DRAITUS
The wind picked up, carrying the distant sounds of reinforcements across the battlefield. Vascronic calmly slid his daggers back into their sheaths before pulling his hood over his head. Even after everything that had happened, his posture remained steady, as if victory was already within reach.
Vascronic: This war isn't over yet. But the next time Gexon thinks about swinging a blade, he'll remember this day.
Gexon: OH, REALLY NOW? YOU'RE TOO COCKY, BOY!
Gexon reached for his fallen blade. The moment his hand wrapped around the hilt, flames burst from the weapon. Fire danced along the steel, turning it a deep crimson as intense heat spread throughout the battlefield. The ground beneath him began to scorch while the air itself shimmered from the temperature.
Gexon: HOW ABOUT ROUND TWO?!
The instant those flames appeared, my consciousness began to return. My eyes slowly opened as a strange sensation coursed through my body. It wasn't the heat itself that caught my attention. It was the feeling that came with it. Something about those flames stirred memories buried deep within me.
What is this feeling? Why am I only regaining consciousness now? Why does the heat from his blade affect me like this? Could it be...
The more I stared at those flames, the more memories resurfaced.
Ever since I was a child, I had been known as the weakest boy in the city. Fighting was never something that came naturally to me. I hated violence, and I never enjoyed hurting others. Unfortunately, that didn't stop others from hurting me. More often than not, I found myself lying on the ground after another beating while the same words echoed in my ears.
"You're a disappointment."
Those words followed me throughout my childhood. While other kids focused on becoming stronger, I spent my time learning. Science fascinated me. The stars fascinated me. I wanted to understand how the universe worked and uncover the secrets hidden within it. What I lacked in strength, I made up for with intelligence. Sadly, that only made me a bigger target. To them, I wasn't smart. I was just a nerd.
Then middle school came, and that's when everything began to change.
That was when I met Vascronic.
At first, I couldn't stand him. The guy had everything. Good looks, athletic ability, intelligence, popularity he excelled at everything he touched. Every teacher praised him, every student respected him, and every girl seemed interested in him. Naturally, when we both decided to run for class president, we became rivals.
Seven students entered the election, but everyone knew the real competition was between us. The teachers judged us based on three categories: leadership, communication, and intelligence. When the results came in, Vascronic and I were tied in leadership. We tied again in communication. The election ultimately came down to intelligence.
No student in the school's history had ever achieved an average of ninety-nine percent. Vascronic shattered that record and amazed the entire school. Yet despite that incredible achievement, there was one thing he couldn't surpass.
My perfect average of one hundred percent.
For the first time, someone had managed to outperform him academically. As a result, I won the election.
Most of the students weren't happy about it.
A few days later, several students caught me alone after school. Before I could react, they surrounded me. The beating that followed was merciless. Blow after blow crashed into me until my vision became blurry and my body refused to respond. As consciousness slowly slipped away, I remember thinking that nobody was coming to help me.
Then he appeared.
Vascronic.
Without a second thought, he drove them away. Afterward, he took me to the hospital and stayed there until I woke up. From that day onward, he was no longer my rival.
He became my best friend.
We studied together, trained together, and pushed one another to become better. Whenever I found myself in trouble, he was always there. Whenever I felt like giving up, he reminded me why I shouldn't. For years, he was the person I could always rely on.
But then everything changed.
The day our city was destroyed remains etched into my memory. Buildings crumbled. Lives vanished. Everything we had known disappeared in a matter of moments. Standing amidst the ruins, I felt more powerless than I ever had in my life.
And worst of all, I thought I had lost Vascronic.
I remember asking myself the same question over and over.
Why?
Why did this have to happen?
The pain I felt that day was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was a sorrow so deep that not even the ocean could contain it. For the first time since childhood, I felt weak again.
My gaze returned to Gexon's burning blade.
Maybe that's why these flames feel so familiar.
They remind me of that day.
They remind me of the helplessness I swore I would never experience again.
And maybe that's why I can't stay down.
Maybe that's why I refuse to let Vascronic face this enemy alone.
From the frightened child I once was to the person standing here now, my entire life has been a journey of growth. Every failure, every humiliation, every painful memory has forced me to evolve into someone stronger than I was before.
So if I'm weak right now...
Then I'll evolve beyond my weakness.
As that realization settled within me, I planted my hand against the ground and slowly rose to my feet. The flames surrounding Gexon's blade reflected in my eyes, but this time they didn't remind me of fear.
They reminded me of what I was fighting for.
And this time, I was ready.
The moment I pushed myself to my feet, another explosion shook the battlefield. My eyes snapped toward Vascronic just in time to see him narrowly evade a massive wave of fire launched from Gexon's sword. The flaming slash tore through the battlefield, carving a burning trench through the earth before erupting into a devastating explosion. Rocks, dirt, and debris were launched into the air as the shockwave swept across the field.
Gexon: WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THAT CONFIDENCE?!
Vascronic didn't answer. Instead, he rushed forward.
The Gloves of Forbidden Magic ignited with blue energy as arcane symbols spread across their surface. The air around his fists distorted as he gathered magical power before unleashing a barrage of strikes. Every punch generated waves of compressed force that crashed into Gexon from multiple directions. For a brief moment, it looked like the attacks had connected. Then the flames exploded outward. The blast consumed everything around Gexon, swallowing the magical attacks before detonating with enough force to send Vascronic skidding across the ground. Before he could recover, Gexon swung his sword. A crescent-shaped wave of fire shot across the battlefield. Vascronic crossed his arms. The Gloves of Forbidden Magic formed a barrier of glowing energy around him. The fire collided with the shield. The shield shattered instantly. The resulting explosion launched Vascronic through several ruined buildings before he crashed into a collapsed wall. My eyes widened. I'd never seen the Gloves of Forbidden Magic fail before. Yet Gexon wasn't finished. The flames surrounding his sword intensified until they resembled a raging inferno.
Gexon: IS THIS REALLY THE BEST THE TWO OF YOU HAVE TO OFFER?!
Vascronic emerged from the rubble and immediately reached for his Daggers of Prosperity. Golden energy surged through the weapons as he vanished from sight. One moment he was standing in the distance. The next he was behind Gexon. The daggers struck dozens of times within a single second. Golden sparks erupted with every impact. Yet something felt wrong. The attacks weren't penetrating. The flames surrounding Gexon acted like armor, absorbing the damage before detonating outward. A massive explosion engulfed the area. The force of the blast threw Vascronic high into the air. One of the daggers slipped from his hand. The other shattered upon impact with the ground. For the first time since I had met him, I saw uncertainty in Vascronic's eyes. Gexon saw it too.
Gexon: PATHETIC.
The flames around his blade swelled.
Gexon: LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT REAL POWER LOOKS LIKE!
He swung downward. A colossal wave of fire surged toward Vascronic. Everything in its path disintegrated. Buildings exploded. The earth split apart. The very air screamed from the heat. Without thinking, I moved. My body shot forward faster than I thought possible. One moment I was standing hundreds of meters away. The next, I was directly between Vascronic and the incoming attack. The wall of fire crashed into me. Then everything exploded. The world vanished beneath an ocean of flames. I expected pain. I expected my body to be torn apart. I expected death. But none of it came. As the smoke slowly cleared, I found myself standing exactly where I had been. Unharmed. My clothes were damaged. The ground beneath me had been reduced to molten rock. Yet my skin wasn't burned. Not even a little. I stared at my hands in confusion.
How...?
I didn't have time to think. Another flaming slash raced toward me. Instinctively, I raised my arms. The attack struck. Another explosion erupted. Again, nothing happened. The flames vanished around me as if they had never existed. Behind me, I heard Vascronic's voice.
Vascronic: Draitus?!
I didn't understand what was happening. All I knew was that Gexon looked confused. For the first time in this battle...
He looked worried.
Gexon: WHAT ARE YOU?
I clenched my fists.
Draitus: I HAVE NO IDEA.
I launched myself forward. The ground shattered beneath my feet. Gexon swung his flaming sword directly at my chest. The blade connected. The explosion that followed engulfed both of us. When the smoke disappeared, I was still standing. My eyes widened. Not even that worked. Before Gexon could react, I drove my fist into his stomach. The impact sent him crashing through several ruined structures. For the first time all battle, Gexon was the one being pushed back. I chased after him relentlessly. Every slash of his sword exploded against my body. Every blast that should have killed me failed. Every attack seemed less effective than the last. I didn't understand why. I only knew that my body kept moving. Kept adapting. Kept enduring. The longer the fight continued, the less his flames affected me. Meanwhile, my strikes became heavier. Faster. Stronger. Gexon stumbled backward. The confidence that had defined him moments ago was gone. In its place was desperation. He raised his sword overhead. The flames around it swelled larger than ever before. Heat flooded the battlefield. The ground began melting. Even the clouds above us glowed orange.
Gexon: IF I CAN'T BURN YOU...
Gexon: THEN I'LL ERASE YOU!
Every ounce of fire surrounding him converged into a single attack. I charged forward anyway. The instant he swung, a blinding inferno erupted toward me. At the same moment, a faint whistle echoed through the air. An arrow. My eyes shifted toward the distant ruins. Standing atop a collapsed tower was Vascronic. His magic-enhanced bow glowed with violet energy. The arrow streaked through the battlefield like lightning. Gexon never saw it coming. The projectile pierced his shoulder. Immediately, purple energy spread throughout his body. Gexon's eyes widened. His sword slipped from his hand. His movements slowed. Then stopped entirely.
Gexon: W-WHAT...?!
The paralysis effect spread through every muscle. I didn't hesitate. Using every ounce of strength I had left, I drove my fist directly into his chest. The impact created a shockwave that echoed throughout the battlefield. Gexon's body launched into the distance before crashing into the ruins far beyond the city. Silence followed. The flames vanished. The heat disappeared.
And for the first time since the battle began...
The warzone was quiet. I slowly turned toward Vascronic. He lowered his bow and smiled.
Vascronic: Took you long enough.
I couldn't help but laugh.
After everything we had just survived, hearing him say that somehow made everything feel normal again. Neither of us understood what had happened to me. Neither of us knew why Gexon's flames had suddenly stopped working. But one thing was certain. We were still aliveAnd together, we had won.