Final clash between titans

The battlefield was a ruin, torn apart by the clash of powers, but Daichi and Kaizen stood firm. Across from them, Valanor's eyes gleamed with cold amusement. The chaos energy pulsing through him seemed to darken the air, his very presence a shadow that loomed over them. The ground was fractured and unsteady, steam rising from the water bubbling up through widening fissures.

"Now I'll show you the true power of valanor"

"What is he talking about?" Says Daichi

Suddenly valanors chaos energy grows darker and more intense.

"Stay on your toes" says kaizen "I don't know what he did but be wary"

Daichi's lightning crackled more fiercely, the arcs surging along his limbs, illuminating the fierce determination in his gaze. Kaizen's muscles coiled with aether, his fists clenched and ready, power flowing from him in a steady, potent aura.

Then they attacked, swift and relentless, both coming at Valanor from opposite directions. Daichi struck first, lightning blazing from his fists as he aimed for Valanor's shoulder. Valanor sidestepped, slipping around Daichi's blow with a precision that seemed almost inhuman. But as he shifted, Kaizen was already there, driving an elbow toward Valanor's lower back. Valanor twisted his body, just barely evading the hit, his movements like a lethal dance, fluid yet unyielding.

Daichi followed up, his foot connecting with Valanor's side in a strike charged with enough lightning to scorch the ground on impact. Valanor grunted, feeling the shock ripple through him, but he countered in the same breath, swinging his fist in a downward arc and releasing a surge of chaos energy. Daichi barely leaped back in time, but the ground where he'd been standing shriveled and crumbled, leaving only lifeless dust.

"What the hell? The ground just crumbled when he touched it" says kaizen

"It's like it just rot when he touched it" Diachi said

"Yes you filthy humans, this is my actual power, decay. Whatever I touch Decays and crumbles immediately" mocks valanor

Kaizen seized the moment while valanor was ranting, launching a powerful knee toward Valanor's abdomen. Valanor caught Kaizen's knee mid-strike, his grip like iron, and let decay energy flow through his fingers. Kaizen yelled, feeling the skin on his knee sear under the destructive force. Before he could wrench his leg free, Valanor twisted, swinging Kaizen in a vicious arc before releasing him, sending him hurtling across the battlefield. Kaizen crashed into a boulder, the impact shattering it to rubble, and he struggled to rise, blood trickling from his nose and mouth.

Daichi gritted his teeth, rushing back into the fray, lightning crackling as he shot forward with breakneck speed. He jabbed, his fist aiming for Valanor's jaw, but Valanor ducked, spinning low and extending a hand that radiated decay. The air itself seemed to rot around him as he swiped his hand upward, aiming to slice through Daichi's abdomen. Daichi twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding the deadly swipe, and retaliated with a downward kick toward Valanor's shoulder.

The kick connected, lightning surging through Valanor's body. He grunted, the force of the attack enough to make his knees buckle for an instant. But Valanor absorbed the pain, and with a cold smirk, he lashed out, driving his fist into Daichi's ribs with bone-breaking force. Daichi felt the bones crack, a sharp, blinding pain shooting through him. He staggered, blood bubbling up in his throat.

Kaizen returned to the fight, limping but undeterred, his body a coiled spring of aether. He charged in, leading with a left hook that Valanor blocked effortlessly. But it was a feint. Kaizen swung his leg up in a brutal kick that clipped Valanor's jaw, twisting his head back. Before Valanor could recover, Kaizen landed another punch to his side, aether exploding from his knuckles and fracturing the ground beneath Valanor's feet.

But Valanor, ever the master of his power, let out a surge of decay energy, and the ground around him turned to dust, spreading outward like a ripple. Kaizen felt the decay licking at his legs, his skin stinging as he leaped back. Valanor capitalized, darting forward with deadly grace, reaching for Kaizen's neck, but Daichi intervened, intercepting with a lightning-coated uppercut that struck Valanor's ribs, a flash of blood visible as his fist connected.

Valanor hissed, his smirk fading as he finally felt the sting of injury. But in the next moment, he seized Daichi's wrist, decay energy pulsing through his grip, and slammed his knee into Daichi's chest. Daichi gasped as he felt his sternum fracture, the lightning around him flickering.

In a final, desperate move, Daichi activated his trump card, channeling his remaining energy into his spine, which transformed into pure electricity. For a few brief seconds, his movements became automatic, every muscle responding instinctively to dodge and weave around Valanor's strikes. He evaded blow after blow, his body reacting faster than Valanor could predict. But the toll was immense, and as the seconds passed, Daichi could feel his energy waning, his vision darkening at the edges.

Seeing Daichi's opening, Kaizen took his chance. Channeling every ounce of aether he possessed into his fists, he clenched them tight, feeling the raw energy pulse through his body. He lunged forward, unleashing a double-fisted strike with a bellow that shook the ground itself. The impact hit Valanor's chest with a force that sent shockwaves rippling through the earth, cracking the ground beneath their feet.

Valanor staggered back, his face twisting in pain as he clutched his bruised chest, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. But as Daichi and Kaizen watched, their faces etched with a glimmer of hope, Valanor straightened, brushing the blood away with a dark, twisted smile.

"So, you're both willing to go this far," he sneered, his voice laced with a deadly calm. He raised a hand, and dark, decay energy swirled, gathering into a pulsing, sinister mass. "Allow me to return the favor."

With a flick of his wrist, Valanor unleashed the deadly wave. Decay energy surged toward them, withering everything in its path. Daichi and Kaizen scrambled to evade it, barely avoiding the destruction as the air around them grew thick with dust and the scent of death.

But Daichi wasn't done yet.

He closed his eyes, summoning the last of his energy, drawing in every ounce of lightning left in him. His body sparked and crackled as he raised his hands toward the sky, whispering a final prayer to the storm. Above, the clouds churned, darkening as lightning twisted and condensed, slowly shaping into the form of a colossal, fiery phoenix in the sky. It flared to life, electricity surging in waves as the spectral creature hovered above, casting an eerie glow over the battlefield.

"Kaizen!" Daichi's voice was hoarse, barely more than a breath, but Kaizen heard it loud and clear.

Understanding Daichi's intention, Kaizen turned his focus back to Valanor. He would have to keep him in place long enough for Daichi's final attack to strike, and it wouldn't be easy. Gathering every ounce of his remaining strength, he launched himself at Valanor, fists swinging in rapid succession. Each blow met resistance as Valanor countered with lethal precision, decay energy pulsing from his hands in swipes that cut dangerously close.

Valanor's strength was overwhelming; each clash sent shockwaves rattling through Kaizen's bones. Alone, he was no match for Valanor's speed and control, and he felt his own power beginning to wane. But he persisted, gritting his teeth as he absorbed hits that shattered through his defenses, ignoring the searing pain that pulsed with each strike. All he had to do was get Valanor into position.

With a desperate, last-ditch surge, Kaizen managed to sidestep one of Valanor's swings, positioning himself behind the commander. He threw a powerful kick into Valanor's back, propelling him forward and into the precise location where Daichi's attack would strike.

In the sky above, the phoenix had reached its peak. Daichi's voice echoed through the battlefield, a final, furious shout as he released the attack. The lightning phoenix screamed, descending with a blazing intensity, streaking through the sky as it hurtled toward Valanor.

Across the battlefield, everyone felt the presence of the attack. Taiyou, looking for the rest of the squad turned for an instant, eyes wide with awe at the brilliant sight. Aira and Eli, each battered and bloodied, looked up from their fight, catching their breath as they watched the crackling, fiery creature descend. Ryojin, felt the surge of power and glanced skyward, a rare flicker of respect crossing his cold gaze.

The phoenix struck, crashing into Valanor with an ear-splitting explosion. Lightning surged across the battlefield, illuminating every shadow as the energy radiated outward. Dust and debris filled the air, and for a long, breathless moment, silence reigned.

Daichi and Kaizen stood together, breathing hard, barely able to stay on their feet. They looked toward the smoke, hope glinting in their eyes, believing—just for a moment—that it was over.

But as the dust settled, a figure emerged. Valanor's armor was scorched, his chest still smoldering from the impact, his skin marked with burns and bruises. His face, twisted in anger and triumph, broke into a mocking smile.

"Not bad," he sneered, coughing as he steadied himself. "If I hadn't… taken precautions, that might have been the end of me." He shook his head, a dark glint of satisfaction in his gaze. "But close isn't enough."

Daichi and Kaizen exchanged a look, fear dawning in their eyes as Valanor raised his hands, decay energy swirling once more.

As he proceeded to finish them of by putting his hand through kaizens chest, he then proceeded to channel decay into daichi's body and his bones in oreder to give him a slow but painful death.

Valanor fling Kaizen and Daichi back, their bodies hitting the ground with bone-crushing force. Daichi struggled to stand, his shoulder dislocated, blood streaming from a gash across his forehead. Kaizen lay sprawled on the ground, clutching his side, his face pale with pain, his leg trembling under the strain of his injuries.

Valanor approached them, his aura radiating an unbreakable confidence. "You two," he said coldly, "were never a match." He raised his hand, a final surge of chaos energy building as he prepared to end the fight.

In a last burst of defiance, Daichi forced himself up, lightning crackling weakly around him. Kaizen, barely conscious, struggled to his knees, his body broken but his gaze unwavering.

Valanor only sneered. "Is this the best the Creed has to offer?" He shook his head. "This was hardly worth my time. Although I have to commend you, the both of you managed to force me to use my power"

Then, with a dark smile, he added, "And you're lucky you didn't face Yami." At the mention of Yami's name, the ground rumbled violently, mountains in the distance crumbling as the sheer weight of the name itself seemed to echo across the broken battlefield.

Daichi and Kaizen, bloodied and beaten, stared back, their spirits broken in defeat.