As I steadied my stance, my gaze locked onto Varen. His fiery aura had transformed into something primal, raw, and overwhelming. The dragon-shaped flames roared above him, their intensity palpable even from this distance. The ground beneath him cracked further with each step he took, his greatsword alight with an undeniable power that seemed to hum with its own will.
I exhaled slowly, feeling the faint sting of the cut on my cheek. A single bead of blood traced its path downward, but I barely noticed. My focus was entirely on Varen, on the sheer presence he now exuded.
'An epiphany in the middle of a fight,' I mused, my smirk softening into something closer to a grin. 'It really is like Valeria's moment back in her last match.'
