CHAPTER 48: THE SECOND STAGE: FLAME DRIVE UNLEASHED

Magna faced off against Rook, unleashing devastating fire and magma attacks. Despite Rook's powerful wind magic, Magna's fiery resolve and strength overwhelmed him. With a final lava-infused punch, Magna knocked Rook out cold, securing a hard-fought victory.

Meanwhile—Zeran vs. Gravon.

Gravon hurled a barrage of Stone Needles.

Zeran incinerated them with flaming fists, dodging nimbly.

Gravon smirked. His arm transformed into a massive stone drill.

"Stone Magic: Driller Rush!"

He charged, tearing through the ground as he spun forward.

Zeran weaved left, but a glancing hit knocked him back, blood smearing the floor.

Above, Gravon raised his hand.

"Stone Magic: Stone fall."

A giant boulder materialized in the air—casting a shadow over Zeran.

Zeran slowly stood, blood streaking down his face as the massive boulder loomed above.

He looked up at it—and smiled.

Then, calm and unshaken, he raised two fingers like a gun.

"Flame Bullet."

As Kai battled in the treasure chamber, Zeran and Magna confronted enemy escapees near the dungeon's exit. Zeran clashed with the Stone Magic captain Gravon, while Magna faced off against the swift wind-user Rook, unlocking new levels of power in a fiery comeback. The battle escalated as lava and stone collided, each side pushing their limits.

FWOOOSH!

A searing bullet of compressed fire shot into the boulder—

BOOM!

It exploded mid-air, the molten remains raining down in globs of ash.

Gravon: "Heh. If you got crushed by that, it'd be a disgrace to captains everywhere."

Zeran wiped blood from his mouth. "Right back at you."

They clashed again—Gravon's punches like earthquakes, Zeran's flames like solar flares.

Walls cracked. Fire met stone in a symphony of destruction. Every move now risked collapse of the chamber.

The fiery bullet tore clean through the falling boulder, splitting it mid-air in a blinding explosion of light and shattered stone.

Gravon narrowed his eyes, his granite-like skin catching the glint of falling debris. "Tch. It's the least I expect from a captain. If you were crushed by that, it would've been a shame."

Zeran stood tall in the aftermath, brushing dust from his arm. His body steamed slightly from the intensity of his attack. "Then stop holding back, Gravon. Let's stop playing."

A silence followed; tense and thick—then both vanished from sight.

CLASH!

The ground cracked beneath their feet as fists met in a shockwave. Flame collided with stone, magic resonating through the dungeon walls like a gong. Zeran twisted, unleashing a flurry of "Flame Strikes", each blow enhanced with fire mana, aiming for Gravon's sides.

But Gravon's defense was like a fortress. "Stone Wall Technique – Granite Flex!"

His body hardened, arms blocking the hits with minimal recoil. "You're fast, but fire flickers. Stone stays."

Suddenly, he stomped the ground—"Earthen Bind!"

Spikes of rock shot from below, aiming to impale Zeran.

Zeran flipped back, landing on a broken pillar. "That all you got? Fire Magic – Scorching Spiral!"

He spun in the air, creating a fiery cyclone around him and launched it like a drill.

Gravon clenched his jaw. "Stone Guard Mode – Bastion Form!"

His entire body thickened, forming a bulky armor-like shape. The flaming drill hit him directly—BOOM!—sending shockwaves echoing throughout the dungeon. Smoke erupted.

But when it cleared… Gravon still stood.

His armor was cracked, smoke rising from the damage.

"You actually scratched me," he growled.

Zeran grinned. "And you're slower now."

In a flash, he appeared behind Gravon—"Fire Magic – Blaze Fang!"

His punch carved a flaming arc across Gravon's back, sending the stone captain flying forward, crashing into rubble.

Gravon groaned, forcing himself up. "Alright then…"

He placed both hands on the ground—"Seismic Command – Stone Puppeteer!"

The floor erupted. Giant stone arms formed from the earth, like golems under his control. Three massive arms lashed out toward Zeran.

Zeran ducked the first, leapt over the second, but the third caught his side—SMASH!—sending him crashing into the dungeon wall.

"Zeran!" shouted one of his squadmates in the distance.

Zeran emerged, bleeding from his temple, wiping blood from his lip. "You think I came this far… to lose to some oversized pebble?"

Flames surged around his body. "Flame Drive – Second Stage."

The fire wasn't red anymore—it was deep orange, almost gold. The ground beneath him melted slightly from the heat.

Gravon squinted. "...That's new."

Zeran raised a single fist. "I've been saving this."

He launched himself forward, a golden comet blazing across the dungeon.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Each strike shattered parts of Gravon's armor. Gravon countered with a powerful upward punch—"Stone Lance – Spiral Breaker!"—but Zeran caught the arm with both hands, his body flaming.

"You're not the only one with a trump card."

"Fire Magic: Infernal Detonation!"

Zeran released a point-blank explosion, engulfing them both. The ceiling shook. Stone rained from above. His squad shielded their eyes as the chamber was consumed in light.

Silence.

Then—thud.

Gravon fell to his knees, armor cracked, body smoking.

Zeran stood over him, panting, his shirt torn and body battered—but his fire still burned.

Gravon looked up, coughing. "Heh… You win this one, Drake."

Zeran extended a hand.

"Next time," he said with a smirk, "you better bring more than just rocks."

Gravon chuckled. "Next time, I bury you alive."

They grinned at each other—a rivalry born in flame and stone.