Kull had been sealed by Odin for thousands of years. He had no way of knowing that Agamotto no longer stood at the head of Kamar-Taj.
That ignorance was useful.
The moment Rowan invoked Agamotto's name, hesitation crept in. When he followed it with the Ancient One, the doubt deepened. Kull might not recognize her name, but after witnessing Rowan's power, it was impossible not to wonder what kind of monster his so-called teacher might be. Add Agamotto to that equation, and even victory would mean facing two Sorcerer Supremes, past and present.
Uncertainty took root.
And uncertainty weakened him.
"Trying to capture me?" Kull snarled. "Then let me see if you're worthy!"
He leapt skyward, both hands gripping his axe, and brought it down in a brutal overhead strike meant to cleave Rowan in half.
Rowan didn't dodge.
His body surged with magic, expanding instantly as he invoked a giant's form. He caught the descending axe between his palms with a thunderous crash, stopping a weapon that had slaughtered Frost Giants moments earlier.
Under normal circumstances, Rowan would never fight like this. He preferred distance, control, careful testing. But this battle wasn't just being fought on the ground. It was being watched by the entire world.
Fear had to be crushed head-on.
"Woodfire Dragon Form. Dragon's Roar."
With the axe locked in place, Rowan inhaled and unleashed a torrent of emerald-gold flame straight into Kull's chest. Wood fed fire, and fire fed fury. The blast was far beyond anything a normal spell could produce.
Even Kull was forced to release the axe, divine power flaring as he fell back to defend himself.
Rowan didn't let up.
"Dragon-Slaying Art. Thunderfire Woodbreak Barrage."
Scales rippled across his skin as draconic power surged through his body. Green and crimson energy wrapped around his fists, lightning crackling through each strike as Rowan descended in a relentless storm of blows.
Punch after punch after punch.
Kull tried to counter, but the rhythm never stopped. His casting was disrupted again and again, forcing him into pure defense.
This wasn't supposed to be possible.
A single sorcerer, even from Kamar-Taj, should not be able to push him this far.
And yet he was.
The thought crept in unbidden. If Rowan was this strong… then the Ancient One must be worse. And Agamotto…
The doubt spread like poison.
Across the world, viewers stared in awe. Fear gave way to disbelief. Then to hope.
Kull felt it immediately.
His strength was bleeding away.
"No," he growled. "This cannot continue!"
With a roar, his body swelled violently, divine power erupting outward and hurling Rowan back. His form twisted and expanded, scales tearing through flesh as he transformed.
A colossal serpent rose from the battlefield, stretching for kilometers across the sky.
The true shape of the God of Fear.
Jörmungandr.
Gasps echoed across the ruined city.
Moments ago, Rowan's giant form had seemed immense. Now it looked insignificant beside the serpent that blotted out the sky.
"Is that… even something that can be defeated?" someone whispered.
Fear surged again.
Rowan exhaled slowly.
"You think you're the only one who can change?"
He let the giant form collapse and whispered a single word.
"Animagus."
His body expanded, bones reshaping as wings tore free. In seconds, a massive dragon coiled where Rowan had stood, five hundred meters long, scales gleaming with arcane light.
The crowd barely had time to react.
Another magic array flashed.
The dragon grew.
Five hundred meters became five thousand.
A dragon larger than the serpent now hovered over the battlefield, wings blotting out the sun.
Hope surged back like a tidal wave.
Serpents were monsters.
Dragons were legends.
"You're not human," Kull hissed, lunging forward with venomous fangs.
Rowan didn't meet him head-on. Size didn't guarantee victory, and those fangs radiated something far worse than poison.
Instead, he rose higher into the sky.
"Grand Spell. Fairy Law."
A vast magic circle ignited above the city. Light crashed down, focused solely on Kull.
The serpent roared as divine power flared to withstand it.
Before he could counter, another circle formed.
"Grand Spell. Fairy Law."
Then another.
And another.
Rowan's chanting never stopped as spell after spell rained down, each strike draining more strength, more certainty, more fear from the battlefield.
High above, the dragon circled calmly.
This was not a duel.
It was a dismantling.
...
Read up to 100 chapters ahead and access exclusive novels by joining my Patreon!
patreon.com/Zyxxar