My breathing was short, my ribs hurt like hell, but I was still standing.
This time, my blades weren't shaking anymore. They were dancing. The adrenaline was spreading through my nervous system.
Kael cracked his neck, his body covered in black marks, his muscles swollen by his Thorne. His claws were shining, ready to tear me apart.
— You refuse to fall? I have to admit, you've got guts, Vongold.
He jumped again, even faster.
But this time, I didn't wait for him.
I threw my blades forward.
Straight at him.
They cut through the air, whistling like two hawks. Kael raised his arms to block, but the impact pushed him back.
I took the chance.
A burst of air under my feet, and I rose up.
The sand exploded behind me. Kael looked up, but I was already diving, pushed by my flight. My fist hit his chest, a shockwave bursting around us.
He stepped back, his claws digging into the ground to keep balance.
For the first time, his smile faltered.
A laugh escaped me, short but real.
I didn't mean to.
It just came out.
That's when I realized: a part of me… liked this.
The danger. The pain. The sand flying everywhere with every hit.
The adrenaline burned like a soft poison. I felt alive.
Excited and terrified. Both at the same time.
Kael growled, his body twisting again. His arms got covered in a black shell, his claws doubling in size.
He roared, and it felt like the desert roared with him.
— YOU THINK YOU CAN PLAY WITH ME?!
He rushed in, striking at an inhuman speed. Every hit tore through the ground, carving trenches in the sand.
I flew around him, my blades spinning in circles.
They attacked from every direction, whistling, burning, cutting into his skin.
Kael blocked as much as he could, but for every blade he stopped, another one hit.
I understood.
I didn't have to fight alone. My blades were like an extension of myself. My fangs. My claws.
A shockwave destroyed a column behind me. Kael came out of the dust and hit me directly. I was thrown back, my back crashing into the burning sand.
He jumped on me, his claws aiming for my throat.
But my flame blade, Ignis, appeared out of nowhere and stopped him.
Kael roared as he stepped back.
I got up with a burst of air, spitting blood but laughing this time, for real.
— Haha… you're not the only one with sharp claws, Kael…
Kael showed his teeth, his face full of rage.
— Then show me, ghost!
We rushed at each other. No more tricks.
Every impact sent sand and light flying.
My blades struck again and again, Kael breaking them with his claws, and every time one shattered, another one appeared.
I flew around him, diving, dodging, hitting with all my strength.
He kept jumping higher and higher through the columns, his claws tearing the air, trying to rip me out of the sky.
Our screams mixed together, wild and brutal.
This wasn't a duel anymore. It was a war of pure strength, two raw forces clashing without holding back.
One of his claws hit my shoulder, blood splashing onto my face.
I screamed in pain, but I immediately felt my blades getting sharper, cleaner. My vision more intense.
Every injury… made me faster. More furious. The frenzy was taking over.
And that laugh again.
A laugh that shouldn't be there.
I liked this.
And it scared me at the same time.
Then Kael slammed me to the ground, his knee crushing my chest. His eye was glowing with madness, his claws ready to strike.
— You're finished, Vongold!
But my two blades appeared in a cross shape, blocking his attack. I activated my flight instantly, throwing my body forward. His knee slipped, he lost balance.
I burst into the air, taking him with me, spinning in a rising storm. My blades struck again and again, a hurricane of flames powered by the wind.
He was pushed back, his skin torn. He couldn't resist my attacks as much anymore.
We stood facing each other, breathing hard, covered in blood, sweat, and sand.
Kael was laughing.
So was I.
And that scared me more than anything.
What was I becoming…
Then I felt it.
Something waking up inside me. A crack. A rumble.
Like a distant storm.
It would come with the next hit.
The one that would decide everything.