Fallen and battered, Elliott lay motionless on the ground, the weight of his defeat pressing heavily on him. Though his body screamed for rest, his heart refused to let go of the fight. The faces of his friends flashed through his mind, each one a reminder of what was at stake. Despite the crushing reality of his failure, he refused to accept it as the end.
"Never... I never show any progress of getting stronger," he whispered through clenched teeth, his voice cracking under the strain of despair. His mind replayed a moment he couldn't forget—a trip to a distant village, where he stood powerless, unable to protect someone dear to him. The memory stabbed at him, fueling his frustration and resolve. "I went to that village with her, and I couldn't..."
His legs trembled as they moved on their own, pulling him upright. First to a crouch, then to his knees, and finally to his feet. Behind Celosia, Elliott stood once more, wavering but resolute.
He wiped the blood dripping from his brow, though more continued to trickle down his arms, pooling at his fingertips before falling in splashes onto the searing ground. The heat turned each droplet into vapor almost instantly, but Elliott barely noticed. His focus was on his resolve.
"It's been so long since I've seen them again," he murmured, his voice steadying as he stared at Celosia's back. He gripped his blade tightly, ignoring the pain that burned through every inch of his body. "I shouldn't have to leave them to become stronger. They're my strength. I just know I can end this... and save them for once in my life."
His breathing slowed, his determination crystallizing into an unshakable will. Lightning began crackling faintly around him, growing stronger with every second. His voice rang out with defiance, his words cutting through the heavy silence.
"And I WILL."
Elliott steadied his body, inhaling deeply through his nose and exhaling through his mouth in a slow, deliberate rhythm. Each breath brought clarity, his chaotic emotions settling into a razor-sharp focus. His chest rose and fell methodically, the air sweeping out from the corners of his lips as he shut his eyes, blocking out the world around him.
In the darkness of his mind, faint silhouettes flickered—shapes and figures forged from his memories, instincts, and raw determination. Slowly, the iconic purple lightning around him stirred to life once more, faint streaks crackling across his body. His thoughts, previously scattered, honed in on a single, unwavering mantra: I can still stand. I can still fight.
With deliberate precision, Elliott dragged his blade in a slow arc around his body, the steel whispering against the air. Tiny sparks of purple electricity danced along its edge, faint at first, but steadily building in intensity. The weapon began to hum with power, vibrating in his grip as the surge of energy extended, wrapping the blade in a sheath of brilliant, crackling lightning.
His eyes opened, glowing with an intense purple hue that pierced through the shifting atmosphere. The surge of his newfound strength rippled outward, the air around him crackling with static. The ground beneath him trembled as the current coursed through his veins, radiating an overwhelming presence that was impossible to ignore.
Celosia, mid-step, halted and turned, her stoic gaze falling upon him. The subtle shift in the air had not gone unnoticed, and she immediately recognized the change. For the first time, her expression flickered—not with fear, but with curiosity and faint acknowledgment.
"So," she began, her voice calm yet laced with intrigue, "like the true masters of lightning spirituality, you possess its ascended level. And yet..." She tilted her head slightly, her tone almost teasing, "you chose to conceal it, even while being tossed around like a ragdoll?"
Her words were a calculated probe, an attempt to gauge his resolve and the depths of his newfound power. She studied him carefully, her sharp eyes analyzing every detail of his stance and aura. "Interesting. Let's see if your awakening changes anything... or if it's just a flash before the end."
The air between them was electrified, an invisible tension crackling with anticipation as Elliott's newfound power surged outward in waves. Celosia's calm demeanor gave way to a more serious expression, her fingers tightening slightly around the hilt of her blade. With a subtle shift in her stance, her body mirrored Elliott's determination. This wasn't going to be another one-sided bout—this was a true clash.
Without a word, Elliott vanished in a streak of purple lightning, closing the gap between them in the blink of an eye. His blade arced down in a vicious slash aimed at Celosia's shoulder. She met it head-on, her blade flashing upward in a perfectly timed parry, the clash of steel sending a thunderous shockwave rippling through the terrain.
Their swords rebounded with a shriek of metal, and Elliott twisted his body, spinning into a low, sweeping slash aimed at her legs. Celosia leapt effortlessly over the attack, flipping in mid-air and coming down with her blade slicing in a diagonal strike. Elliott raised his sword just in time, their blades grinding against each other as sparks flew from the clash.
They pushed against one another, the sheer force of their locked weapons creating a pulse of energy that blasted debris outward. Elliott broke the deadlock by flicking his blade upward and sidestepping with blinding speed, attempting to circle behind Celosia. She pivoted on her heel, predicting his movement, and slashed horizontally at his midsection.
Elliott ducked under the strike, his body zapping into lightning momentarily as he reappeared at her side. He thrust his blade toward her ribs, but Celosia spun her weapon in a circular motion, deflecting the attack with a ringing clang. She countered immediately, aiming a swift upward slash at his chest.
Elliott leaned back, his torso arching like a bow, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike. In the same motion, he whipped his blade upward, forcing Celosia to deflect again, her movements just as fast and precise as his.
The terrain beneath their feet cracked and split from the sheer intensity of their movements. Both fighters moved like storms unleashed, their silhouettes blurring with the speed of their strikes. Celosia surged forward, her blade a blur of silver and purple lightning as she unleashed a rapid series of slashes.
Elliott met each strike with equal ferocity, parrying the first, sidestepping the second, and countering the third with a powerful thrust aimed at her shoulder. Celosia twisted her body at an impossible angle, dodging the thrust, and retaliated with a spinning backslash aimed at Elliott's neck.
He ducked under the strike and launched himself backward, gaining some distance. Without missing a beat, he surged forward again, his blade glowing with charged energy. He swung in a wide arc, releasing a crescent-shaped bolt of lightning toward her.
Celosia didn't flinch. With a single, fluid motion, she raised her blade and split the lightning bolt in two, the remnants dissipating harmlessly behind her. She retaliated with a slash that sent a shockwave of her own purple energy barreling toward Elliott.
He met it head-on, cutting through the wave with his sword, the energy dispersing around him as he dashed forward once more. Their blades met again in a flurry of strikes, the sound of their clashes echoing like a storm raging across the battlefield.
Celosia began incorporating kicks and elbows into her attacks, testing Elliott's adaptability. A sudden roundhouse kick sent Elliott skidding backward, but he recovered quickly, countering with a high-speed lunge that forced her to leap aside.
The battle grew even more intense, their movements so fast they seemed to vanish and reappear across the battlefield. Lightning streaked and crackled around them, their blades glowing brighter with every strike. Each clash sent tremors through the ground, each dodge and parry executed with precision that bordered on perfection.
Celosia's expression remained focused, but there was a glimmer of acknowledgment in her eyes now. Elliott, for his part, fought with everything he had, his determination unwavering despite the pain and exhaustion creeping into his body.
The relentless exchange of blows had gone on for what felt like an eternity, their strikes now creating fissures in the terrain and igniting the air around them with the raw energy of their power. Celosia's calm demeanor began to falter, beads of sweat forming on her brow as the intensity of the duel started taking its toll. She moved with unwavering precision, but there was now a slight heaviness in her motions—an indication that even her seemingly boundless endurance had its limits.
Elliott noticed this, his sharpened senses picking up the subtle shift in her movements. It was slight, but her dodges were no longer as effortless, her parries carrying just a hint more force to compensate for the wear on her body. A flicker of hope sparked within him.
"Finally," Elliott muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth as he dashed forward again, his body encased in a storm of purple lightning. He launched a relentless barrage of slashes, his blade moving faster than ever as he targeted her from every angle.
Celosia met him blow for blow, her blade weaving a defensive web as she deflected his strikes. Each clash sent vibrations up her arms, her grip on the hilt tightening as she fought to maintain her composure.
Elliott aimed a thrust at her abdomen, forcing Celosia to sidestep and twist her torso. He immediately followed with a horizontal slash aimed at her ribs, but she brought her blade up just in time to deflect it. The force of the clash sent her sliding backward, her boots digging into the ground as she struggled to regain her footing.
Seeing an opening, Elliott lunged forward again, feinting a high slash before spinning into a low strike aimed at her legs. Celosia jumped back, but the strain on her body caused her timing to falter slightly, and the edge of Elliott's blade grazed her thigh.
A thin line of blood appeared on her leg, the first sign of damage she had taken in the battle. Celosia glanced down briefly, her expression still calm but her breathing now heavier.
"Well done," she said, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of exertion. "You've managed to land a hit."
Elliott didn't respond, his focus razor-sharp as he pressed the attack. He leaped into the air, his blade glowing with intense energy as he swung downward in a powerful overhead slash. Celosia raised her blade to block, but the impact drove her to one knee, the ground beneath her cracking from the force.
The two locked blades, their faces inches apart. Celosia's breath came in short bursts now, her calm expression giving way to a determined scowl. "You've improved... but don't think for a moment that I'm finished."
With a burst of strength, she pushed Elliott back, springing to her feet with a swift upward slash that forced him to retreat. She lunged forward, her blade a blur as she unleashed a flurry of rapid strikes.
Elliott deflected and dodged as best he could, but the sheer ferocity of her attacks began to push him back. She spun into a wide horizontal slash that he ducked under, then followed with a kick that struck him in the side, sending him stumbling.
Despite the blow, Elliott recovered quickly, using the momentum to roll and leap back into the fray. Their blades met again in a thunderous clash, the force of their strikes creating shockwaves that rippled through the battlefield.
Celosia's breathing grew heavier with each exchange, her movements still precise but lacking the effortless grace she had displayed earlier. Her muscles ached, her arms trembling slightly from the strain of deflecting Elliott's relentless attacks.
"You're tenacious," she admitted, her voice strained as she blocked another of his strikes. "But tenacity alone cannot win this battle."
Elliott smirked through his own exhaustion, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to catch his breath. "Maybe not, but it's enough to keep me in the fight."
The two fighters clashed again, their movements a blur of speed and power as they pushed each other to their limits. Celosia's exhaustion was evident now, her once-immaculate form beginning to falter under the relentless pressure. But even as her body screamed for rest, her resolve remained unbroken.
To be continued.