Chapter 13: Awakening the Unseen Fire

Their fists collided—golden fire versus void energy.

A shockwave ripped through the battlefield, cracking the stone beneath their feet. The air vibrated with raw force as they clashed again and again, their strikes sending ripples through space itself.

The monster was fast.

Faster than anything he had fought before.

Each of its attacks came from impossible angles, its shifting form warping reality to strike where he least expected. One moment it was in front of him, the next—its fist was driving into his ribs from behind.

CRACK!

Pain exploded through his body as he was hurled backward, crashing into a floating platform. His vision blurred. His lungs screamed for air.

But he pushed himself up, refusing to fall.

Elya watched from the edge of the battlefield, arms crossed, violet eyes gleaming. "You're slowing down," she called out. "Are you hesitating?"

He wiped blood from his lips. "I'm adjusting."

The monster charged again.

This time, he didn't dodge.

Breaking the Limit

He stepped forward, golden flames flaring to life around him. But this time—it was different. The fire didn't just burn. It shifted, flickering between light and shadow.

For a fraction of a second, he saw it.

Not just the monster's movements—but the space around it.

The flow of reality. The way the air bent before it attacked.

A pattern. A weakness.

The beast's fist shot forward—straight for his heart.

He didn't dodge.

Instead, he moved through the space between.

One step.

The monster's attack missed by a breath.

Another step.

He was inside its guard.

Before it could react, his golden fire flared to its peak.

He clenched his fist.

And punched straight through its chest.

BOOM!

A shockwave tore the monster apart from the inside. The void energy howled, twisting violently as cracks formed along its body.

The creature's many eyes widened in something close to fear.

"Impossible—"

He twisted his fist.

Golden fire erupted.

And the monster shattered into dust.

The Aftermath

Silence.

The battlefield—once filled with roaring beasts—was now empty.

He exhaled, his breath heavy. His body still ached, but something inside him had changed.

The fire wasn't just his anymore. It was something more.

A fusion of what he had always been… and what he had touched in the void.

Elya finally stepped forward, slow and measured.

She stopped in front of him, looking him over. Then, with a satisfied smirk, she spoke:

"You just took your first step beyond mortality."

His fingers twitched. The golden flames still flickered around his hands—unstable, but stronger than ever.

A step beyond mortality?

He wasn't sure what that meant.

But deep down, he could feel it