Chapter 198 Ominous
The battlefield trembled beneath the ferocity of Kaelthar and Vahalin's duel, the clashing of their weapons ringing out like the chimes of death.
Sparks erupted with every strike, illuminating the devastated terrain.
Trees once lush with life now stood broken and scorched, victims of stray blows and unleashed elemental energy.
Jagged scars marred the earth, their blades having cleaved through both stone and soil with reckless abandon.
Kaelthar advanced with predatory grace, his sabre an extension of his primal instincts.
Each swing carried the weight of his heritage, a relentless barrage of attacks meant to overwhelm his foe.
Yet, Vahalin held firm, his blade parrying each strike with defiance.
Their movements were a deadly dance, fluid and brutal, as they tested the limits of their endurance and skill.
Kaelthar suddenly shifted, his feet digging into the earth as he unleashed a flurry of strikes, each blow faster and sharper than the last.
Vahalin deflected them with precision, though the force behind each impact pushed him back, his boots carving grooves in the ground.
With a snarl, Kaelthar pivoted, channeling his aura into his sabre, which crackled with condensed lightning.
He lashed out, aiming a downward strike that split the air with a deafening crack.
Vahalin raised his sword just in time, intercepting the electrified blade.
The clash produced a brilliant flash, and a shockwave rippled outward, uprooting nearby trees and sending debris flying in every direction.
Both warriors staggered, their breathing heavy, but neither showed signs of retreat. Instead, they locked eyes, their shared hatred palpable.
"You'll have to do better than that"
Vahalin growled, his voice tinged with mockery despite the blood trickling down his arm from a shallow cut.
Kaelthar smirked.
"And you'll have to stop holding back if you want to survive this"
With a roar, Kaelthar surged forward, his aura blazing with renewed intensity.
His dragon blood stirred, and spectral wings of energy burst forth from his back, glowing faintly in the dim light.
He launched himself skyward with terrifying speed, the wings granting him the mobility of a predator circling its prey.
From above, he descended with his sabre raised high, a tempest of wind and lightning swirling around him.
Vahalin's eyes narrowed as he thrust his blade into the ground.
Roots erupted from the earth, twisting and coiling into a dense barrier of wood and plant life.
Kaelthar's strike collided with the barrier, the resulting explosion tearing through the roots and creating a cloud of splinters and smoke.
As the dust settled, Vahalin emerged unscathed, his blade glowing with verdant energy.
Kaelthar landed gracefully, his wings dissipating as he charged again.
This time, Vahalin met him head on, their blades colliding with such force that the ground beneath them cracked.
They traded blows in rapid succession, the air between them shimmering with residual elemental energy.
Each swing of their weapons was accompanied by a burst of power, Kaelthar's strikes wreathed in lightning, while Vahalin's blade trailed vines that lashed out with every motion.
The battle raged on, their surroundings suffering under the weight of their struggle.
Trees crumbled into ash, and the earth itself seemed to groan beneath their feet.
At one point, Kaelthar unleashed a devastating horizontal slash, the arc of lightning extending from his blade to carve a path of destruction across the battlefield.
Vahalin narrowly evaded the attack, countering with a thrust that sent thorned vines racing toward Kaelthar's legs.
Kaelthar leapt into the air, his movements fluid despite the mounting fatigue.
As he descended, he exhaled sharply, and a low growl rumbled from his chest.
His draconic instincts were taking hold, sharpening his reflexes and lending him an almost feral edge.
He struck again, his sabre cleaving through the vines with ease before bearing down on Vahalin.
The swordsman sidestepped at the last moment, his blade grazing Kaelthar's side in a counterattack that left a shallow but painful gash.
Blood splattered the ground as Kaelthar hissed in pain, though he didn't slow.
Instead, he retaliated with a backhanded swing, forcing Vahalin to retreat.
Both warriors were bleeding now, their bodies riddled with cuts and bruises.
Their breaths came in ragged gasps, and yet they continued, neither willing to yield.
The ground beneath them was stained red, and the air was thick with the acrid scent of blood and ozone.
Each step they took was heavy, their stamina stretched to its limits, but their determination burned brighter than ever.
Kaelthar's eyes glimmered with a dangerous light as he channeled more of his mana into his sabre.
Lightning danced along the blade, crackling with barely contained energy.
He swung in a wide arc, releasing a wave of electricity that scorched the ground as it raced toward Vahalin.
Vahalin responded by raising his free hand, summoning a wall of plants thick with vibrant green leaves.
The lightning struck the barrier, setting it ablaze, but Vahalin used the momentary distraction to close the distance.
His sword glowed with an emerald hue as he slashed at Kaelthar, the strike leaving behind a trail of razor-sharp leaves that sliced through the air.
Kaelthar deflected the attack, though the force behind it sent him stumbling.
His muscles ached, and the cuts on his arms and chest throbbed with every movement.
But he refused to falter.
He stepped forward, delivering a series of swift strikes that forced Vahalin onto the defensive.
The two warriors clashed again and again, their weapons ringing out in a symphony of destruction.
The sounds of their battle echoed across the desolate landscape, a haunting melody of steel and fury.
For a brief moment, the world seemed to hold its breath, the only sound the crackling of flames and the distant crash of falling debris.
Then, with a sudden burst of energy, Vahalin unleashed a new attack.
He drove his blade into the ground, and an explosion of roots and vines erupted around Kaelthar, wrapping around his limbs and holding him in place.
The plants tightened, their thorns digging into his skin as they sought to immobilize him.
Kaelthar roared, his aura flaring with draconic might.
The spectral wings returned, and with a single powerful beat, he broke free from the vines.
He landed a few feet away, his sabre glowing brighter than ever.
"You're persistent"
Kaelthar said, his voice tinged with grudging respect.
"But it won't save you"
"And you're reckless"
Vahalin replied, a smirk playing on his bloodied lips.
"But that's what makes this fun"
They charged at each other once more, their blades meeting in a clash that sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
Dust and debris filled the air as their auras collided, each warrior pushing themselves to the brink.
The fight had become more than a test of skill, it was a contest of wills, a struggle to see who would endure.
As they fought, Kaelthar's movements became more erratic, his draconic instincts driving him to take risks he wouldn't normally consider.
He struck with wild ferocity, his sabre carving through the air in unpredictable patterns.
Vahalin adapted quickly, using his tactical mind to exploit openings and counter with precision.
Despite their injuries, neither showed any sign of giving up.
Their bodies were battered and broken, but their spirits remained unyielding.
The battlefield bore witness to their determination, the land itself scarred by their relentless struggle.
Then, something changed.
Vahalin stepped back, his posture relaxed but his expression unreadable.
Kaelthar narrowed his eyes, sensing a shift in the air.
The winds stilled, and an oppressive silence descended over the battlefield.
Even the remaining champions, who had been watching from a distance, felt an ominous chill run down their spines.
Vahalin raised his sword, his aura darkening as he whispered words too faint to hear.
The ground beneath him trembled, and the air grew heavy with an unexplainable pressure.
Kaelthar's instincts screamed at him to act, but he found himself frozen, his body unable to move.
An ominous feeling crept over Kaelthar and the remaining champions, a foreboding presence that seemed to sap the light from the world.
Whatever Vahalin was preparing, it was beyond anything they had faced before.