" Earthen Heart."
His aura changed—he no longer looked like a man, but a moving mountain. Plates of magic-infused rock layered across him like dragon hide, pulsing with ancient force.
Rosa narrowed her eyes.
"Ice Blade: Absolute Zero Form."
Her blade lengthened and curved the cold around her turning the air white. Her hair lifted slightly from the sheer pressure.
A pause.
Then—
They clashed.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire chamber shook violently.
Frost met stone.
Speed versus raw power.
Rosa's strikes became a flurry of silver light, each one attempting to find a crack.
Ezren blocked with his armored arms, then retaliated with massive punches that cratered the ground. At one point, Rosa leapt into the air, spinning—
"Final Dance: Glacial Tempest!"
Ice slashes rained from above like a blizzard of blades.
Ezren raised both hands.
"Stone Magic: Tremor Dome!"
A dome of stone protected him, but the top cracked under the relentless attack.
He burst out with a roar, charging Rosa one last time.
She screamed, pouring her remaining energy into her blade.
"ICE BREAKER!"
"GAIA BLOW!"
They collided.
The entire battlefield exploded in light and energy.
Dust blinded everything. Ice shards flew like daggers. Boulders cracked apart.
Silence followed.
Then… movement.
Ezren pushed himself up, half his armor shattered. Breathing hard. Bruised.
Rosa stood opposite—blade cracked, frost on her arms peeling. Pale, but upright.
Neither could move much more.
Both still had enough strength to defend… but not to win.
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Rose spoke first.
"I surrender.
There's no point dragging this out.
Our goal was to stall you—to stop you from interfering inside.
But now that our comrades are already in, the plan's been disrupted anyway".
[Then we saw the battle which is going between Tracey and Sana]
"Thunder Crest."
Pillars burst at random, the air charged and vibrating. Movement became risky. Every step triggered a potential shock.
Ashenfang slowed. Even Flame Armor couldn't absorb everything now.
Sana zipped across the zone like a live wire—striking and vanishing. Each hit chipped away at Ashenfang's armor. Tracey gritted his teeth.
They couldn't match her speed here.
Not like this.
Sana zipped behind him—
Crack!
Her elbow struck his ribs—electric shock coursing through him. Ashenfang roared and turned, swiping—but she vanished again.
Tracey:
"Tch… We need to change the tempo."
He looked at Ashenfang.
"No more charging blind."
Ashenfang rumbled.
Tracey jumped off and raised both hands—
"Burning Pulse!"
Flames surged from his hands—heating the ground itself.
Sana tried to dash in—
But this time, the heat distorted the air.
She misstepped—barely dodging a swipe from Ashenfang.
Then—
BAM!
Ashenfang's tail slammed into her leg mid-dash—burning cloth and sending her skidding.
She recovered, breathing hard.
Sana:
"…You're adapting."
Tracey:
"Fast enough?"
Sana clapped her hands—
"Let's find out."
A massive bolt arced into the sky—then slammed down in the center.
Ultimate Zone Strike: Sky brand Descent.
The ground cracked. Ashenfang was blown backward—his armor breaking in places.
Tracey rolled, coughing—smoke in his lungs.
They were both hit hard.
But he got up.
So did Ashenfang.
They stood again, shoulder to shoulder.
Sana frowned for real now.
Ashenfang breathed fire from his nostrils.
Tracey's shirt was torn, but his focus was absolute.
Tracey (quiet):
"For Master Cyrus."
He touched Ashenfang's forehead.
Tracey's "fire magic: Ember Core Synchronization".
A reddish aura spread from his body into Ashenfang's—both of their flames merged. The fire wasn't just armor now. It pulsed in rhythm with Tracey's heartbeat.
Ashenfang growled low—and then moved.
Sana tried to blink-dash—
But Ashenfang met her. Step for step.
FASTER.
The Zone stuttered. The Flame had pushed the lightning back in places—overriding it.
CLASH!
Ashenfang's claw met her blade of lightning.
Tracey leapt midair, fire coiled around his legs—
"Blazing Dropkick!"
He crashed into her shield—cracking it. Ashenfang followed with a slam.
BOOM!
Sana was driven into the ground—but before they could finish, she launched herself out, panting.
Her zone was flickering now.
Tracey panted too—he couldn't push further yet. Ashenfang staggered but still flamed strong.
Sana, bruised, wiped her mouth.
Sana (grinning again):
"…Not done."
Tracey:
"Good."
Their eyes locked.
Rain hissed off fire.
Lightning crackled.
The ground smoked beneath their feet.
They clashed again—
Blaze vs. Surge.
And the battle raged on.
Ashenfang roared, his mane of flame trailing behind him like a comet as he charged.
Sana zipped forward, electricity crackling from her arms and boots. Her body blurred—Lightning Blink Step—but Ashenfang's eyes tracked her. Matched her. His core, now synchronized with Tracey's, was pulsing with unnatural speed.
BOOM!
They collided in the center again, this time with crimson fire erupting against crackling blue lightning.
Tracey landed beside Ashenfang, crouched, steam rising from his shoulders. His eyes glowed red.
He clenched his fists, and the ground under him blackened—charred by the raw heat.
Tracey: "Let's turn it up."
He slammed his palms together.
"Fire Magic: Dual Ignition!"
Flames erupted across his arms, both wild and focused—his veins glowed faintly, fire racing through them. He dashed forward, faster than before, dodging a bolt of lightning with a pivot, twisting midair.
Sana anticipated—her lightning blade shot upward in a feint—
But Tracey didn't bite. He ducked, launched a flame burst from his heel, spinning under her blade.
"Fire Fang!" he shouted, coating his punch with roaring flame as he uppercut her ribs.
CRACK!
She coughed blood and was hurled backward—but flipped, landing on her feet.
Sana: "Tch—you're reading me now?"
Tracey didn't answer.
**Ashenfang answered for him—**a deep rumble shook the air. The beast leapt, jaws glowing white-hot, and exhaled—
"Infernal Roar!"
A shockwave of heat and force blasted forward.
Sana gritted her teeth and held up her shield. Lightning buckled under the onslaught of flame. The edge of her Zone sparked violently—shrinking again.
But she refused to fall.
"Phase Blitz!" she screamed, her lightning exploding around her body. Her speed multiplied—five blinks in a second, vanishing and reappearing from multiple angles.
Then—
Zzzzz-KRAK!
A bolt struck Ashenfang's shoulder—he roared in pain.
Another blast—Tracey's thigh. His stance dropped.
Sana zipped behind them, blade raised.
"It's over!" she yelled—
"NO."
Tracey spun, gritting through pain, slamming his foot down. A burst of flame erupted in all directions, forcing her back.
Then—he vanished.
A trail of embers streaked through the smoke—
He was above her.
Tracey: "Ashenfang—NOW!"
Ashenfang surged forward—flames coiling around his legs. The beast jumped up beneath Tracey as he fell.
Their bodies crossed paths in midair.
Their fire converged.
"Blazing Apex!" Tracey roared.
CRASH!
His leg—wreathed in pure fire—came down like a meteor on Sana's lightning shield.
SHATTER!
The shield cracked fully this time.
Ashenfang followed up—spinning midair, landing with a fiery tail whip that sent Sana crashing into the cliff wall behind.
The lightning fizzled. Her Zone collapsed fully, flickering out like a dying star.
Sana groaned, struggling to raise, blood at the corner of her mouth.
Tracey walked forward slowly, limping slightly, his chest heaving.
Ashenfang stood beside him, flame still burning but dimmer.
Sana tried to lift her hand, sparks flickering weakly.
Tracey stood just out of reach.
Ashenfang let out a low, satisfied growl.
Sana finally smiled—defeated but not bitter.
Her body slumped.
Tracey stood tall
Victory—Tracey.
________________________________________