The sky burned with streaks of red and violet, clouds twisted by the residual energy of the last collision. Kael hovered, Ashrend glowing like molten fire, each pulse of his aura resonating with the Brand's wrath. Below him, the battlefield was a cratered wasteland, smoke and shattered stone swirling in the wind. Veilspawn writhed and twisted in the residual dark energy, but the companions kept them at bay with unyielding precision.
Kaelen's eyes burned with a mixture of calculation and awe. "You are the one I sought… the Brand reborn… stronger than I imagined." His staff hummed, drawing on the rift above, shadows lancing outward, seeking to ensnare Kael in tendrils of pure void.
Kael's grip on Ashrend tightened. Flames crackled along the blade as he invoked Crimson Wrath, a surge of energy that spiraled outward, cutting through shadow tendrils before they could reach him. Every motion was fluid, precise—a dance of fire and death that pushed Kaelen back a fraction.
"Do you understand?" Kaelen said, voice echoing through the storm. "You bear the legacy of the Crimson Sovereigns. Every strike, every pulse of that power… is a reckoning."
Kael's eyes glowed. "I don't care about legacies. I care about the living." With that, he leapt forward, descending upon Kaelen with Infernal Sovereign Cleave, a downward slash that ignited the air, turning the rift's shadows into evaporating smoke. The impact shook the ground below, sending debris scattering in all directions.
Kaelen countered, thrusting his staff in a sweeping arc that unleashed a torrent of shadow fire. Yet Kael's momentum carried him forward, flames and red lightning converging along Ashrend's edge. With a pivot and a backward somersault, he sliced through the oncoming energy, the blade singing with Crimson Riftstrike, cleaving a gash into the rift itself.
Below, Lyra, Darric, and Isryn pressed forward, cutting down residual Veilspawn that surged through the cracks. Darric's shield clanged against a mass of shadow creatures, Lyra's arrows sang as they pierced dark flesh, and Isryn's wards shimmered, keeping the area around Kael clear for his final strike.
Kaelen floated higher, summoning a vortex of darkness that threatened to consume the entire battlefield. Kael's aura flared in response, and the Brand pulsed violently against his chest. The energy of the Sovereigns surged through him, igniting Ashrend in a torrent of fire and lightning. He knew this would be the final strike.
"Crimson Sovereign Convergence!" Kael roared, channeling every ounce of the Brand's power, fusing it with his own aura and the blade's flame. Ashrend's light cut through the void, a spear of pure energy aimed at the heart of Kaelen's rift.
The impact was cataclysmic. Shadows shrieked and shattered, the rift tearing apart as Kaelen was thrown back, his staff splitting under the force. Flames and red lightning tore across the sky, the energy radiating outward in waves, melting stone and evaporating the Veilspawn still lingering on the ground.
Kael landed, breathing heavily, Ashrend still glowing with the Brand's fury. He stared at Kaelen, who struggled to rise, eyes wide with recognition and a spark of respect.
"You… have surpassed… all expectations," Kaelen said, voice faint yet carrying a weight of history. "The Brand… truly awakened…"
Kael didn't reply. His gaze swept over his companions, ensuring they were safe, then back to Kaelen. "It ends here," he said simply. With a final thrust of Ashrend, he executed Crimson Severance Ascendant, a strike that cleaved through the remnants of the rift and shattered Kaelen's dark constructs.
Kaelen's form dissipated into the shadows, leaving a lingering echo of power, a promise that he would rise again—but for now, the battlefield was theirs.
The companions gathered around Kael, exhausted but alive. Lyra placed a hand on his shoulder. "That… was incredible. I've never seen anything like it."
Darric nodded, sheathing his warblade. "You didn't just fight him… you obliterated everything he threw at us."
Isryn's gaze lingered on Kael, her voice soft but firm. "The Brand… it chooses its wielder carefully. You've proven worthy."
Kael exhaled, feeling the Brand's pulse slow, its fury contained—for now. "We're not done yet," he said quietly. "This was only one battle. There's more coming… but we survived today."
The sun began to pierce through the smoke, casting a pale light over the scarred battlefield. The Brand's fire dimmed slightly, but its mark remained on Kael's chest, a reminder of what he had become and what he still must master.