SECOND HERALD

The air was filled with the sound of battle cries and the clash of weapons. I could make out the faint noise of his footsteps from the countless voices resounding throughout the battlefield.

With each step he took, his figure became clearer. His features were sharp and angular, giving him a sharp, otherworldly appearance, and his dark, flowing robes seemed to shift and change as he moved, as if they were made of shadows.

I didn’t know why, but every hair on my body stood on end as he grew nearer. It was as if some primal part of my mind was sensing the danger that he posed. His steps eventually halted as he stood before me, his dark, shimmering eyes fixed on mine. A grin formed on his face, the expression both mocking and triumphant.

"I expected a warm welcome here," he said, his voice low and smooth. "After all, we are old friends, are we not? Nonetheless, it has been a long time since we last met, the Second Herald."

Despite my efforts to appear brave, I was terrified. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I could feel the fear coursing through my veins. "I will not let you get what you came here for," I declared. "I won’t let you do as you please. I will fight until my last breath to stop you.

Not waiting any longer, I prepared for battle. I reached for the hilt of my sword, and as my fingers closed around it, the weapon shimmered to life with a light blue hue. The light pulsed with energy, and I could feel its power coursing through me. I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves. I knew that this would be a fierce and dangerous fight, but I was determined to emerge victorious. I raised the sword in front of me, its blade glowing with an otherworldly light. I met my opponent’s gaze; my eyes were filled with determination. I was ready to fight.

"Very well then, come at me, Herald!"

Blue flames danced around my sword as I slashed in mid-air. A wave of power began rippling through the air and was soon about to reach him. With a swift movement, I thrust forward, not giving him a chance to escape, but he was still standing there as if waiting to be killed.

But soon, with a swift movement, he raised his hand, and the rippling wave slowly began to distort and shrink until I could no longer see it. But I did not falter and closed the distance between us as I plunged forward.

He unsheathed a small dagger and blocked my sword at the correct time. I was not going to back out. I used all my strength, and the flames on the tip of my sword intensified, shearing through the dagger and eventually cutting it in half. I could see the frown on his face as my sword was about to reach it, but I soon felt the distance grow further as he kicked me in the stomach.

My feet slid across the ground, and a cloud of dust rose up around me. I gasped for air, trying to catch my breath. This was not going to be an easy battle.

He looked at me with an astonished expression and exclaimed, "What unwavering resolve!"

I did not want to give him time to retaliate, so I unleashed a flurry of attacks, my sword slashing through the air around a hundred times within a span of just three seconds, painting the air blue. I moved with lightning speed, my sword a blur of motion as I struck at him from every angle. But I could not feel my sword touching his skin, as if something was preventing it from doing so.

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Suddenly, I felt a sensation of being pushed back as the space around my opponent distorted. Before I knew it, I was back in my original position, my attacks having only inflicted a few shallow cuts on his body, with blood seeping from some of them.

"Well done, but it is my turn now," he said as he extended his hand.

As he reached out his hand, a ripple appeared in the air. Something slowly emerged from the ripple, and he grabbed it. The ripple then vanished.

I realised it was a short sword after having a closer look. It was painted in the darkest shade of black from hilt to tip, and it seemed to radiate a sense of malevolence. At the same time, I instinctively raised my sword and simultaneously heard a clanging noise. As I came to my senses, he was nowhere to be seen.

I realised that he was standing in front of me, his short sword aiming straight at my heart. I could feel the sharp point pressing against my blade, and I knew that I had to act fast. I gritted my teeth and pushed back, trying to force him away. If it wasn’t for my instincts, I would be dead right now.

Our swords were locked in a stalemate, the sound of clashing steel ringing through the air. I could feel my muscles straining as I tried to hold him off, but I knew that I couldn’t keep this up for long.

I backed off by jumping backward, and as I did, I slashed my sword through the air, creating a veil of blue flames between us. The flames roared to life, creating a wall of intense heat and light that separated us.

The veil soon diminished, but his figure was nowhere to be seen.

"Don’t hide, you coward! I roared as adrenaline surged within me.

Big cracks started to appear in the ground around me, and I knew he was up to something.

I channelled all of my energy to my feet and leaped into the air, just in time to see the ground collapsing where I stood. I landed, and his figure started to emerge out of thin air in front of me. His gaze met mine.

"It would be a shame to see your talents go to waste," he said, his voice full of conviction. "Won’t you join our cause? Together, we can conquer the world. Why waste your powers fighting for something that will eventually come to pass? The order we represent will endure for all eternity, while the people you fight for will eventually perish. Won’t you join us and make a real difference?"

"Over my grave! I roared with anger.

"Well then, enough playtime. Let’s get this over with. He said

It was time to end this. I could feel the power surging within me, and I knew that I had one final trick up my sleeve.

[2nd Divine Art: Blades of the Heavens]

I closed my eyes and focused all of my energy on the ground, summoning the power of the blue flames that burned within me. The flames erupted from the ground, encircling me in a ring of fire.

They danced and swirled around me in a blur of motion that seemed almost alive. I took a deep breath and stabbed my sword into the ground, the blade sinking deep into the earth. The ground shook with tremendous vibrations, and I could feel the power flowing through me. The circle of flames around me started to expand with each passing second.

As the circle of blue flames around me grew larger and brighter, swords arose from the earth, their bodies glowing with the same blue flames that burned within me. They hovered in the air above me, thousands upon thousands of them, ready to be used against my opponent. I felt a surge of power as I reached out and grabbed one of the weapons, the hilt fitting perfectly in my hand.

I could feel the energy of the flames coursing through my veins, and I knew that this was it. This was the moment I had been waiting for. I looked up at my opponent, my eyes narrowed, and I let out a fierce cry of challenge.

"Splendid! So this is the power of the second Herald! He exclaimed in astonishment.

"To honour you, I shall also use my full strength."

I watched as the air around him started to change, and his true weapon emerged.

"So the shortsword was just for holding back your powers? I smiled

***

Time passed as I fought him tirelessly, the noise of your clashes reverberating throughout the battlefield. After 7 hours, the battle finally ended.

"Fighting you was a memorable experience. I shall remember this battle forever. I could hear his faint voice as I clung to the last of my senses while lying on the ground, defeated and on the verge of death.

Soon afterward, I could see him fulfil the purpose he arrived here for in the first place.

A grin formed on his face as the bright light enveloped the entire world, signalling what was to come next.