Chapter 54: Fire and Abyss – Eris vs. The Fallen
When the news ran through the Citadel, the atmosphere changed. The Fallen—with his distorted Qi, his calm walk, and that lightning-bolt scar on his throat—did not wait for his turn. He simply stopped in the center of the coliseum and, with a voice older than fear, pronounced:
"I demand my right to fight for the sequence. I want Eris Morningstar. Only that which can challenge the darkness burns."
The coliseum vibrated. Eris descended the steps, her gaze burning and her red hair glowing like embers. She needed no words; they both knew the fate of outcasts is decided in battle.
Samael, from the box, nodded. The gong resonated.
I. The Ignition
Eris was the first to move. An explosion of crimson fire burst from her hands. "Ruin Dance: Ascending Flame!" The heat bent the air, ripping sparks from the sand. The Fallen retreated, his shadow expanding and devouring the light. "Abyssal Veil Technique!" A black miasma surged from his palm, absorbing the fire. Every time Eris's ruin touched the veil, part of her flame disappeared, engulfed by the abyss. But Eris did not retreat. "Second Movement: Burst of the Igneous Crown!" Columns of fire surrounded The Fallen, forcing him to jump out of the circle. For a brief instant, the audience saw The Fallen's right arm covered in black scales and red runes: the lineage of an ancient demon.
II. Clash of Lineages
The Fallen attacked, the shadow twisting like a serpent. "Claw of the Demonic Void!" His fingernails elongated, cutting the air and leaving a trail of corruption behind. Eris dodged, but the mere graze caused part of the sand to be consumed into gray dust. Eris spun, invoking a wave of fire: "Ruin Flame: Judgment of the Fallen Phoenix!" A bird of black and gold fire burst from her chest, colliding head-on against The Fallen's miasma. The explosion was so brutal that the nearest spectators felt the Qi burn their skin and freeze their blood at the same time. Both retreated, wounded, but will shone in their pupils. The Fallen smiled, barely. "Is that all the clan has to offer?" Eris spat blood, the fire burning even more intense. "You haven't seen my destruction yet."
III. The Limit
This time, The Fallen attacked without reserve. "Lineage Awakening: Herald of the Abyss!" Dark wings sprouted from his back, and his Qi became a cloud absorbing light and heat. The ground cracked beneath his feet, and reality itself seemed to wobble. Eris, feeling the pressure rise, burned her own Qi with a smile. "Lineage Awakening: Flame of Pure Annihilation!" The flames turned black with golden edges, burning so intensely that The Fallen's shadow began to lose consistency. Both jumped, colliding in the air. The Fallen launched a claw straight at Eris's heart. Eris responded with a fist wrapped in the Ruin Flame, clashing directly. The explosion was such that the sand filled with craters, and a wave of energy swept half the field. Both fell to their feet, sweaty, panting, with open wounds and auras fluctuating dangerously.
IV. The Climax
Without giving time to breathe, Eris propelled herself: "Final Ruin: Lotus of Extinction!" A flower of fire emerged under The Fallen's feet, closing over him like a scorching prison. But The Fallen laughed. "Eternal Abyss: Scream of Oblivion!" A black roar emerged from his throat, a wave of Qi that shattered the flower and threw Eris through the air. But Eris spun in mid-flight, channeling all her strength into one last slash: "Slash of True Destruction!" The Qi edge split The Fallen's miasma, cutting the wings and grazing the demonic flesh. The Fallen bled for the first time, his shadow trembling, but he stood his ground. Both, exhausted, approached dragging their feet. In the center of the arena, they threw the final blow: Eris's fist, wrapped in fire, against The Fallen's dark palm. The final explosion threw both toward the ends of the circle.
V. The Verdict
The world went silent. Eris tried to stand but could barely get to her knees. The Fallen, panting, stumbled, holding his side. Samael descended, evaluating the battlefield. Both contenders raised their gaze, respect and hatred shining in their eyes. "Draw!" declared Samael. "Both have shown that the Morningstar clan fears neither darkness nor fire, but blesses those who dare to cross the limit." The healers ran in. The crowd exploded in applause and shouts. Eris and The Fallen, still defeated, looked at each other with fierce respect. "Next time," promised Eris, spitting an ember, "only one will remain standing." The Fallen smiled, satisfied. "Then it will be a true legend."
Thus ends a chapter of pure action and glory, where fire and abyss showed that in the Morningstar clan, the only defeat is not daring to burn.