Author's Note: So, do you want to see the outcome of this fight? đź‘€ If yes, comment here! If there is enough support, I'll release the continuation today.
The wind cut through the mountain, cold and rough, moving the simple clothes of Kael and Ereon. Kael, blindfolded, felt every stone under his feet, every slope of the terrain. The band on the face was not an obstacle, just an extra challenge. Ereon positioned himself in front, his black clothes sticking to the body, prepared for quick movement. The eyes alert, the breathing controlled.
Without warning, Kael advanced. A direct and precise punch, trying to measure reflexes. Ereon retreated, dodging with an agile move, and counter-attacked with a side kick that Kael blocked with his forearm. The impact reverberated through the muscles, and the two stepped back a few steps, keeping distance.
Kael spun, using the momentum for a sequence of circular strikes — punches and quick elbows. Ereon dodged, retreating and keeping his feet firm, ready for any opening. Each attack was calculated, testing strength, balance, and speed.
The sound of punches cutting the air, the contact of the bodies, the impacts against arms and legs — the fight unfolded like a dance, each step measured, each breath controlled. There were no tricks, no magic, just pure technique, experience, and concentrated tension.
Kael launched a frontal kick, aiming at Ereon's chest, but he retreated, leaning his body to the side with fluidity. Kael felt the wind pass beside his face — a warning that he was facing someone as trained as he was.
Without losing rhythm, Kael spun and delivered a left hook, followed by a straight punch at shoulder height. Ereon blocked with his forearms, feeling the force of the impact reverberate to the wrists. Then, he made a short jump, dodging the low kick Kael tried, and almost in a single motion hit an elbow toward Kael's side.
Kael retreated, absorbing the impact and keeping his feet firm on the uneven mountain ground. Each strike was precise, but each second increased the tension between them, as if the air had grown heavier.
He tried a quick open-hand attack, aiming at vital points, but Ereon dodged, spinning and kicking in response — a quick exchange of offense and defense, accelerated rhythm, almost without pauses. Kael felt fatigue reaching the muscles, but could not afford to falter. Each attack, each block, each dodge was vital.
The fight continued intensely, and even without magic, the strength and technique of both transformed the confrontation into a spectacle: precise strikes, fast dodges, spins and short jumps, always trying to open space or test the other's reflexes. The tension was palpable, the uneven mountain terrain making each step more dangerous, but neither faltered.
Kael advanced again, the whole body spinning in a circular attack, combining punches and quick knees. Ereon retreated just enough, each dodge calculated, but noticed an opening and launched a powerful side kick. Kael blocked with his forearm, feeling the force reverberate through the shoulder, but did not retreat; instead, he used the momentum of the block to spin and try an elbow at Ereon.
They were almost touching, each breath heavy, each muscle at maximum tension. Ereon stepped back, but Kael took the moment and tried a spinning kick. Ereon lowered and rolled back, barely escaping, the loose stone of the terrain scraping his clothes.
Kael did not waste time. He spun quickly, launching a sequence of punches and precise knees. Ereon blocked and dodged, but the exchange of attacks was so fast that even the wind seemed to try to keep up. In an instant, the two collided in a combined movement — arms, legs, and shoulders collided in an impact that reverberated through the mountain, making small stones jump around.
For a second, the world seemed to silence. Neither of them retreated; both breathed heavily, eyes fixed on each other. It was the first time the confrontation seemed so extremely balanced — each testing the limits of the other, each strike demanding everything they had trained.
The tension was almost tangible: the fight was still only physical, but each movement screamed that they were about to surpass this barrier.
Kael stepped back a few steps, breathing deeply. The breathing heavy, but firm, echoed through the mountain. "Sorry, Ereon…, but from now on I will take this seriously," he said, the voice firm even over the wind.
He barely finished speaking, and the ground under his feet trembled slightly. Each crack, each loose stone seemed to respond to his presence. Kael bent, feeling every vibration in the ground, and then began to use the terrain to his advantage.
With a quick movement, he pushed the ground with his palm, making small rocks jump in Ereon's direction, forcing him to jump back. Each gesture was calculated, using the terrain not only to attack but to anticipate Ereon's movements and control the space of the fight.
He spun, and the ground under his feet rose in small stone walls, blocking possible attacks. In an instant, he punched the ground, and a series of stones rolled sideways, creating a moving barrier as he advanced. Each step was measured, feeling every vibration of the terrain, every change in Ereon's position.
Ereon reacted instinctively. He jumped over roots, dodged stones, and used each larger obstacle to balance and reposition. His body moved quickly, keeping the necessary distance to evaluate Kael.
Kael continued kicking stones that spun in the air like improvised blades and using the momentum of the ground for jumps and precise attacks. Each stone barrier, each cloud of dust raised, transformed the terrain into an extension of his body.
The fight gained speed. Kael attacked and retreated, each movement measured by the terrain, while Ereon adapted, dodging, jumping, and rolling between trees and trunks. Each strike, each jump, each movement seemed like a dance choreographed by the terrain itself, intense, unpredictable, and deadly.
Kael advanced, feeling every vibration under his feet, and with a strong palm strike made the ground rise in a wave of stones, forcing Ereon to retreat quickly. He rolled between trunks, avoiding the attack, and positioned himself behind a tree, using it as an improvised shield.
Kael did not waste time. He spun on himself, raising blocks of stone around as moving barriers, while throwing other rocks at Ereon, forcing him to jump from side to side. Each action of Kael was calculated, each stone and crack in the ground used as an extension of his attacks and defenses.
Ereon used the vegetation and irregularities of the mountain to stay safe. He jumped from trunk to trunk, sheltered behind stones, and used roots and branches as support for precise jumps. Although he did not attack as precisely as Kael, he could reposition quickly, keeping the duel balanced.
The rhythm of the fight accelerated. Kael manipulated the ground around him, raising small stone walls and dust clouds, each gesture opening space for bolder attacks. Ereon responded only with quick movements and precise dodges, disappearing and reappearing between trees and stones, forcing Kael to constantly adjust his strategy.
As they descended the mountain, the landscape became part of the battle: stones rolled, trunks swayed, roots appeared as obstacles and support. Kael advanced confidently, each step and attack measured by the terrain, while Ereon remained agile, using the environment as a silent ally, always stepping back when necessary and taking advantage of every opportunity the mountain offered.
Ereon stepped back quickly, rolling behind a tree and partially hiding among trunks and roots. The sound of the fight still echoed on the mountain, but something more subtle caught his attention: a whisper, almost imperceptible, crossing the wind.
He stopped, the body tense, and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to listen better. The voices came from inside him, or it seemed so — echoes of the Abyss, memories of a power he had not yet mastered.
"Use… control… do not hesitate…" "Do not be afraid… you are more than you think…"
Ereon breathed deeply, feeling the weight and urgency in those words. Each whisper seemed to envelop the shadows around him, as if the environment itself wanted to obey. He did not fully understand how, but something inside him began to move, a latent energy asking to be released.
As Kael advanced again, raising stones and manipulating the terrain, Ereon felt an urgent need to act. The whispers gave him direction, instinct, and courage. Without knowing exactly how, he began experimenting — each movement, each dodge, each jump becoming more agile, more precise, almost as if the shadow around him was reacting to his thoughts.
The Abyss murmured, and Ereon began to realize that he might finally be able to do something that previously seemed impossible.
Ereon stood slowly, eyes fixed on Kael's movement, but the mind divided between the real world and the whispers of the Abyss. It was as if he were in a trance, one part conscious of the fight, the other immersed in the energy pulsing within him, calling him, guiding him.
Kael advanced, the ground trembling under his feet, ready for the next attack. But for a moment, everything stopped. The wind silenced, the stones and trunks suspended in time, and Ereon's gaze shone with an intensity that neither could ignore.
The air between them seemed charged with electricity, and at that moment, the entire mountain seemed to hold its breath. No movement, no words — only the promise that this was far from over.
And with one last breath of tension, the world began to move again, and the next confrontation awaited