The ground quivered.
The air itself felt like it was suffocating under the weight of Draven's aura. His body rippled with inhuman force—muscles tearing against his own skin as if they couldn't contain the power coursing through him. Thick veins pulsed along his arms, swelling like they might burst. His eyes were pools of void—no whites, no pupils, only endless black.
Klyden tilted his head, lips curving into a grin despite the tremor that ran down his arm. It wasn't fear that shook him, but exhilaration. This was it. The line between life and death. The chance to either be crushed beneath a monster… or survive to tell the tale.
The spider tattoo at the back of Draven's neck flared crimson, like molten iron branding his flesh. Then—he moved.
The ground cracked under his third step. In that blink, Draven was already there—spear gripped in one hand, the weapon shrieking against the wind as it plunged straight for Klyden's chest.
"—!"
Klyden's eyes widened. Instinct roared louder than thought. His sword snapped up just in time to intercept. The impact thundered through his bones, the sheer force blasting him off his feet. He soared, slammed against a tree trunk that shuddered violently from the collision, splinters bursting outward. Blood slipped from the corner of his mouth, dripping warm across his chin. His chest heaved in ragged bursts.
But his grin only widened.
"Monster strength…" he muttered hoarsely, spitting blood, eyes locked on the advancing shadow.
Before Draven could press the attack, another pair of blades sliced through the tension.
Ashborne descended with both swords gripped tightly, each strike filled with lethal precision. One blade dripped with crimson essence—Crimson Reaver—its edge thirsty for blood. The other blade bled despair itself—Eidolon Fang—its whispers crawling into the mind, flooding the battlefield with unseen phantoms.
Steel clashed against spear. The cavernous forest echoed with each collision, sparks scattering in violent arcs. Ashborne pressed harder, his movements honed from years of discipline, but each strike met a wall of unrelenting force.
The moment their weapons kissed, the difference in strength was undeniable. His arms jolted violently every impact, wrists aching, blades vibrating as if on the verge of shattering. He staggered back, teeth gritting, sweat breaking at his brow.
Draven sneered—if it could even be called that. His face was blank, his eyes endless voids, but the dark red aura that rippled around him swelled with malice. Each swing of his spear carried enough weight to crush stone, the pressure of his strikes threatening to split the ground.
Ashborne slashed, the crimson blade cutting deep across Draven's shoulder. Blood sprayed—then vanished, siphoned greedily into the blade. His stamina flickered back, his breath easing. For a heartbeat, victory seemed possible.
But Draven didn't flinch.
Instead, his aura boiled hotter, scarlet waves pulsing outward. The wound sealed almost instantly, the red glow knitting flesh faster than Ashborne could tear it open.
The next blow crashed down. Ashborne's knees buckled, the earth beneath him cratering from the sheer force. His teeth clenched, arms shaking violently as he fought to keep the blades locked against Draven's spear.
At the far side of the battlefield, Keiya caught sight of them mid-clash. She panted, her own opponent still standing before her, but her gaze lingered on the overwhelming chaos in the distance. The aura spilling from Draven was suffocating even from here, wrapping around her lungs like chains. Her jaw tightened. She needed to finish her fight. Fast. If she didn't, those two wouldn't last long.
Back in the clearing, Ashborne staggered back a step, breath ragged. The crimson blade shivered in his hand, the dark whispers of the fear blade screaming louder as if feeding off Draven's monstrous presence. He could feel it—the widening gulf between his strikes and Draven's.
Then—
A figure blurred past.
Klyden shot in from the side, his sword whistling through the air as he rejoined the fray. His grin hadn't faltered, even as blood still streaked from his mouth.
Together, they moved. Two blades, one sword—swinging in synchronized chaos. Ashborne's crimson edge sought blood, his nightmare blade clawed at the soul, while Klyden's feral strikes hammered forward with reckless intent. Their combined assault roared like a storm.
Draven met them without hesitation. Spear spinning in his grip, he deflected, parried, slammed. The ground split under the force of each clash, roots shattering, the air exploding with shockwaves.
Steel shrieked. Aura flared. The pressure was unbearable.
Klyden laughed through gritted teeth, sword locked against the spear. "This is what I live for!" he roared.
Ashborne's eyes narrowed, sweat dripping down his temple. He pushed harder, both blades carving in unison, drawing blood only for it to vanish beneath the monstrous glow. "Then let's see if we can live through it."
Draven didn't answer. His black eyes bore into them, cold, endless, merciless. His aura darkened, crimson bleeding into black as the battlefield seemed to shrink under his presence.
The monster had only just begun.
...
Vera slammed her palm into the ground, and the earth convulsed. The impact rippled outward in jagged cracks, launching stones into the air. Keiya barely leapt aside before a spike of stone erupted where she had stood, sharp enough to skewer. Fire gathered in her palms, and she hurled a blazing arc, but Vera twisted her body, snapping her hands outward. The flames detonated mid-air as Vera's Echoquake Pulse sent a concussive blast rolling through it, scattering embers like dying stars.
"Your flames crackle too loudly," Vera sneered, stepping forward. Her bare feet dragged across the dirt, toes digging into soil like a predator claiming its territory. "The earth tells me everything you do."
Keiya didn't waste words. Her eyes narrowed, and she sprinted forward, flames wrapping around her fists. She ducked under the whiplash of a stone spike and closed the distance, striking with a flaming punch. But Vera pivoted smoothly, palm meeting Keiya's fist.
The explosion was instant.
A seismic wave blasted outward, flinging both women apart. Keiya rolled across the dirt, sparks trailing from her arms. Vera only slid backward, her heels gouging lines into the ground before she steadied herself again, head cocked as if listening to the echo of Keiya's heartbeat.
"You burn bright," Vera murmured. "But fire flickers. The earth—endures."
Keiya growled under her breath. I don't have time for this. Ashborne, Klyden… She clenched her fists, flames coiling tighter around her arms, the air shimmering from the heat.
Vera didn't wait. With a sudden stomp, the ground split beneath her, a jagged wave of stone ripping toward Keiya. The pyro-mage vaulted into the air, spinning as she unleashed a fiery wheel downward, a blazing phoenix spiral that collided with the stone wave. The explosion roared like thunder, showering the battlefield in fire and rock fragments.
But Vera was already there.
She materialized under Keiya's landing spot, palms thrust upward. The moment Keiya's boots touched dirt, Vera struck. The shockwave slammed into Keiya's chest like a hammer, knocking the breath from her lungs. She stumbled back, coughing, but answered with a fiery blast point-blank.
Vera crossed her arms, palms outward, absorbing the explosion with another quake pulse. Dust clouded the clearing, choking the air, but Keiya forced herself forward through it, throwing strikes in rapid succession. Fire lashed against seismic force, each clash throwing up walls of sparks and shards of earth.
It was chaos. Firestorms clashed against earthquakes, trees uprooted by sheer force, the forest itself becoming their weapon and victim alike.
Keiya ducked, spun, and unleashed a torrent of flame, her hair whipping with the rush of heat. Vera raised her palms, slamming them together—clap!—the sound detonated into a concussive shockwave that split the flame torrent apart, scalding her arms but breaking through. She charged, palms glowing with vibrating force, and struck at Keiya's ribs.
The blow connected.
Agony burst through Keiya's side, her vision flashing white. She staggered, nearly collapsing, but caught herself with a burst of flame that shoved Vera back in turn. Blood flecked her lips as she spat to the ground. Her breathing was ragged, shoulders trembling.
Damn it. She's stronger up close…
Vera tilted her head again, smile widening. "Your heartbeat's slowing. You're tiring. The earth tells me so."
Keiya didn't answer with words this time. She answered with fire.
She gathered her strength into a blazing surge, igniting the ground around her into a fiery circle. Flames spiraled upward, painting her form in incandescent orange as a phoenix's silhouette took shape behind her. The ground beneath her cracked from the heat, and Vera, for the first time, hesitated.
Still, she raised her palms, readying another seismic burst.
The two forces collided in one final clash. Keiya thrust both arms forward, unleashing a blazing phoenix of pure fire that screamed across the battlefield, its wings spreading wide as it devoured oxygen. Vera threw her palms out desperately, shockwaves rippling outward, trying to create a barrier of quakes and stone.
It wasn't enough.
The phoenix tore through her defenses, engulfing her in searing light. The shockwaves shattered under its force, crumbling like fragile glass. Vera's lips parted in a soundless gasp, the fire crashing into her chest and hurling her backward. She struck the earth hard, rolling across dirt and stone before finally collapsing in a motionless heap, unconscious.
Silence fell, broken only by the crackling of dying flames.
Keiya's chest rose and fell violently, sweat dripping down her brow. Her fingers trembled as the last remnants of fire flickered out around her palms. She exhaled sharply, almost stumbling to her knees. Quickly, she fumbled into her pouch, pulling out a vial of shimmering blue liquid—the potion of a magic deity—and drank deeply. The cool rush of energy surged back into her veins, steadying her for now.
Her eyes turned toward the other side of the clearing.
Ashborne's body flew across the battlefield, slamming into a tree and sliding down, blood streaking his jaw. Klyden staggered, clutching his sword, only for Draven's spear to slash across his brow. A line of blood streamed from his eyebrow, blinding his left eye as he stumbled back, barely avoiding a killing blow.
Keiya's jaw clenched, fury burning hotter than any flame. She shoved the empty vial aside and rose to her feet. Her flames reignited at her shoulders as she sprinted toward the chaos.
Hold on. I'm coming.
...
[Liora]
The crystal pillars creaked as they angled inward, glinting like blades under faint cave-light. Each one hummed faintly with the resonance of Vyra's control, waiting for the moment to converge and crush her.
Liora's chest rose and fell, sweat tracing her jawline. Her knuckles whitened on her sword hilt, the storm of her power stirring, whispering against her skin. She exhaled once, and the air around her trembled.
Then—
She moved.
Her body blurred, wind wrapping around her form like a cloak. She darted forward, sword carving arcs of compressed air that shattered the first two pillars. Crystal shards exploded in every direction. Vyra's grin widened. He slammed his brass-knuckled fist into the cavern floor, and the shattered shards re-fused, swirling into a storm of jagged knives that hunted her through the dust.
She became faster. Each slash tore the storm apart. Her steps left ripples of pressure that cracked the ground beneath her boots.
"Half power…" she muttered to herself, almost a warning.
Wind screamed as her aura doubled, filling the cave with currents so violent the torches in the walls snuffed out. Vyra shielded his eyes with a crystalline forearm, his footing grinding against the stone as gale-force pressure shoved against him.
Liora appeared before him in a blink. A downward slash howled like a hurricane, colliding against his brass knuckles. The impact shattered the crystals encasing them, sending shards bursting outward. Vyra snarled, re-forming the armor instantly, and swung in retaliation. His fist whistled past her cheek, barely grazing, before another gust shoved him back.
Their clash became a blur.
—A punch caught in the curl of her wind.
—A slash biting deep into crystalline plating.
—The cave walls fracturing with each shockwave.
Vyra's grin faltered now, teeth gritted. His gemstones dulled from overuse, cracks spider-webbing across his brass knuckles. Yet he swung harder, every hit a desperate attempt to crush her under his raw force.
Liora's storm only grew wilder.
And then—she vanished.
One heartbeat, Vyra saw her. The next, nothing but a blur of air. His head jerked side to side, senses straining, crystals rising to shield him in every direction.
Too slow.
A slash tore across his back. Another across his ribs. A third on his thigh. The wind carried her blade through every angle, cutting faster than sight could follow. The cavern filled with shockwaves, stone splintering, dust erupting. Vyra staggered, roaring as blood finally slipped past his crystalline defenses.
Then—she reappeared behind him, sword raised, her storm condensing into one final strike.
"This ends it."
Her blade descended in a streak of wind.
The slash tore through him, shattering the crystal plating, forcing him to his knees.
But in her rush, she overextended.
Before she could withdraw, Vyra's brass-knuckled fist shot out in one desperate counter. The impact caught her mid-swing, his knuckles erupting with a final surge of crystal. The blow hurled her into the cavern wall with bone-rattling force. Her vision blurred, sword slipping from her grip as pain rippled through her body.
Both of them collapsed, sprawled across the dirt and stone.
Vyra lay unconscious, his crystal armor fading to dust around his fists.
Liora groaned, trying to force herself up, but her limbs wouldn't answer. Her vision swam, her breath shallow.
Just before the darkness claimed her, her senses flared—
A presence.
From above the cavern.
It wasn't Vyra.
It wasn't Vera.
It was something heavier. Darker. Pressing down like the sky itself was splitting.
Draven.
Her body, trembling and broken, tried to crawl—hand dragging against stone—before her consciousness finally slipped away into black.