Levi's Perspective:

Immediately, I rushed forward, waves of flames flying across my face as I blitzed through them. Elementals always rely too much on their specialized powers, like Ronan is relying on fire. Fools try to match them in their own domain, but the smarter move is to fight them on your terms. For me, the battlefield bends to the greatest Sword Saint of all time, the wielder of God-Speed.

As I closed the distance between us, I caught a fleeting glimmer in Ronan’s eyes—fear. It vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by an infuriating smirk of amusement. When I got close enough to strike, he conjured a fiery ring around himself, a defensive barrier designed to keep my blade at bay.

I leapt back, assessing his movements. His lips moved in rapid succession—he was already chanting another incantation. This one wasn’t just for defense; it would incinerate anything within seconds. No doubt, Ronan’s mastery over flames is unparalleled, but that’s irrelevant. Against me, such things are mere obstacles.

"Wings of the heavens, grant me swiftness beyond the storm, speed to shatter time's grip!"

My incantation brought the very winds to life. They swirled and coiled under my command, forming a concentrated cyclone aimed at dismantling his fiery barrier. The torrent destabilized the fire’s structure, its chaotic winds depriving the flames of their steady flow. The once-imposing ring began to falter.

Ronan’s voice cut through the roar of the storm, laced with mockery. “Oh, you dare challenge the King of Flames head-on?”

I couldn’t resist smirking. “Nah, I’ll pass on that. I just need to remind you—there’s no throne for you to sit on when I’m around.”

His amusement deepened. “Is that all you’ve got, Sword Saint? Pathetic.”

He wasted no time unleashing another spell.

“Ancient pyres, awaken and roar! Forge a fortress of searing wrath, devour the storm, and consume all who oppose!”

The ground beneath us cracked, molten veins glowing as flames erupted into a towering inferno. The fiery dome engulfed Ronan entirely, its heat oppressive even from my distance. My wind magic collided with the blazing barrier, but instead of dispersing it, the flames retaliated with ferocity, feeding off the oxygen and surging outward.

Ronan’s taunt carried through the roaring fire. “Bold words from a dead man walking. Once I’m finished, they won’t even remember your name.”

I exhaled sharply, steadying my grip on my sword. Overconfidence. I’ve seen so many crumble beneath its weight. But I’m no stranger to it myself. The difference? I never lose.

"Shadows eternal, drown the sun. Smother the blaze and cloak the world in endless night!"

Darkness crept across the battlefield, devouring the light with an oppressive shroud. The dome of flames flickered, struggling against the sudden absence of illumination. Shadows moved and thickened, enveloping everything in their path.

In the cover of darkness, I became a phantom. A blur of motion, barely discernible, weaving through the fiery layers. A tendril of shadow slithered toward Ronan as I emerged behind him, my voice low and taunting.

"From darkness, bind! Let your shadow betray you and hold you still!"

Shadowy chains erupted from the ground, coiling around Ronan’s limbs. His fiery dome wavered as his control faltered. Before he could react, I closed the gap, my blade poised to strike.

“Your fire burns bright, but even the brightest flame casts a shadow. And shadows… belong to me.”

But Ronan was not so easily undone. His voice rang out, steady and defiant.

“Burn brighter, flames of creation! Light the heavens and banish the abyss!”

The battlefield exploded into radiance. The oppressive shadows hissed and shrank, consumed by a blinding inferno. The brilliance forced me to retreat, my eyes narrowing against the onslaught of light.

Still, I moved swiftly, God-Speed reducing me to a streak of motion. Flames erupted in chaotic bursts, but I darted through them, closing the gap once more. Ronan’s smirk returned, sharper this time.

“Flames, heed my call! Ignite the ground and consume all who dare approach!”

The earth beneath us ignited, a tempest of fire that turned every step into a perilous gamble. My speed worked against me as I struggled to navigate the flaming terrain. Each misstep cost me precious momentum.

Ronan seized the moment, his voice rising in a triumphant roar.

“Rise from ash, eternal fire! Purge the darkness and bring forth renewal!”

The shadowy chains disintegrated in a blaze of golden fire. A colossal wave of flames erupted, engulfing the battlefield. I was forced to retreat further, the inferno consuming every shadow and leaving no refuge.

When the fiery dome finally shattered, only Ronan and I remained, standing amidst the scorched wasteland. Not a single blow had landed on either of us. Our battle was a relentless cycle of attack, defense, and adaptation.

I hated to admit it, but we were evenly matched.

Ronan’s eyes locked onto mine, his voice dripping with mockery.

“What’s the matter, Levi? Is that confidence slipping? I thought you were untouchable.”

I met his gaze, my tone cold and unwavering.

“Enjoy your little moment. It’ll make your defeat that much more humiliating.” I said looking at him with a death stare.

“Enjoy it while you can, Levi. I’ll strip you of your God-Speed, your gifts—until there’s nothing left. And then, I’ll kill what’s left of you.”

I smirked, my grip tightening on my sword. “I don’t need my talents to kill someone like you, Ronan. You were always beneath me.”

His chanting resumed, a new spell taking shape. I braced myself, knowing full well that he was about to exceed my expectations.

Ronan raised his hands high, and hundreds of searing, needle-like Flame Lances shot into the sky. They hovered for a brief moment, reflecting the blazing light across the battlefield, before descending like a fiery rainstorm—not directly at me, but in a wide, suffocating area. His aim wasn’t precision; it was containment. He was boxing me in, limiting my movements.

"Clever," I thought, dodging left and right, each motion powered by my Godspeed. The world blurred around me, the afterimages of my shadowed form zigzagging through the chaos. Yet as I moved, weaving closer with every step, I realized his strategy wasn’t just to trap me but to keep me controlled in his firestorm.

He thinks he can wear me down. Laughable.

As I closed the distance, Ronan’s grin widened. He slammed his hands into the ground, and from beneath my feet erupted Infernal Pyres—pillars of fire that turned the earth itself into his weapon. The dual assault of Flame Lances and Pyres created a gridlock of lethal flame. My feet barely found purchase between bursts of searing heat, but I adapted, my instincts sharpening with every evasive step. My movements became a blur, trails of shadow weaving through the fiery maze.

But his grin only deepened.

Ronan’s palms met the ground again, summoning Ember Chains. They burrowed deep beneath the battlefield before erupting in glowing, red-hot lines that traced toward me. I landed for just a fraction of a second, and the chains shot up, locking onto my shadow—not my body. Heat radiated from them, weakening my connection to the shadows and dulling my mobility.

I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling. He’s controlling the flow of the battle. I’m adapting, but he’s already thinking five steps ahead. Does he think strategy alone can defeat me? The Sword Saint of Godspeed?

I countered, unleashing a barrage of Shadow Spears and conjuring whirlwinds of darkness. The spears struck fast, aiming to pierce through his relentless defenses, while the whirlwinds twisted toward him, threatening to engulf him. But Ronan was prepared. He summoned Flame Aegis, a rotating shield of fire that absorbed and redirected my attacks.

As I moved in for close combat, intent on turning the tide, Ronan revealed another trick up his sleeve. He detonated the Ember Chains, releasing a blinding ember fog—a superheated, luminous mist that burned my skin and robbed me of sight. Even my Godspeed faltered, my steps momentarily unsure as the glowing inferno swallowed my vision.

"Dirty tricks," I muttered under my breath, quickly casting healing magic to stave off the burns and refocus my mind.

"The King of Flames resorts to traps and gambits. How... predictable."

Amid the chaos, his voice echoed, clear and mocking.

“Ashes to fire, wings take flight, Burn the veil, reveal the light. Rise anew, Phoenix Mirage!”

Dozens of fiery phoenixes erupted into existence. Each bird moved independently, their wings leaving explosive trails of fire. I dodged and weaved, using shadow portals to evade their relentless pursuit, but they adapted, colliding with the portals and detonating, collapsing my escape routes. They forced me into the open.

I was beginning to feel it now—fatigue seeping into my muscles, sweat stinging the burns on my skin. His plan was clear: to weaken me, pin me down, and leave me vulnerable.

Then I heard his voice again, mockery dripping from every word.

“Witness the end, as suns collide, Your world burns, and none can hide. By flame’s decree, all shall perish—Sunfire Annihilation!”

The air itself seemed to tremble as he condensed every ounce of fire magic into a miniature sun above the battlefield. The heat was unbearable, melting the obsidian spires around us and evaporating the shadows I commanded. My connection to them wavered under the sheer intensity of his magic.

I gritted my teeth. "Is this all he has? Overwhelming force? It doesn’t matter. I’ll cut through it."

I activated Godspeed, charging straight for him, my blade gleaming with shadow energy. If I could reach him before the sun detonated, I could end this. But he wasn’t finished. Ronan summoned Pyric Clones, fiery decoys that exploded upon contact. They slowed my advance, each blast throwing me off balance. Still, I pressed on, each step fueled by defiance.

Just as I closed the distance, the miniature sun exploded in a controlled, focused beam of solar fire. The blast engulfed me, a torrent of light and heat that scorched the battlefield. The ground beneath me turned to molten slag, the air seared my lungs, and even my shadows quivered, barely clinging to existence.

I emerged from the inferno, battered but standing. My body flickered, unstable within the fragments of shadow that clung to me like a tattered cloak. Godspeed had carried me clear of the worst of it, but not before the flames had left their mark. My skin burned, my muscles ached, and my magic felt dulled, battered by the relentless assault.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

As the light faded, I surveyed the battlefield. What had once been jagged terrain was now a molten wasteland, steam rising from the cracks. At the center stood Ronan, his clothes in tatters, smoke curling from his body, but his aura burned as fiercely as ever. He locked eyes with me, his smirk sharp and unrelenting.

“Still alive, huh?” His voice cut through the haze, calm but laced with challenge. “Then let’s turn up the heat.”

I staggered back a step, my lips curling into a smirk of my own. "You’ve got me good," I admitted, my voice low but steady.

“You’re fading, Levi,” he taunted, flames dancing in his hands. “You’ve got nowhere left to run.”

I chuckled, wiping a trail of blood from the corner of my mouth. "Is that what you think? Disappointing, Ronan. You’ve yet to understand. I don’t run. I adapt. And now, it’s your turn to burn."

I let the shadows weaken even more, faltering in places, making my movements seem sluggish. My heart beat faster, but it wasn’t from fear—it was from control. Every beat was deliberate, every motion calculated. Ronan’s eyes narrowed, and I caught the flicker of flames in them.

He was reading me, trying to predict my next move. I almost admired his focus, his precision, but that fleeting thought was drowned in the tide of my strategy. He was waiting for the perfect moment to strike—the moment I was most vulnerable.

And that was exactly what I wanted.

He lunged forward, flames surging in a wave so intense I could feel its heat before it even reached me. My skin prickled, not from fear, but from anticipation. Ronan’s fire spread wide, closing me in, trying to push me into a corner. Clever, but predictable. He thought he could overwhelm me, force me to submit under the sheer force of his magic.

But I had already seen this coming.

I let him close the distance, allowing his flames to feel the edge of my shadow. My shadow thinned, almost evaporating under the pressure, but it was a feint. I had planted the seed of deception long before he’d even started his attack—a false image of myself, seamlessly woven into the battlefield’s darkness. It stood there, solid and convincing, waiting to take the hit.

Ronan’s flames struck, obliterating the illusion in an inferno of destruction. For a split second, his eyes lit up with triumph. He thought he had me.

And that’s when I dropped the act.

With a flick of my hand, the shadows surged. They rose like serpents, silent and precise, forming chains that wrapped around his legs and locked him in place. His instincts screamed at him to move, to pull away, but the real trick was already in motion.

His arrogance had blinded him, made him predictable. I didn’t need speed, mana or any one of my gifts. All I needed was for him to believe he was winning—until the moment he realized he wasn’t.

He thinks he’s the king. But in truth, he’s just another piece on my board.

The chains didn’t hold him for long. That wasn’t their purpose. They were a distraction, a means to make him focus on the wrong threat. As his flames clashed with the shadows, I stepped into the abyss, vanishing into the folds of my magic. The battlefield twisted around me, the darkness bending to my will. He couldn’t track me, not in time.

When I reappeared, I was right behind him, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his magic. The shadows wrapped around me like a second skin, feeding into my power. This was the endgame.

“You know, Ronan,” I said, my voice laced with mockery, “you’re almost too predictable. So much power, and yet, your greatest weakness is your pride.”

He whipped around, his flames roaring to life, but it was too late. His movements were sluggish, his focus fractured. The moment of realization flickered across his face, a crack in his confidence.

Good. Let that doubt fester. Let it grow.

I twisted my hand, and the shadows beneath him surged upward. They latched onto the flames he’d so recklessly unleashed, twisting and redirecting their energy. The inferno became a weapon against its master, folding in on itself in a violent feedback loop. His magic spiraled out of control, the flames turning wild and uncontained.

“Burnout, Ronan,” I whispered, watching as his face twisted with desperation. His own power was consuming him, choking him. Every attempt to fight back only made it worse, accelerating the backlash.

I stepped back, letting the scene unfold. It wasn’t speed or brute force that had won me this battle. It was his own ego. He had underestimated me, believed in his superiority until the very end.

“You really thought I was weak?” I laughed, the sound echoing in the burned remnants of the battlefield. “Pathetic.”

Ronan growled, his grin faltering. He clenched his fists, flames still flickering weakly around his fingertips. “You’ll regret this, Levi. I’ll burn you down to nothing.”

I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “You really think you can kill me?” My voice was calm, almost cold. “You’ve been trying for how long now? Minutes? Hours?”

He grit his teeth, his anger boiling over. “You don’t get it, do you?” He stepped forward, the ground cracking under the weight of his remaining power. “I’m the king in this fight. I’ve been holding back, toying with you. I’ll crush you like the insect you are.”

I stared at him, unblinking. His words were hollow, his posture desperate. “The king?” I echoed with a soft chuckle, shadows flickering around me in amusement. “You’re not even close. I’m not some stray that can be burned away by your flames.”

His flames roared to life once more, the intensity of his magic forcing the air to vibrate. “You’re a coward, hiding behind shadows! You don’t even know what it means to fight for real!”

I smirked, stepping closer, my movements deliberate. “Fighting for real?” I asked, my tone dripping with disdain. “Is that what you call this? Throwing everything you have without a single thought?” I stopped just out of his reach, tilting my head slightly.

"No, Ronan. That’s not strength—that’s desperation. You’re not trying to win; you’re just trying not to die. And that’s pathetic."

His eyes narrowed, flames crackling around him like a storm. He raised his hand, shouting, “Inferno Calamitas!”

The world seemed to warp. The air grew unbearably hot, the ground splitting under the force of his magic. Flames erupted, towering columns of fire twisting skyward. The battlefield was consumed in an inferno, everything within its reach disintegrating into ash.

But I didn’t move. I didn’t even blink.

Raising my hand, I let the shadows rise. They spread like ink, devouring the light and smothering the flames. The air chilled, the oppressive heat vanishing as my magic consumed his.

“Umbra Dominatus,” I whispered. The words carried weight, a command that the shadows obeyed without hesitation.

The battlefield was plunged into darkness. And in that moment, Ronan’s flames were extinguished—not by brute force, but by the overwhelming precision of my strategy.

“Checkmate,” I muttered, my voice barely audible over the silence that followed. The king had fallen, and the battle was mine.

The ground trembled beneath us—subtle at first, like a distant whisper. But then the tremors became violent, shaking the earth as if the world itself were being torn apart. My focus wavered for the briefest moment. The shadow tendrils I had unleashed paused mid-strike, and Ronan’s inferno hesitated as if caught in an unseen current.

A deafening crack echoed through the battlefield, the sound of the earth splitting open beneath our feet. Massive fissures snaked across the charred ground, radiating outward as something colossal surged upward from the depths. The temperature around us shifted violently, swinging between suffocating heat and bone-chilling cold.

I staggered back, planting my feet firmly as the chaos unfolded. My mind raced, trying to comprehend what was happening. Before I could react, a primal roar erupted, shattering the air and sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. It was a sound so raw, so ancient, that it seemed to claw at the very fabric of existence.

Then, I saw it.

An enormous beast burst forth from the ground, a hulking mass of dark, chitinous armor and shifting tendrils. Its serpentine body stretched impossibly far, vanishing into the newly formed chasms it had created. Jagged spikes lined its frame, each one glinting like a blade ready to carve through anything in its path. Its glowing eyes—pools of eerie, unnatural light—locked onto us with an intelligence that sent a chill down my spine.

This was no ordinary beast. This was Leviathan, a creature of legend that had roamed the depths for over 200 years.

It moved with a dreadful grace, its massive form coiling and twisting as though it were one with the earth itself. The air grew heavy with its presence, an oppressive weight that made it hard to breathe. As its colossal body loomed over us, it let out another roar, the sound so deafening that it drowned out the world.

The combined force of our attacks—my shadows and Ronan’s flames—was nothing to it. The Leviathan absorbed the impact with ease, its armor deflecting the destruction like raindrops on stone. The ground around us buckled and fractured further, yet the beast stood unyielding, a living embodiment of annihilation.

For a moment, I could only stare. The sheer scale of it, the sheer impossibility of it, left me stunned. And then, as if to mock us, the Leviathan began to sink back into the earth. Its monstrous form vanished into the shadows, leaving behind only destruction and an ominous silence.

But the air didn’t clear. The tension didn’t fade. Something lingered—a presence even more unsettling than the Leviathan itself.

Then, I saw it.

A figure emerged from the haze, stepping forward with an unnerving calm. The shadows clung to them like a second skin, a cloak of darkness that seemed to shift and writhe with a life of its own. The air grew colder, the oppressive silence broken only by the faint whisper of wind.

“Greetings, mortals.”

image [https://i.imgur.com/UyGJ6FX.png]

The voice was cold and detached, carrying an air of authority that demanded attention. I didn’t flinch. I’d been through too much to be rattled by a voice. But there was something about it, something that gnawed at the edges of my mind, making me uneasy.

Ronan, ever the hothead, didn’t hesitate to respond. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” His flames flared to life, crackling around him like a living thing.

“And here I thought this fight was going to be interesting. Now we’ve got this overgrown lizard playing savior.”

I allowed myself a smirk, masking my irritation. “Oh, I thought you were the hero here, Ronan. A little too much fire for your own good, aren’t you?” I tilted my head, my shadows curling lazily around me.

“But yeah, I agree. This thing has ruined our fun.”

The figure stepped closer, their movements deliberate and precise. As they approached, the shadows peeled away just enough to reveal a face—cold, angular, and devoid of emotion. Their eyes burned with an unsettling light, not unlike the Leviathan’s. This wasn’t a monster or human. It was something else entirely.

“I am the Silent Executioner,” it said, its voice sharp as a blade. “A follower of the Cult of Nemisis. My purpose is simple: to take control of your bodies, your minds, and use you to fulfill the will of the Cult.”

Control? The word sent a jolt through me. I’d fought many enemies, faced countless threats, but this... this was different. This wasn’t just a fight for survival. This was a battle for our very existence.

Ronan’s flames burned hotter, his frustration spilling over. “You think you can control us?” he snarled, stepping forward. “You’ve got another thing coming. We don’t bow to anyone, and certainly not to some shadow-worshipping freak like you.”

I remained still, my mind racing. The Silent Executioner’s presence was unnerving, but it wasn’t unbeatable. I could feel the shadows around me, their cold embrace a reminder of my strength. This thing thought it could bend us to its will, but it didn’t know who it was dealing with.

“Well, well, well,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “A little late for the show, don’t you think? We were just getting to the good part. Or maybe you like interrupting people when they’re having fun.”

The Silent Executioner didn’t respond immediately. Instead, it stared at us, its eyes piercing through the air like daggers. When it finally spoke, its words were a quiet promise of pain.

“You will bow,” it said, its tone devoid of doubt. “It is not a matter of if, but when. The Cult of Nemisis does not kill. We reshape. We remake. And you... will serve us.”

I took a step forward, letting my shadows coil tighter around me. “You think you can reshape me?” I said, my voice calm but edged with defiance. “I don’t bend for anyone, least of all some pretentious cultist.”

Ronan chuckled darkly beside me, his flames surging with renewed intensity. “Yeah, you’re about to regret stepping between us, insect. You’ve just signed your own death sentence.”

The Silent Executioner’s gaze didn’t waver. It only smiled, a twisted grin that sent a shiver down my spine.

“You will regret resisting,” it said, its voice as cold as the void. “But that is how it always is with those who defy us. You will learn. In time.”

I met its gaze, my smirk returning. This thing thought it could intimidate us, thought it could control us. But it didn’t understand. I’d faced death before. I’d stared into the abyss and come out stronger.

“Try it,” I said, my shadows flaring around me. “See how far you get. I’ll enjoy tearing you apart.”

Celia's Perspective:

Wait… what’s going on now?!

I thought it was just Levi and Ronan fighting, but now… what is that creature? It called itself the Silent Executioner…?

Its voice… cold and empty, as if it spoke from a void, not a being. The weight of its presence alone made my knees tremble. And that centipede—where did it come from?! It’s massive, unnatural, grotesque, its countless legs clicking against the ground like a storm of knives. It blocked all of their attacks effortlessly, almost mocking their struggle.

Why? Why was this happening all of a sudden? Everything feels like it’s unraveling.

Kiel and I had made it far enough to avoid the chaos of their fight. I even managed to drag Kaiser with me. He was still unconscious, thank the heavens. I don’t know what he would do if he saw this. No, I don’t want to imagine it. Not now.

Still… my heart aches seeing him like this. Seeing my friend—someone I’ve known for so short yet caring, someone who always seemed untouchable—in such pain and such a horrible condition. His body… It’s like he’s teetering on the edge of something I can’t comprehend. Kiel tried to heal him, to do something, anything, but even he was drained. His magic wouldn’t respond, and he needed time to regain his cursed energy.

Time… The one thing we don’t have.

My thoughts are a storm of panic. What if Kaiser doesn’t wake up? What if Levi can’t defeat Ronan? And that creature? The Silent Executioner… what even is it? Its very name chills me to the bone, and I can’t shake the feeling that it’s something beyond any of us.

I’m scared. For Levi. For Kiel. For Kaiser. For myself. I wish I was stronger. I wish I could help him. Help all of them. But right now, all I can do is stand here and hope, pray, that Levi will come out of this unharmed. That’s all I can do. Isn’t it?

When I glance back at the battlefield, I see them. Ronan and Levi—enemies just moments ago—are now standing side by side, their weapons and magic raised. The Silent Executioner looms before them, a harbinger of doom.

It’s like something out of a nightmare, its form shrouded in shadowy mist, its eyes glowing like embers in the dark. They’re readying for another fight, their last stand against this thing. I want to call out to Levi, tell him to be careful, but my voice catches in my throat. What would I even say? He already knows.

It’s now or never. One last time to change the fate of everyone here. I can only watch.

Kaiser… He’s still lying there, motionless. Or… was he? I blink, and for a moment, I think I see his fingers twitch. Just a little. Was I imagining it? No, it was real. My heart races. Is he waking up?

But then… something feels wrong. There’s a tension in the air around him, like the calm before a storm. I crouch beside him, hesitating to touch him, afraid of what might happen. His face is pale, his breaths shallow, but there’s something else. A fire burning inside him. I can’t explain it. It’s not desperation. It’s not regret. It’s something darker. Something I don’t understand.

Disgust.