"Avion, go ahead and don't look back. I'll meet you in ten minutes."
"Huh? Why? Is something wrong?"
"Just go." Avion walked on, not once glancing back.
What just happened? I could hide and watch, but I knew he would notice me. I couldn't risk getting in trouble.
"I know you're there. Come out." Grey drew his sword and flung it into the sky. The blade froze mid-air.
"That was quite a throw." A figure appeared from thin air, one finger pressing against the tip of Grey's sword. The blade shot back toward him.
"Identify yourself. Speak your name and explain why you were spying on us. Don't fool yourself into thinking you can hide."
"Greetings. I am Ion Grem, of the Silent Accord. I wish to ask you a few questions."
"Speak, if you must. I, Greysen Sudworthe, grant you permission. Keep your questions brief."
"Then, can you tell me about the disaster that occurred in the Kingdom of Vermok?"
So he's after Avion. He told me about what happened in Vermok. I can't reveal his name; Lord Deon has entrusted his fate to him, so I must protect him at all costs.
"One last question," Ion said, voice low, "why is a child roaming the forest with a dullahan? If you answer that you don't know, or claim to have no idea what I mean, I will kill him."
"Bold of you to threaten me. Let us settle this in a duel. The victor may demand answers from the vanquished."
"I accept." Both of them drew their swords.
Grey raised his blade toward the sky. "Phantom Bloom: Bloom of Eternal Night."
Day turned to night in an instant. The trees blackened and withered. The moon hung in the sky, bathed in sickly purple light. Gravestones pushed from the earth, and ten candles with blue flames flickered before Grey.
"What is all this?" Ion's eyes widened in mock amazement.
"I am an immortal, a being beyond death itself, which may make this battle unequal. To grant you a fair chance, I have summoned these candles, each ablaze with a blue flame. Should you succeed in striking me down as many times as there are candles, my soul shall be yours, and every question you bear shall be answered."
Grey signaled his horse; the air thickened with the promise of the coming fight.
"I am very grateful for your kindness. My senses tell me you may be the strongest person I have ever dueled."
Ion slammed his sword into the ground, and a glowing rune appeared on his forehead.
"Eternal Void: Fist of Oblivion." His hands burned with red and black energy.
Is he really going to fight bare-handed against a sword? It doesn't matter. The winner was decided the moment he accepted this duel. They charged at each other.
As Grey attacked with his sword, Ion parried every strike with his fists. After exchanging several blows, Ion landed a powerful punch on Grey. Grey couldn't defend himself, and one of the candles went out.
As Ion prepared another critical strike, Grey swung his sword toward Ion's neck. Ion struck the blade aside, but his hand passed through empty air, an illusion. The real sword flashed from another angle, severing his right hand in one clean strike.
"What was that? Never mind. Eternal Void: Soul Rebirth."
Ion's hand regenerated and his body healed completely.
"Looks like I need to get serious too. Phantom Bloom: Hellfire."
Grey's horse's eyes turned black, and a dark liquid dripped from its mouth.
What just happened to his horse? I'll need to be careful.
Grey charged at Ion, attempting the same illusion attack as before. This time, Ion noticed the pattern, dodged the sword, and landed a critical hit on Grey. Another candle went out.
"Now eight more to go. Why are you wasting your time? We both know you can't win this duel."
Grey ignored his words and charged again. As Grey attacked, Ion grabbed his sword with one hand, ready to strike. But Grey drew a dagger and sliced through Ion's leg. It fell to the ground.
Grey's horse breathed hellfire, black flames scorching Ion's wound. He tried to regenerate, but it wouldn't heal.
As Ion fell to the ground on one leg, a skeletal hand erupted from the earth and grabbed him. More skeletons rose, holding him tightly in place.
"Now I understand what Phantom Bloom: Bloom of Eternal Night is. It's like a domain, giving you special powers you can use without even naming them. But let me tell you, you're not the only one who can do something like that."
"Eternal Void: True End."
The skeletons holding Ion turned to ash. Hundreds of swords appeared, surging toward Grey. Ion's attack worked only partially, as Grey's Eternal Night was still active.
Grey couldn't defend against all the swords and was struck repeatedly. All eight remaining candles went out. Grey collapsed to the ground.
"Do you remember when I called you the strongest opponent I may have ever dueled with? That was no lie, but… I am the strongest one here! Now that you are defeated, answer my questions. What happened in Vermok?"
Grey slowly stood and laughed. "Defeated? Strongest? Ha ha ha… Did I ever tell you how many candles you would need to extinguish? And if you think that was all I have, then you might be the most mistaken person in history. Now, look to the sky."
"Huh? Are you making a fool of me? This isn't possible! You tricked me, bastard! How could I not have noticed if there were this many candles?" Ion's eyes widened as he saw millions of blue-flamed candles covering the entire sky.
"That is your mistake. You failed to notice them. The moonlight and the surrounding area remained untouched by their shadows because the candles never stayed still. They shifted and repositioned themselves throughout the duel." Grey laughed, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
"Millions? Ha. Then I suppose we'll see whose endurance lasts longer." Ion's leg regenerated as the hellfire effect vanished.
"Eternal Void: True End."
"Phantom Bloom: Abyssal Rift." Grey leapt into the air, slashing to open a crack in the sky.
All the candles vanished. The sky filled with Celestials wielding divine swords, summoned by Ion, while the crack Grey created spread darkness across the heavens. Both Ion and Grey hovered in the sky. Ion commanded the Celestials to attack, and Grey stood his ground as they surged toward him.
As the Celestials closed in on the crack in the sky, they were suddenly sucked into the darkness of the Abyssal Rift. A hand made of shadow emerged from the rift, spreading across the sky, and opened its palm toward Ion.
A red bubble, the size of Ion, formed in the palm. As it moved toward him, he couldn't do anything. Terrified by the sight, all his senses screamed at him not to move, warning that any action could make it worse.
The bubble engulfed Ion, and the hand retreated back into the darkness. The crack in the sky vanished. The bubble descended toward the ground, and Grey descended alongside it
As the bubble reached the ground, it burst, and Ion's body fell heavily onto the earth. Blood seeped from every part of him, as if a million blades had pierced his body. His eyes were completely black, and a worm crawled out of his mouth.
"You asked for it." Grey stepped toward the worm.
"Now answer me. Who are you, for whom do you work, and what drove you to go this far?" Grey demanded.
The worm spoke in Ion's voice, explaining himself and the Silent Accord. He told Grey about Vermok and how he had found Grey and Avion.
"You were returning to your base from Eterion when an explosion echoed through the forest, and you came upon me and Avion in battle. It seems the Silent Accord will no longer remain silent after what happened to their member today. They will surely come for vengeance, and when they do, I will hunt them all down and send every last one to join their fallen comrade."
Grey mounted his horse and rode toward where Avion had gone.
[Forest of Vermok: Whispering Ruins]
"Why do I always find myself in these situations? I was just exploring these ruins," Avion muttered, standing before a wyvern.