The figure remained still until the serpent’s fiery maw was nearly upon them. Then, with a single, deliberate step, they moved.
First Movement.
The figure’s blade traced a wide, sweeping arc, a ring of black starlight flaring to life as the motion completed. The ring pulsed with an eerie energy, dark and radiant at the same time, as though it devoured the light around it. The starlight ring caught the fiery serpent mid-lunge, constricting its blazing form as if an invisible chain had bound it.
The serpent hissed and writhed, its fiery coils struggling against the encircling starlight, but the figure held firm, their blade steady as they maintained the ring’s pressure. The flames dimmed slightly, their brilliance choked by the oppressive force of the black energy.
Second Movement. Read new chapters at empire
The figure shifted seamlessly into their next motion, their blade slashing upward in a clean, vertical strike. The glow of their weapon intensified, and as it cut through the fiery serpent, the creature let out a deafening roar. The room trembled as the blade cleaved the molten construct in two, the fiery halves splitting apart with a burst of sparks and embers.
Vaelric’s eyes widened in disbelief as the remnants of his ultimate technique dissolved into nothingness, the oppressive heat replaced by the chilling presence of the figure’s starlight-infused blade.
Third Movement.
Without hesitation, the figure lunged forward, his blade snapping into a precise, lightning-fast thrust. The black starlight surrounding it condensed into a single, concentrated point at the tip, the energy shimmering like a dark star.
“Void Starfall Blade: Starlight Needle,” they intoned, their voice calm and deliberate as the blade shot toward Vaelric’s chest.
The overwhelming danger was immediate and undeniable. Vaelric’s instincts screamed, his body moving before his mind could process. He forced himself to leap back, the motion abrupt and strained.
CRACK!
The energy of the Starlight Needle grazed his side, the mere proximity of its power sending a searing pain through his body. Vaelric landed heavily, coughing up blood as he clutched his ribs. His fiery aura flickered erratically, his body trembling from the strain of forcefully canceling his earlier technique.
His breath came in ragged gasps as he glared at the figure, his voice a hoarse snarl. “WHO ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?”
The figure tilted their head slightly, their stance relaxed despite the chaos. The glow of their blade dimmed, but their presence remained no less menacing.
“Who I am…” the figure murmured, their voice tinged with mocking amusement. “Does it really matter to you, Vaelric?” They stepped closer, their dark aura pressing down on him like a suffocating weight. “Your end is near. What difference would knowing make?”
Vaelric’s mind raced, fear and anger twisting in his gut. This wasn’t just an intruder. Whoever this person was, they weren’t here by accident. They had come with purpose. And Vaelric, for all his power, was now acutely aware of how close he was to losing everything.
His chest heaved as he forced himself upright, the searing pain in his ribs threatening to pull him back down. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, but his fiery amber eyes burned with a desperate resolve. He couldn’t afford to hesitate.
In battles of this level, seconds decided everything. Hesitation meant death. It was a principle he had lived by and one that had carried him to his current strength. Now, it would be tested more than ever before.
“Damn it,” he hissed, his voice hoarse but steady. With a sharp movement, he reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a small, gleaming pill—a precious Emberheart Revival Pill, crafted to heal wounds and restore vitality in an instant. It was a treasure he had hoarded for years, only to be used in moments of absolute desperation.
BITE!
The pill crunched between his teeth, releasing a rush of burning energy through his body. Vaelric let out a sharp exhale as the warmth spread, dulling the pain in his ribs and steadying his trembling limbs. His aura flared brighter, crackling like an inferno as the pill did its work.
He straightened, his grip tightening around his blade. “No holding back,” he muttered. “Not now.”
SWOOSH!
In an instant, he launched himself forward, his fiery aura trailing behind him like a blazing comet. His opponent’s calm figure loomed closer, their silhouette sharp against the flickering light of the torches. Vaelric’s gaze narrowed, his entire being focused on one final, decisive strike.
“Hydra Ascension of Crimson!” he roared, his voice carrying the weight of his determination.
The technique was his ultimate move, a culmination of his years of training and mastery. Mana surged from his core, flooding through his veins in a torrent of fiery energy. His blade ignited, a serpent of flame coiling around its length as he swung it forward with everything he had. The flames roared like a living beast, the serpent’s fangs aimed directly at his enemy’s heart.
The chamber was engulfed in a blinding blaze, the heat searing even the stone walls. The ground beneath them cracked and splintered as Vaelric’s strike tore through the air with devastating force. He knew this attack would leave him drained, his core nearly empty, but he didn’t care. Victory required sacrifice, and this was his only chance.
But then—
The figure moved once again.
SWISH.
The blinding blaze of Vaelric’s technique illuminated the chamber, casting wild shadows on the cracked stone walls. His fiery serpent roared forward, its three heads twisting and snapping with lethal intent. This was his trump card, his absolute strongest move.
And yet, the figure remained composed, their movements deliberate as they stepped into the storm.
First Movement: The Starlight Ring
The figure’s estoc moved in a precise, circular motion, their wrist rotating effortlessly as the blade traced a glowing ring of black starlight. The ring surged outward, coiling around one of the serpent’s heads like an iron collar. The flaming maw thrashed and snapped, but the starlight constricted tighter, snuffing it out with a hiss.
Vaelric’s eyes narrowed, a grin spreading across his bloodied lips. “You think that’s enough?” he spat, his voice hoarse but defiant. “There are still two more!”
The remaining two heads of the serpent lunged forward, their fiery jaws snapping with savage force. They twisted in tandem, aiming to encircle the figure from both sides.
“Heh…” Vaelric chuckled darkly, confident he had outmaneuvered them. “Let’s see you stop this.”
Second Movement: Starline.
The figure’s feet shifted, their body twisting with a fluid grace that defied the chaos around them. Their estoc came up in a sharp, vertical slash, the black starlight surging along its length. The blade seemed to extend, its shadowy energy slicing cleanly through the nearest serpent head.
SWISH! CRACK!
The flaming head burst into embers, the energy dissipating into the air. Without pausing, the figure pivoted on their back foot, their arm swinging low in a sweeping arc to meet the final head.
Third Movement: The Void Pierces All
The last head roared toward them, its fiery maw wide open as if to devour them whole. The figure’s estoc darted forward in a deadly thrust, black starlight condensing at the tip in a concentrated burst of destructive energy.
The motion was precise: their left foot angled slightly outward for balance, their torso leaning forward as their arm extended in a straight, powerful line. The blade pierced the serpent’s head directly between its fiery eyes, and the concentrated energy erupted outward in a sharp, resonant blast.
BOOM!
The final head shattered, the remnants of Vaelric’s ultimate technique vanishing into sparks and fading flames.
Vaelric staggered back, his wide eyes reflecting disbelief. He clutched his blade tightly, his knuckles white. “Impossible…” he muttered, his voice trembling. “Someone this strong is here? Why?”
Vaelric’s legs trembled as he tried to steady himself, his fiery aura flickering weakly around him. His eyes darted toward the enemy, his mind racing with questions that clawed at his sanity.
“Why?” he spat, his voice trembling with a mixture of fury and despair. “Why is someone like you here? Why are you targeting me?”
The figure stood still, their calm demeanor unshaken by Vaelric’s outburst. Their dark, shadow-cloaked aura seemed to consume the very air around them, an oppressive void that defied reason. Slowly, a small, faint smile curved their lips.
Then, from the shadows above, a sleek figure leapt down onto the man’s shoulder with eerie grace.
Vaelric’s eyes widened in horror. “No…” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own heartbeat. His gaze locked onto the creature perched on the man’s shoulder—a lithe, silvery feline with eyes like shimmering stars.
The cat tilted its head, its ethereal presence unmistakable.
“Vitaliara!” Vaelric roared, his voice echoing with desperation and disbelief. “You… you’re here?! You’ve aligned with him?!”
The man’s smile grew slightly, and his free hand rose to gently stroke Vitaliara’s fur. The guardian beast purred softly, its celestial aura glowing faintly in response.
Vaelric’s breath hitched, his mind spiraling. This was it—the culmination of everything he had feared. The beast he had spent so long hunting, the key to his salvation, was not only alive but had turned against him.
“You—” Vaelric began, his voice breaking.
“Goodbye,” the figure interrupted, their tone calm, almost mocking.
The estoc surged forward, cloaked in a cascade of black starlight. The energy was blinding, a concentrated void of destruction that seemed to bend reality itself. Vaelric barely had time to react as the blade pierced his chest with deadly precision.
“Huh?” The word escaped his lips, a faint, confused exhale as the world seemed to slow. He looked down, his amber eyes widening as he saw the dark energy swirling around the wound. Heat began to radiate from his core, a searing intensity that spread rapidly through his body.
The figure stepped back, pulling the blade free with a smooth motion. Vaelric staggered, his hands clutching at his chest as the heat intensified. His fiery aura sputtered, flickering wildly before it was consumed entirely by the dark energy now coursing through him.
“No…” he gasped, his voice a broken whisper. “No, this can’t…”
But before he could finish the thought, his body erupted in a violent explosion of black and crimson light. The force shattered the stone floor beneath him, sending shockwaves through the chamber.
Vaelric’s final moments were consumed by the searing heat and the realization that he had lost—not just the battle, but everything.