Chapter:7.3-The Oathbound

(Kael's body slumps, his strength fully abandoning him. His vision is nothing but a blur of red—his own blood, staining the ground beneath him. His breathing slows, his consciousness slipping. But before the darkness fully takes him—)

(He hears it.)

(A single step.)

(The weight of that step alone shakes the forge.)

(A suffocating aura—colder than Zephyrn's ice, darker than the deepest abyss—floods the area. The sheer presence warps the very air, making it heavy, unbearable. Even Zephyrn flinches.)

(But Kael… Kael feels something else.)

(A strange familiarity.)

Kael (weak, barely whispering): "Who…?"

(But before he can see, before he can even lift his head—his body gives in. The pain, the blood loss—it's too much. His eyes flutter shut, and he collapses beside Liza.)

(And then—)

(WHOOMPH—!!!!)

(The entire forge shakes violently.)

(The dark figure moves.)

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The Clash of Power

(Zephyrn grips his blade tighter, his smirk gone. He watches as the shadowed warrior steps forward, slow, deliberate. The figure's armor is almost part of the darkness itself—jagged edges, an ancient design, a warrior of the past. His presence alone is overwhelming, a force beyond mortal limits.)

Zephyrn (clicking his tongue): "Tch. And who the hell are you supposed to be?"

(The figure doesn't respond. Only the icy blue glow of his eyes pierces through the darkness of his helm. His aura spreads like creeping death, forcing cracks through the very floor.**)

(And then, he speaks.)

??? (voice deep, unwavering): "Step away from the vessel."

(Zephyrn narrows his eyes. Then, after a pause—he grins.)

Zephyrn (laughing): "Ah… now I see."

(**He raises his blade, resting it on his shoulder. His crimson frost aura flares violently, a **storm of deadly ice and chaos.****)

Zephyrn: "You must be the Dark Knight."

(The dark figure remains silent, his gaze locked onto Zephyrn.)

Zephyrn (mocking): "Protecting the boy, are you? Hah! How noble."

(Then, his grin sharpens.)

Zephyrn: "But don't think that title means anything to me."

(The entire forge erupts with clashing power. The air itself distorts, a battlefield between two beings of immense strength. The menacing pressure grows heavier, like the weight of titans preparing to strike.)

(The Dark Knight, unmoving, slowly raises his own blade—one wreathed in abyssal energy, a weapon that seems to swallow light itself.)

(Zephyrn's smirk widens.)

Zephyrn (whispering, eyes gleaming): "Let's see what you've got."

(And then—both figures vanish.)

(BOOOOM—!!!!!)

(The battle begins.)

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Next: The Dark Knight versus Zephyrn—A battle of Power begins!