-blue eyes shifting to a deep indigo, the void within them swallowing the light like a starless abyss. Riah's crimson eyes transformed, both glowing white and black—a yin-yang of fire and defiance.
Kazimir dashed forward, his blade a streak of void energy. Riah stood her ground, her sword meeting his with a deafening clang, the impact sending shockwaves through the ruins. Her embers scattered, and in a flash, she teleported to one, her form blurring as she kicked Kazimir's back. Before he could recover, she shifted again, her knee slamming into his stomach, catching him off guard.
Neve's eyes widened, her ice aura flaring in awe. "I forgot she could do that with her flames! We rarely see Riah in action, but if Kaz isn't careful, her battle smarts might outshine him."
Jessie's gaze was steady, analytical. "Kazimir's arrogant sometimes, and that can be a weakness. But he's not underestimating Riah. She's on his level—my brother's equal. This fight could go either way if they don't watch each other's moves."
The battlefield erupted in a symphony of fire and void. Riah's phoenix flames surged, a radiant inferno that scorched the air, while Kazimir's void lightning crackled, tearing at the fabric of reality. Their blades clashed, each strike a dance of cosmic forces—light against darkness, fire against lightning. The ruins trembled, the purple moon casting their silhouettes as titans locked in a battle that could reshape the stars themselves.