The battlefield shook under the weight of anticipation, the air thick with ash and the stench of burned earth. Kael's aura flared violently, Ashrend ablaze with crimson fire streaked by violet cracks where Kaelen's darkness licked at it. Every breath he drew felt like fire, every heartbeat a drumbeat of war.
Kaelen floated above, staff thrumming with dark power. Shadow tendrils slithered around him like vipers, striking at any who dared approach. Yet he didn't lower his guard for Kael's companions. Lyra, Darric, and Isryn held the line, fending off Veilspawn that surged endlessly from rifts Kaelen opened. Every strike they made was precise, but none could touch the duelists above.
Kael's gaze fixed on Kaelen. The energy radiating from the sorcerer was immense—ancient, calculated, yet slightly flawed. This was the first real test of the Brand's power, the first time Kael would measure himself against someone who had shaped the darkness he now wielded.
He darted forward. Ashrend sang as it cut through the tendrils, the air splitting with Crimson Severance, and with a second strike he unleashed Riftfire Spiral, a twisting arc of red energy that tore through shadows and Veilspawn alike. Each strike reverberated, each impact sending tremors across the battlefield.
Kaelen countered smoothly, raising his staff in a circle of glyphs. The ground erupted beneath Kael as black fissures sought to swallow him whole, but Kael pivoted midair, spinning Ashrend in a deadly arc, flames and red lightning dancing across the fissures, melting them before they could close.
"You've grown strong, boy," Kaelen called, his voice echoing like distant thunder. "But strength is nothing without control!"
Kael's eyes blazed. "I have control enough to end you!" He surged forward, striking again with Crimson Judgment, a slash of concentrated Brand energy that struck Kaelen squarely in the shoulder. The sorcerer staggered, his cloak torn by fire, yet his eyes gleamed with exhilaration.
"You've learned quickly," Kaelen said, leaping backward and letting the staff spin in a deadly arc. Dark fire erupted, colliding with the trailing embers of Kael's strikes, creating a storm of light and shadow.
Below, Kael's companions pressed forward, fighting off smaller Veilspawn in waves. Darric's warblade struck with thunderous force, Lyra's arrows rained like silver rain, and Isryn chanted protective wards that shimmered against the dark. "Kael! The left flank!" Lyra shouted, breaking his concentration for a fraction of a second. That was all Kaelen needed to summon shadow spears that lashed out, grazing Kael's armor. Pain flared, but it sharpened his resolve.
Kael clenched his teeth, aura flaring. "Ashrend… Crimson Ascendancy!" Flames roared along the blade, arc and fury fused as he unleashed Blazing Sovereign Slash. The air itself seemed to tear apart, red lightning splitting the horizon as the strike connected with Kaelen's defenses. The sorcerer's eyes widened—not in fear, but in recognition.
"You… bear the mark…" Kaelen whispered, voice heavy with awe. "The one I sought, reborn… the Brand of the Crimson Sovereigns…"
Kael didn't answer with words. He answered with action. Another leap, another arc of Severing Flame, slicing tendrils, Veilspawn, and shadow constructs alike. Kaelen countered, but Kael's strikes were relentless, precise, and utterly devastating. Every attack cut deeper, every movement faster, as though the Brand itself was guiding him.
The battlefield became a maelstrom. Fire clashed with shadow. Lightning arced across the sky. Veilspawn screamed as Kael's fury shredded them. The sorcerer's staff glowed, summoning waves of dark energy, yet each wave was shredded by Ashrend's trail of red light.
Kaelen's expression finally hardened. "Enough… let us end this!"
He thrust the staff downward, opening a massive rift of darkness, a vortex that threatened to swallow everything. Kael leapt, Ashrend flashing, and channeled the last of his energy into Crimson Sovereign Rift, the Brand and his soul-fueled aura converging into a cataclysmic strike.
The two powers collided. The shockwave obliterated the remnants of Veilspawn, rocked the ground, and sent a blinding flare across the horizon. Kaelen was thrown back, staff cracking against the impact, yet he rose slowly, eyes locking with Kael. Neither was willing to yield.
The battle had reached its peak, the first real convergence of Brand and forbidden sorcery. And beneath the wreckage, Kael's companions fought tirelessly, buying him moments, their shouts and efforts blending with the storm above.
Kael steadied himself, breathing hard. He could feel the Brand pulsing, stronger than ever, yet Kaelen was no longer just a sorcerer—he was a test, a force that would push Kael beyond every limit he had known.
"Prepare yourself," Kaelen said calmly, hovering above the cratered ground. "The next strike will decide more than this battle—it will decide your fate."
Kael tightened his grip on Ashrend. Flames danced along its length. The Mark blazed on his chest. He didn't flinch.