Opposing Forces

The moonlight carved jhagfed lines of silver across the battlefield as Noelle, his commanding presence cloaked in an aura of fire, water, and writhing darkness, stood opposite Harold, whose brilliance illuminated the desolate plain. Harold's blade, forged of pure light, hummed with righteous energy, while Noelle's very being seemed to seethe with chaos of unleashed power.

"You underestimate me, Harold," Noelle growled, his voice a deep resonance that carried across the field. His hands blazed to life, fire and water twisting together into chaotic spirals that pulsed with his command. "The darkness is not something you can simply erase."

Harold's expression was resolute, his stance unwavering. "Darkness thrives in ignorance, Noelle. Light brings clarity, and clarity will provail as always." He raised his blade, the glow intensifying until it seemed as though the sun itself had taken refuse in his grasp.

The clash erupted with devastating ferocity. Noelle surged forward, twin streams of water and fire converging into a molten torrent that carved a path toward Harold. The ground hissed and cracked beneath the heat. Harold countered, his blade slicing through the attack with an arc of light so pure it left shimmering afterimages. The impact sent ripples through the air.

Noelle drew upon the shadows, his movement fluid as the darkness coalesced into spears that launched themselves at Harold from every angle. Harold spun, his blade a luminous whirlwind that shattered each projection with precision. Noelle smirked, the darkness surging at his command once more, enveloping the battlefield in an oppressive void.

But Harold's light pierced through, expanding outward in a radiant wave that shattered the darkness and revealed Noelle mid-assult. Flames exploded around Noelle's fists as the closed the distance, striking with the ferocity of a beast. Harold met each blow with parries and counters, their duel a dance of elemental destruction and celestial precision.

The battlefield bore the scars of their war, craters left by Noelle's relentless attacks scorched the lines where Harold's blade had cleaved the ground. But the tide turned when Noelle, his energy drained yet his determination unwavering, summoned his ultimate attack. A massive orb of fire and water, shrouded in tendrils of shadow, floated above him, pulsing with chaotic energy.

With a roar, Noelle hurled the orb at Harold. The air itself seemed to recoil as the massive sphere hurtled toward its target. Harold raised his blade high, his voice steady and unyielding. "This ends now."

Light erupted from Harold's blade in a godly arc, a wave of brilliance so blinding it seemed as though the heavens had split open. The beam collided with the orb, and the resulting explosion shook the very fabric of the battlefield. Bystanders shielded their eyes, the sheer force of the blast sent them sprawling.

When the light faded, Noelle knelt in the cratered earth, his body trembling. He had peeked into the power of a person whom is deemed to be a god in the sixteen kingdoms.

Blood seeped from his shoulder where his right arm had been severed, the wound cauterized by the searing purity of Harold's attack. His breathing was ragged, but his red eyes glinted with defiance.

"You've... Only won a battle, Harold," Noelle hissed through the teeth. His glaze turned to Kael, who struggled to rise. "But the war is far from over."

As Harold approached, his blade still glowing faintly, a portal of swirling darkness erupted into being behind Noelle. One of his minions, cloaked and faceless, stepped from the void, their presence as eerie as the portal itself. They gestured silently, and Noelle staggered toward the portal.

Harold lunged, but Noelle's remaining hand snapped up, unleashing a blast of fire that forces him to halt briefly. The minion grabbed Noelle, steadying him as Kael, at Noelle's comman, scrambled to his side. Together, they disappeared into the portal, which collapsed with a low growl that echoed into the light.

Harold sheathed his blade, his expression waery and somber as he stood amidst the devastation. The battlefield was silent save for the faint rustle of the wind. Though victorious, Harold knew this was no true end. The darkness would regroup, and Noelle, even maimed, was still a force to be reckoned with.

"Noelle, you bastard. What are you going to do with the child, and what's special about him? He manifested a Saint State mid-battle, a state below my own."