"What a moron!" Kyora screamed, frustration and worry overflowing as she watched Elliott take the reins of their fate with reckless determination. The weight of his decision pressed heavily on her, spreading anxiety through every fiber of her being. Their lives, now resting on Elliott's shoulders, felt like a gamble with impossibly high stakes.
Elliott turned, his calm yet daring gaze locking with Kyora's frantic eyes. A lopsided grin stretched across his face, a mix of confidence and mischief. "Heh, don't worry too much, Kyora," he said, his tone light but his resolve firm.
With a flick of his wrist, he drew his sword, the blade humming faintly with static energy. Spinning it through the air in a smooth arc, he caught it effortlessly, the edge glinting in the dim light as he brought it to rest just beneath his chin.
"I'll make sure to win," he declared, his voice steady, brimming with unwavering focus. As he turned to face Celosia, the air around him crackled with tension, the calm before the storm.
Elliott didn't waste another second in idle banter. With a thunderous slam of his foot, he launched himself forward at blinding speed, a streak of silver lightning flashing as he closed the gap between himself and Celosia in an instant.
His sword, gripped tightly in his right hand, arched around his left in a sweeping circular motion, its blade cutting through the air toward Celosia's torso. The strike was sharp, precise, but Celosia met it with effortless precision, her blade rising to parry in a fluid, almost dismissive swing. Sparks erupted from the clash, scattering like fleeting stars between them.
Elliott reacted instantly, his form dissolving into crackling electricity, zipping around her in a loop of jagged light. Reappearing behind her in a burst of static, he wasted no time. With a downward arc, his blade surged with silver lightning, releasing a thunderous blast from its tip as it descended like a bolt from the heavens. The energy slammed down with the force of a waterfall crashing into stone, rippling with pure power.
Celosia, unfazed, moved with unnerving grace. Her blade swept upward in a single, calculated motion, clashing against Elliott's thunder-charged strike. The impact triggered a volatile explosion of energy, not as devastating as Elliott had intended but still strong enough to send him skidding back to a safe distance, his feet dragging along the scorched terrain.
"You've got talent," Celosia remarked, her voice steady and cold, her calm expression unbroken as her blade hummed with latent energy. "Your speed is admirable. But unfortunately for you—" she vanished in a flicker, reappearing just out of Elliott's reach, her blade gleaming ominously, "I'm faster. You're several steps beneath me, boy."
Her tone carried no arrogance, only the chilling certainty of her skill.
"That your way of trying to praise your opponents?" Elliott shot back, his voice laced with determination as he planted his foot firmly into the ground. Sparks of electricity danced at his feet, surging upward like restless serpents. With a sharp inhale, he propelled himself high into the air, leaving a jagged streak of lightning in his wake.
Up above, the sky seemed to tremble under his presence, the charged particles around him rippling with volatile energy. He swung his arms wide, his sword radiating silver light as he shifted into a dive, hurtling toward Celosia like a thunderbolt unleashed from the heavens.
The descent was furious, his blade cutting through the air with a high-pitched whine, but Celosia, ever calm, simply sidestepped, the faintest smirk tugging at her lips. Her movements were effortless, as if she anticipated every beat of Elliott's attack. She strode backward, letting the gust of his landing ruffle her cloak as Elliott touched down with precision.
No time was wasted. Elliott lunged forward, driving his sword into another sweeping arc aimed at Celosia's side. She met his blade with her own, and the impact reverberated through the air with a metallic roar. Sparks erupted where their weapons clashed, raining down like molten stars, but neither warrior faltered.
Elliott pressed his assault, his movements a blend of controlled chaos and sheer speed. Each swing of his sword carried a surge of electricity, crackling and hissing with the promise of destruction. Celosia, however, matched him effortlessly. Her blade flowed like water, deflecting his strikes with impeccable timing. Each clash of steel rang louder than the last, their weapons becoming an orchestra of violence that echoed across the terrain.
They began to move faster, their bodies blurring into motion as they wove in and out of each other's reach. Elliott darted left, slashing horizontally; Celosia leaned back just enough for the blade to skim harmlessly past her. She retaliated with an upward strike, and Elliott parried with a sharp twist of his wrist. The force of the impact drove him back a step, but he surged forward again, electricity coursing through him in wild arcs.
Their blades became a blur, a deadly dance of steel and sparks as they traded strikes at blistering speeds. Celosia's movements were sharp and deliberate, every swing calculated to perfection. Elliott countered with raw energy and agility, spinning on his heel to bring his blade around in a wide arc. Celosia deflected it with ease, the force sending tremors through the ground beneath them.
Then, in a calculated burst of speed, Elliott disengaged, his body transforming into a streak of lightning that zapped through the air, curving behind Celosia in an instant. He reformed above her, flipping midair before landing gracefully at her rear. In one fluid motion, he pivoted on his heel and launched a roundhouse kick aimed squarely at her back.
Celosia, unflinching, ducked under the kick with the grace of a shadow. Her body dipped low, crouching into a fluid roll that brought her beneath Elliott's airborne form. As she spun on the dirt, she extended her leg in a sweeping motion, targeting Elliott's ankles. The force of the sweep struck true, catching him off balance and sending him skidding to the ground.
Elliott hit the dirt hard but recovered with remarkable speed. Planting his palms into the scorched earth, he flipped into a handstand and launched himself into a backflip. The momentum carried him high into the air, where he twisted his body mid-flight into an elegant handspring, soaring further upward like a thunderous arrow before planting his feet firmly on the ground again.
Celosia straightened from her crouch, her purple eyes glowing faintly as she regarded him with the same calm, unreadable expression. "You have some fire in you," she remarked, her voice soft but cutting, "but it will have to take more than sparks to impress."
Irritated by Celosia's unshaken demeanor and casual speech, Elliott clenched his fists around his blade, his teeth grinding in frustration. The sting of his failure cut deeper than her words, but he refused to let it break his resolve.
"If you think that's all I can do, then think again." His voice was sharp, laced with determination as sparks ignited at his feet. In an instant, he was gone, replaced by a streak of silver lightning that zipped across the battlefield.
Elliott reappeared directly in front of Celosia, the suddenness of his movement creating a shockwave that scattered debris in all directions. For a brief moment, their eyes locked—his filled with defiance, hers calm and calculating. Without hesitation, he vanished again, his speed transforming him into a blur. The crackling of electricity echoed as he began to circle her, moving so rapidly that his figure disappeared, leaving only a glowing ring of lightning spiraling around her.
"Hmm," Celosia muttered, her calm gaze tracking the streaks of light surrounding her. "A unique technique..." Her tone was almost dismissive, as if she'd already pieced together his intentions.
The first strike came from her left—a phantom of Elliott materializing out of the ring, his blade slashing horizontally toward her ribs. Celosia tilted her body just enough to let the edge miss her by a hair's breadth, her cloak fluttering in its wake. She spun on her heel, parrying the second strike that came from her right, sparks flying as their blades connected with a metallic screech.
Before she could counter, another phantom emerged behind her, delivering a diagonal slash aimed at her shoulder. Celosia twisted her blade backward in a reverse grip, blocking the attack without even glancing over her shoulder. The force of the clash sent tremors through the ground, but her footing remained solid.
Elliott's silhouettes kept coming, each one an extension of his furious resolve. One struck from above, bringing the blade down like a guillotine. Celosia sidestepped smoothly, the blade grazing the air where she had stood a second earlier. Another appeared low, attempting to sweep her legs with a horizontal slash. She leapt effortlessly over the attack, her cloak swirling like a dark storm as she landed with the grace of a cat.
The ring of lightning intensified, the air growing hotter with each passing second. Elliott's attacks became faster, sharper, and more relentless. A silhouette lunged for her throat, another for her abdomen, then a pair of phantoms struck simultaneously from opposite sides. Celosia's blade moved like a living thing, intercepting each strike with perfect precision. Sparks exploded with every clash, illuminating the battlefield in bursts of silver and purple light.
Elliott pushed harder, the speed of his movement generating a whirlwind of electricity around Celosia. Each silhouette delivered a slice or stab, coming from unpredictable angles in rapid succession. One aimed for her left ankle, another for her right shoulder, and a third for her back, all within the span of a heartbeat. Celosia countered each with a calculated motion, her blade a blur as it blocked, deflected, and parried.
A particularly powerful strike came from above, a downward slash crackling with concentrated energy. Celosia met it head-on, their blades locking in a clash that sent a shockwave rippling outward. The force shattered the earth beneath their feet, creating a crater around them.
"Impressive," she said, her voice steady despite the chaos. "But speed without strategy is nothing more than a fleeting storm."
Elliott gritted his teeth, frustration boiling as he continued his assault. The ring of lightning grew tighter, the air itself seeming to vibrate with tension. The silhouettes attacked in unison now, a barrage of slashes, thrusts, and strikes aimed at overwhelming Celosia. But she remained unshaken, her movements as fluid as water, her blade moving with an almost supernatural grace.
With a final burst of speed, Elliott reappeared above her, his blade charged with silver lightning and aimed straight for her head. Celosia's eyes flashed purple, her calm demeanor giving way to a faint smirk. She raised her blade in a single, precise motion, meeting his strike with devastating force. The impact created a burst of energy that sent Elliott hurtling backward, skidding across the ground before he managed to stop himself.
Breathing heavily, he stared at her, his frustration mingling with awe. She stood in the center of the shattered battlefield, her blade lowered but still radiating power. "You are indeed quick," she admitted, "but not quick enough to catch the storm."
To be continued...