I stepped back, resetting my stance as Varen adjusted his grip on his greatsword. The sting of battle lingered in the air between us—sizzling heat, the faint metallic tang of blood, the crowd’s distant roar. For a moment, my eyes lingered on him, watching as he steadied himself, his flames flaring like a second skin.
‘Indeed, his swordsmanship is refined,’ I thought, my smirk softening into something closer to contemplation. Each movement he made was deliberate, calculated—a clear reflection of the years he’d poured into his craft. There was no denying the discipline, the sheer effort etched into the way he wielded that blade.
But there was something else. Something more.
Even as I pressed him, testing the limits of his technique, I could see it—an evolution. In the way he adjusted, the way his strikes became sharper, more focused. He was learning, growing, adapting. Right here, in the heart of the fight, he was becoming stronger.
‘This is the title of a main lead, huh?’ The thought brought a flicker of amusement, and perhaps a sliver of respect, to my mind. Varen Drakov wasn’t just a character crafted to endure hardship—he was built to rise above it, to thrive in it. His aura, his presence, the unwavering resolve in his eyes—there was a reason why he stood as one of the male leads.
Still, that didn’t mean I’d make it easy for him.
My grip on the estoc tightened, and I tilted my head slightly, watching as Varen’s fiery mana coiled around him like a living beast. The flames licked at his skin, his aura bright and intense, but his focus was sharper now, honed by the pain and pressure I’d forced on him.
‘He’s realizing it now, isn’t he?’ I mused, a faint grin tugging at my lips. ‘The gap isn’t just about strength—it’s about how we use it.’
“Not bad,” I said aloud, my voice carrying across the arena. I twirled my estoc lazily, the blade catching the sunlight in a dazzling arc. “You’re starting to figure it out, aren’t you? How to fight someone who doesn’t play by the rules you’re used to.”
Varen didn’t respond with words. Instead, his eyes narrowed, his stance shifting as he drew a deep breath. The flames around him surged, brighter and hotter, his mana compressing into a tighter, more focused flow.
‘Good,’ I thought, my grin widening. ‘Show me more, Varen Drakov. Show me why you’re the one they call the Silver Flame’s heir.’
He surged forward, his greatsword blazing as it carved through the air with terrifying force. I stepped in to meet him, my estoc rising in a flicker of silver light.
The clash of steel rang out, a sharp, resonant note that echoed through the arena. And at that moment, as our blades locked and the air crackled with raw energy, I couldn’t help but feel a thrill run through me.
This wasn’t just a battle anymore. It was a conversation, a dialogue written in blood and steel. And Varen, for all his pride and fury, was proving himself a worthy partner in this deadly exchange.
‘Let’s see how far you’re willing to go, male lead.’ I thought, leaning into the fight with a feral gleam in my eye. ‘Let’s see how much you’re willing to sacrifice to stand in my way.’
The moment the clash ended, I stepped forward, my estoc glowing faintly as the Flame of Equinox began to flicker to life, black flames licking along the blade’s edge. Varen was steady, his stance firm, his fiery aura blazing brighter as if daring me to bring my best.
“Let’s heat things up,” I murmured, my smirk twisting into something sharper.
SWOOSH!
I darted forward, my blade flicking out toward Varen’s chest, the black flames casting a shadowy hue over its gleaming edge. It was a deliberate feint, a shallow thrust meant to force his reaction. Varen’s greatsword moved to intercept, its silvery-red glow flashing in a broad defensive sweep.
SLASH!
At the last moment, I twisted my wrist, angling the estoc downward and slipping under his block. The blade nicked the edge of his armor near his ribs, sending a spray of sparks as I disengaged, stepping out of range before his counter could follow through.
“ARghk!”
Varen growled, stepping in with a heavy horizontal slash, his greatsword carving a fiery arc through the air.
‘A little late.’
SWOOSH!
I ducked low, feeling the heat of his mana-infused blade graze the top of my head as it passed.
SLASH!
Using the momentum of my crouch, I spun to his unguarded side, my estoc slashing in a low sweep aimed at the back of his knee. Black flames surged along the blade as it arced through the air, forcing him to shift his stance and twist his body to block with the flat of his sword.
CLANK!
The clash sent sparks flying, but I had already moved to my next attack.
With his balance momentarily shifted, I lunged upward, my estoc thrusting straight for his shoulder joint—the gap where his armor plates overlapped. My movement was quick, precise, and backed by the cold intensity of the Flame of Equinox.
Varen grunted as he leaned into the strike, deflecting it with a sharp pivot of his greatsword. The blade scraped against my estoc, forcing it to glance off, but the black flames lingered for a split second, singing the edge of his pauldron.
‘Heh….Not bad….’
I didn’t give him time to recover. Stepping in close, I turned my estoc sideways, the flat of the blade slamming against the hilt of his greatsword, disrupting his hold. Varen’s eyes narrowed, and he instinctively stepped back to regain his footing, but I was already moving again.
THUD!
My left hand surged forward, cloaked in black flame, aiming a quick palm strike toward his midsection. Varen twisted, using his armor to absorb the brunt of the strike, but the force still staggered him slightly, giving me the advantage for the next move.
SLASH!
As he shifted back, his balance uneven, I stepped into his space once more. My estoc swung upward in a powerful diagonal slash, the black flames crackling with energy as they flared brighter.
The blade aimed for the seam of his armor near his collarbone, a calculated strike meant to force him into a purely defensive position.
CLANK!
Varen raised his greatsword to block, the clash of our blades resonating through the arena like a thunderclap.
The force of our clash sent me sliding back across the arena floor, the ground trembling beneath my feet. Sparks crackled in the air, black flames and silvery-red mana dissipating into the charged atmosphere. The crowd roared in approval, but I barely registered the noise. My focus was locked entirely on Varen.
He had been forced back as well, his footing unsteady for a brief moment, and I knew this was my chance to end the sequence decisively.
‘Now.’
SWOOSH!
I surged forward, black flames coiling tightly around my estoc. Varen’s greatsword was still mid-recovery, and though his stance was strong, his guard was just a touch too high.
STAB!
I aimed for the opening—a small gap in his side armor where his movement had pulled the plates apart.
SPURT!
My estoc struck true, the blade slicing through the exposed flesh. Black flames surged into the wound, searing as they went, forcing a grunt of pain from Varen as he staggered slightly to the side. Blood seeped from the cut, staining his silver-red armor, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain steady.
SLASH!
Varen adjusted quickly, bringing his greatsword back up and unleashing a sudden horizontal slash. The fiery mana infused in his blade blazed brighter, the heat making the air shimmer. I sidestepped the initial sweep, my estoc raised defensively, but he wasn’t finished.
Pivoting on his back foot, Varen followed through with another powerful arc, forcing me into a retreat. His focus had sharpened, and his recovery was swift. This wasn’t someone who would crumble from a single injury.
He then stepped forward, his fiery aura surging around him like a living thing. His greatsword rose in a high arc, the flames blazing along its edge as he brought it down in a brutal overhead strike. I dodged to the side, but as the blade missed, I caught the faintest shift in his movement.
‘A feint.’
The overhead swing turned into a deceptive sweep, aimed to catch me as I moved. But I had already anticipated it. My body twisted, my estoc flashing out to meet his blade at an angle that redirected its momentum upward. Varen growled in frustration as I used his own force to guide him into a vulnerable position.
With Varen’s balance slightly compromised, I stepped in, black flames surging along my estoc. His left shoulder was exposed, his movements just off enough for me to take advantage. I thrust forward with precision, the blade biting into his armor at the joint.
The impact was enough to drive him back, the wound forcing him to stagger. Blood dripped from his shoulder, the injury deep enough to affect his swing. But before I could press further, Varen reacted with a desperate counter.
“Heh….”
“ROAR!”
BOOM!
Varen roared, his fiery mana surging explosively. Flames erupted outward in all directions, a shockwave of heat and fire that forced me to leap back immediately. The intense blaze singed the edge of my cloak, the heat licking at my skin even as I retreated.
The crowd gasped as the arena filled with fire, the protective enchantments straining to contain the raw power of Varen’s blast. In the center of the inferno, his silhouette stood tall, his fiery aura burning brighter than ever, but I could see the strain in his movements, the way he clutched his injured shoulder.
‘He’s pushing himself,’ I noted, resetting my stance as the flames began to recede. My estoc hummed faintly, the black flames of the Flame of Equinox coiling around the blade, calm and steady.
Varen’s eyes met mine, and though his breathing was heavier, his determination hadn’t wavered. He wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot.
“Not bad,” I said, my voice carrying across the arena. “But desperation doesn’t suit you, heir of the Silver Flame.”
Varen’s grip on his greatsword tightened, the flames around him surging once more. The fight wasn’t over—and I intended to see just how far I could push him.