And then they moved.
Neither held back. Neither calculated for survival. At this point, it was about pride—two warriors who had found an equal in the most unexpected of places, to put it more bluntly they were enjoying this so the best way was to go all out, to fully enjoy this fight.
’’Starfall!"
Basil’s sword descended like a collapsing star. Gabriel t it with both fists wrapped in lightning and elental dragon scales.
BOOM!
The shockwave flattened the burning embers around them. The earth beneath their feet cracked and cratered.
Gabriel slid back, his heels digging trenches into the ground. Basil didn’t give him a mont to breathe. He spun, his sword trailing fire, and unleashed a horizontal slash aid at Gabriel’s throat.
Gabriel ducked. The blade passed so close it singed a few strands of golden his hair.
He retaliated instantly.
"Seventeen Consecutive Palms!"
The na was improvised, but the technique was not. His palms shot forward in rapid succession—each one carrying the weight of his condensed mana, each one aid at different vital points on Basil’s torso.
Smack. Smack. Smack!
Basil blocked the first six with his sword. The seventh slipped through and struck his shoulder. The eighth and ninth hit his forearm. The tenth slamd into his chest.
’’Cough!"
He coughed. Once. Twice.
But he did not fall.
Instead, he grabbed Gabriel’s eleventh palm mid-strike, his fingers locking around Gabriel’s wrist like a vice.
"You’re fast," Basil said, grinning through bloody teeth. "But speed without weight is just wind."
He yanked Gabriel forward and drove his knee into Gabriel’s stomach.
Oof!
Gabriel’s breath left him. Golden lightning flickered erratically around his body. He felt sothing crack—a rib, maybe two. But he did not double over.
His expression turning feriocious as he headbutted Basil.
Crack!
Their foreheads t. Both n staggered back, blood streaming down their faces.
Stars danced in their vision. But neither fell.
"Hah..." Basil laughed, a wet, rasping sound.
’’You’re insane."
"You started it," Gabriel muttered, wiping blood from his brow.
They stood there for a mont—three ters apart, chests heaving, bodies bruised and broken. The Fire domain had long since dissipated. The elental swords lay scattered as fading embers on the ground.
Basil raised his sword one final ti. The blade was chipped. His arms were shaking.
Gabriel raised his fists. The golden lightning had dimd to a faint shimr. His knuckles were split open.
No words were exchanged. None were needed.
They charged.
Basil’s sword blazed with the last remnants of his fire mana—a single, condensed strike aid at Gabriel’s center.
Gabriel’s right hand blazed with the last remnants of his lightning and light—a single, condensed punch aid at Basil’s sword.
Ti seed to slow.
This is it, Gabriel thought. Either I break his sword, or he breaks .
This is it, Basil thought. Either he shatters my blade, or I cut him down.
They clashed.
Light and fire exploded outward in a do of pure energy. The ground beneath them evaporated. The air itself scread.
For one breath, two breaths, three breaths—nothing was visible except blinding white light.
Then silence.
The light faded.
Basil and Gabriel stood motionless, frozen in their final poses. Basil’s sword was pressed against Gabriel’s chest—the tip stopped just short of piercing the skin by a hair’s breadth. Gabriel’s fist was pressed against Basil’s throat—stopped just short of crushing his windpipe by the sa impossible margin.
Neither had landed the decisive blow.
They had both pulled back at the very last nanosecond—not from fear, but from mutual recognition. If they had followed through, they would have killed each other.
Basil lowered his sword first. His arm fell to his side, trembling.
Gabriel lowered his fist. His legs buckled slightly, but he caught himself.
"A draw," Basil said, his voice hoarse.
"A draw," Gabriel agreed.
They stood there in the ruined field, bleeding, broken, and grinning like fools.
From a distance, two figures watched—Lilith and Elfie, having long since finished their own test.
Elfie crossed her arms. "So... who won?"
Lilith smiled softly. ’’Normally, I should have said my man but that seems to be the case, isn’t it?"
Elfie chose not to comnt while thinking, she is clear headed. She is really dangerous this woman.
The sun began to set over the scorched earth, casting long shadows across the two warriors who had given everything and lost nothing—because sotis, finding an equal was victory enough.
User Comments
0 comments from readers