From the pavilion, the group smiled—pride warm in their eyes, wings rustling softly as they watched Vaeloria follow Kieran Vale toward the exit archway.
Nia stepped forward next, blood-red flame eyes blazing with eager fire. "My turn," she declared, leaping into the ring with a grin that promised destruction.
Her first opponent materialized—a First Calamity human dual-wielder, blades humming with restrained power, his form lean and agile, eyes sharp as he spun twin swords in coordinated arcs.
The man—tall, wiry, with cropped black hair and a scar across his cheek—smirked as he sized her up, twin blades glinting under the arena lights.
"Well, since Val put on a show, it's only right I do the same," Nia said with a fierce grin, summoning her sword from her mana ring. Like Vaeloria, she too had a Divine weapon created specially by Ash... they also had Paragon weapons, but like Thalion said before... using them now would only attract attention.
The human charged without words, twin swords slashing in coordinated arcs—left blade high to draw her guard, right sweeping low to unbalance.
Nia met him head-on, her crimson flame-shadow sword bursting into a rose-pink blaze as she swung with raw power, aiming to overwhelm rather than finesse. With the Law of Fire at full force, flames roared along her blade, turning the air into a blistering furnace that seared the ring's barriers.
CLANG!
Her strike smashed into both his swords, the impact echoing like an exploding star, molten heat eating away at their edges and forcing him to twist aside to avoid the burn. He stumbled, rolling to regain his footing, but Nia pressed forward—her style aggressive and unyielding, bringing her sword down in a crushing overhead that fractured the jade platform.
He dodged, crossing his blades to block the shockwave, but the blow left his arms numb. "You're strong," he muttered, answering with a flurry—left blade feinting, right thrusting for her side.
Nia let the strike graze her ribs to close the gap, her mind replaying the same thought...
'I have to be worthy… stronger, for him.'
Her flames flared hotter, the wound fueling her blade's fire until it blazed even brighter. She spun, sweeping her sword in a wide arc that forced him to leap back—rose-pink fire trailing, scorching his robes as he barely escaped.
The human grimaced, sweat beading as heat blistered his skin, but he triggered his first talent: Phantom Blade Echo (Mythic Rank)—twin swords glowing, each swing leaving delayed echoes that struck a heartbeat later.
He lunged—left feint high, right thrust low—echoes following to double the assault.
Nia blocked the real thrust—BOOM!—the impact jolting her arms, but an echo sliced her shoulder, drawing blood.
She grimaced, sharp pain flaring, but her obsession surged—flames roaring as essence drained from the wound.
"Phantoms? Cute," she taunted, flashing a snarky grin despite the sting. "But my fire doesn't care about tricks."
She countered with Eternal Adaptation—her body shifting to anticipate echoes, sword swinging in brute arcs that shattered two phantoms in bursts of flame.
He pushed harder—activating Twin Mirage Cascade (Mythic Rank)—his form blurring into four duplicates, each wielding echoing blades, slashing from every angle.
Nia faltered—real blades grazing her arms, echoes carving more wounds, ribs throbbing from the mounting pain. But in close quarters, she dominated—her sword sweeping wide to clear illusions, forcing the real him back.
"Hide all you want—I'll burn through it!" she laughed through clenched teeth.
He unleashed his first Calamity Law: Edict of Dual Severance—twin swords transforming into rending forces, each strike tearing through space and essence in dual waves, converging to bypass defenses.
Slashes ripped forward—rending waves slicing the air. Nia blocked one—her sword cracking under the severance, arm numbing as essence tore away.
The second wave grazed her side—a deep cut spraying blood, pain like blades twisting inside her.
She staggered, breath ragged. But her obsession hit its peak....
'For him… I burn everything!'
She unleashed her full power—Calamity Law: Edict of Obsidian Desire Inferno.
The more she fixated on Ash, the hotter her flames blazed, essence-hungry like a void, transforming into obsidian-black fire that swallowed attacks and grew fiercer with obsession. The dark flames roared, consuming severance waves and draining his essence mid-strike.
He grimaced, his arms scorched black. Then came the Second Calamity Law: Dominion of Echo Sovereign—echoes splitting into sovereign duplicates, each independent, layering severance for amplified strikes.
They swarmed in perfect sync, real and echoes slashing together. Nia faltered under the mounting cuts, blood flowing, her shoulder torn, leg buckling.
Pain screamed through her, but obsession drove her on.... 'Worthy... stronger... for Ash!'
The obsidian inferno consumed the duplicates, turning their essence into fuel.
She pressed the attack, sword arcs cutting through, her black fire reducing his dominion to ash. He fought desperately, all Calamity Laws spent, echoes fading away. In a final clash, Nia's obsidian thrust pierced his guard, draining his core essence entirely.
He collapsed, nothing more than a husk.
Nia stood—bruised, bloodied, pain etched across her face—but triumphant, driven by sheer obsession. In the blink of an eye, her wounds knit themselves closed, and she stood renewed.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
From above descended a master of the Ninth Calamity—a woman with hair like molten magma, eyes glowing like embers, and robes woven from eternal flame. She touched down before Nia. "I am Valeria Ignis, Flame Sovereign of Emberheart Peak. Your fire burns with passion and starlight. Become my disciple."
Nia flashed a grin, her fangs catching the light. "Another Val, huh?" she said with a nod.
"Alright, Miss Val Ignis. Deal."