The sky still shimmered with streaks of fire where they had fought, but the battlefield shifted. With a final clash that sent a shockwave across the barrier, Nero and Elreth broke apart, wings flaring before folding back. Slowly, almost in unison, they descended, touching down on the scarred training ground.
The earth was scorched, cracks glowing faintly where their flames had melted stone. Both warriors dismissed their weapons, steel dissolving into sparks.
For a moment, they just stood there.
Breathing heavy. Shoulders rising and falling. Grins on their faces that mirrored one another.
Their eyes met, and in that instant, no words were needed.
It was time to fight barehanded.
Flames burst from their fists and feet, each enveloped in their Law of Fire. The air shimmered with heat, distorting everything around them.
Then—crack—the ground exploded beneath their feet as they launched at the same time.
