In a canyon surrounded by jagged rock formations, with rivers weaving through the chasm below.
Rylis was seen soaring through the air, his momentum unyielding as Kaelthar's crushing blow struck his jaw.
His body slammed into a cliffside, the impact reverberating through the stone.
After a brief, breath stealing moment, he spun midair, regaining his balance before landing gracefully on all fours.
Rising to his feet, he spat out a mix of blood and saliva, his expression a silent vow of defiance.
Kaelthar blasted through the clouds, crashing down with immense force.
The earth trembled under his weight, buckling as his feet struck the ground.
Dust exploded into the air, swirling violently, and a small ravine cracked open beneath him.
He strode forward with unwavering confidence, his eyes locked onto Rylis, every step radiating the promise of annihilation.
'How?'
Rylis thought.
He had just been hit because his instincts hadn't 'seen' the attack coming.
The temperature rose, and the rock beneath Kaelthar's feet quickly melted as he walked.
'Seems like I have to rely on my reflex then'
Rylis thought, as his previous thoughts had just become true.
If Aurelia could bypass his instincts, why couldn't others?
And Kaelthar was doing just that.
He didn't have the luxury of figuring it out now, at least, not right now.
The wind howled as it spiraled around him, a trembling burst marking his swift departure from his original position.
When he reappeared, his claws were already poised to strike Kaelthar's heart.
With a fluid motion, Kaelthar's sabre rose, its blade moving as effortlessly as a serene river, intercepting the deadly claws.
Sparks flew, scattering in the air at the clash of steel and talon.
With a deadly glint flashing in Rylis' eyes, he activated one of his skills.
Mana surged from his core, and the shadows across the field instantly converged, as if drawn to him by an unseen force.
Kaelthar, sensing the sudden shift, attempted to move, but it was already too late.
Rylis' voice rang out, carrying an ominous resonance through the air.
[Shadow Realm]
The world was instantly engulfed in an impenetrable darkness as shadows formed a suffocating dome, consuming everything in its path.
Kaelthar's vision was lost, he could see nothing.
He could feel nothing.
He could sense nothing.
In that moment, everything was stripped from him, even his mind seemed to falter, questioning his very existence.
His subconscious barely clung to whatever was left.
As his thoughts spiraled, a sudden gash appeared on his back, sharp claw marks raking across his flesh.
But Kaelthar felt nothing, his body seemed to deny the sensation of pain, as if in denial of the very injury.
Then another gash came, followed by another, the wounds multiplying with each passing moment, yet Kaelthar remained silent.
In his mind's haze, a scream echoed, the raw instinct to survive ignited.
And with that scream, his subconscious activated a skill.
[Serene View]
This skill was designed to preserve his mental clarity, to keep his mind active, calm, and free from external influence, though it only shielded him to a certain extent.
As the skill activated, Kaelthar's consciousness snapped back into focus, but with it, the searing pain returned.
His brain was flooded with signals from his pain receptors, each injury a sharp reminder of his vulnerable state.
Yet, despite the agony, Kaelthar's expression remained unmoved, his resolve unbroken.
He could feel the rawness of the wounds across his body, but his vision remained locked in impenetrable darkness, nothing existed beyond the void that surrounded him.
The world remained a pitch black abyss, silent and suffocating.
[Dragon Scale]
Another skill surged to life, as Kaelthar's mana flowed like liquid fire, weaving into his scales, further reinforcing his already formidable defenses.
His senses sharpened, straining to pierce the overwhelming void, but the oppressive darkness left him feeling utterly blind.
But to Kaelthar, a dragon of immense power, it was the embodiment of death itself.
Kaelthar's instincts screamed.
He couldn't dodge.
He couldn't defend.
Whatever this was, it was beyond his reach.
He could feel the ominous weight of impending doom pressing against him.
In a desperate countermeasure, he tapped into his own mana reserve, his body heating up as he prepared a retaliatory strike.
But Rylis was faster.
[Forbidden Shadow Art: Reality Fracture]
This was devastating skill where Rylis manipulates shadows to tear through the fabric of reality itself, creating a zone of annihilation.
This power is the ultimate expression of the shadow element, bending the battlefield to the Rylis' will and erasing anything caught within its range.
This was Rylis' trump card, a devastating art passed down from his father.
Though he couldn't fully unleash its boundless power, the raw destruction it could cause in its limited form was enough to alter the course of the battle.
With a flick of his wrist, the orb shot forward with terrifying speed, its darkness swallowing the air around it.
Kaelthar's eyes locked onto the oncoming orb, his instincts already kicking into overdrive.
Without a moment's hesitation, he prepared his counterattack.
Every fiber of his being screamed to act, knowing that this was the final moment.
[Forbidden Dragon Magic: Fire Type: Miniature Sun Summon]
Kaelthar's hand rose, and a blinding point of light erupted, rapidly expanding into a miniature sun.
Its fiery core blazed with intense heat, casting flickering shadows across the canyon.
The air warped, and molten earth bubbled beneath as the sun crackled with energy, threatening to engulf everything in its devastating radiance.
The ground trembled under its weight.
A literal miniature was summoned by Kaelthar, the temperature didn't just mere increase, it devoured everything present that it touched.
Then it shot forward to meet the black orb.
The canyon trembled violently as the miniature sun unleashing apocalyptic devastation.
The miniature sun's incandescent flames scorched the heavens, transforming the air into a molten haze, while jagged fractures of shadow tore through reality, distorting space itself.
Rivers evaporated into blinding steam as the canyon walls crumbled into ash and dust.
The collision forged a vortex of fire and void, ripping through the landscape in waves of annihilation.
As the ground ruptured under their immeasurable power, the sky above turned into a chaotic maelstrom of light and darkness, leaving a scorched, fragmented wasteland in its wake.
It was beautiful, yet tyrannical.
Then, everything suddenly stopped, the smoke cleared.
Only one figure remained standing, barely.
It was Kaelthar, the Dragon Champion.
He had finally emerged victorious.
But the world didn't seem to allow him respite.
He could feel the weight of several gazes upon him.
Turning slowly, he met the eyes of three individuals.
Anthony, his face impassive, stared at the destruction with a strange sense of admiration.
Taeron, the Titan, stood tall and unwavering, observing with quiet intensity.
Vahalin, the elf, also stood in the distance, his gaze fixed on the aftermath.
In that moment, their eyes locked in silent understanding.
They were on the edge, their own battles looming.
The fight offered no reprieve.
Without a word, they each settled into a lotus position, silently recovering their mana and tending to their injuries.
It was a quiet agreement between them, a brief truce in the midst of the chaos.
Meanwhile, Anthony, with a casual wave of his hand, conjured a parasol and a chair.
He sat beneath the shade, leisurely eating fruits, completely unbothered by the destruction around him.
The other champions were battered, drained, and recovering, while he simply relaxed, a quiet figure in the midst of the storm.