The battlefield pulsed with heat. The three remaining lieutenants stood, embers bleeding from their molten forms, weapons raised like blazing suns. Their combined presence pressed down on the battlefield with crushing weight, a storm of flame and iron that even Kael's aura strained against.
Lyra muttered through clenched teeth, her bow already drawn.
"They're circling him—like predators waiting for the perfect strike."
Draven's scarred hands tightened around his war-axe. "Then we break the circle."
But Kael stepped forward, crimson aura flaring, Ashrend alive in his grip.
"No. They're mine."
The first came like lightning—the twin-dagger wielder. His strikes blurred, leaving fiery afterimages that danced like serpents around Kael's guard. Each stab aimed for a joint, a seam, a gap too small for ordinary warriors to notice.
Clang—clang—clang!
Kael deflected with terrifying precision, Ashrend weaving through the storm of blades. But the speed forced him back, boots scraping furrows into the scorched ground. A dagger slipped past his aura, grazing his cheek with fire that seared flesh.
"Faster than you look," Kael muttered, eyes narrowing.
He let the dagger come close again, almost piercing his chest. At the last instant, Ashrend flashed downward, catching the blade and pinning it. His other hand lashed out, gripping the lieutenant's molten wrist. Aura surged—
Black Fang Rend!
The dagger-wielder shrieked as Kael tore through its body with one savage pull, aura carving through its molten chest. The form exploded in sparks, dissolving into a spray of ash.
Kael stood firm, his cheek still glowing from the burn, but he hadn't faltered.
"Two."
The hammer of molten flame crashed into him from the side. Kael barely raised Ashrend in time, the impact sending him skidding backward. His knees dug into the earth, arms straining against the weight.
The hammer came again, brutal and relentless, each blow like a collapsing mountain. Kael blocked once, twice—then the third strike slipped past, grazing his shoulder. Flesh burned, pain lanced down his arm.
Lyra loosed an arrow, the shaft bursting into the hammer-bearer's molten torso, staggering it. Draven charged with a roar, his axe striking its side. Sparks burst out, staggering the monster further.
"Kael!" Lyra shouted.
Kael surged forward, ignoring the pain. Ashrend burned crimson-black, splitting the hammer in two, then the body behind it. The lieutenant collapsed, its molten form imploding in a burst of cinders.
"One left."
The last lieutenant towered over the others, shield raised, blade in hand. Unlike the rest, this one did not rush—it waited, unmoving, its presence like a fortress.
Kael's breath grew heavy. His companions circled closer, sweat glistening from the heat.
"It's… reading him," Draven muttered. "Waiting for Kael to commit."
Kael lifted Ashrend, his aura boiling like a storm contained in flesh. He stepped forward, each movement precise, deliberate. The Sovereign's laughter rolled from the distance, deeper now, savoring the sight.
"Good," the Sovereign intoned. "Show me if you can break a wall as easily as a blade."
The shield-bearer moved at last. Its blade cut with terrifying efficiency, each strike measured, calculated. Its shield deflected every counterstrike Kael attempted. Sparks flew as Ashrend met steel, but this time Kael was pressed back, his aura flaring harder with every clash.
"Damn it," Kael growled. "You're not just a wall. You're a mirror."
The lieutenant shoved him back with the shield, flames blasting outward like a cannon. Kael staggered, his aura flickering for the first time. Lyra raised her bow again—but Kael raised a hand.
"No. I end this."
He lowered Ashrend, closing his eyes for a breath. His crimson aura condensed, collapsing inward until the ground around him cracked under the pressure. Then his eyes snapped open—red lightning arced across his body.
The shield-bearer braced, but Kael was already moving.
Ashen Fang Breaker!
Ashrend struck with such force that the shield shattered, fragments bursting outward like meteors. The molten warrior screamed as Kael followed through, his blade cleaving down the center. Its body split in two, disintegrating into a wave of fire that scattered into the wind.
Kael stood amid the ruin, his aura raging but his eyes clear. He turned his gaze toward the throne of flame where the Sovereign watched.
"All of them are gone," Kael said. His voice was calm, almost cold. "Now it's you."
The battlefield grew silent. Even the cinderborn hushed, as if the world itself held its breath.
The Sovereign rose from his seat of fire.