Their blades clashed, sparks bursting like fireflies against the pale morning light. The trees swayed with each impact, branches scattering dew that glittered in the newborn sun. Zephyr's sword gleamed with an otherworldly blue glow, every swing releasing icy flakes that shimmered like frost in the dawn air. Masamune's blade blazed crimson in answer, its heat bending the light so that the steel looked blurred, like a mirage.
Zephyr moved with agility—dodging, parrying, his breath sharp in the cool air—but Masamune's raw strength and seasoned skill pressed down on him, heavy as the rising day. The difference in power was clear, yet Zephyr refused to falter, his stance tightening as he waited for the opening he knew would come.
Again steel met steel, ringing like thunder across the quiet morning. Masamune's swings grew heavier, more reckless. One savage strike drove his sword into the trunk of a towering pine, splinters flying as birds scattered from its branches.
"Perfect—an opening!" Zephyr shouted, surging forward.
But Masamune's lips curled into a faint smirk. With a surge of muscle beneath his coat, he wrenched his blade free and cleaved straight through the pine, splitting it in half as if it were nothing but paper.
Zephyr's eyes widened—not with disbelief, but with grim recognition. He bent back just in time, the blade's heat brushing his cheek like the first harsh rays of sun. Using the momentum, he rolled into a backflip, his leg lashing out to crack against Masamune's chin. The air grew thin as both warriors stepped back, their chests rising and falling in rhythm. The forest fell into silence. Each lifted their blade to their chest, as if swearing a solemn vow.
Zephyr's sword shimmered with a frosty blue glow, ice crystals spiraling from its edge. Masamune's blade flared with crimson heat, the air around it warping like a mirage. With a sudden roar, they charged.
Steel met steel.
The clash rang out like thunder, shaking the earth. Half the clearing froze solid under Zephyr's power, while the other half burned beneath Masamune's flame.
"You've grown stronger," Masamune said with a smirk, standing tall, seemingly untouched by the impact.
In contrast, Zephyr sank to one knee, his breath ragged. "(Panting)… Well, I guess I've got you to thank for that," he muttered, exhaustion dragging at his voice.
Masamune chuckled. "Then let's call it even, shall we?"
Before Zephyr could reply, a sharp voice cut through the tension.
"What in the world are you two idiots doing?!"
From the treeline, a woman stepped into view, her hood pushed back to reveal bright purple hair that shimmered against the gloom. Her golden eyes—so like Masamune's—blazed with irritation.
"Senna!" Zephyr and Masamune blurted at once, stumbling over their words, their earlier ferocity evaporating as they scrambled for an excuse.
"Haha—we were just, uh—"
"Training! Yes, training!"
Senna's gaze narrowed. "And what happened to our camp?"
The brothers exchanged nervous glances and pointed toward the clearing. But when they turned, their faces dropped.
Half the camp lay scorched in fire. The other half, buried in ice."Ha ha.haaaaa....." Zephyr attempts to bring out a laugh but it slowly dies. "Well that's not supposed to happen " Says Masamune as he rubs his chin. "You idiots!" Senna shouts out. She extends both her hands out and points towards her brothers. An orb of 🟣 magic charges up and she blats them both in to the forest. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh" Masamune & Zephyr scream in horror.