Infinity – Chapter: Chains of the Fallen Flame
Kael vs. Baelgor Vrax –
Location:The Iron Crucible, Subspace Arena
The air in the Iron Crucible throbbed like a wounded heartbeat. Molten ash rained from the skies, casting shadows that danced like ghosts across the twisted arena.
Kael knelt on one knee, his breath ragged, Tenebris lodged into the fractured ground beside him. The storm around him had calmed, momentarily.
Baelgor Vrax stood a few paces away, grinning.
"You think yourself strong," the devil spat, his molten chains writhing. "But your soul is still human. And that means... it bleeds."
He raised his hand, and with a wicked incantation, the air warped.
A red sigil flared in the sky. A torrent of corrupt energy cascaded down around Kael, dragging his mind into a sea of echoes.
A cursed illusion.
Kael's eyes widened as his surroundings twisted into familiar visions.
Screams.
Flames.
A battlefield littered with the bodies of his former squad.
Liora, bleeding and unconscious.
His own hands—shaking, broken, helpless.
But then… the images flickered.
And Kael's expression did not falter.
He exhaled.
His aura surged.
"Nice trick," he muttered.
Baelgor blinked.
The visions cracked. The cursed energy evaporated.
Kael stood up slowly, wind whipping around him once more. His eyes were focused. Calm. Unmoved.
"I've already faced these memories. You can't weaponize what I've already burned to ash."
Baelgor growled. "You're not supposed to resist it... No one has."
Kael's aura spiraled higher, black wind mixing with cutting currents of spiritual force.
"Then maybe you underestimated me."
And in an instant, he moved.
CLANG!
Tenebris met Baelgor's chained fist, sending shockwaves outward. Kael spun, the dark aura around his blade slicing through a barrage of molten whips.
Baelgor hissed and retaliated with a crushing chain swing, forcing Kael back. The devil followed, trying to pin him, but Kael activated Wind Step, blinking behind Baelgor, then unleashing a Spiral Fang slash directly into his back.
Black ichor sprayed.
The arena roared with their fury. Sparks danced across the floor as Tenebris clashed again and again with molten steel.
Kael, now fully enveloped in wind-dark energy, darted like a phantom, his strikes clean, sharp, and precise. Every time Baelgor swung, Kael was already gone—or worse, retaliating from another direction.
"You're pushing your limits, human!" Baelgor roared.
Kael's voice was low. "Good. Then let's both break past them."
He surged forward. Tenebris became a blur, his aura screaming as it carved symbols into the air.
Baelgor reeled, covering his chest, burns lining his arms.
Then he grinned.
And laughed.
"You want limits? Let me show you what true power looks like!"
The entire arena pulsed red.
Baelgor's body burst into flame. The molten chains melted off—replaced by black fire. Horns cracked and extended. His form grew taller, more demonic, with ember-wings unfurling behind him like the gates of a furnace.
True Form: Baelgor Vrax, The Warden of Ash Chains.
Kael slid to a halt, raising Tenebris defensively. The air became unbearable.
Baelgor spoke, his voice now multi-toned.
"You fought well, Kael . But this next strike... will remind you of what it means to kneel."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
**"Then try."
To be continued...