Chapter:14-Battle Of Will

The Hill of Remembrance

(As night falls, Kael finds himself drawn to a familiar place—a hill overlooking his home. It was here he used to sit as a child, staring at the stars, dreaming of something greater.)

(He exhales, the wind carrying his thoughts into the vast sky.)

Kael (thinking): So much has changed… but I still don't understand my power.

(He closes his eyes, letting his senses expand. The rustling of leaves, the distant sounds of the village… and then—)

A shift.

A distortion in space.

(A cold pulse ripples through the air. Kael's eyes snap open just as a portal tears into existence before him, its swirling darkness crackling with ominous energy.)

(From within, a familiar figure steps forward.)

Zephyrn.

(The air grows heavy, the sky darkening as if responding to his presence. His piercing gaze locks onto Kael, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.)

Zephyrn (mocking): "Took you long enough."

(Kael's body tenses. Memories of their last encounter surge forward—the overwhelming force, the effortless defeat.)

Kael (clenching his fists): "You."

Zephyrn (chuckling): "Disappointed? Or are you afraid?"

(Kael exhales sharply, tightening his grip on his sword.)

Kael (calmly): "Neither."

(Zephyrn tilts his head, intrigued.)

Zephyrn: "Oh? Then let's see if you've finally learned how to stand."

(The tension thickens. Zephyrn's aura hums with dark energy, the very same power he wielded against Oathbound Varain.)

(Kael steadies himself, his own light beginning to pulse in response.)

(Kael vs. Zephyrn. No allies. No interruptions. Just one fight to determine if Kael has truly grown—or if he's still the weakling Zephyrn crushed before.)

The Abyssal Cage

(As Kael tightens his grip on his sword, Zephyrn smirks, lifting his hand. The very air around them shudders.)

BOOM.

(The sky above twists, dark energy erupting outward, stretching in all directions. In an instant, a massive barrier of black mist spreads, sealing off the entire battlefield—stretching over two kilometers in every direction.)

(Kael's instincts scream at him. This isn't just some simple domain—it's an abyss, swallowing everything in its wake.)

(He grits his teeth, his golden aura flaring, but the light barely pierces the suffocating darkness.)

Kael (thinking): This… is different from last time.

(Outside the barrier, unseen forces stir. Oathbound Varain, watching from afar, narrows his eyes, trying to peer inside—but fails.)

Varain (grimly): A complete void. Even I cannot see beyond it...

(The warlord's voice echoes through the darkness, filled with amusement.)

Zephyrn: "No distractions. No witnesses. Just you and me, Kael."

(Kael exhales, feeling the weight of the battlefield pressing on him. He slowly reaches for his sword—the Blade of Frost and Fire. The moment his fingers curl around its hilt, a cold rush floods his veins, followed by a searing heat.)

Kael (to himself, gripping the blade): "This is it."

(He looks up at Zephyrn, his eyes burning with newfound resolve.)

Kael (steadily): "Find who you really are… or die."

(He raises his sword, the frost and fire colliding along its edge.)

Kael (gritting his teeth): "It's a game of power, isn't it? The stronger wins."

(Zephyrn grins, his crimson eyes gleaming through the darkness.)

Zephyrn: "Exactly."

(The battle begins.)

A Battle of Strength and Will

(Kael dashes forward, his sword igniting with blue flames on one edge and icy frost on the other. His feet barely touch the ground as he lunges, slashing toward Zephyrn's chest.)

CLANG!

(Zephyrn blocks effortlessly, his dark blade absorbing the impact. Sparks of frost and fire burst upon collision, casting flickering light inside the suffocating darkness.)

Zephyrn (mocking): "Not bad. But not enough."

(With a flick of his wrist, Zephyrn twists his blade, sending Kael staggering back. In a blink, he's already upon him, slashing down—)

WHOOSH!

(Kael barely dodges, rolling to the side as the ground splits apart where he once stood. His breathing is steady, but his mind is racing.)

Kael (thinking): His speed… it's even greater than before!

(Zephyrn watches him with amusement.)

Zephyrn: "What's wrong? You're holding back."

Kael (gritting his teeth): "I don't intend to."

(He dashes again, this time aiming lower. Feinting left, he twists his body mid-air, bringing his sword down from above. Zephyrn, expecting a frontal strike, raises his blade—but Kael changes direction at the last second, slamming his foot against Zephyrn's wrist and pushing his sword off-course.)

SLASH!

(A shallow cut appears on Zephyrn's arm, a thin line of darkness seeping from it.)

(Kael lands smoothly, blade raised.)

Kael: "Seems I'm not the only one who's improved."

(Zephyrn looks at the wound, then laughs softly.)

Zephyrn: "You're learning. Good."

(He flicks his fingers, and the cut vanishes—dark energy sealing it instantly.)

Zephyrn: "But there's a difference between learning and winning."

(Without warning, he vanishes.)

(Kael's senses scream. He twists—)

CRACK!

(A brutal kick slams into his ribs, sending him flying. He barely catches himself midair, skidding to a stop, his breath ragged.)

Zephyrn (mocking): "Still slow."

Kael (panting): "And you still talk too much."

(Zephyrn smirks.)

Zephyrn: "Words have power, Kael. You should know that by now."

Kael (steadying his stance): "Yeah. But power isn't determined by words alone."

(He dashes forward again, sword flaring with both elements. Zephyrn grins, meeting him head-on. Their blades clash, sending shockwaves through the abyssal battlefield.)

(Their swords clash again and again, frost and fire colliding against the abyssal darkness. The barrier around them pulses with each strike, distorting the very air.)

(Kael grits his teeth, sweat trailing down his temple. No matter how much force he puts behind his attacks, Zephyrn matches him effortlessly—dodging, blocking, taunting.)

Zephyrn (smirking): "Is that it? I expected more from someone chosen by the Light."

(Kael tightens his grip on his sword, frustration bubbling inside him.)

Kael (thinking): Why…? Why can't I land a decisive hit?

(Suddenly, something inside him stirs—a warmth unlike before. It isn't the heat from his sword's flames, nor the icy chill from its frost. It is something deeper, something pure.)

A surge of light.

(Kael's eyes widen as golden veins of energy pulse through his arms. The warmth spreads through his body, flowing into his sword.)

Zephyrn (noticing the change, his smirk fading slightly): "Oh?"

(Kael doesn't wait—he moves.)

BOOM.

(A single step, and Kael is gone.)

(Zephyrn's eyes flicker with alarm. The movement—it's too fast. He barely turns—)

SLASH!

(A sharp, blinding arc of light cuts through the darkness, followed by the sickening sound of steel slicing through flesh.)

Zephyrn: …?!

(His body jerks as he staggers back, pain jolting through him. He looks down—his legs are gone. Severed cleanly at the knees.)

(A pause. Then—)

Zephyrn: "Heh…"

(He lets out a slow, eerie chuckle, even as his body drops onto the ground. The abyss around them trembles as his laughter grows.)

Zephyrn: "Hahahahaha!"

(Kael watches, his chest rising and falling, his sword still humming with the power that surged through him. But something feels wrong.)

(The darkness swirls. The air shifts. And then—)

Abyssal energy erupts.

(The black mist surges into Zephyrn's wounds, crawling like living tendrils. His severed legs reform—dark energy shaping into solid mass, his armor glowing as the abyss pulses through him.)

(Kael's breath catches. The aura surrounding Zephyrn—it's different. It's stronger.)

(As if… he had been holding back all along.)

Zephyrn (standing, rolling his shoulders): "Well… that was unexpected."

(He flexes his fingers, his armor gleaming with dark runes now pulsing with pure abyssal energy.)

Zephyrn (grinning): "Looks like I need to stop playing around."

(Kael feels it—a pressure unlike before. It crushes the air, pressing down on him like an overwhelming tide.)

(For the first time in this fight… he feels small.)

Unworthy.

(A flicker of rage ignites in Kael's chest. His hands tremble—not with fear, but with something deeper.)

Determination.