Capítulo 56: Steel vs. Thunder
The light of dawn filtered between crimson banners, electrifying the atmosphere of the coliseum. The echoes of embers and shadows still floated, but now the air vibrated with a more cerebral, dangerous expectation: the battle between Cedric and Xylia, two of the most feared strategists of their generation, was about to begin.
Cedric appeared first in the arena, gray and white tunic, silver hair falling over his forehead, his gaze as sharp as the blade at his waist. With every step, runes and invisible matrices lit up beneath his feet, as if the earth itself was breathing with him.
Xylia descended light as lightning, long platinum hair, blue-purple tunic with golden details, stormy eyes. The air around her crackled, small sparks dancing between her fingers.
Both bowed solemnly and sincerely. There was no hatred, only pure rivalry and the desire for self-improvement.
Samael, from the box, raised his hand. The gong boomed.
I. The Unfolding of Strategies
Cedric reacted first, jumping to the left and drawing a triangular rune with his foot. —Seal Formation: Emperor's Shield! Around him rose a translucent, hexagonal, mobile barrier capable of absorbing and redirecting energy.
Xylia smiled, launching a sphere of lightning at the shield. —Celestial Mandate: Piercing Thunder! The lightning struck, but the shield absorbed it, channeling it to Cedric's elbow, who released the energy into the ground with a dissipation rune. —Starting with tricks already? —joked Cedric.
Xylia spun in place, lightning surrounding her legs and arms, and launched herself in a zigzag impossible to follow, each movement accelerating her speed. —Wandering Cloud Art! The audience barely saw electric flashes as Xylia circled Cedric, launching minor discharges to test every weak point of the shield.
II. The First Clash
Cedric drew his sword, a white metal blade with golden runes. —Cutting Technique: The Forger's Lament! The sword left a bright trail in the air, forming runes that stuck to space, slowing Xylia's movement slightly.
She smiled, noticing her mobility had decreased a little. —Not bad, but you're not the only one who prepared the field. Xylia raised both arms and the sky darkened: —Lightning Mandate: Flame of Judgment! A bolt descended from the sky, piercing Cedric's barrier with a deafening explosion. Cedric blocked it head-on, the shield trembling, but holding.
Cedric retreated, his arm numb. —That was just the prelude? —Get ready, Cedric —warned Xylia—. Thunder doesn't ask, it crashes.
III. The Game of Lies and Mentors
Cedric didn't attack head-on. He took out a square seal, threw it to the ground, and it multiplied into hundreds of small metallic cubes that spun and formed a new matrix around Xylia. —Cage Formation: Forger's Seal Prison! The cage walls spun and reconfigured, absorbing and distorting Qi.
Xylia felt the weight, the electric field trying to disperse. —You think lightning can be caged? Xylia closed her eyes, breathed deeply. —Lightning Mandate: Tempest Dragon's Body! Her silhouette became diffuse, marked by sparks and scales of light, and with a roar that shook the coliseum's foundations, she tore through the cage.
Cedric, anticipating the move, activated the second formation: —Emperor's Mirror! An illusory copy, armed with steel and runes, intercepted Xylia's charge. The clash was so brutal the air filled with fragments of light and metallic sounds.
But Xylia didn't stop. Her fist, wrapped in lightning, struck the mirror. —Thunder Dragon's Strike! The mirror fractured, unleashing a pressure wave that sent Cedric flying back, shattering part of his original shield.
IV. Attack and Counterattack
Both were panting. The audience, in rapt silence, watched as the arena filled with broken geometries and lightning scars.
Cedric, bleeding from his lip, wiped the blood with his sleeve. —I won't leave the center of the arena to you so easily, Xylia.
Cedric buried his sword in the ground, activating a triple formation: —Supreme Formation: Temple of Living Metal! From the sand, metallic columns emerged connected by threads of golden Qi, weaving a net that absorbed electricity from the air and turned it into energy lances. —Fire! The lances shot toward Xylia, zigzagging, cutting the air. Xylia spun acrobatically, dodging three, deflecting two more with a thunder whip. —Aurora Mandate: Infinite Lightning Net! With a leap, she created a mesh of lightning over the lances, absorbing part of the energy and returning it as a descending storm.
Cedric raised his shield, but the energy was overwhelming. His formation trembled, the metal pillars vibrating on the verge of collapse.
V. Climax: Heaven and Earth Collide
Both, exhausted, faced each other at the center of the arena.
Cedric played his last card: —Soul of the Supreme Forger! His body covered in golden markings, becoming a living extension of the formation.
Xylia, feeling the pressure, summoned all her remaining Qi: —Imperial Thunder: Judgment of Heaven! The sky lit up, thundering with a column of incandescent blue light. Cedric, in the center, channeled the lightning directly into his formations, turning defense into offense. —Now! Cedric unleashed the accumulated Qi in an explosion of golden lances that rose up and collided with Xylia's descending lightning.
The clash was absolute: The arena filled with cyclones, flashes, sparks, and molten metal fragments. The entire coliseum vibrated, and even the ancient columns groaned under the pressure.
When the light faded, both knelt, breathing hard. The sand around them was a smoking crater, the formations and seals fused with the stone.
VI. The Verdict
Cedric stood first, staggering, eyes fixed on Xylia. —Still there, stubborn lightning? Xylia, with a weak smile, used the last of her thunder to push herself upright. —I won't fall without dragging you with me, stubborn iron.
Both laughed, too tired to raise a weapon again.
Samael descended from the box, admiration clear on his face. —Shared victory. Cedric and Xylia, today you've shown the clan grows not just in strength, but in ingenuity and will.
The audience erupted in ovation, many not knowing whom to cheer for more.
Both embraced, ruined and smiling, at the center of the destruction they had created.
VII. Epilogue: The Echo of Steel and Thunder
As the medics carried them off the field, Cedric and Xylia exchanged a look of complicity. —Next time, no tie, okay? —whispered Xylia. —Only if you let me learn some of your electric tricks —joked Cedric, winking.
Under the Star Tree, two metallic leaves and a blue spark fell together, sealing the memory of a battle that would be told for generations.
And so, the Morningstar Citadel knew that in the alliance of steel and thunder, something more than power was forged: a new generation of legends was born.