Damien and Baran stood motionless, facing each other across the vast chamber. The air crackled with tension, the weight of their clash already pressing down on the space between them.
Baran moved first.
His blade of blue lightning and energy swept toward Damien's throat. Damien raised his daggers to block. The impact sent him skidding backward, his boots carving trenches into the stone floor.
"Fast," Damien admitted.
Baran grinned. "You have no idea."
He attacked again, his sword becoming a blur of azure light. Damien ducked, weaved, and parried, his daggers moving in tight arcs to deflect the onslaught. Each strike carried the weight of a falling mountain. Each blow forced him to give ground.
"Your predecessor was faster," Baran taunted, his voice echoing through the chamber. "Much faster. But you? You hesitate. You doubt."
Damien's eyes narrowed. "I do not doubt anything."
"Then why do you still hold back?"
Baran's blade slammed into Damien's crossed daggers, driving him to one knee. The stone beneath him cracked.
"Show me the power of the Shadow Monarch," Baran snarled. "Show me why I should fear you!"
Damien pushed upward, throwing Baran's blade aside. He spun, his daggers carving toward the demon's chest. Baran leaped back, avoiding the strike by inches.
"You want to fear me?" Damien's voice was cold. "Fine."
He drove both daggers into his own chest.
Shadow energy exploded outward. It wrapped around him like a second skin, dark, living, and pulsing with power. Armor formed around his body. A crown of shadow materialized above his head. A cape of pure darkness flowed from his shoulders. His eyes turned black, depthless and endless.
"Shadow Monarch Form," Damien said.
Baran's grin widened. "There he is."
Damien moved.
He crossed the distance in an instant, his clawed hand aimed at Baran's throat. The Demon King blocked with his sword, but the force of the impact sent him sliding back. Damien pressed the attack, his claws slashing from every angle: high, low, left, and right.
Baran met him blow for blow. His lightning blade crackled with power, each swing leaving trails of blue fire in the air. They clashed across the chamber, their weapons singing against each other.
"You are quicker than you look," Baran admitted, blocking a strike aimed at his ribs. "But speed means nothing when your strikes are so shallow. Ashborn's claws would have carved through my armor by now. What are you even doing? Tickling me?"
Damien's jaw tightened. "I'm getting started."
"Started?" Baran laughed, spinning to deliver a kick to Damien's chest. The blow sent Damien stumbling back. "Ashborn wouldn't have needed to 'get started.' He would have already ended it."
Damien lunged again, his claws reaching for Baran's face. The Demon King tilted his head, avoiding the strike, and brought his knee up into Damien's stomach.
The impact drove the air from Damien's lungs. He crashed to the ground, rolling to his feet just in time to block another strike.
"You rely too much on that agility," Baran observed, his voice dripping with contempt. "Ashborn never danced around like a frightened rabbit. He stood his ground and crushed his enemies."
He swung his sword in a wide arc.
"You are nothing like him."
A wave of blue energy erupted from the blade, forcing Damien to dive aside. The energy struck the far wall, carving a massive gash into the stone.
"Shut the fuck up," Damien growled, rising to his feet.
"Did I strike a nerve?" Baran's grin widened. "The little Shadow Monarch has feelings? How adorable."
Damien vanished.
Baran's eyes darted around the chamber, searching for his opponent. Damien appeared above him, his claws descending like falling stars. Baran raised his sword to block, but Damien was not aiming for him.
He was aiming for the ground.
His claws struck the stone floor, sending a shockwave rippling through the chamber. Baran stumbled, his footing lost. Damien was on him in an instant, his claws carving across the Demon King's chest.
Baran roared in pain. His sword swept upward, forcing Damien back.
"You..." Baran touched the wounds on his chest. Blue blood dripped from his fingers. "You actually drew blood."
"Keep talking," Damien snapped. "Maybe you'll bleed out faster."
Baran laughed, the sound echoing through the chamber.
"Ashborn never talked like that. He was all cold silence and brutal efficiency. You talk like a child trying to sound tough. It is almost... pitiful."
"Pitiful? You motherfucker...You're the one talking all this shit!" Damien's claws extended.
"He would never allow his enemy to taunt him too" added Baran
"FUCK YOU" screamed Damien as Baran laughed
They clashed across the chamber, their weapons singing against each other. Damien's claws carved deep gashes into Baran's armor. Baran's sword left burning trails across Damien's shadow armor. Neither could gain the upper hand.
Baran swung his sword in a wide arc. Damien ducked under it and drove his claws into the Demon King's side. Baran grunted, his hand shooting out to grab Damien's arm.
"You are savage," Baran admitted. "But Ashborn was precise. Every strike had purpose. You flail like a wounded animal."
Damien's eyes blazed. "Again with this Ashborn shit?"
He drove his knee into Baran's stomach, forcing the Demon King to release him. He followed up with a kick to the chest, sending Baran stumbling back.
The Demon King laughed.
"YES!" Baran's eyes blazed. "There it is! The anger! The rage! Now we are getting somewhere!"
Damien pressed his advantage.
His claws became a blur of motion, each strike aimed at a different part of Baran's body. The Demon King parried, dodged, and countered, but he was slowly being pushed back.
"You still hold back," Baran mocked, blocking a strike aimed at his neck. "Afraid to commit? Afraid to fail? Ashborn would never..."
"FUCK YOU AND Ashborn!" Damien screamed.
His claw drove toward the Demon King's throat.
The tip of his finger touched Baran's skin.
Baran's eyes widened. He twisted at the last moment, the claw grazing his neck and drawing a thin line of blue blood.
Damien leaped back, landing in a crouch, breathing hard.
Baran touched his neck. He looked at the blue blood on his fingers. His grin was wild, almost manic.
"Ohh...." His voice was low. "Finally, you hit me like you meant it.....I like it...."
He raised his sword high.
"Fine....I'll treat you...Like you deserve...Kaisellin.....Come"
He whistled.
A massive Wyvern descended from the darkness above, its wings beating, claws extended, and eyes burning with fire. It landed beside Baran, and the Demon King leaped onto its back.
Damien looked up, his shadows coiling around his feet.
Baran's sword crackled with lightning, his eyes burning with a hunger that matched Damien's own.
"Now," Baran said. "Let us make this battle truly epic."
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