Kael's eyes scanned the courtyard, the uneven cobblestones, the scattered leaves, and the faint shimmer of powerful aura around Glade.
Meanwhile, the towering figure in obsidian armor stood still, focused on observing him. His gaze was cold and sharp.
Then, he called out, glancing briefly behind him.
"Lenalie," Glade said, his voice calm but edged with authority.
She stepped forward, a little uneasy under his gaze. "Yes?"
"Where did Kraust and Rubal go?"
She hesitated for a moment, then answered quickly.
"Kraust… he went off to take a nap somewhere, and Rubal… he said he was hungry so he went looking for a place to grab something to eat."
Glade looked at her for a moment, then turned back to Kael with a small smile.
"Hmm. I see. Very well then… sorry for keeping you waiting, kid."
Kael's grip tightened on his dagger, sweat sliding down his cheeks.
Without warning, Glade made his first move. His blade arced through the air with blinding speed.
He stepped back instinctively, the tip of the sword missing him by mere inches.
His cloak and tunic fluttered violently as the edge of the swing grazed the fabric, a sharp reminder of how lethal a single mistake could be in this fight.
Damn it... he's not even trying to hold back.
The massive blade cut through the air, missing the ground by inches, yet the force behind it was unmistakable. The sheer speed of the arc pushed Kael to his limits.
Even the smallest miscalculation could be fatal. The crowd fell silent as Glade's massive obsidian broadsword sliced through the air, the motion so fast it bent the light slightly, leaving a faint ripple behind it.
Kael barely had time to react.
Glade's first slash forced him back. His eyes caught the tiniest detail, its left foot shifting just before the swing. He observed and dodged each strike simultaneously.
Predictable… but I can't let my guard down. One clean hit and I'm dead.
His heart pounded as he jumped back, keeping his distance. The force behind the swing pushed the air aside, and even grazing the edge of the blade sent shivers down his arms.
Every move had to be exact. One tiny flaw, and it would be over..
He barely touched the ground before a new strike came from above, so fast it blurred the air itself. It's… too quick.
How is this even possible? Rowan's eyes widened from the crowd, disbelief written across his face.
"Impossible… no one can follow attacks continuously in just a second… from this distance," Rowan muttered from the crowd, eyes wide.
Damn it… I'm dead.
Kael cursed inwardly, every muscle screamed as he barely shifted out of the blade's path.
"Is that all you've got, kid?" Glade's voice rang out, calm but teasing.
The swing of his blade followed instantly, forcing Kael to twist and shift, every fiber in his body straining to stay out of the way.
Suddenly, a strange pulse flared inside Kael's chest, so sharp he could hear it over his own heartbeat. For a fraction of a second, time seemed to stretch.
Glade's sword hung frozen in midair, poised like a storm about to break, every ounce of its power ready to split him in two.
Kael froze, baffled.
What… what is happening?
A faint whisper echoed inside his mind, familiar and commanding, tugging at something deep within him.
Move.
Kael felt his senses ignite as he noticed the faint glow of his sigil pulsing in his chest. The warmth… the sensation… it reminded him of something.
"Firioz?..." he whispered, spinning quickly as if trying to locate someone.
Suddenly, Glade swung his massive obsidian sword, sending a rippling wave of air toward Kael. The force wasn't just fast, it seemed to bend space around the arc, a blur of motion that screamed danger.
Then instinct took over. His body moved before thought could catch up, guided by the same pulse he had felt when absorbing the energy from the Crimson Orb after defeating the lich inside the forbidden cave.
The warmth and clarity flooded through him, sharpening his senses in an instant.
For the first time, he could see, not just react, but predict the subtle flow of Glade's movements before they fully happened. Even so, he was caught off guard, barely managing to duck and twist at the last second...
Something's… different. I can feel it.
Then a sharp pain shot through Kael's left eye. He flinched, raising a hand to cover it as heat spread across his face. The throb burned deep, like something inside was forcing its way out.
His grip tightened on the dagger in his other hand as he struggled to steady his breath.
"You're not taking this seriously, kid."
Glade's voice cut through as he stepped forward, lifting his massive sword.
Kael had no time to think. When suddenly. A strange clarity pierced the pain.
Glade moved. And he saw it. Not the strike itself, but the moments just before it happens.
A brief sequence flashed in his mind, a step, a turn, the swing that followed.
Kael's eyes widened. His hand fell from his face.
The blade came exactly as he had seen it. He moved first.
So he twisted aside, the sword missing him by inches. His dagger rose instinctively, guiding his movement as he slipped past the strike.
The follow-up came immediately, but he ducked under it, his body reacting on its own with surprising precision.
His heart pounded.
"What… how did he...?"
Glade faltered for a fraction of a second, his eyes narrowing. That wasn't luck.
Kael steadied himself, breathing uneven. His left eye still burned, but his vision had sharpened, clearer than before. Even the dagger in his hand felt lighter, easier to control.
Glade stepped in again, faster this time.
Another flash appeared in his mind, short, but clear.
He shifted with it, stepping back just as the blade cut through the space he had been, dagger angled and ready, but this time he blinked.
The strain on his left eye was unbearable. He had no choice.
The vision ends.
The next strike came immediately. Kael reacted too late, fortunately he raised his dagger just in time, but the edge of Glade's sword grazed his arm.
Pain flared sharply as a thin line of blood appeared, dripping toward his wrist. He staggered back, breath coming in sharp pulls.
Glade clicked his tongue, a faint smirk forming.
"So you can bleed after all."
Kael exhaled, pressing a hand briefly to his arm, tightening his grip on the dagger. He steadied his footing, but the sting reminded him that even with the vision, he wasn't invincible.
From the crowd, Rowan's face went pale. Resting his hands over the hilt of his sword on his back, he shouted.
"Damn it… at this rate, Kael's going to get killed!"
Glade's smirk faltered slightly as he adjusted his stance, raising his sword again.
The tension at the courtyard outside the guild thickened, the air heavy with anticipation.
Then the massive sword descended once again, but Kael's left eye flared with black flame. He saw it, every movement before it even happened, the sequence of Glade's strike unfolding in his mind like an afterimage.
This time, he didn't blink. His body moved perfectly in sync with the pulse, dodging with a precision he didn't know he possessed, surviving a strike that should have ended him.
His chest heaved as Firioz's pulse throbbed in his chest. His eyes narrowed, determination finally settling in.
..Im not just surviving anymore...
He exhaled slowly, letting his nerves calm. Daggers appeared in his hands, cold steel glinting faintly, as if drawn by the same pulse that sharpened his senses.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, drawing inward, imagining the black, kindling flame of Firioz's power swirling through him like molten shadow.
And then it happened.
The daggers ignited. Dark flames erupted, curling and writhing around the blades as if alive, black fire licked up his arms and coiled around his hands.
Heat radiated from them, yet it burned no flesh, only raw, untamed power.
The clearing fell silent. Everyone froze the crowd, the guild members, the spectators, all staring in disbelief.
Even Guild Master Zerilda's eyes widened. She had faced countless powerful adventurers, but this… this was unlike anything she had ever seen.
Rowan and the rest of Kael's party shared the same stunned expression. For a moment, the noise of the crowd vanished, leaving only the black flames dancing on Kael's daggers.
Kael opened his eyes fully. Dark flames flickered like living shadows within them. For the first time, he felt the true weight of Firioz's power backing him.
The overwhelming force of Glade no longer seemed insurmountable, not because Kael was stronger, but because now he could fight with a new, guided edge.
"Let's see if you can handle this," Kael whispered, a dark grin tugging at his lips.
The duel was no longer just survival. It had become a battlefield of raw destructive power, strategy, and something new, the kindled wrath of Firioz flowing through him.
"Okay, kid… that's what I'm talking about. Finally getting serious," Glade said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"Come, kid… show me what you've got."
He added, sword in hand, stance wide, waiting for Kael's move.
Kael did the unpredictable. In a split second, he vanished.
Even Glade's sharp eyes couldn't anticipate it. His eyes widened in shock. Kael was no longer where he had been standing.
Then a warm sensation hit him,.a flash of heat from the black flames coursing through Kael's body.
He was behind Glade.
The general pivoted immediately, swinging his massive broadsword in a calculated arc, but it cut nothing but air. Kael wasn't there.
Glade looked around, trying to sense him, but found nothing. No presence. No intent.
Kael moved like a living shadow, perfectly synced with Glade's every motion, appearing and disappearing, striking from impossible angles.
"He's at your side, sir!" Lenalie shouted from the crowd.
"Damn it… you little," Glade swung wildly, but Kael stepped back in time, slipping away like smoke.
This time, Glade's expression changed. Fury flared. His movements became sharper, more brutal, more deadly.
From the crowd, voices rang out.
"He's like a shadow," the elven archer Linen said, her bow drawn, eyes wide.
"Even my clairvoyance can't track his movements."
"Are you serious?" Kinon muttered, disbelief in his tone, his bearded face tightening as he clenched the handle of his axe.
The sunlight had risen, casting the shadow of the guild hall across the battlefield.
"You've really done it, kid. I haven't felt this in a long time…"
Glade's voice softened slightly as he removed his cape, tossing it to Lenalie.
Lenalie caught it and then draped it neatly over her arms, holding it carefully like a folded blanket.
"Well then… kid, do me a favor. Don't die."
This time, his stance changed. Both hands gripped the sword.
The clenching of his hands on the hilt, the slight shifts of his iron boots, every movement screamed lethal intent.
Here he goes…
He whispered, bracing himself.
In the blink of an eye, Glade vanished, rushing forward.
One, two, three strikes came in rapid succession, each nearly impossible to track.
He managed to dodged all of them, but the shockwaves rattled the ground, shaking his bones.
"You won't win this duel, kid, if you can't even land a single scratch on me."
Glade taunted.
"Damn it… I know". Kael muttered, barely evading each slash.
But the strikes kept coming, faster and faster.
His movements slowed under the pressure. One swing connected, forcing him to block with his dagger, just a split second before it could have cleaved him in two.
The black flames roared to life, pushing back against Glade's overwhelming power. But even then, the broadsword's weight forced Kael to his knees, crushing his stance.
Kael's chest heaved. The heat of the flames, the pulse of Firioz's power, and the raw force of Glade's attacks pressed against him.
Then, a familiar blue light flickered nearby.
Suddenly, his shoulder burned. The blue mark from Eiscia ignited, sending energy coursing through his veins.
Azure lines spread across his arms like living tattoos, merging into his daggers. The black flames twisted, warping into a deep azure-dark fire.
The crowd froze. Even Glade's eyes widened.
Kael pushed forward. The surge of power forced the broadsword back, sending shockwaves outward. Glade staggered, thrown off balance. An opening.
Clear. Precise. Perfect. Kael moved to strike.
"That's enough!"
The voice cut through everything. Guild Master Zerilda stepped forward, expression firm as she raised a hand.
"It's over. The battle goes to Kael."
Kael froze mid-swing. Glade stepped back, breathing heavily, but his eyes remained sharp.
The fight was over. The crowd erupted in whispers and disbelief.
"Who… is this kid?" Vernon muttered.
"I… I have no idea…" Rowan replied.
Kael lowered his daggers slowly, the flames fading into embers. His chest rose and fell.
But he had done it. Even Glade gave a small nod, acknowledging him.