The desert was nothing more than a battlefield, sand soaked with blood.
The black columns were shaking, struck by rain and lightning. The sand was swirling, howling like it wanted to take part in the fight.
I saw Elias leading the group like a conductor.
His arm still hadn't fully recovered from the fight against the giant, he had taken all the hits to give us openings, but even so he held on, his stone greatsword struck with ruthless precision. Each blow opened a gap, each step forward covered Asha.
Facing two heirs, he stood firm like a rock.
— You will not pass!
He took a spear hit, covering part of his body in stone before the impact, he grimaced then counterattacked immediately. As he kept taking hits from all sides, his blood started to flow, but his eyes showed no fear. Elias Korvain didn't fight to spill his enemies' blood, he fought to protect his allies. He fought like a knight in armor.
Asha, on the other hand, was a storm.
Her halberd moved in sync with her lightning, striking with savage brutality. Every enemy who got close was thrown to the ground in an electric burst, the sand turning to glass under the heat.
A wild smile split her face with every hit.
— You're just a bunch of pathetic savages with no honor! Even if there were a hundred of you, I'd take you all!!!
She attacked at an insane speed, her halberd striking several times in an instant, pushing back a circle of enemies. The sand lit up, electrified by the power of her Thorne.
Lyra, in the center, was trembling but didn't give up.
Her hands rose, her power flowing like a blessing. A green aura surrounded Elias and Asha, closing their wounds before they became fatal.
She gritted her teeth, tears running down her cheeks, her nose bleeding heavily.
— Hold on… argh I have to… just a bit longer!
Her strength was fading, but every time one of us started to fall, she gave us one more breath.
And Dorian.
Dorian, that tall stick, was everywhere.
He laughed, again and again, even when his blood splashed onto the sand. His daggers struck fast, his steps slipped between attacks.
He pretended to be weak, then appeared like a shadow, cutting a tendon, a throat, a wrist. And his sonic shout sent his attackers flying.
— Keep them busy, kids, I'll handle the rest!
His crazy laugh mixed with the clash of weapons, but behind his eyes, you could see the fear. He was fighting, but not like us, it felt like he was doing it against his will. He pretended to enjoy it so panic wouldn't crush him.
The followers of Kael were fierce, but badly organized.
Each one wanted to shine, each one wanted a trophy. And that's what doomed them.
Against them, four lunatics, united despite the fear.
Wounded, bleeding, exhausted… but they had achieved something incredible.
And at the center of this carnage, in the heart of the battle, two bigger shadows were clashing.
Me.
Kael.
Every impact made the whole site shake, every roar silenced the other fights.
And they all knew that this duel would decide everything.
The sand burned under my feet.
My breathing was heavy.
My body screamed with every movement like it was telling me I had reached my limits.
But I wasn't alone.
I could feel it now, a stronger rumble beating inside my chest.
Kael stood in front of me, his body covered in wounds from my blades, but still standing, still laughing. His claws shined, long like sharpened sabers. His eyes burned with animal madness.
— Is that all you've got, ghost?! A bit of wind, a bit of fire?! HAHAHA
He hit his chest, his roar echoing through the desert.
— SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE REALLY WORTH!!! LET'S FINISH THIS!!!
I pushed off the ground and my body tore itself into the air. My blades spun around me, whistling like a pack. I dove.
Kael jumped to meet me, his claws cutting through the air like they wanted to tear space itself.
The impact exploded the sand into a blinding shockwave.
The black columns cracked.
Even the sky seemed to react to our violence.
We traded blows.
His claws tore my skin, making deeper and deeper cuts.
My blades ripped into his arms, his legs.
Every clash sounded like a violent blast.
Every breath burned our lungs.
Every look was pure hatred.
And around us, the screams stopped.
Elias, Asha, Lyra, Dorian.
Kael's followers.
Everyone had stopped.
They were watching.
Because this duel wasn't just a fight anymore.
It was an event, something only a madman would dare miss. They thought they were above me, that their pride was worth more than my pain, but they were wrong. The rector showed me the truth, they took the right to decide for humanity, to take away our gifts, to take away lives we'll never get to live…
Kael roared, his body forcing out even more power. His muscles grew again, his claws got longer, his skin covered in black marks like a demonic beast. The form he had now wasn't even human anymore.
— I AM KAEL, THE BEAST OF THERYN! YOU CAN'T WIN!
He charged, attacking with all his rage.
My body tried to take the hit as best as it could. The impact sent me flying into the sky, my arms screaming in pain. My blood sprayed into the air.
I fell into the void before crashing into the sand, my fall creating a massive crater.
My chest was burning, ready to explode.
And that's when I heard it again.
A rumble.
Like thunder, but dull.
Then the clouds darkened above us.
My fracture opened above me and the sky exploded.
A third blade appeared.
It wasn't fire, nor wind.
It was lightning.
A pure red and gold flash, crackling like something torn from the sky. It fell with a deafening crash like a comet, lighting up the entire desert.
Kael froze, his eyes wide.
— How… impossible…
I hit my legs to stand up, biting my lips to handle the pain.
My body was on the verge of breaking, my muscles torn, but I felt a new power filling me.
Lightning danced on my skin, my eyes glowing with a new light.
Three blades were spinning around me. Ventus, Ignis, and the one I had just decided to name… Fulmen.
I was in a state beyond excitement, I had never felt this fired up before, but now I couldn't stop it.
— You wanted to fight me, Kael?! See what I was capable of?! I hope this fight satisfied you!! Your name doesn't matter, NONE OF YOUR NAMES MATTER!!! IT'S TIME TO END THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL, KAEEEEL!!!!!
I jumped into the sky like an unavoidable sentence, my flight was perfect. My speed? That of living lightning.
Ventus opened the way, whistling against his claws.
Ignis burned his chest, carving a smoking wound.
And Fulmen… struck his heart.
Lightning exploded, tearing through the entire desert.
Kael screamed in agony, his body convulsing, his claws breaking apart. The energy ran through him, into his veins, lighting up his eyes before fading, he returned to his human form.
But it wasn't over…
I clenched my fist as much as I could and dove toward him, I could have stopped there, told myself he had enough, but it had been a while since my reason had left me.
And finally, one impact.
Just one.
The ground split open under our feet, a shockwave lifting everything like a golden glass tsunami. The black columns exploded. The sky shook like a god had struck the earth.
When the dust cleared, I was still standing.
Breathing hard, covered in blood, at my limit… but standing.
Kael was lying at my feet, still alive, barely. I chose not to finish him. In the end he was just the product of his twisted world, just like I was of mine. He only wanted a real fight, I understood that during our battle, he probably knew nothing else since birth… but maybe he could aim for something more. And besides… better an enemy who owes me than a whole House chasing me.
Total silence.
Every heir, every follower, every ally. All staring at the scene, unable to say a single word. Even the desert seemed to hold its breath.
Then… a whisper.
— He… how many can he summon…
Another.
— He beat Kael Theryn in a pure 1v1…?!!!
And slowly, one truth settled.
The truth that I had the power to change their broken and stupid hierarchy, even if there was still a lot to do.
I raised my eyes to the sky, still filled with lightning.
I felt my Thorne calming down.
How far could my power go?
I trembled.
Excited. Terrified.
The fight was over.
But my problems… were only just beginning.