A stillness settled over the open expanse of Ecliptaris—nothing but wind-swept earth stretching to the horizon. In its heart stood Lucian, the Demon God of Darkness, his obsidian robes rippling like living shadow. Around him, the greatest champions of the realm gathered, each heart pounding with anticipation of the trial to come.
Mangus Rutherford shifted his weight, dark-blue sword at the ready. "So why call us here, Lucian?" he demanded, voice low and steady as storm clouds.
Cadrina Rutherford's silver hair rippled in the breeze. "I have an odd feeling," she muttered, eyes flicking to the horizon.
Celestina Valtorin's gaze was wary. "I hope it's not what I fear."
Cho Ha-Jin, her qi aura glowing emerald and gold, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "I don't know about fear," she said, "but I am exhilarated. This gathering—this moment—will reveal all."
Isolde Valmont slumped against a distant stone pillar, exhaustion in every line of her frame. "Can we skip to the end? I just want to sleep."
Elias Draxen clapped Isolde on the shoulder. "Morning's when you steel yourself, Isolde. Stand up."
Maximus Ravenshade massaged his temples. "After last night's feast and … other events, I'm running on empty."
Lucian's voice cut through the murmurs, cold and commanding. "I summoned you for one purpose: to witness your growth." A flick of his wrist sent ripples across the air. "Each of you will fight. The last one standing earns First Rank; the next Second, and so on."
Mangus's eyes narrowed. "You mean we duel each other?"
"Indeed," Lucian replied. "And if any wish to abstain, they may leave now."
Saintess Victoria and Elias Draxin bowed once and departed in silence. Lucian turned away, snapped his fingers, and a massive black-sphere barrier flared into existence, encircling the field. "Take your positions," he said over his shoulder. "Unleash your full power—any damage will be repaired."
Mangus drew Stormbreaker with a hiss of metal. "Consider it done."
Cadrina channeled mana into fine runes along her arms. Cho Ha-Jin's hand sparked as she summoned a blade of pure qi. Maximus and Viker Ardent drew theirs—fire dancing along one edge, lightning fluid in the other. The last echoes of readiness faded, and Lucian's single word set the field ablaze with motion.
Cadrina opened with a thunderous roar, her voice a battlecry. She thrust both palms forward and unleashed a ninth-class cannon of violet flame. The blast roared across the ground like a tidal wave of molten amethyst; dust and cobbles exploded in its wake.
Mangus braced Stormbreaker before him, igniting it with blazing mana. He sprinted into the heart of the beam, lightning roaring along his blade, cleaving the magical torrent in half from the inside. Shards of violet fire scattered like shattered glass as he emerged at Cadrina's feet. "Too slow," he snarled.
Before she could counter, Cho Ha-Jin vanished in a flash of golden-green qi and reappeared behind Mangus, blade poised at his throat. He spun, bringing the hilt up in a lightning-charged arc. Their swords met in a thunderous clash that radiated shockwaves across the barrier. The ground trembled, cracks spidering outward like veins of pure energy. Sparks danced in their wake, illuminating the determination in both warriors' eyes.
Across the field, Maximus and Viker collided in a torrent of elemental fury. Viker lunged with a whip of water crackling with lightning; Maximus countered by shifting his center of gravity in the legendary Weight-Flow Art, flowing around the attack as if water himself. Viker's lightning-infused fist slammed into a puddle at Maximus's feet, sending electric arcs dancing across the marble.
Anticipating the move, Maximus engulfed his body in a thin sheath of flame that sizzled harmlessly under the onslaught. With a roar, he drew upon the ambient mana around him, condensing it into a single, devastating fireblast that erupted toward Viker. The blast bore down like the sun's wrath, but Viker countered with a spinning vortex of water laced with lightning, slicing the inferno into hissing steam and giving him a narrow gap to dash away.
Maximus pursued without hesitation, sword humming. He struck from the side with such force that Viker was driven into the ground like a spear, blood blooming on his arms and legs. Maximus hooked his blade behind Viker's back. "Yield," he growled. Viker spat a gob of blood, eyes aflame.
"This is only the beginning," he hissed, summoning four barbed water spears above his shoulders crackling with lightning. In an instant he launched them in a crossfire. Maximus slammed a flaming palm into the earth, summoning a ring of fire that slowed the spears, but did not contain them. Viker vanished, propelled by Lightning Art, reappearing behind Maximus to strike with a thunderous overhead slash. Maximus barely twisted free, the blade whistling past his ear. They danced across the field—fire against water and lightning—each blow shaking the barrier with raw power.
High above, Celestina and Isolde engaged Cadrina in a battle of mystic arts. Cadrina hovered within a ring of eight pre-cast magic circles, her arms weaving spells before a word even left her lips. She summoned a downpour of blazing fire pillars with "Hymn of Flame," each pillar scorching the earth. Celestina drew a sphere of condensed gravity around herself and Isolde, the pillars hanging impotently in midair as though caught in an invisible vice.
Isolde flicked his wrist, calling forth jagged ice shards that orbited him like dragon scales, then blurred away on an advanced glacial blink-step. He reemerged astride a massive ice dragon formed from the shards beneath him, the creature's wings carving frosted arcs against the dawn sky.
Cadrina's eyes glowed purple as she lashed out with a bolt of raw lightning. Isolde cupped his hands and formed a concave ice shield that reflected the strike back in a violent recoil. Enraged, Cadrina unleashed Wandbreaker, a shockwave that crushed everything in its path. Isolde's dragon shattered, but the crushed ice reformed into armor plates on his skin, its residual magic shielding Celestina. Seizing the moment, Celestina drew two colossal gravity wells beneath Cadrina's feet, pinning her in place as forces tugged her downward. Isolde in the mean time rush to Cadrina to open fire an 8th class magic, But Cadrina's mastery was supreme—she focused her mana into a small violet orb, flickered it, and exploded it in a sphere of anti-gravity that hurled Isolde through the air. He crashed against the far barrier, blood trailing from every limb as his glacial armor cracked.
From the opposite side of the field, Cho Ha-Jin and Mangus re-engaged with fresh ferocity. Mangus called down a storm from above—thunder rolling as the heavens split, channelling jagged lightning into Stormbreaker. Qi and electricity met in a perfect storm on the open ground. Cho Ha-Jin inhaled, gathering her inner energy into a focused sphere at her chest. With a shout, she thrust both arms forward in Heaven-Earth Cataclysm, releasing a shockwave of balanced qi that collided with Mangus's lightning column.
Mangus's eyes glowed pale blue. He hefted Stormbreaker overhead, sparks dancing along its blade. "Ha-Jin," he called, voice deep and resonant, "you wield that ancient qi as though it were a child's toy. Today, lightning will prove its supremacy."
Cho Ha-Jin bowed her head respectfully—but only for a heartbeat. Then she straightened, hair and robes settling as though in defiance of gravity. "Lightning is wild, Swordmaster, but qi is the essence of life and will. Let us see whose essence endures."
With no further warning, Mangus roared. He surged forward, blade arcing downward in a crescent of raw electricity—Thunderfall Crescent. The air split with thunder as the lightning wave tore toward Cho Ha-Jin.
She shifted her stance into Earth Root Form, feet sinking mentally into the marble as if it were clay. Her hands moved in a subtle pattern; without raising a strike, she channeled her qi to the ground. The thunderous arc struck the courtyard floor, gouging a trench of cracked marble, but never reached her. A ring of emerald light pulsed outward from beneath her, dispersing the attack harmlessly into distant fountains of dust.
Mangus skidded to a halt, surprise flickering on his face. He recovered instantly, slamming Stormbreaker's hilt into his gauntlet and charging another attack—this time a blinding thrust called Lightning Spear Plunge, which sent a spear of pure electric energy lancing straight toward her heart.
Cho Ha-Jin countered with Heaven's Palm, her open hand glowing gold. She pressed lightly into the air, and the Lightning Spear detonated mid-flight in a flash of white light. When the afterimages cleared, she stood unharmed, her expression unchanged.
"Your qi is strong," Mangus acknowledged, his voice low. "But I will burn it away."
He vaulted backward, drawing on the storm above. His aura flared, and the sky responded—dark clouds crackled, summoning a jagged bolt of lightning that raced down to fuse with his blade. The gathered storm energy made him more than man; he was a conduit of the heavens' wrath.
Cho Ha-Jin inhaled deeply, palms lifting to the sky. Her robes billowed as she entered Heaven-Earth Confluence, a realm of qi mastery that balanced terrestrial resilience with celestial swiftness. Her two qi halos merged into a radiant sphere before her, half emerald, half gold, humming with potential.
Mangus's eyes narrowed. He dashed forward—Stormwind Blitz—a supersonic dash that trailed lightning in its wake. Each step left afterimages, making him appear as six striking simultaneously. The ground beneath him sizzled and cracked.
Cho Ha-Jin met him head-on. Her palms struck the incoming aura with Mountain-Sky Barrier, a wall of condensed qi that crackled as the six lightning-imbued echoes slammed into it. The collision shook the courtyard like a minor earthquake; pillars swayed, and distant windows shattered.
For a moment, lightning and qi held each other at bay—silver fire against living energy. Then Cho Ha-Jin closed her fists, palms thrusting outward in synchronized unity. Her barrier collapsed, the qi sphere erupting into Dual-Realm Cataclysm: a shockwave of earth and sky qi that rolled forward like a tidal wave, forcing Mangus back, lightning sputtering and moments without a strike.
He snarled, digging his heels into the marble to halt. With a single thought, he unleashed Thunderstorm Roar, a bellow that transformed the storm's fury into pure force. The sky above split open, and dozens of bolts hammered down, each striking Mangus's blade before arcing into the ground in cascading arcs.
Cho Ha-Jin braced herself, forearms crossed. Each bolt struck the ends of her arms in a symphony of sparks. Qi flared around her, absorbing the electric onslaught, diverting it through hidden meridians so that none reached her heart.
The storm's fury died in a whisper. Mangus lowered Stormbreaker, a sheen of sweat across his brow. "Impressive," he admitted. "But can you stand against true lightning?"
He leapt high, summoning all his energy for Celestial Judgment, his signature ultimate technique. In one fluid motion, he channeled the storm into a towering column of electric force stretched between earth and cloud. The pillar crackled, illuminating the courtyard in ghostly light, and descended like a massive spear aimed at Cho Ha-Jin's chest.
Cho Ha-Jin's gaze hardened. She whirled into Iron Root Stance, planting both feet firmly. Her aura expanded in a perfect sphere of layered qi—earthy solidity at the core, enveloped by a sheath of golden light. She whispered, "Ground the heavens, Earth-Heart Shield."
The lightning column struck the qi sphere, and the impact rang like a gong. The ground trembled so violently that cracks shot outward for dozens of meters. Shards of marble flew like shrapnel. The sky roared its defiance.
Cho Ha-Jin's shield glowed until it became a sun-bright flare. Then, slowly, the light dimmed—and she remained standing, unscathed, the storm's final echoes dissipating against her iron will.
For a heartbeat, there was only silence.
Then Mangus dropped Stormbreaker, eyes blazing with exhilaration and disbelief. "No mortal barrier could withstand that!" he gasped, stepping forward. "How…?"
Cho Ha-Jin closed her eyes, centering herself. The ground beneath her feet mended, emerald lines knitting the fractured marble back together. "Mortality is a measure of flesh," she said quietly. "Qi is the measure of the spirit."
Mangus's expression flickered between respect and the warrior's endless hunger for challenge. He charged again, blade humming with lightning—Riftstrike Surge—an attack designed to pierce through any defense, striking the opponent's core energy.
At the last instant, Cho Ha-Jin's body blurred as she tapped into Heaven's Breeze Step, her supreme articulation of agile qi. She vanished, reappearing behind Mangus in the blink of an eye. Her right fist, wrapped in golden qi, smashed into the hollow of his neck in Dragon's Judgement Fist. The impact echoed through his skull, and he pitched forward, eyes rolling as he collapsed to one knee.
Lightning arced off his armor rails like splintered bone, and steam hissed as his blood mingled with the residual electricity. He lifted a hand, attempting to summon another surge, but found his limbs sluggish, spirits dampened.
Cho Ha-Jin stood over him, aura radiating like dawn breaking after a storm. "You fought with true heart, Mangus Rutherford," she said, voice gentle but firm. "But today, qi has proven its mastery over lightning."
As the dust settled, the battlefield of Ecliptaris lay scarred and broken. The earth was cracked, scorched, frozen, and cratered—bearing the marks of the elemental chaos unleashed by the most powerful beings in the realm. Bodies stirred, some slowly rising, others too wounded to continue. One by one, the combatants had fallen—either to raw power, flawless technique, or sheer exhaustion.
Maximus lay on one knee, breath ragged, his blade buried in the dirt. Across from him, Viker knelt in defeat, shoulders trembling, blood dripping down his chin. They locked eyes, each recognizing the other's refusal to yield. A silent, mutual nod passed between them before both collapsed backward, unconscious but proud.
Isolde lay unmoving, his body entombed in frost and blood, barely breathing. Celestina was unconscious beside the remains of the crystalline dragon that had shielded her from annihilation. Elias groaned somewhere in the distance, still alive but far removed from the center of the clash.
Mangus, pride wounded more than his body, had taken a seated position near the edge of the field, watching quietly with narrowed eyes. Cho Ha-Jin now stood alone, still breathing deeply, qi flickering faintly around her like golden threads caught in sunlight.
And then—
A pulse of darkness rippled across the horizon.
Cho Ha-Jin turned slowly, sweat beading on her brow. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a lone figure emerge from the fading veil of battle magic—calm, unscathed, and absolute in presence.
Demon King Azarth.
He stepped forward from the far side of the field, the tattered hem of his regal cloak sweeping the ground. His aura was suffocating—a void of silence so deep it seemed to silence even the wind. In one hand, he held his long obsidian scepter, and in the other… Cadrina's staff.
Cracked.
Broken.
The golden headpiece once radiant with divine enchantment now dimmed, drained of all light.
Azarth's crimson eyes locked with Cho Ha-Jin's.
For a moment, neither spoke.
In the distance, a faint breeze rolled through the field, lifting stray leaves and ashes, swirling them between the two final standing warriors.
Cho Ha-Jin inhaled slowly, lifting her sword. Her muscles ached. Her qi reserves were low. But her resolve burned hotter than ever. "So," she said, voice low but unwavering, "it comes down to us."
Azarth's voice was cold and calm, like fate itself. "The rest were merely sparks. But you—" he tilted his head ever so slightly—"you might burn."
Behind him, the broken form of Cadrina Rutherford lay on the edge of the field. Her cloak was scorched, her body unconscious—but alive. The sheer devastation around her told enough of the story. She had fought. She had unleashed all she had. And she had lost.