The battlefield was chaos incarnate. Scarlet mist from shattered blood seals drifted across the scorched earth, and the moon above burned crimson, signaling the arrival of the Blood Eclipse—a phenomenon whispered about only in the oldest grimoires. Under its light, blood magic surged, becoming a force far more unpredictable and dangerous.
Altharion stood at the center, his obsidian armor cracked but still emanating an oppressive aura. His shadow-wreathed blade pulsed with both Qi and the stolen vitality of his enemies, each swing leaving an afterimage of darkness that lingered unnaturally long. Around him, foes collapsed one by one, drained of strength before their bodies even touched the ground.
Quinn, catching sight of the phenomenon, felt a surge of unease. "The Eclipse is amplifying him," he muttered, his breath misting in the blood-soaked air. "If we don't end this now, he'll become unstoppable."
Shadow tendrils burst from Altharion's back, lashing out like whips. Each one sliced through barriers and armor as though they were paper, leaving deep black scorch marks that bled crimson light. The ground beneath him split open, as if rejecting the unnatural presence of his power.
"Too late for heroics," Altharion's voice boomed, layered with an unearthly echo. "You've already lost."
But Quinn didn't retreat. He surged forward, calling upon his own arsenal—blood magic fused with the precision of shadow control. With a snap of his fingers, spears of condensed blood Qi materialized in midair, circling him before launching toward Altharion in a storm of crimson projectiles.
The enemy's shadows rose like a living wall, devouring the blood spears before they could touch him. But Quinn had anticipated this. The moment the shadows closed, he was already there—slipping through them like smoke, his own shadow magic cloaking his movement.
Their blades met with an explosion of force that sent shockwaves across the battlefield. Qi, shadow, and blood mixed into a deadly storm, forcing even the strongest warriors nearby to retreat. Sparks of crimson and black danced in the air, burning the lungs of anyone foolish enough to breathe them in.
Altharion grinned through the clash. "You've improved… but you're still nothing compared to me."
"Then I'll just have to surpass you in the next heartbeat," Quinn shot back, his eyes glowing with a dangerous resolve.
With a roar, Quinn unleashed his forbidden technique—Blood Eclipse Reversal. His own life force burned as fuel, amplifying every drop of Qi until his aura blazed like a living inferno. Blood chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around Altharion's limbs and constricting with the force of a collapsing mountain.
Altharion snarled, shadows thrashing violently, but the chains tightened, siphoning away his enhanced strength. For the first time, his movements slowed.
Seizing the opportunity, Quinn's shadow merged with the blood chains, creating a hybrid construct that tore into Altharion's armor, exposing the pulsating veins of Qi beneath. One decisive strike could end it.
But Altharion was no ordinary foe. With a roar that split the clouds, he unleashed his own Eclipse Breaker, shattering the chains in a burst of raw, void-infused Qi. The backlash sent Quinn flying, his ribs cracking from the force.
"You can't stop the inevitable," Altharion said, stepping forward. His aura had shifted—less chaotic, more focused, as though he'd finally decided to stop holding back.
Quinn coughed blood but pushed himself up, his eyes never leaving his opponent. "Maybe not… but I can delay it long enough to make sure you bleed for every step."
As they clashed again, the Blood Eclipse reached its zenith. The battlefield was no longer just a fight—it was a vortex of power where shadow and blood waged war, and only one would emerge standing.
And in that suffocating crimson light, both warriors knew the truth: the next few moments would decide not just their fate, but the fate of everything the Blood Eclipse touched.