Flames and Claws

Kael's sharp gaze flicked to the embers scattered across the ground. With a precise motion of his left hand, he summoned them upward. The glowing fragments trembled, then streaked through the air, coalescing into his right fist. Flames roared to life, brighter and fiercer with every ember added. His arm burned with an intense orange light, heat rippling outward as his voice rang out: "Infernal Smash!"

Kael lunged forward, his blazing fist aimed directly at Teral with devastating force.

Teral's smirk widened as he saw the attack. He slammed his hand against his chest, his voice echoing with a guttural roar: "Come forth, my beast within!"

The faint markings on his neck flared into life, glowing deep crimson as his Spirit Beast core awakened. Coarse fur erupted along his arms and shoulders, muscles bulging as his form swelled with raw, primal energy. His teeth bared in a feral grin, and his glowing eyes locked onto the incoming attack.

Kael's flaming punch collided with Teral's raised arms. The impact was explosive, sending a shockwave of heat and force rippling across the arena. Flames engulfed Teral's forearms, leaving scorch marks on his fur, but he held firm. His claws dug into the ground for stability, his strength matched against Kael's fiery assault.

Yet even Teral couldn't absorb all of it. With a roar of effort, his feet gave way, and he was launched backward. He slid across the ground, his claws tearing into the dirt as he braced himself near the edge of the arena. Smoke curled from the scorched fur on his arms, and his breath came in short, heavy bursts.

Kael exhaled sharply, breaking the embers free from his arm with a quick motion. They scattered back onto the ground in glowing fragments, hissing softly as they cooled. With the extra weight gone, Kael pivoted and retreated, his movements quick and deliberate. He widened the gap between them, creating a safe distance to prepare his next move.

The crowd roared with excitement, their voices a mix of disbelief and awe.

Evan's attention darted between Kael and Teral. He had been fixated on how Kael manipulated the embers—drawing them in to fuel his flames, the seamless way he amplified his attack. It was unlike anything Evan had seen or managed to replicate in his own studies. But his focus broke when he saw the fur spreading across Teral's arms.

"Fur?" Evan muttered, his voice tinged with confusion. "Is this... transmutation magic? How is he doing that?"

Beside him, Cedric snorted, shaking his head with a grin. "It's not that simple," he said, leaning closer as Teral steadied himself in the arena. "Watch carefully. You're about to see what makes Teral dangerous."

Evan frowned, his nucleus pulsing faintly as he simulated the energy flows around Teral. His mind raced, trying to reconcile what he was seeing with the basic rules of magic he knew. The Spirit Beast core wasn't just amplifying strength—it was transforming Teral piece by piece into something far beyond human.

In the arena, Teral flexed his clawed hands, shaking off the heat from Kael's strike. His glowing eyes locked onto Kael, the fur along his arms bristling with renewed energy. Slowly, he straightened, a savage grin curling his lips.

"You're good," Teral growled, his voice guttural and feral. "But now, I'm done holding back."

Evan's chest tightened as he watched the scene unfold. Kael's flames burned brightly, but Teral stood tall, a figure of primal power ready to strike. For the first time, Evan truly grasped why Cedric had called Teral unstoppable.

Teral wiped the soot from his furred forearms, his glowing eyes narrowing as he glared at Kael. "You're starting to annoy me," he growled, slamming his clawed hands together. "Let's end this." His voice carried a guttural edge as he called out: "Sharpness!"

A faint glow enveloped Teral's hands, and his claws extended further, gleaming like polished steel. The air around him seemed to hum with energy as he flexed his fingers experimentally, each claw razor-sharp and deadly.

Evan's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait... isn't that Blade Magic? How is he using it on himself? And his body—" He paused, noticing the subtle shifts in Teral's form. "It changed again. How is that even possible?"

Cedric let out a soft laugh, leaning closer. "It's not just magic," he said knowingly, his voice tinged with admiration. "That's his Spirit Beast core in action. It doesn't just amplify his spells—it merges them with him." Cedric gestured toward the arena with a grin. "Keep watching. This is where things get interesting."

Evan's focus sharpened, his nucleus pulsing faintly as he tried to process what Cedric had said. Teral's ability to combine enhancement spells with his body was unlike anything he had encountered before. "Merging magic with physical form?" Evan murmured. "That's not just strength. That's... evolution."

Teral lunged forward with startling speed, his enhanced claws slashing at Kael in a relentless flurry of strikes. Kael pivoted, evading the first few swipes with precise movements. His arms moved in quick gestures, summoning the embers scattered across the ground. The glowing fragments surged upward, swirling together into a glowing shield of molten coal. Teral's claws raked across the shield with a screech, sending sparks flying, but the defense held firm.

Every impact produced more embers, which fell to the ground in a smoldering rain. Kael gritted his teeth, his shield barely absorbing the force of Teral's strikes. With each clash, he felt the pressure growing. The embers on the ground continued to build, the remnants of his defense fueling the arena with growing intensity.

"Come on, Kael!" Teral taunted, stepping back for a brief moment. His golden aura flared again as he muttered another spell: "Agility Surge!"

The transformation was instant. Teral's legs shifted, sinewy and powerful, resembling those of a cheetah. His posture became lower, his movements fluid and predatory. He darted forward, a blur of speed, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat.

Kael's eyes widened as Teral's claws came down in a vicious arc. He barely managed to summon another shield of embers in time, the impact ringing out like a thunderclap. The shield held, but the force sent Kael skidding backward, more fragments of coal cascading to the ground.

Evan leaned forward, his nucleus pulsing faintly as he focused on Kael's movements. He activated Simulate, his mind overlaying the battlefield with glowing patterns as he tracked the flow of energy. The coal falling from Kael's chest intrigued him, and he zoomed in mentally, tracing its origins.

"It's... supporting the flames," Evan murmured to himself, his voice barely audible amidst the clash of battle. "The core creates the coal, and that coal fuels the fire. It's like... a cycle."

Cedric, noticing Evan's intense focus, nudged him. "Figured that out already?" he said with a grin. "The coal isn't just fuel—it's his weapon. The more he fights, the more the battlefield becomes his."

Evan nodded absently, his nucleus feeding him insights. He compared what he was seeing to the patterns he had constructed during his studies. His simulated overlays revealed subtle differences—Kael's core wasn't just creating raw coal. The fragments were charged with latent energy, perfectly balanced to support both offense and defense. The process was far more intricate than Evan's experiments with fire manipulation.

"This is different," Evan muttered, his brow furrowed. "My patterns... they're missing something. The coal isn't just a byproduct—it's part of the fire itself. It's alive."

In the arena, Kael was pushed entirely on the defensive. Teral's enhanced speed and sharp claws gave him the upper hand, and Kael's shields grew larger and heavier as more embers were summoned to protect him. Each time Teral struck, Kael's shields absorbed the blow, scattering more glowing fragments onto the ground.

But the constant pressure was taking its toll. Kael's movements slowed as his shields grew bulkier, the weight of the coal and flames dragging him down. Teral noticed the change, his feral grin widening. "What's wrong?" he snarled. "Getting tired?"

Kael didn't respond. Instead, he stomped his foot, sending a wave of heat through the ground. The embers scattered across the arena surged upward in unison, creating a wall of fire that separated them momentarily. Kael took the brief reprieve to steady his breathing, flames flickering faintly around his hands as he prepared his next move.

Evan's nucleus pulsed faster as he focused intently. His simulation highlighted the energy flows in the arena—the interplay between Kael's coal production, his flame manipulation, and the growing mass of embers blanketing the battlefield. Evan zoomed in further, comparing these flows to the patterns he had built during his studies.

"There's something I missed," he murmured, his eyes narrowing. "Kael's core is producing more than fire. The coal... it stabilizes the flames, shapes them. It's... structural. My patterns only account for ignition and motion, but his are integrating elements I didn't even consider."