Chapter:14.1-Battle Of Will

(Zephyrn's aura darkens, his body pulsing with raw, abyssal power. His once-calculated movements turn erratic—unpredictable.)

(Then, in an instant—)

WHOOSH!

(Zephyrn vanishes.)

(Kael barely has time to react. A chilling pressure slams into him—)

CLANG!

(A brutal strike. The sheer force nearly splits Kael in two, but he blocks just in time, his Blade of Frost and Fire catching Zephyrn's corrupted weapon.)

(A twisted hum vibrates through the air as something unnatural happens.)

Kael's sword… is turning pale.

(The once-vibrant flames flicker weakly, the frost dimming as if something is draining them. Kael's heart pounds as he watches the energy seep from his weapon—absorbed by Zephyrn's abyssal blade.)

Kael (thinking): What is this…?

(He grits his teeth and leaps backward, putting distance between them. His sword feels lighter, but not in a good way—as if it's losing its strength.)

Zephyrn (tilting his head, amused): "What's wrong, Kael? Your sword doesn't feel right anymore?"

Kael (panting, glaring): "What the hell did you do?"

Zephyrn (grinning, twirling his blade): "Oh, nothing much. Just taking what you so generously offered."

(Kael tightens his grip. His body tenses.)

Kael: "Who are you? Why are you after me? Why are you trying to kill me?!"

(Zephyrn chuckles, taking a slow step forward.)

Zephyrn: "Kill you? Hah. I'm not trying, Kael."

(He raises his blade, eyes glowing with abyssal light.)

Zephyrn: "I'm going to."

(A pause. Then—)

Zephyrn (smirking): "And today, I'll make sure of it."

(Kael clenches his fists, rage burning in his chest. His sword may be weakened, but his will is not.)

(He steadies his breath, lowering his stance. The golden veins in his arms flicker—his absolute light still there, still waiting to be unleashed.)

Kael (muttering): "Like hell you will."

(The battle is far from over.)

(Kael stumbles, blood trailing from his lips. His body aches—his vision blurs. Zephyrn stands before him, untouched, his abyssal aura swallowing the light around them.)

(Kael's legs tremble. He grips his sword tighter, but the weight of exhaustion presses against him.)

(Then—)

A whisper in his mind.

A memory.

(He sees a hand—his father's hand. Strong, calloused, yet gentle.)

Father: "Strength isn't just about power, Kael. It's about purpose. When you stand, stand for something."

(A younger Kael watches as his father wields a simple sword, guiding him through the motions. The village behind them is filled with life—laughter, warmth, family.)

Mother (smiling): "You're strong, my son, but don't forget—strength without heart is meaningless."

(For a brief moment, Kael feels the warmth of home… before it shatters.)

(Screams. Smoke. A crimson sky.)

(The memory twists—bodies lying lifeless, flames devouring the home he once knew. His father—standing in front of him—his final words lost in the roar of destruction.)

Kael (thinking): Who… who did this? Why…?

(He never found the answer. He still searches. But now—)

(He feels something stir inside him. A presence.)

Light surges.

(From his back, something unfolds—something radiant, something powerful. Two massive wings of pure light burst forth.)

(Their glow pierces through the abyss, illuminating the battlefield.)

(Zephyrn's eyes widen—for the first time, he looks surprised.)

Zephyrn: "What…?"

(Kael's wounds heal instantly. The pain that held him down vanishes. But this time, unlike before—he is conscious. He sees it. He feels it.)

(He isn't being consumed by the power.)

He is wielding it.

Kael (whispering, awestruck): This… this is me…?

(The Blade of Frost and Fire—once pale and drained—now glows brilliantly, its flames burning hotter, its frost colder, reforged by Kael's newfound strength.)

(He tightens his grip.)

Kael: "It's over, Zephyrn."

(He vanishes.)

BOOM!

(A flash of light. A strike so fast that Zephyrn barely reacts—Kael appears behind him, blade dripping with abyssal blood.)

(A deep, glowing gash cuts through Zephyrn's armor.)

Zephyrn (gritting his teeth): What—?!

(Kael doesn't stop. He moves like a storm, each slash carving through the abyss, erasing it.)

(Slash—)

(Abyssal energy disintegrates.)

(Slash—)

(A glowing mark of light sears into Zephyrn's body, making him bleed.)

Zephyrn (staggering, panting): "Tch…!"

(He swings, but Kael dodges—too fast.)

(Another strike lands—more abyss is erased.)

(Zephyrn's power is fading.)

(For the first time, Zephyrn feels something unfamiliar—he is being overwhelmed.)

Kael (eyes blazing): "Your darkness is fading, Zephyrn."

(He raises his blade, ready to end it.)

But Zephyrn…

(He smiles.)

Zephyrn (grinning, despite the pain): "Heh… interesting."

(And then—)

The abyss roars.

(Zephyrn's twisted grin lingers, despite the pain surging through his body. The abyss around him shrieks, pulsing violently as if reacting to his will.)

(Then—)

A shockwave explodes outward.

(Abyssal energy floods back into Zephyrn, knitting his wounds together, restoring his strength. His dark aura surges, burning fiercer than before.)

Zephyrn (smirking): "Now... now you're worth fighting, Kael."

(Kael's golden wings pulse, his body glowing with light, but his breathing is heavy. He grips his sword tighter.)

Kael (low voice): "Then let's finish this."

(They charge—)

BOOM!

(Blades collide, shaking the battlefield. Each strike sends shockwaves rippling through the sky. The abyss roars against the light, clashing like two forces that were never meant to exist together.)

Meanwhile…

(Alden stands at the edge of the forest hill, his sharp eyes locked on the swirling darkness in the distance.)

BOOM!

(The ground trembles. The sky flickers. Something monstrous is happening inside.)

Sun (panting, catching up): "What the hell is that?! What's happening?!"

Elyse (gritting her teeth): "Kael's in there, isn't he?"

Alden (nodding, serious): "Yes. But there's a problem."

(They step forward—only to slam into an invisible barrier.)

Abyssal energy blocks their way.

Sun (frustrated, slamming his fist against it): "Damn it! We can't get through!"

Elyse (gripping her weapon, her eyes narrowing): "We have to. Kael could be—"

(Another shockwave erupts. The sky cracks, the ground trembles—Kael's light flickers through the darkness.)

(Alden furrows his brows.)

Alden (thinking): That power… it shouldn't be possible. He was far too weak to wield even a fraction of the Absolute Light.

(He steps forward, summoning his mana. His hands glow, magic swirling.)

Alden: "Break."

(A powerful spell surges forward—nothing happens. The barrier remains unshaken.)

Sun: "Even that didn't work…?"

(Alden clenches his fist. There's no way they can break through from the outside.)

Alden (low voice): "Kael… don't you dare die in there."

Inside the Barrier—The Final Clash

(Kael vanishes—)

(Zephyrn's eyes widen—)

Zephyrn (whispering, scanning the battlefield): "Where…?"

(A voice—calm, unwavering.)

Kael: "It's over."

BOOM!

(Kael appears behind Zephyrn—four strikes in an instant.)

(Slash—)

(Slash—)

(Slash—)

(Slash—)

(Zephyrn's armor shatters. The abyss screams, recoiling from Kael's power.)

(Zephyrn staggers, his body trembling. For the first time—his face shows fear.)

Kael (cold, eyes burning with light): "Whoever is behind you—I will find them. But first—"

SWOOSH!

(One final swing—Zephyrn's head is severed. His body slumps, his abyssal energy imploding.)

(Then—)

CRACK!

(The barrier surrounding them shatters.)

Outside the Barrier

(Alden, Sun, and Elyse shield their eyes as the darkness bursts apart.)

(A gust of wind rushes past them.)

(Then—silence.)

(They see Kael—standing in the battlefield, his glowing wings slowly fading. His sword drips with Zephyrn's abyssal blood.)

Elyse (whispering): "He did it…"

(Suddenly—)

A portal rips open.

(Zephyrn's broken body is sucked into the void, disappearing into the darkness.)

(Kael watches, his fists clenched.)

Kael (thinking): It's not over.

(He knows this was just the beginning.)