BOOOOOOM!!
Another devastating collision shook the arena as Zael's Blood Thunder Claw slammed against Zuko's dual blades, sending both fighters skidding backward across the already ruined platform.
Cracks spread everywhere now.
Large portions of the floating arena had already collapsed completely, forcing the barrier systems surrounding Platform One to reinforce themselves continuously just to keep the fight contained.
Yet amidst the chaos—
The conversation continued.
Strangely calmly.
Zuko rolled his shoulders lightly before exhaling.
"You noticed it quickly."
Zael's eyes remained fixed on him.
"The bloodline?"
Zuko nodded once.
"Yeah."
Blue-silver flames flickered quietly around his azure blade afterward while faint draconic pressure lingered around him.
"It's incomplete," he admitted honestly. "More dormant than awakened."
Zael stayed silent.
Because despite those words—
The bloodline pressure Zuko emitted was unquestionably real.
Not artificial.
Not imitation.
Real dragon lineage.
Zuko eventually laughed lightly.
"You're wondering who I really am now, right?"
"A little."
"That's fair."
He casually spun the silver blade once before continuing.
"The Blazeheart family is one of the top families in the world."
Instantly, reactions exploded throughout the audience.
"WHAT?!"
"That Blazehearts?!"
"No wonder he's insane!"
Even some instructors watching from above looked startled.
Because unlike ordinary influential clans—
The Blazeheart family was legendary.
Ancient.
Powerful.
A family that had existed long before the current era of awakening.
A family rumored to possess draconic ancestry within their bloodline itself.
Zael's eyes narrowed slightly afterward.
That explained a lot.
Meanwhile Zuko shrugged casually, almost like he was talking about the weather.
"I'm the third son."
Then he smirked faintly.
"The youngest too."
Blue flames flickered around his swords again as he continued attacking suddenly.
SHIIING!!
Zael blocked the incoming cross slash barehanded before countering with a knee strike aimed toward Zuko's ribs.
BOOOOM!!
Zuko barely intercepted with the flat of his silver blade before getting blasted backward several meters.
Yet despite the violence—
Both kept talking naturally.
"With two older brothers ahead of me," Zuko continued while stabilizing himself, "I never really had a chance at becoming family head."
He laughed softly afterward.
"And honestly? Competing against those monsters sounds exhausting."
Zael smirked slightly.
"So you came here instead."
"Pretty much."
The next moment—
Zuko vanished.
[Blazeheart Art: Azure Dragon Flash]
Blue-silver flames exploded across the battlefield as he appeared directly above Zael, both swords descending simultaneously with terrifying force.
Zael's eyes sharpened instantly.
[Resonance Strike]
BOOOOOOM!!
The collision generated a shockwave powerful enough to crack the arena barriers again.
The audience below could barely breathe watching the exchange.
Because every attack now felt catastrophic.
Meanwhile Zuko flipped backward through the air before landing lightly.
"I figured if I couldn't inherit the family," he continued casually, "then I'd make a name for myself another way."
His blue eyes locked onto Zael afterward.
"So I came to the camp."
Then he grinned slightly.
"Was honestly expecting to dominate everyone too."
Auralis immediately shouted from below.
"And then Zael happened!"
"Unfortunately."
Zael ignored her.
Though admittedly—
He understood Zuko better now.
The pressure of powerful families.
Expectations.
Comparisons.
Living in the shadows of older siblings.
It explained why someone this strong hid his abilities until now.
Not out of fear.
But because he was waiting.
Waiting for a stage big enough to matter.
BOOOOM!!
Zael launched forward again instantly, fist wrapped in abyssal lightning.
This time—
Zuko met him head-on without retreating.
Both attacks collided violently in the center of the ruined platform.
And as the shockwave exploded outward—
Both fighters smiled.
Because neither had enjoyed a battle this much in a very long time.
At thus point the battlefield had already stopped resembling a competition platform.
Half the arena was gone entirely.
Massive cracks spread across the remaining sections while abyssal lightning and blue-silver flames continued clashing violently throughout the air.
The audience watched in complete silence now....but someday I will".
Nobody mocked anymore.
Nobody underestimated Zuko anymore either.
Because regardless of the outcome—
He had accomplished something no one else managed during the entire competition.
He forced Zael to become serious.
BOOOOM!!
Another devastating collision erupted between them before both figures finally separated again, landing on opposite ends of the shattered platform.
Both were breathing slightly harder now.
Zael's coat was heavily damaged while several shallow cuts covered his body.
Meanwhile Zuko looked worse.
Bruises spread across both arms from repeatedly blocking Zael's monstrous physical strength while traces of blood ran from the corner of his lips.
Yet despite that—
He was smiling.
"So," Zuko said while adjusting his grip on both swords, "I'm guessing you've still got more hidden."
Zael looked at him calmly for a moment.
Then nodded.
"…Yeah."
The answer made the audience collectively shiver.
Because after this battle—
There was still more?
Zuko laughed helplessly afterward.
"That's honestly ridiculous."
Then his expression slowly sharpened again.
"But good."
Blue-silver flames began intensifying around him afterward.
Not explosively—
But steadily.
The pressure continuously rising.
"This fight deserves an ending worth remembering."
Zael stared at him quietly.
Then nodded once.
"I agree."
The atmosphere changed instantly afterward.
CRACKLE!!
Crimson-black lightning erupted violently around Zael's body while partial dragon scales spread further across his arms and neck.
The pressure became suffocating.
Several weaker awakened in the audience instinctively stepped backward from fear alone.
Even the instructors watching above looked alarmed now.
Because the aura radiating from Zael no longer felt human.
It felt ancient.
Predatory.
Draconic.
Meanwhile on the opposite side—
Zuko slowly crossed both swords together.
The silver blade began glowing brilliantly while enormous quantities of blue flame compressed into the azure sword continuously.
His aura sharpened terrifyingly afterward.
Unlike Zael's overwhelming pressure—
Zuko's power felt concentrated.
Refined.
Like a blade capable of splitting the heavens themselves.
Cassian's eyes widened slightly from the audience.
"…What the hell is this....and where the f are they getting this from".
The next moment—
A massive magic formation appeared behind Zuko.
Ancient flaming symbols rotated slowly while blue fire spiraled skyward like a dragon ascending toward the heavens.
[Blazeheart Secret Art:]
[Heavenly Dragon Cremation]
The entire arena shook violently.
At the same time—
Zael slowly raised one hand.
Blood thunder lightning condensed around his arm while abyssal energy surged outward endlessly.
Then—
A massive draconic phantom appeared behind him.
Crimson-black.
Monstrous.
Its glowing eyes opened slowly above the battlefield, radiating pressure so overwhelming that countless spectators froze instinctively.
Even Zuko's expression changed slightly seeing it.
Because unlike his own manifestation—
This felt real.
Alive.
Zael's voice echoed calmly afterward.
[Bloodline Ultimate Skill:]
[Void Thunder Dragon Descent]
For one brief moment—
Silence filled the arena.
Then both moved.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The world exploded.
A colossal beam of blue dragon fire collided directly against descending abyssal thunder, generating an explosion so violent the entire arena shook like it might collapse entirely.
The sky above split apart.
The barriers shattered instantly.
Shockwaves blasted across the camp with enough force to uproot sections of the arena itself.
People screamed.
Others stared in horror.
Because the power released by both attacks had completely surpassed what young awakened should be capable of.
Yet amidst the collision—
One force began overwhelming the other.
Slowly at first.
Then completely.
CRACK!!
The blue flames shattered apart.
Zuko's eyes widened.
And the next instant—
The crimson-black draconic lightning consumed everything.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Zuko was blasted backward violently, both swords flying from his hands as the remaining force slammed into him and launched him clean off Platform One.
The floating arena beneath Zael finally collapsed completely afterward.
Smoke filled the battlefield.
Silence followed.
Then slowly—
Zael descended from the sky amidst fading crimson-black lightning.
And standing atop the remaining fragments of the ruined platform—
He looked completely dominant.
Untouchable.
Like a monster no one in the younger generation could overcome.
Far below, Zuko coughed while lying inside a massive crater before finally laughing weakly.
"…Yeah."
He stared upward toward Zael afterward with honest admiration in his eyes.
"That's definitely impossible to beat right now....but someday I will".