The halberd descended, brighter than a collapsing sun. Kael raised Ashrend, its edge wreathed in lightning so dense it tore the breath from the air.
The world did not merely shake—it broke. Landmasses cracked. The ocean split to its very bones. For a heartbeat, the sun above dimmed beneath the clash of storm and flame.
Kael staggered. His arms bled, shoulders burning with the effort of holding against that impossible weight. The Sovereign leaned in, eyes burning with disdain.
"Do you see now, child of ash? You are a storm at best—a moment's fury. I am eternity."
Kael spat blood, but his grin was defiance itself. "If eternity is nothing but fire and chains… then I'll tear it down."
He wrenched Ashrend free, black lightning screaming outward like rivers. Bolts rained down, carving mountains into dust. For the first time, the Sovereign shifted—his halberd dragged sideways, forced to cut through the tempest rather than simply extinguish it.