The sharp hum of steel slicing air echoed through the clearing.
Flester ducked—barely—feeling the gust of wind from Raizen's blade skim past his cheek. His boots scraped against the dirt as he slid backward, heat flaring in his lungs.
He exhaled—and fire roared out.
A column of flame burst forward, engulfing Raizen completely. The explosion rattled the forest, leaves curling into ash. Smoke filled the clearing, swirling with orange embers.
Flester panted, eyes narrowed. "Did that…?"
The smoke parted. Raizen stepped through the blaze unharmed, lightning flickering lazily along his armor.
"You're quick for an amateur," he said, his voice calm but sharp, like thunder before a storm. His sword sparked again, electricity crawling down the blade. "But still far too slow."
Flester raised his guard, but Raizen was already gone.
A blur of blue light streaked toward him—Raizen's sword whistled through the air, aimed for his throat. Flester dropped, feeling the heat of the charged blade pass inches from his neck.
He planted a hand on the ground, magic flaring. White light burst from his palms and blasted upward, catching Raizen point-blank.
"Gah—!" Raizen staggered, but his armor absorbed most of the blow.
Flester straightened, flames flickering around his shoulders. "You might not bleed, but pain still gets through that shell of yours."
Raizen smirked through the fading light. "Maybe. But pain is something I stopped fearing a long time ago." His tone carried no pride—only certainty, forged through years of endurance.
Flester frowned. That's not good… someone like him won't fall to pressure.
The air cracked as Raizen thrust his sword forward, releasing a surge of lightning. Flester countered with another beam of light. The two forces collided midair, exploding in a shockwave that blew both fighters apart.
Before Flester could regain his footing, Raizen vanished again.
"Wha—?"
A fist like iron slammed into his face. His body flew through the air, crashing into a tree so hard that bark split and splinters scattered like shrapnel.
Flester groaned, pushing himself up, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His vision blurred, his body screaming in protest—but he refused to stay down.
Raizen was already closing in, sword raised.
Flester inhaled sharply—flames erupted from his mouth, forcing Raizen to dodge aside. The fire coiled into the air like a living serpent.
Raizen landed lightly, spinning his sword once. "Lightning Mirror."
Instantly, glowing sigils lit the air around Flester. Dozens of shimmering mirrors materialized, their surfaces alive with crackling energy. Each reflected his own image—tired, panting, surrounded.
"What is this…?" Flester whispered.
Raizen smiled. "A masterpiece."
Bolts of lightning shot from every mirror simultaneously.
Flester moved—rolling, spinning, twisting through the barrage. The first few blasts missed, scorching the earth. He deflected another wave with bursts of flame, countering three, four, five at once. But the smoke thickened, and visibility dropped to nothing.
A single bolt struck his leg.
Pain tore through his nerves. He screamed, collapsing to one knee as the rest of the lightning converged on him, trapping him in a cage of energy.
His world became light and agony.
Raizen lowered his blade, breathing steadily. "Guess the mission's done."
Kai, who had been watching silently from afar, tilted his head. "No… I don't think your battle is over yet."
Raizen frowned, glancing over his shoulder—and froze.
A wave of heat rolled across the field. Behind him, an orange-red portal opened in midair, lined with ancient runes and burning flame. From within, a low roar echoed like something waking after centuries of sleep.
"What in the—"
Chains of fire burst from the portal, wrapping around Raizen with crushing force. The ground melted beneath his feet as the molten chains yanked him back.
Flester's body glowed with fiery light, his eyes burning with power. "Blazion!" he roared.
From within the portal, a colossal claw emerged—a dragon's hand wreathed in divine fire. It hurled a blazing sphere of energy straight into Raizen, the impact shaking the entire forest. Trees shattered, flames spread, and Raizen vanished into the explosion.
When the dust settled, a dragon—majestic, towering, eyes like molten gold—stood behind Flester.
Its scales shimmered between crimson and gold, every breath it took bending the air with heat. Flester leaned weakly against its leg, barely conscious but still standing.
Raizen stumbled from the wreckage, his armor cracked at last, blood trailing from a shallow cut on his arm. He grinned weakly. "That… was truly amazing."
Kai narrowed his eyes. "A Flame Dragon… Spirit Arts of the highest order."
Raizen smirked. "So that's your real strength, huh?"
He dashed forward again, sword flashing with new intensity. Flester raised his hand, and a blade of pure energy formed instantly—Materialization magic. The two swords met in a violent clash that sent shockwaves rippling through the ground.
Blazion roared, unleashing a beam of concentrated flame. Raizen leapt backward, barely avoiding the blast.
Flester's breathing quickened. His mana was draining fast, but he couldn't stop now. Six glowing circles appeared behind him, spinning like fiery halos.
"Let's see you dodge this."
Arrows of flame shot from the circles in a rapid barrage. Raizen tried to evade, but several found their mark, exploding across his armor. Smoke filled the battlefield once again.
Kai's voice carried through the haze. "Spirit Arts. Flame Portal. Materialization… Three advanced techniques used in harmony. You're beyond what we expected, Flester."
The smoke cleared. Raizen stood, surrounded by blue lightning that pulsed like a living storm. His eyes burned brighter than before.
"Blue Lightning," Flester muttered, his tone grim. "The second stage…"
Raizen smirked. "Let's end this."
He vanished, reappearing inches from Flester's face, fist raised—only for Blazion's massive paw to slam down, shaking the ground. Raizen dodged again, moving like a streak of blue light.
He gathered his power into a single hand. The lightning condensed into a sphere, pure and humming with violent energy. The very air screamed as he threw it.
Flester raised his arm, shouting, "Blazion!"
The dragon inhaled deeply, then released a roaring beam of flame. The two attacks collided midair, light swallowing everything in sight. The explosion tore through the forest—trees uprooted, rocks shattered, earth scorched.
Flester shielded his eyes, feeling the heat and force even through his barrier.
When the smoke cleared, both warriors stood panting, their auras flickering, their energy nearly gone.
Raizen's armor sparked, blue lightning fading. "You… you're not what I expected."
Flester smiled faintly, blood running down his chin. "Neither are you."
Kai stepped forward, the wind blowing through his cloak. "Enough. This battle proves what we needed to know."
Raizen lowered his sword. "Tch… fine." He turned to Flester, eyes glinting. "But next time, I won't hold back."
Flester didn't respond—he was already falling, exhaustion overtaking him. Blazion caught him gently with one claw before fading back into embers, the portal closing behind them.
The forest, once alive with light and chaos, fell silent again.
Only smoke, scorched earth, and the faint glow of lingering flames remained.
"It's not done yet…"
Flester forced his body upright, legs trembling like they might give at any moment. His breath came ragged, but his gaze—locked on Raizen—never wavered. Even with his body begging him to rest, his spirit refused.
The air shimmered around him. The once-orange flame surrounding his body shifted—deepening to a radiant, bluish hue that burned hotter and purer than before. The temperature spiked; the earth beneath him began to crack.
"I won't lose to the likes of you," he growled, the determination in his voice drowning out the fatigue.
Raizen smirked faintly as blue lightning flared again across his body. "Good. Then come prove it."
Both moved at once. Flester jumped down from Blazion's side, a sword of blue fire forming in his hand.
"Light Step," he whispered.
In an instant, his form blurred—gone.
He reappeared behind Raizen, eyes glowing, and released a beam of pure blue flame that struck Raizen in the chest. The lightning warrior staggered back, only to take another direct blast from Blazion that sent him crashing into the scorched ground.
Flester straightened, gripping his chest from the immense strain. His body screamed in agony, yet his mind remained calm.
Light Step… I still don't fully understand how it works, he thought, but if I can move faster than my opponent can even perceive—then I can win. Even if it breaks me.
He exhaled and charged again. Raizen recovered just in time to block, their swords clashing in a storm of sparks and pressure. Blue lightning met blue flame; the shockwave tore through the battlefield.
They both leapt back, panting—then Flester vanished once more.
Raizen's eyes widened—too late. The sword pierced through his shoulder, shattering what was left of his armor. He fell to his knees, coughing blood onto the blackened ground.
Kai and Blazion watched from afar—silent spectators to the battle's climax.
"His speed… it's unreal," Kai thought, his cloak billowing in the heat. "Even my eyes struggle to keep up. That technique—still unrefined, yet already transcending human limits."
Flester landed nearby, shaking from exhaustion. Raizen rose once more, lightning crawling around him in desperate bursts.
Blazion reared its head and fired a massive ball of flame, roaring like a god of destruction. Raizen reacted instantly—summoning a lightning barrier around himself and firing volleys of crackling arrows to intercept the attack. The collision lit the entire clearing in white-blue light.
"This next one's for you, Raizen!" Flester shouted.
Behind him, a series of flame portals burst open, encircling the field. Chains of molten fire shot out, stretching from portal to portal—mirroring the lightning mirrors Raizen had used before.
Raizen's eyes narrowed. "So you learned from me…!"
Chains lashed out, whipping through the air. Raizen dodged with impossible agility, slicing through several with his sword. The remaining ones twisted around, following him relentlessly.
"You know what to do, Blazion," Flester muttered.
The dragon let out a thunderous roar. Flames surged through the chains as Flester vanished once again—Light Step activating for a final time.
Pain ripped through every nerve. His body screamed as the technique's toll consumed him—but he didn't stop.
He appeared right in front of Raizen, mere inches away. Raizen's eyes widened as Flester thrust his burning hand forward, stabbing him directly in the chest.
"Materialization," Flester whispered.
Blue chains erupted from his arm, linking to the fiery portals and ensnaring Raizen completely. Energy surged through the bindings, draining the lightning warrior's strength. The chains lifted him high into the air—level with Blazion's gaping maw.
"Blazion—now!"
The dragon unleashed a concentrated beam of flame, piercing straight through Raizen's chest. The impact shook the ground. The chains vanished into glowing embers, and Raizen's limp body fell, hitting the dirt with a heavy thud.
Flester stumbled backward, clutching his ribs, his sword dissolving into blue sparks. "That… was a good battle," he breathed out, voice barely audible.
The flames began to die down. For a fleeting moment, silence returned.
Then—
"Was it?"
The voice came from behind him—deep, calm, and impossibly powerful.
Flester froze. He knew that tone.
Kai stepped forward from the smoke, his eyes glowing with dark energy. The mere pressure of his aura made the ground tremble.
"Impressive, Flester," Kai said, his tone cold but almost respectful. "You managed to defeat Raizen… and even awakened the core of your dragon spirit."
Flester turned, barely able to stand. "If you're here for a fight… you'll get one."
Kai chuckled. "You misunderstand. I'm not here to fight you." He raised his hand—and the air rippled. Raizen's body twitched as faint lightning began to pulse through him again. "I'm here to remind you… what true power looks like."
Raizen's eyes snapped open, lightning sparking violently. His aura—now mixed with Kai's—burned brighter, wilder, deadlier.
Flester's eyes widened. "No… it can't be—"
"Let's see how you fare," Kai said softly, "against Raizen… reborn."
Blue lightning erupted across the battlefield once more—stronger than ever.
The fight wasn't over.It had only just begun.