After saving the village, Imperial and his friends are led to a hidden library, where they discover a mysterious book titled The Truth Behind This World. The book holds ancient, unreadable script, and a map that hints at a lost civilization. The next morning, they enjoy time with the village children before Imperial and Dawn face off in a friendly but intense duel by the river.
The sun cast shimmering reflections across the rippling river, its golden light dancing on the surface as Imperial and Dawn stood opposite each other. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, the water flowed calmly, but tension crackled in the air.
Tracey stood off to the side with Ari, arms crossed, watching as the two prepared.
"Why did Dawn choose this place?" Tracey asked, glancing at the river. "She has the advantage here. It's her element. But Imperial uses lightning… isn't that dangerous?"
Ari watched quietly for a moment before answering. "That's exactly why she chose this spot. She didn't come here to win easily—she came to test herself. Dawn's just like Imperial when it comes to training. She doesn't want comfort. She wants challenge."
Tracey hesitated, then said, "I've been wondering… do you think Dawn will join us on our journey?"
Ari smiled faintly. "I thought about that too. But it's not up to us. First, does Dawn want to leave her home behind? And even if she does… will Imperial want her to come? He's carrying so much already."
Tracey sighed. "Yeah. I get it."
Meanwhile, on the riverbank, Dawn stood tall. Her eyes, usually warm and gentle, were now focused and fierce. She summoned water from the river, weaving it into spirals around her arms, forming twin whips of fluid.
"Don't hold back, Imperial," she said firmly.
Imperial smiled, his golden eyes crackling faintly with lightning. "I won't."
Tracey raised her hand. "Three…"
A pulse of energy stirred the wind.
"Two…"
Water shimmered like glass. Lightning flickered in the air.
"One…"
A sudden stillness.
"Start!"
A deafening CRACK echoed as both vanished from their spots—only to reappear in the middle of the battlefield, weapons clashing.
Dawn's water whips lashed out, striking with the speed of vipers. Imperial ducked and dodged, sparks trailing behind him. He retaliated with a Bolt Chain, lightning forming a whip of his own. The two whips clashed, exploding with every impact.
Imperial shifted his stance and thrust both palms forward—Thunderbolt Barrage! Dozens of condensed bolts shot forth like bullets, each humming with deadly precision.
Dawn spun, creating a whirlpool shield—Aqua Spin Barrier! The bolts struck the spinning wall of water, exploding in flashes of steam.
She dropped to one knee, slamming her fist into the river. Tide Surge! A geyser erupted beneath Imperial, launching him into the air.
But he twisted midair and summoned his power. Arc Vault! Electricity arced from his feet to the clouds above, pulling him higher like a living magnet.
From the sky, his voice rang out: "Storm Spear Rain!"
Dozens of electrified spears formed around him and hurled down like meteors.
Dawn gasped and threw her hands forward. Ocean Wall! The river responded, rising and wrapping around her like a serpent. Water and lightning collided with earth-shaking force.
The ground trembled. Birds scattered. Children watching nearby gasped and held their breath.
When the dust cleared, both were panting—bruised, soaked, and still burning with energy.
Imperial landed gently, lightning crackling beneath his boots to keep him afloat above the water's surface. "You've improved."
Dawn didn't reply. Instead, she raised her arms, pulling more water from the river. Torrential Blades! Dozens of curved water daggers spun around her in a deadly cyclone.
She launched them.
Imperial flashed forward, dodging each one by a hair—Storm Step – Quad Phase! His body split into four lightning afterimages, moving so fast it blurred time. Only one was real.
Dawn focused, her eyes narrowing. She slammed her palms together. Pulse Freeze! A wave of sub-zero mist burst outward, icing the river in an instant and catching two of the afterimages.
The real Imperial reappeared—only for Dawn to meet him head-on, clashing fist to fist in the center of the ice.
Their auras erupted—lightning and water, crackling and roaring.
She formed a massive water dragon once again—Leviathan Surge!—but this time, its core glowed bright blue, supercharged.
Imperial's hands shimmered with lightning. Final Technique: Skybreaker!
He drew the power from the clouds above—his entire body outlined in brilliant arcs of divine thunder. The storm gathered like it was answering his call.
The two titans charged.
BOOM!
The Leviathan crashed into Sky breaker, and the battlefield disappeared in an explosion of mist, light, and sound. Waves rocked the shore. Trees bent. Even Tracey stumbled back.
Silence.
Imperial didn't waste the moment.
"Thunder Grasp!"
From his fingertips, electric tendrils shot forward, not as a straight attack, but curling like serpents around her arms and legs. Dawn twisted and spun, water bursting from her skin like armor, short-circuiting the tendrils and forcing Imperial to leap back.
But she didn't let him breathe.
"Torrent Step!"
Her body liquefied briefly, becoming a rushing current that flowed across the river and reformed behind him in an instant. She jabbed with a spear made of compacted water pressure—enough to dent steel—but Imperial twisted just in time, lightning snapping around him to boost his reflexes.
Their battle became a blur—lightning zigzags and serpentine waves dancing between them.
"Thunder Bloom!" Imperial shouted, slamming his hand into the water.
Electricity exploded outward in concentric rings like a blooming flower, sending shockwaves through the river. Dawn raised a dome of water to shield herself, but the force was so strong it cracked the dome and pushed her back, feet dragging against the riverbed.
Dawn grimaced but retaliated instantly. "Aqua Chains!"
Torrents of water snaked from the river, coiling like living ropes. They wrapped around Imperial's legs, trying to pull him down. Electricity surged through him, crackling violently.
"Lightning Burst!"
A sudden explosion of power erupted from his body in all directions, tearing the chains apart in a flash of blinding white-blue.
Dawn shielded her face, but Imperial was already above her, a ball of spinning electricity forming in his palm like a storming halo.
"Tempest Spiral!"
He hurled it downward—it spun faster than a cyclone, howling as it fell.
Thinking quickly, Dawn raised both hands and summoned a crashing wall of water. "Abyss Tide!"
The two attacks collided, the spiral drilling into the water wall, crackling and shrieking. Steam billowed up violently, blinding the area.
From the mist, Dawn charged out—her fists coated in armor-like water. She struck at Imperial with a flurry of rapid punches, each hit sending shockwaves of pressure. He blocked, parried, deflected—his arms glowing with lightning shielding.
"Thunder Counter!"
He caught her wrist and discharged a precise jolt—not enough to injure, but enough to numb her arm. Dawn gritted her teeth, pivoted, and kicked upward with a geyser of water blasting from beneath her foot.
The kick connected, sending Imperial flying.
He tumbled midair, gathered energy between his hands, and called: "Storm Chain Flash!"
Several bolts of lightning linked together like a whip, slashing down toward her.
Dawn formed a mirror-smooth sheet of water, angling it to reflect the lightning sideways. Then she sent a geyser bursting from under her feet—rocketing her upward toward him.
They clashed in the air—fist to fist, magic colliding mid-punch.
Below them, the river churned wildly as their battle disturbed the natural flow. Fish scattered. Trees shook. The heavens above began to darken—not from weather, but from raw magical presence.
Dawn clenched her fist. "Let's finish this."
Imperial nodded, sparks dancing along his arms. "One last strike."
They launched at each other, both unleashing a flurry of rapid, mixed elemental strikes—thunder-infused kicks, water-forged blades clashing against crackling gauntlets. Each movement blurred the air. Every hit sent ripples through the river, through the wind.
Their final attacks—"Aqua Tempest!" and "Volt Crash!"—built even greater than before.
As they collided, a dome of pressure exploded outward, splitting the river momentarily as water parted to the banks and lightning forked into the sky.
A wave of silence followed—just wind and the soft plink of falling water.
Then the mist slowly cleared…