The void spear lunged forward, aimed straight for his heart.
He had no time to think—only to react.
His golden flames surged, instinctively forming a shield of pure energy. The impact sent a shockwave through the battlefield, shattering the floating platforms around them. The force nearly crushed his ribs, but he held firm.
The masked warrior stepped back, tilting his head. "You resist well."
But he wasn't just resisting.
He was changing.
The Birth of a New Flame
Something inside him was breaking free.
His fire—once a mere tool—was evolving. He could feel it shifting, absorbing the void's power instead of being repelled by it.
For a brief second, he saw something beyond the battlefield.
A memory not his own.
A figure wreathed in the same golden flames, standing at the edge of a collapsing universe. A voice, distant yet familiar, whispered:
"You have taken the first step. Now… burn beyond the limits of this reality."
The vision faded.
But the power remained.
His flames turned white.
The masked warrior hesitated for the first time. "Impossible."
He clenched his fist. The golden fire that once burned wildly was now refined, concentrated. It flickered between gold, white, and an unknown color beyond sight.
This was no longer just fire.
This was Transcendent Flame.
The Counterattack Begins
The masked warrior moved first.
But now—he was ready.
The void spear struck—
And this time, he didn't block.
He caught it.
The darkness hissed against his hand, but the Transcendent Flame overpowered it, consuming the void like a predator devouring its prey.
The masked warrior's fingers trembled. "What are you—?"
He didn't let him finish.
He moved.
A single step—and the entire battlefield bent around him.
The next moment, his fist was buried in the masked warrior's chest.
BOOM!
A massive shockwave exploded outward, splitting the sky in two. The masked figure was hurled back, crashing through three floating platforms before slamming into the stone walls of the arena.
Dust settled.
For the first time, the masked warrior struggled to rise. His once perfect composure cracked.
He had felt it.
That last attack… wasn't just strength.
It was something greater.
Elya, watching from afar, grinned.
"Now things are getting interesting."
The Final Strike—Or a New Beginning?
The masked warrior stood, his robe torn, his dark aura flickering.
"You are beyond what I expected," he admitted. "Perhaps… you are worthy after all."
He raised his void spear once more—
But this time, there was hesitation in his stance.
Something had changed.
The battle was not over.
But the tides had shifted.