A wall of flame rushed forward. Kael's palm thrust outward, heat crashing down.
Ash's feet skidded right, barely touching the ground before pushing off again. The fire missed him by inches.
Kael came next.
Flames wrapped around him like armor. He charged, swinging in a wide arc.
Ash ducked low, twisting past the blow. Electricity burst from beneath his soles, boosting his speed. The air shook around him as he lunged forward. His blade struck Kael's arm.
Heat exploded.
Kael grit his teeth. Flames gathered at his hands, shaping into spheres.
Ash didn't stop. His nerves lit up with sparks. Every step brought him closer.
'Here goes.'
He threw his blade.
The weapon spun, a sharp streak aimed straight for Kael's left arm.
Kael didn't flinch. He let it pass, a grin tugging at his lips.
"Really? You think I'll fall for that again?"
Ash didn't answer. Sparks flickered in his eyes.
'It's not like I expected this fool to notice.'
"No, That's why I planned something better."
His body tensed. Power buzzed just under the surface. [Storm Vein] sharpened everything—Kael's breathing, the tremble of fire on his skin, even the way his stance shifted.
Ash moved again.
[Static Surge] kicked in. His steps lightened. Speed built fast. He circled Kael, staying low, feet silent on the metal floor. Light from the fire cast long shadows, hiding the thin rope trailing behind him.
Kael followed him with his eyes, fire steady in his palms. He didn't move.
Ash weaved past a burnt table, pacing tighter. The rope slithered behind him, wrapping through the wreckage like a snake, waiting.
Kael didn't blink.
He thought he understood.
Then Ash cut left. Swerved right.
The rope snapped.
Kael's arms jerked to his sides. The bindings wrapped fast, digging into skin, yanking tight. His stance broke. One foot slid. Flame flared up in panic—but the rope held.
His fingers twitched.
Too late.
The fire broke. The heat lost shape.
Kael's breath caught. His eyes dropped.
The rope gleamed in the firelight—tight, unmoving.
"What the hell—"
Ash stood now, still and sure. Sparks danced between his fingers. His blade stayed planted in the ground. A smirk tugged at his face.
"Gotcha."
Kael tugged once. Then again. Muscles tensed, fire coiling higher. Nothing gave way.
"You're quick," he said, rolling his shoulder, eyes narrowing.
"But still predictable."
Ash didn't move. Arms crossed.
"Let's see you break out, then."
Kael's grin sharpened.
"If you think this'll hold me, you're not thinking big enough."
He raised his arms.
Flames roared. The ropes didn't burn. Fire slid over them, slipping off like oil on glass.
Kael's fingers twitched. He focused. Still nothing.
A quiet chuckle slipped from his throat. Rough and Dry.
"Huh."
Ash shifted slightly. One foot tapped the floor, just beside the rope's anchor point.
"That rope's the same stuff as our uniforms. Fire doesn't work on it."
Kael stared down at the binding. Silent. His grin widened slowly.
Ash frowned.
'Wait… why's he smiling?'
"Heh. Well, this won't do," Kael said, his arms relaxing though flame still curled at his fingertips.
"You did well. Haven't met many people who could plan this far ahead…" His voice dipped, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Except Max."
The ground split with a deep crack beneath Kael's boots.
His shoulders stretched wider. Muscle piled on muscle, thick cords rising under his skin like coiled wire. His neck strained. His back curved as heat rippled from him in waves.
Ash stared. Kael's eyes glowed—bright red, alive with something that wasn't fully human.
Kael's hands twitched. Nails stretched out, sharp and curved, glinting in the firelight. The space around him shimmered, the heat bending it like glass.
Ash didn't move, didn't breathe.
'What the hell… I thought he wasn't supposed to use that. When did he learn to control it?'
"I thought you couldn't control that."
The rope around Kael's arms pulled tight, fibers digging in. But his body kept growing.
The rope didn't last.
With a loud snap, it tore apart. Threads flew loose, falling like ash as Kael stood tall again—taller, broader, something else entirely. Power bled off him in thick waves. Heat flooded the room.
Ash's fingers curled in reflex.
'Damn it.'
Kael exhaled, long and slow. His body shrank back, muscles easing. But the fire in his eyes stayed.
His chest rose once, twice.
"Yeah," he said, his voice lower, rougher.
His fingers moved, claw tips pulling back into skin.
"I got kicked out of the academy because of it."
His laugh came short, cracked like dry wood.
"But the good thing is… I had to train with Dad instead."
He rolled his neck. The fire didn't leave his arms—it just waited there, just like him.
"He taught me a lot—especially how to stop losing control."
Ash watched in silence.
Kael's cocky smirks, his trash talk—those were just noise. This? This was what he'd been hiding.
Real power.
Ash's eyes flicked to the floor. His blade sat behind Kael, too far for comfort.
'Stupid. I let it get that far behind.'
The same familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"[Vein Energy 75%]"
'Shut up. Not now.'
Ash moved.
His body leaned forward, legs pushing off hard. Wind pulled at his coat as he flew past Kael, inches from the fire.
Kael turned, but Ash was already down low. His hand snapped out, closing around the hilt. A twist. A pivot.
Steel flashed upward.
Kael's fists caught fire. He swung.
Blade met flame. The hit cracked through the room, pushing back the heat for just a second. Sparks jumped off the edge of Ash's blade. Their arms trembled with the force.
Then they broke apart. Feet slammed the floor, both landing wide apart.
Ash shifted his grip. The blade vibrated in his hand, still shaking from the clash.
Kael bounced his shoulders once. Flames licked his arms, ready.
They didn't speak.
They didn't need to.
Both moved again.
Then, right before they could strike—
A voice cut in, rough and bored, crackling from the speaker above them.
"As much as I enjoy watching you guys beat each other up, I'm ending it here. We just got a call from Dad."
Silence.
Ash froze mid-step.
Kael's fire sputtered out. His hands dropped.
Just like that, the weight in the room vanished.