I'm Going To Die

"Too slow, Challenger," Volcranax's voice rumbled from nowhere and everywhere at once.

Arthur whipped around, claws slashing at empty air. The wyrm reappeared behind him, delivering a devastating tail strike to his back. The force sent Arthur crashing into a nearby cliff, the jagged rock shattering under his weight. He roared in frustration, molten blood dripping from the cracks in his armor.

"You cannot match me," Volcranax taunted, his black-flame wings unfurling as he hovered above Arthur. 

Volcranax tilted his head, almost curious. "You wonder how I've become this? How I've transcended my limits?" His black-flame wings spread wide, the flames licking at the skies. "This is my True Form, the peak of fire's evolution, condensed into its ultimate state. A privilege of the third stage."