Meanwhile, the battle between Sariel and Indra continued.
Every blow exchanged left a mark on the ground due to the absolute power of both. It would only be a matter of time before that forest was devastated.
Only the force of the traveler's blizzard was enough to topple trees, and even Raymond and Shiina had to be careful not to be pushed over.
Only Luna was completely unscathed by everything. She felt no cold, and the wind was like a gentle breeze. Despite all that chaos, it was like a pleasant spring day for the princess.
"Why is his main element Ice?" Aegreon was visibly confused. "It was supposed to be Illusion..."
"I don't know why," Shiina had to shout over the wind, "but he must have done it on purpose to deceive you!"
"So, he's not from the Council?!" Raymond shouted.
"No... I know the Pillar of Ice, and it's not him."
But then, if Sariel wasn't from the Council, and was even fighting against a Pillar, then who the hell was he? What did he want?
These questions repeated in their minds, as the fury of the traveler and the Thunder's Pillar swept everything in their path.
Indra's sword was completely covered in lightning, making it impossible to see the blade, and the electricity extended the length of the weapon, making it twice as long.
A sphere of lightning three meters in diameter surrounded him, like a plasma sphere, protecting him from some of the traveler's magic and launching attacks incessantly towards his opponent.
However, he missed most of the blows. Sariel was as unpredictable as Feng Ping. Reading his movements and predicting his attacks was impossible, and even his magic was difficult to detect.
Such aggression and destructive power should be impossible without a hint of murderous intent behind it, but Sariel, somehow, was able to use deadly magic without any feeling.
What was once just a duel had now become a clash of power, where both sides launched powerful magic that, when they collided, created large explosions.
Both used the purest form of their magic. Sariel's ice condensed into unstable blue energy spheres and flew with an irregular trajectory that was difficult to predict, while Indra's lightning destroyed trees, and his blade cut everything within reach.
Sounds of muffled explosions from the blizzard and lightning repeated dozens of times per second, and even so, the traveler always found a gap in Indra's defense and injured him.
Indra was constantly cut, pierced, and blown up by Sariel's abilities. If it weren't for his superhuman physical resistance, he would have already been defeated.
"Why?!" The frustrated cry he gave seemed to come directly from his demonic mask. "Why are you able to do this?"
The Thunder's Pillar dashed towards the traveler and swung his blade, but his attack was easily blocked by the glaive.
"Seems like you haven't learned anything from Feng Ping, huh?" the traveler taunted with a playful tone and a confident smile. "You'll lose this battle for not reflecting on your own mistakes."
"SHUT UP!"
Indra transferred an absurd amount of power to his sword and cut horizontally.
A blade of electricity tens of meters long cut through everything in a large area, cutting through countless trees and rocks as if they were butter.
And of course, Sariel condensed his ice into his glaive and stopped the blow.
As soon as the two weapons came into contact, a powerful explosion destroyed everything within a few tens of meters.
This time, the traveler had not escaped unscathed, but it didn't matter, his protection magic healed him immediately.
"Ouch! I must say that hurt a little." He wiped the dust off his clothes and smiled.
That only made the Thunder's Pillar even angrier. That scornful smile and that lack of feeling in a battle reminded him more and more of the Wind's Pillar and how he despised him. That bastard thought he was so superior to him that he didn't even agree to fight him anymore.
Gripping his weapon tightly, Indra charged towards Sariel, his mind remembering a battle from years ago.
*****
Indra walked confidently through the streets of Eden. The sounds of hammering and shouted orders filled the air. The entire kingdom was in a state of upheaval as the Angels had finally been expelled and reforms were underway.
The Thunder's Pillar walked through the rubble-strewn, potholed streets that were a testament to the war. Numerous buildings that once stood tall were now partially or completely destroyed.
Indra climbed the small hill where the Astrum Lux was located, the portal that had brought the Angels to this world. It was shaped like a massive arch, a hundred meters in diameter, and was entirely white. The material was not marble or silver but some unknown, powerful substance that was absolutely indestructible.
The Council had tried several times to destroy the portal to prevent reinforcements by the Angels, but not even a scratch had marred its surface. It was a desperate measure, as it was a shame to destroy something so beautiful, but unfortunately, they were unable to damage it.
The portal seemed to be made literally of light, with tall human statues guarding the passage and hundreds of small gemstones made of Speculum Iris along the entire circumference of the arch, although there were a few holes where some gems seemed to be missing.
The portal was inactive, but that didn't mean there was any room for relaxation, as no one knew exactly how the portal worked. It had simply opened one day and closed when the Angels left the human world, so it was unknown whether they activated it or if there was another factor.
Therefore, numerous members of the Vigil were on guard at the site. They all wore silver armor with a cloak bearing the design of a masculine hand reaching out and barely touching a feminine hand. This was the symbol adopted by humanity, where the masculine hand represented humans and the feminine, Goddess Kura.
Approaching the portal, he noticed a group of the Vigil gathered around two figures. One was Clementius, the Protection's Pillar and right-hand man of Ardos, while the other was Feng Ping, the Wind's Pillar.
Clementius had a majestic and confident posture, worthy of Ardos' counselor, despite his gentle and welcoming expression. His hair was long and blond, and his eyes were blue and kind. His clothes were golden and as beautiful as his appearance, as if Kura had taken a piece of the sun and sewn a garment especially for him.
Feng Ping, on the other hand, had long, straight gray hair, dark, narrow eyes, and a calm expression. He wore a black kimono with white details, similar to the blowing of the wind, and held a long spear three and a half meters long. His appearance exuded calm and control, gifts he had inherited from his master.
"We tried to remove the gems, but they won't come out," said one of the guards.
"Besides, there are four empty spaces, if someo..."
"I found you!" Indra practically shouted as soon as he saw Feng Ping, interrupting the conversation. "Let's duel!" he pointed at him, making it clear that he wouldn't take a no for an answer.
Upon hearing this, the Wind's Pillar sighed and said calmly, "Now is not the time for that, Indra."
"You've been running from me since you joined the war, but I won't accept any more excuses! I'll follow you to the White Mountains if necessary."
Once again, Feng Ping sighed.
"Alright... let's go west, where there's a field ravaged by the battles."
"I'll accompany you to make sure you don't do anything absurd," Clementius said in a soft voice. "If the portal activates, use the magic and we'll return as soon as possible," he explained to the Vigil guards.
"Yes, sir!"
Then, the three left the ruined capital of Eden and headed west, to a deserted, lifeless field that was the result of countless battles fought there.
As they walked, they were constantly greeted and revered by the civilians, who halted their tasks to show their respect and gratitude to the Council.
Once they reached their destination, Indra and Feng Ping distanced themselves.
"You can start," said the Wind's Pillar.
As soon as he heard this, the Thunder's Pillar charged him with all his speed, dozens of lightning bolts enveloping his body. The sky, clear a moment ago, darkened as soon as he made his move.
The Wind's Pillar responded immediately, creating a massive tornado that swallowed himself up, preventing his opponent from approaching. Wind dragons in the shape of serpents formed and attacked the Thunder's Pillar, who retaliated in the same way, creating electric eagles to combat the dragons.
An aerial battle ensued, each side protecting their summoner and trying to attack their opponent, resulting in powerful explosions in the air.
On the ground, the two Pillars dueled, firing magic at each other. Dozens of spells with the power to destroy a village collided, further ravaging the already desolate landscape.
To ordinary people, it seemed as if both were furiously trying to kill each other, but Clementius watched the battle calmly, showing that it was merely a friendly duel.
Everything seemed "normal" when it came to these two, but something was different: Indra could feel, for the first time, Feng Ping's attacks. Finally, he could feel the aggression and fury in his rival's attacks.
Excited to finally realize he had caught up to his rival, he increased his speed and tried with all his might to hit the Wind's Pillar, managing to inflict a few superficial cuts on his skin.
"I CAN FINALLY FEEL YOU! HAHAHAHA!" Euphoria took hold of him, convinced he had evolved.
Excited, Indra prepared his most powerful attack. Pointing his sword to the sky, hundreds of lightning bolts condensed on his long sword, increasing its size to several tens of meters.
The skies lit up for miles in a dazzling display, proof of Indra's absolute power, worthy of his position on the Council.
Then, he cut horizontally towards Feng Ping.
It was clear that this blow wouldn't kill the Wind's Pillar, as he would be able to defend himself, despite suffering some considerable injuries.
However, something strange happened. Feng Ping simply dispelled all his magic and stood still, looking at his own hands with astonished eyes.
Indra thought it was a ploy to deceive him, since Feng Ping didn't have time to conjure a spell of the same level, so he continued with his attack.
However, he realized too late that it wasn't an act.
The Wind's Pillar didn't move, completely oblivious to the imminent danger, and the magic was about to hit him.
He would have died if it weren't for Clementius, who stepped in front of Feng Ping and created a powerful golden shield, completely blocking Indra's magic.
Not understanding what had happened, the Thunder's Pillar shouted indignantly, "What are you doing?! Do you want to die?"
However, the Wind's Pillar ignored his partner's words, turned and walked away in the opposite direction of Eden.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Indra was furious at Feng Ping's attitude.
The Wind's Pillar had always treated him indifferently, but he had never ignored him like this before.
"I don't want to fight..." Feng Ping's voice was filled with irritation. "Leave me alone."
Furious, Indra advanced towards Feng Ping from behind and attacked with a thrust. The Wind's Pillar didn't react and would have been hit if the Pillar of Protection hadn't acted and blocked the blow.
"Enough, Indra. Feng Ping doesn't wish to fight."
"Just because I learned to feel your attacks, you're going to ignore me?" he shouted angrily. "Are you afraid of losing?"
However, the Wind's Pillar simply ignored him and continued his way.
"You only accepted my battles because you liked to belittle me and feel better than me, didn't you! Come back here and let's finish this!"
"Don't talk to me anymore." Feng Ping replied, without even glancing at him.
This infuriated Indra deeply. Everyone on the Council treated each other with respect, but Feng Ping was the only one who despised him.
"You think you're so much better just because you're the second strongest on the Council!"
Noticing the Thunder's Pillar's rage, the Pillar of Protection grabbed his arm firmly but gently.
"Enough, Indra. Feng Ping needs some time." He said calmly.
"So that's his excuse for being a jerk?"
"Please, Indra. No one is forcing you to do anything, respect your colleague's wishes."
Realizing that the confrontation was over, Indra pulled away from Clementius and followed the opposite path that Feng Ping had taken, heading towards Eden.
After that day, the Wind's Pillar returned to the White Mountains and never left again.
One day, Indra visited Feng Ping and tried to talk to him, but not only was he greeted rudely, but he was also scorned.
"You walk the path of Shura. I have no desire to associate with someone like you." The Wind's Pillar's gaze pierced him.
"Me? After everything I've done for the Council?!" Indra shouted, struggling to control himself.
"You mask your good deeds with your bloodlust and battles, just like Aegreon! Now leave my home or I'll forbid your entry into this kingdom."
After hearing those words, Indra clenched his fists so tightly it felt like he might break his hand. Being insulted and called a Shura was something he would never tolerate, especially from a snob like Feng Ping.
"This is rich coming from someone who being a useless person and spends all your days doing nothing!"
"I told you to leave."
The Thunder's Pillar stood up abruptly and glared at him for a moment, then decided not to waste any more time and turned, leaving that place and never returning since.
*****
Indra tried with all his might to injure Sariel, but everything resulted in failures or superficial wounds. His opponent's disdainful expression and lack of emotion made him hate him even more than Feng Ping, who always maintained a neutral expression, whether in everyday life or in a fight.
Impatient with this, Indra decided to end the fight right there, not caring if he killed Aegreon, his companion, something forbidden by the Council given how valuable the Pillars were to humanity.
They had both moved so far from their starting point that they were now fighting near a frozen lake, relatively close to some hills.
Pointing his sword at the sky, commanding the lightning to empower him, thousands of bolts condensed on the blade and glowed, emitting a blinding violet light.
The force of the lightning was so great, that even before the magic was released it was already destroying everything around it, tearing the earth and turning any vegetation into dust.
The sound of so much concentrated lightning was deafening, an indescribable and terrifying noise, like the roar of a hungry giant.
It was almost night, yet kingdoms and villages miles away saw the sky light up intensely, as if a second sun had formed above the clouds of Vilon.
Sariel noticed this and tried to unleash all his magic to stop Indra, and he, despite controlling such complex magic, was still able to command the lightning to block some attacks.
Of course, he was still injured, but not enough to cancel his attack.
And despite the colossal amount of power, he was able to complete his magic in less than a minute, all thanks to the nature of the Lightning element, which is able to accumulate magic quickly.
Failing to stop Indra's magic, Sariel tried to prepare a block, but it was too late.
The Thunder's Pillar, in a single movement, struck a downward blow, even though Sariel was several meters away from him.
The traveler tried to escape, to protect himself, but dodging those lightning bolts was not an easy task.
Unable to do anything, Sariel watched the lightning sword descend towards him.
Then, a massive column of violet energy obliterated everything in a line kilometers long, reaching nearly to the clouds.
The spell lasted for a few seconds, the brilliance of thousands of lightning bolts illuminating the entire region.
When the lightning dissipated, all that remained was an immense trench, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The snow began to subside, and Indra, satisfied with his victory, smiled.
But not for long.
"That magic is indeed powerful..." a voice said from behind him.
Startled, the Thunder's Pillar turned and saw the traveler, his clothes partially torn and burned, and several burns on his skin that quickly healed without leaving a scar.
"Wh... what?! How?! That would have killed even Feng Ping!"
"If it had been stronger, you might have succeeded, but I must say I'm disappointed in your power. Feng Ping is so powerful that I overestimated you... or perhaps you're just weak." Then, the blizzard intensified, making everything within arm's length invisible.
"SHUT UP! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Indra conjured his lightning again.
However, having used so much magic in his ultimate attack, he was tired and slow.
Moreover, with the visibility being virtually zero, he was only launching clumsy attacks into the air, wasting his strength.
"Now..." Sariel's voice seemed to come from all directions. "It's time to show you my ultimate technique!"