Flaxseed shook his head, every laugh line on his face pulled tight. “No… They are fighting at full tilt. It’s just that fighters of their caliber keep unlocking deeper reserves the longer they clash.”
Jared’s brow furrowed. There has to be a way to halt this or the continent will be ash. He sifted through every tactic knew, none large enough to dam a star.
Another thunderclap rocked the sky, rattling bones and thoughts alike. Both the Fire Demon Lord and the Fire Spirit Lord were blown backward, skidding through the heavens before they steadied themselves on invisible footholds.
The Fire Spirit Lord’s face blanched, a ribbon of blood traced his lower lip, gleaming against golden fire.
Across from him, the Fire Demon Lord fared no better. His dusk-red flames guttered, color dimming as exhaustion finally began to show.
“Hahaha!” the Fire Demon Lord bellowed, his voice cracking like flaming timber. “I see the years have failed to dull your edge, Fire Spirit Lord. Who could have guessed you still burn this bright?”
Despite the boast, his complexion had faded to ashes, yet excitement still blazed in his eyes, savage and childlike all at once.
Fire Spirit Lord wiped the blood from his mouth, eyes narrowing to molten slits. “You’re one to talk, Fire Demon Lord. Years apart, and you’ve climbed higher too.”
“Likewise,” the Fire Demon Lord answered, lips curving into a wicked grin. “But this is only our opening act. Before the final ember dies, you’ll kneel and name me the sole master of flame.”
The dark-crimson fire coating his body surged afresh, pillars of heat twisting the air into quivering glass.
Unwilling to yield, Fire Spirit Lord inhaled once. Golden fire blossomed outward, bright enough to peel color from the sky.
Boom!
The heavens shuddered under the detonation. Their figures blurred and slammed together again, gold and crimson fire clashing mid-air like dueling dragons.
Clang, Clang, clang!
Each collision rang like anvils in a forge, spraying molten sparks across the torn firmament.
Blazing fragments hissed through the void, bright as meteor showers. Crimson and gold wove, crashed, rebounded-a storm of energy ripples that rolled outward in concentric shockwaves.
The surrounding space buckled, walls of reality bending as though moments from tearing. Above, a dark-red vortex widened, its central void yawning larger.
A scream pierced the gale, raw, hopeless, human.
Far off, an entire mountain range cracked, folded, then vanished beneath that wandering shockwave, reduced to drifting dust within a heartbeat. All of level six trembled, each realm quaking like glassware on an overworked table!
More terrifying still, the dark vortex began to feed. Clouds, light. even color itself spiraled inward, swallowed by the growing black hole.
Yuliana’s voice shook. “Are they going to erase this entire sky?”
Aurelius went pale. “It’s just too awful. This isn’t a mortal duel. It’s a war between a god and a demon!”
White-knuckled around staff, Artemis whispered, “If they keep this up, they’ll break every corner of level six…”
Flaxseed shook his head, brow grave. “We have to stop them, or there won’t be a level six left to stand on.”
Onneas stared at the battle, worry clouding his eyes. “But we’re nothing next to monsters like that. How could we intervene?”
Everyone fell silent, knowing Onneas was right, powerless before such titans. Another thunderous blast split the air. The two lords were hurled apart, skidding dozens of steps through the sky before regaining balance.
Both looked worse, Fire Spirit Lord’s face blanched, fresh blood streaking his chin, the Fire Demon Lord’s flames dimmed, his pallor matching porcelain.
