Amy’s new power posed a lot of problems for me. I could easily keep up before, but now I was struggling.

Amy used powerful magic, so I realized,

“I need to use my trump card this early.”

Unlike Dallel, Amy was still in the realm of mortals when she evolved, so my power would work. My trump card that I kept hidden. I learned magic through the shackle against gods.

“FLAME SWORD.”

I summoned flame to my sword, and we clashed. Amy’s eyes widened as she realized I hid it, planning on surprising Celios or Ausar with it.

“You are smart, but it won’t be enough.”

Despite her words, I was stronger. I pushed down her sword and slashed at her stomach.

She barely dodged and realized that I had reached S in power.

“Impossible.”

I increased in speed and battled ferociously, but Amy, by evolving, also reached S in power.

“To think. You were ahead of us this whole time.”

We clashed again and again. More injuries appearing on each one of us. The gods, who thought that the battle was decided when Amy evolved, realized that I still held a chance.

“Impossible, there is no way that an unevolved could even stand against an evolved.”

Thalia smiled.

“Please, Asura could beat them, and he isn’t evolved.”

Asura nodded.

“I didn’t even know that humans could evolve, but now that I do, I’mma try for it.”

Amy struck at me while I was distracted, but I narrowly dodged.

Amy was open, so I struck. I jabbed her stomach with my fist, and she flew back and crashed against the barrier.

Then, when I felt like I won, I heard Amy.

“I see now. Divinity stretches across the whole world. What if I grabbed it?”

She had the divine aspect. Her injuries disappeared and she stood up.

“I can win now, Amanda.”

I smiled and she did too.

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We both picked up speed as now we fought at full strength.

The divine aspect came to me as easily as breathing before I had the restraint, so I knew how strong she was for the moment.

Amy realized that I still maintained the advantage and struck to win before I could, but I leapt back.

“FIRESTORM!!!”

My power raged and struck her full power. A meteorite crushed her, but she threw it off and continued to attack.

She shot and shot.

I narrowly dodged with my unpredictable movements, then I slashed at her. The attack would either land and hurt her severely, or I’d miss and be opened up to an assault.

It was both.

My blade cut into her arm, but her’s cut into my stomach.

I coughed out blood, before launching back, cringing at the pain.

She took the advantage and shot, but I was ready.

“Fire ward!”

It blocked the arrow, but Amy wasn’t too far behind.

She kicked through the barrier and slashed my arm off. We all knew that the healers could heal short of death, so she didn’t hold back.

I slashed at her, making her block so I could get more space. I realized I needed to use my strongest attack under the restraint, but because of the restraint, it made me have to spend time to set it up, but I started the incantation.

“Flame of Oblivion, hear my call. Take your power and lend it to me.”

Amy heard me and tried attacking, but Kala took control of my body as I chanted, so I could dodge.

“I seek the Flame’s only ruler. Greater than the forge. Greater than the flaming mountains.”

“I can’t let you-“

“ETERNAL FLAME!!!”

A spell that even Thalia would be hard-pressed to cast was used.

Flames burst from thin air and wrapped around me. For as long as I used the spell, I would be burnt more and more.

“AMANDA!!!”

I launched at her and melted her blade while kicking her.

“We are still in a duel. Focus Amy, or I will win.”

Amy realized that the time for playing was over, and she struck at me with all of her might.

I struck at her with all of my might.

She imbued herself with the divine magic and struck with all of her power. Using it began to tear her apart.

The announcer understood what was happening.

“PEOPLE. WHOEVER WINS THIS NEXT CLASH WILL BE THE VICTOR!!!”

The gods all nodded, because they knew how much life force we extended to empower these moves.

Then our powers collided.

Across the world the clash was felt.

The shield collapsed and Thalia made a new one.

The ground beneath us shook before shattering.

The city shook.

And at the end of it. A single woman was standing. No one could identify who it was.

Then the smoke cleared, and I stood with charred skin and virtually useless armor. Amy was unconscious on the other side of the arena.

“I guess I did win after all.”

I said before my right leg dissolved to ash, and I collapsed.

_

I looked in shock at the battle and I heard Celios.

“So, that’s why Kala was scared of the other world.”

“What do you mean?”

“Even evolved beings usually take thousands of years to manifest the divine aspect, but she developed it right after evolving.”

“Though, Amanda is perhaps more terrifying.”

“Agreed, her growth is that great. And to think that in less than a month, she had mastered the fire aspect.”

This was very shocking. Both Amanda and Amy had become transcendent in only a month.

The announcer was very enthusiastic.

“THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!!! If these two were on the opposite side of each other on the board than I have no doubt that this would have been the finals fight. Both of them showed so much strength that I can barely believe that they are human. That fight was reminiscent of the battle between Rose and Saliad at the last tournament.”

The people cheered.

“Now, unfortunately, we will have to wait until tomorrow for the battle between Celios and Ausar.”

The people were sad but understood the level of power that was just used.

Ausar turned to Celios with wide eyes.

“I don’t care who they think won that. We aren’t winning against either of them.”

Celios nodded.

“I’ll have to use a lot of trickery to beat Amanda.”

I nodded.

“She definitely surpassed my expectations.”