The maze was no longer silent.
Every clash between Kael and the masked intruder echoed like thunder, shaking the foundation of the trial grounds. Dust and fragments of shattered stone rained down with every impact. Students could no longer stand close — they clung to the walls, wide-eyed, as two figures collided in a battle far beyond their comprehension.
Kael's fists glowed gold, every strike ringing with the rhythm of his aura farming technique. But the man in black absorbed it all, his Tier Three aura pressing down like a mountain of steel.
And then, the opening came.
The intruder's fist slammed forward, a blur of black lightning.
Kael barely raised his guard before the blow landed square against his stomach.
The impact detonated like a cannon.
"Kael!" Sylara's cry split the chamber as the shockwave tore outward, shattering pillars, ripping through the air. Students screamed as they were thrown back. Even the ground cracked open, a jagged fissure tearing through the maze floor.
Kael's body folded around the strike, blood spewing from his lips as he was blasted across the chamber like a broken arrow. He hit the wall with such force that the entire academy trembled. Dust and rubble rained down.
For a heartbeat, silence fell.
Then a single cough echoed — ragged, pained.
Kael dragged himself from the rubble, his legs trembling, blood dripping from his chin. His chest burned, his stomach felt as though it had been pierced through, and yet — his eyes still blazed.
"I'm… not done…" he growled, his voice hoarse but unyielding.
---
The Debate
"Enough!" Sylara's blade flashed as she turned toward the Academy Master. "Arathor, he'll die! End this now!"
Arathor's expression remained calm, though his eyes never left the battle. His hands were folded behind his back, his aura steady and immovable.
"No," he said softly. "This fight is his crucible. If we intervene now, we will steal from him the very thing that sets him apart."
Sylara's teeth clenched, her fists tightening on her blade. "He is only Tier Four! That monster is Tier Three!"
"And yet he stands," Arathor countered. His gaze sharpened. "Do not underestimate that boy. Give him more. Let him be pressed harder. Only then will he rise."
Sylara's heart twisted — but deep inside, she knew Arathor was right. Kael's spirit was unlike any she had ever seen.
Still, her hand hovered near her weapon, unwilling to stand idle if he truly faltered.
---
Back Into the Storm
The masked man's dark aura swirled like a hurricane, his voice deep and mocking.
"Still standing, boy? I almost respect it. But strength isn't measured by spirit alone."
Kael spat blood and raised his fists again. "No. It's measured… by how many times you can rise after falling."
With a roar, he launched forward once more. His fists blurred, weaving arcs of golden light.
The man countered with shadow blades formed from condensed qi, each swing heavy enough to split stone. Their strikes clashed again and again, the air screaming from the pressure.
Kael ducked beneath one slash, countering with an uppercut that cracked against the man's jaw. For the first time, the masked figure staggered back half a step.
Gasps filled the air.
"He… hit him?"
"Impossible… a Tier Four…"
The intruder's laugh was low, dangerous. "You amuse me, boy."
Then he unleashed a flurry of blows. His fists were a blur, each strike exploding like thunderclaps. Kael blocked two, dodged one, but the fourth slammed across his ribs, the fifth cracked his shoulder, the sixth sent him skidding across the chamber floor.
His body screamed in pain, bones aching, blood dripping freely now. Every breath was fire.
But he stood. Again.
His aura flared, brighter, hotter.
---
Burning the Flame
Inside his dantian, Kael felt his qi spiraling wildly. His reserves were burning too fast — far faster than his cultivation allowed. His body trembled, the edges of his vision darkening.
I can't… keep this up…
But the box pulsed again in the intruder's hand, and his origin roared in answer. Something deep inside him refused to let go.
"I won't stop… not until I claim it!" Kael's roar shook the chamber.
And then — he did it.
He tore open the gates of his own qi.
Instead of drawing from his reserves alone, he began to burn his very life force, converting it into raw power. Golden flames burst from his body, his aura surging to a level that rivaled even Tier Three.
Students cried out in shock. Elders outside the maze stiffened, feeling the sudden eruption of power.
Sylara's eyes went wide. "No… he's burning himself…"
Arathor's gaze narrowed, but he did not intervene. "He has chosen. Let us see how far this flame carries him."
---
The Struggle
Kael launched forward again, fists ablaze with golden fire. Each strike now carried a desperate, wild strength, his aura-farming technique ripping power from every clash.
The intruder's eyes gleamed behind the mask. "So you are willing to burn yourself alive. Very well… show me the depth of your madness!"
Their blows collided, shaking the maze with each impact. Golden fire and black shadow warred across the chamber, tearing stone apart.
Kael's fists cracked against the man's chest, his jaw, his ribs. Each strike drew a grunt, a stagger, but the man still stood, his own counterstrikes smashing into Kael's body like hammers.
Blood spilled freely down Kael's face, his arms trembled with exhaustion, but he refused to stop.
Every time he fell, he dragged himself up. Every time the man knocked him down, his aura burned hotter.
The students could only watch in awe and terror as the fight raged beyond their comprehension.
The masked man finally slammed Kael back into the wall with a devastating kick, leaving him gasping, bloodied, barely conscious.
But even there, with bones screaming and vision dimming — Kael's fists clenched again. His flames flickered, weak but unyielding.
He staggered forward, step by step.
"I… will not… fall."
The intruder tilted his head, watching the boy who refused to break. "Good. Show me more."
And so the battle raged on, Kael's body burning dangerously close to collapse, but his will blazing brighter than ever.
The fight was far from over.