Chapter 79: Trial of Sequences – Minor Heart of Steel vs. Shadow Fist
I. The Rumbling of the Hammers
The sun had begun its descent, casting long shadows across the plaza. The echo of the roots still vibrated in the air, but the atmosphere was shifting toward something denser, almost mineral, as the System announced:
[Next Duel:
Torian, Minor Heart of Steel (Transcendence Stage 9, Metal/Forge, Morningstar minor branch)
vs.
Bren, Shadow Fist (Transcendence Stage 8, Shadow/Physical Combat, Morningstar descendant)]
Torian stepped onto the platform, dragging a heavy, square-headed hammer. Each step marked the ground with an echo like thunder. His armor, simple but reinforced with black plates, reflected the pale light. With his braided beard and solemn eyes, he was the image of the ancestral craftsman and warrior.
Bren, in contrast, was pure movement. Short and wiry, he dressed in gray and black. Shadow Qi billowed around him, nearly invisible in the light, but the pressure he exerted was palpable. His knuckles were calloused, and his hands were wrapped in dark bandages.
In the balconies, the young disciples debated in whispers: —"Steel does not yield," said one. —"But the shadow fist is unstoppable," another replied.
Kael, smiling, delivered his verdict: —"Today we shall see if the forge or the night is harder."
II. Gaze and Oath
In the center, both stopped. Bren bowed his head, his gaze obscured by shadow. —"I won't fight just for the title," he warned. "I will fight to prove that even the fallen can return to the light."
Torian nodded, his voice deep: —"And I, to prove that steel only breaks to be welded back together."
The spirit of the clan—the ideal of redemption and renewal—vibrated throughout the plaza. Samael, from above, gave the signal. —"Prove that Morningstar is not just lineage, but will."
The gong rang. The battle began.
III. First Bout: Hammer and Shadow
Torian advanced, hammer raised. —"Thunder Forge."
With a spin, he struck the ground. The platform shook as a wave of metallic Qi spread in concentric ripples. Bren dodged, jumping with feline agility. His shadows elongated, snaking around Torian's feet. —"Shadow Fist: Silent Echo."
Bren threw a punch that duplicated in mid-air, the shadow extending like a serpent. Torian blocked with the handle of his hammer, but the shadow enveloped him, robbing him of warmth and numbing his flesh.
—"Not bad!" Torian ABC grunted, spinning around and releasing a Qi wave that dispersed part of the shadow. Both retreated, measuring the distance. Bren, sweat on his forehead, muttered to himself: —"I can't beat him head-on. I need to split the forge from within."
IV. Second Bout: Strategy and Pain
Bren lowered his guard and vanished into the shadows of the platform. The crowd lost sight of him, but Torian, closing his eyes, listened to the vibration beneath his feet. Suddenly, Bren emerged from behind, launching a flurry of strikes at Torian's back. The steel shrieked, but the impacts were aimed at the armor's joints, seeking to weaken the structure.
Torian recoiled, growling in pain. —"With every strike, the forge learns!" he roared, channeling Qi to his thighs. —"Forge Art: Living Reinforcement."
The armor plates glowed, adapting to the strikes and hardening where necessary. But Bren did not stop. Shifting tactics, he used his Shadow Qi to create illusory doubles that attacked from every angle. —"Shadow Fist: Black Storm."
Ten, twenty, thirty strikes in seconds. Torian resisted, gritting his teeth through the pain, but he felt each shadow acting as an echo of every time he had doubted himself. In Torian's mind, the hammer trembled; he heard the voice of his fallen master and felt the guilt of not having saved everyone.
Bren sensed it. —"You can't protect everyone," he whispered from the shadow, striking Torian's side. "But you can fight so that no one else falls."
V. Third Bout: The Limit of the Forge
On the verge of falling, Torian slammed a knee into the platform and used his hammer to prop himself up. —"If the forge survives the shadow, it can create a new light." He raised the hammer to the sky, channeling all his strength. —"Supreme Art: Anvil of Rebirth!"
The hammer fell, creating a metallic Qi shockwave that swept away every shadow on the platform. For an instant, Bren stood exposed. Torian, exhausted, tried to advance, but Bren used his final technique: —"Shadow Fist: Last Redemption."
All his Qi was channeled into a single strike, aimed straight at Torian's chest. The impact resonated like thunder. The armor creaked, but it did not yield. Torian, gasping, reached out his hand. —"Thank you, brother. You made me remember why I fight."
He squeezed Bren's hand in an unexpected gesture, and both fell to their knees.
VI. Climax: A Single Heartbeat
For long seconds, there was no sound. The crowd watched, incredulous, at the two men—both exhausted, bleeding, and leaning on each other.
The System shone:
[Result: Draw Declared.
Sequence Status:
Torian retains Rank 13 (Minor Heart of Steel).
Bren rises to Rank 14 (Shadow Fist).
Shared Reward: "Shadow Forge"—a technique that allows for the reinforcement of armor or the creation of shadow doubles during combat.]
Samael descended to the platform. —"Sometimes, the strongest forge is the one that cools in the night." He placed a hand on each of their shoulders. Kael and Cedric stepped down immediately, helping the combatants up.
—"That was a true lesson," Cedric said, and Torian smiled through his tears. Bren, for the first time, allowed the clan to see his watery eyes. —"Thank you for letting me return, even if only as a shadow." Torian replied, his voice raspy: —"You were never just a shadow. You were the anvil and the hammer."
VII. The Clan Beats Stronger
Aylin embraced Bren, while Violeta wiped the blood from Torian. Elowen, smiling, extended healing roots beneath the platform. Sela, from the shadows, murmured: —"Today the clan has gained two new hearts."
In the balconies, the elders nodded, satisfied with the example of redemption and strength. Elara, with tears in her eyes, knew that the Morningstar clan did not just reward power, but the will to not let one's own people fall.
VIII. Epilogue: The Forge and the Shadow
As the platform faded, a hooded figure from the Sect of the Purple Light took notes. —"Even when they fall, they rise together," he whispered. "How do you defeat a clan that turns defeat into a bond?"
In the center of the plaza, Samael held up Torian's hammer and Bren's headband, raising them for the entire clan to see. —"Today the legend was not forged by a single hero, but by two brothers who learned to forgive and protect one another."
The clan roared with one voice, and for a moment, the sunset light seemed more golden, warmer, and stronger than any shadow.