Chapter 47: Breaking the Chains
The air trembled with every clash, each strike sharper, heavier than the last. Fire and shadow collided again and again, painting the battlefield in chaos. The ground beneath them was no longer earth—it was a cratered wasteland, carved by their fury.
Kael pressed forward, his blade a torrent of black fire. Every swing split the night like thunder, each strike enough to crush stone and bone alike. Yet Le Wai endured. His body screamed in protest, but the ember roared louder, guiding his arms, steadying his steps.
Golden sparks burst from his sword, dancing with every parry. His flame was no longer a flicker of survival—it had become defiance itself.
Kael's teeth bared, spittle and blood flying as his rage consumed him.
"You cannot surpass me! You are nothing but a dying ember!"
Le Wai staggered back, knees nearly buckling. But before Kael's blade could descend, his own flame surged upward, forcing him upright. His voice rang out, firm, unyielding:
"Then let this ember show you how bright a flame can burn."
He lunged forward. Their blades met, and the ground beneath them split apart with a deafening crack. Shockwaves rolled outward, hurling debris into the sky.
For the first time, Kael's stance broke. He slid backward, boots gouging deep furrows into the earth, his arm trembling under the force.
The mastermind's voice echoed once more across the battlefield, sharper, unsettled.
"This is… impossible. That ember was a fragment, a cage! It should never have awakened like this!"
Le Wai's flames blazed higher, golden fire licking at the heavens, burning away even the lingering shadows. His heart pounded, his chest seared, and yet—he felt it. Chains snapping. Something greater awakening within the ember, no longer bound, no longer silent.
Kael's eyes widened, for the first time breaking with doubt.
And Le Wai stepped forward, his fire howling like a beast freed from its prison.