Chapter 43 I can't let you live

Mordrakk turned sharply, swinging his fist with unreal precision toward the portal behind him—only to strike nothing but air.

"Huh?"

A voice echoed from within the portal. "No... You're the one who doesn't get it."

Mordrakk's eyes narrowed as Victor's voice rang out, steady yet laced with unwavering resolve.

"I've seen your power firsthand, and the truth is… you're beyond me. But that's exactly why I have to end this here and now."

The portal pulsed with a bright orange glow, the intensity of the light growing with every passing second.

"So yeah… you're actually right. Compared to me, you are a god." Victor's voice hardened. "Which is why I can't let you live. No matter what. Even if it costs me my life!"

The light flared violently, illuminating Mordrakk's face, a sudden flicker of unease flashing in his eyes.

BOOM!!

A monstrous eruption of flames blasted from the portal, swallowing Mordrakk in an instant. The fire surged into another portal and out the next, trapping him in a relentless inferno.

From a distance, the attack appeared frozen in midair—an unmoving explosion stretching across the sky. But within, the flames followed an intricate path, passing from portal to portal at blinding speed, with Mordrakk's shadowed form caught in the storm.

Victor shot backward, his gaze locked onto the swirling blaze, waiting for the inevitable moment Mordrakk would break free. Then, without warning, the final portal vanished—leaving one last devastating surge of fire to engulf him completely before dissipating into the night.

A brief silence settled over the battlefield. Smoke curled from Mordrakk's charred body, his head tilted upward, blank white eyes staring into nothingness, mouth agape. The inferno had done its damage. Slowly, his head lowered, his irises rolling back into place—only for a smirk to creep onto his lips.

"Using my own power against me... Not bad, human."

Both fighters knew it. The end was near. Their battle—long, grueling, and relentless—had come down to this final moment.

A grave expression crossed their faces, muscles coiling in anticipation. Then—BOOM!

Flames erupted. Blue energy crackled.

In a flash, they collided.

Krrrshhh.

Mordrakk's forearm pierced straight through Victor's chest.

Victor froze, his breath hitching. Blood spilled from his lips, his wide eyes staring into the abyss within Mordrakk's.

A sinister grin stretched across Mordrakk's face. "What was it you said again?" His voice dripped with mockery. "That you'd kill me here and now? I wonder how that's working out for you."

The grin widened, slicing across his face like a wound.

Victor teetered on the brink of death. His vision blurred, the world darkening around him.

But then—at that moment, standing at the edge of the abyss—he saw it.

The opening he had been waiting for.

And in that flicker of hope, a spark ignited.

Victor's arms trembled as they slowly lifted, his fingers weakly reaching for Mordrakk's face.

"Hmph," Mordrakk scoffed, amused by the futile attempt. He didn't bother stopping him—whatever Victor was trying to do seemed insignificant. His eyes lazily followed the struggling hands as they finally made contact, Victor's palms pressing against his cheeks with the last ounces of strength he could muster.

Mordrakk smirked. "What the hell do you—"

Victor's head tilted upward, his teeth clenched with fury. A shimmering blue ring ignited in his eyes.

Mordrakk's smirk vanished.

For the first time in his brief yet terrifying existence, something coursed through him—fear.

A chill slithered down his spine. His eyes widened in disbelief. He had seen Victor's flames burn bright orange, scorching everything in their path. But this—this eerie, shimmering blue—was something entirely new. Something wrong.

BOOM!!

The heavens erupted. A brilliant explosion of blue flames consumed the sky, engulfing both fighters in a blinding inferno.

Mordrakk's scream tore through the air. His body—untouched by fire until now—was burning.

Panic surged through him as he attempted to pull his arm from Victor's chest, but it wouldn't budge. Victor's grip on his face had tightened, locking him in place. His own flames licked at his skin, but Victor didn't flinch. He didn't waver.

He was beyond pain.

He was beyond fear.

And for the first time—Mordrakk was the one struggling to escape.

The orange glow around Victor's palms intensified, heat radiating off his skin in violent waves. Smoke hissed from the space between his hands and Mordrakk's burning cheeks, the sheer force of his energy distorting the air around them.

Victor's head tilted downward, his jaw clenched as he braced for the final strike.

Then—

Darkness.

The sky turned pitch black, his flames extinguished in an instant, their energy redirected to a single, devastating point.

And then—

BOOM!!

A blinding explosion erupted from Victor's palms. A concentrated torrent of fire, hotter than anything before, surged forward in a straight, unforgiving line—consuming Mordrakk's entire skull.

The flames roared into the heavens, painting the blackened sky with an intense blue glow.

Mordrakk's body twitched violently, his free hand clawing desperately at Victor's wrist, trying—failing—to break free. But Victor's grip was unshakable.

The searing blue fire crept down Victor's arm, devouring his own flesh in its merciless path. Pain should have overwhelmed him. But it didn't.

He held on. Tighter.

With a final, deafening roar, the flames surged even higher, their hue deepening into a radiant, almost divine blue. They raced up his arm, branding his body with their relentless heat.

And then—Victor's hands snapped shut.

Mordrakk's skull ceased to exist.

The sky dimmed, the inferno fading into silence. All that remained of Mordrakk was an empty space between his shoulders—his body trembling for a brief moment before crumbling into black dust, scattering into the wind.

Victor exhaled, his eyes fluttering closed, a fleeting sense of relief washing over him.

But the moment was short-lived.

His body, broken and spent, gave out.

And like a fallen star, he plummeted from the sky.

****

Crimson Vanguard – The Recovery Room

Kai's eyes shot open, a sharp gasp escaping his lips. His body tensed, and before he could fully sit up—

Soft fingers met his chest.

His gaze snapped upward. Cleo. Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight filtering through the window, her delicate features casting a warmth over him. For a brief moment, just seeing her eased the turmoil in his chest.

"Calm down," she whispered gently, her touch firm but tender as she guided him back onto the bed. His head sank into the pillow, his breath still uneven.

Cleo sat beside him, her eyes clouded with something heavy—pity, sorrow.

"It's okay," she murmured, trying to reassure him. "You're safe now."

"What… what happened?" His voice was hoarse, his throat dry.

"You passed out in the middle of the street," Cleo said softly.

His body went rigid, his pulse pounding in his ears. His lips parted, voice laced with growing panic.

"Victor… where's Victor?"

Cleo hesitated. Her gaze wavered, her fingers curling slightly against his chest.

She didn't answer.

Kai's stomach twisted.

The silence suffocated him.

"Cleo…" His voice was barely above a whisper now, the dread creeping into his bones. "What the hell happened to Victor?"