The air was heavy in the ancient temple, filled with the acrid smell of magic and sweat. Cracked stones littered the ground around them, and an oppressive silence had settled after the roar of battle. Kwame stood, out of breath, his body trembling with the effort. His eyes were fixed on Alaric, who was slowly getting up. Something was wrong.
Alaric's eyes were different. Empty, almost inhuman, with a bright golden glow emanating from his Mark of Dawn beneath his headband. His gaze seemed to go right through Kwame as if he didn't recognize him, as if he only saw an obstacle between him and the massive entity in front of them.
"Alaric?" Kwame murmured, uncertain. But before he could move, Alaric charged, grabbing Kwame with inhuman strength. With a brutal gesture, Alaric threw him against the temple wall, the stones cracking under the impact. Kwame felt the air leave his lungs as he collapsed to the ground.
"Alaric, what are you doing?!" Kwame shouted, but his words seemed to vanish into the void.
Without responding, Alaric turned to the Entity of Dusk's Dawn. With a newfound, terrifying power, he launched into an attack. Silverleaf Blade! His blade shone with a green light, striking the entity with such force that bursts of green light exploded with every hit. The entity staggered back under the assault, surprised by Alaric's sudden intensity.
Every blow Alaric landed seemed more powerful than the last, his movements becoming blurred, almost impossible to follow. He used Spectral Swiftness, moving at blinding speed, his attacks coming from all directions. The entity tried to counter, but its movements were too slow, as if the weight of its own power was holding it back.
However, with every impact, with every movement, Alaric's body showed signs of immense strain. His fists were opening up, blood pouring profusely from his torn knuckles, but he did not slow down. Strength of the Ancients! A gust of ancient wind rose, surrounding Alaric, empowering every blow, every move. The entity backed away again, its defenses crumbling under the relentless pressure.
"What are you doing?" Kwame murmured to himself, trying to stand despite the pain. He watched, helpless, as Alaric continued to attack. Oak Shield! A solid wooden barrier formed around him, temporarily shielding him from the entity's counterattacks.
The entity growled, sending out tendrils of shadow and bolts of fire, but Alaric dodged them with deadly precision, his movements amplified by the energy of the Mark of Dawn. It seemed as if every fiber of his being was fueled by a supernatural rage and determination. However, Kwame could see the pain in every hit, feel the tearing of flesh with every strike.
"Fusion of the Guardians!" The entity summoned its last powers, a massive wave of frost and flames swirling toward Alaric. But with a wild scream, Alaric swept the wave aside with a powerful gesture, the ground trembling beneath him as he struck the entity with one final, devastating blow, using his Silverleaf Blade with such power that the ground itself cracked under the impact.
The entity fell to its knees, its glowing eyes flickering. It seemed on the verge of disintegrating, but Alaric did not stop. He continued to hit, again and again, even as his bloody fists pounded against the icy and burning skin of the entity. Kwame, shocked, saw pieces of flesh tearing from Alaric's hands, his body bleeding in places where the skin had burst under the pressure.
Finally, in one last act of willpower, Alaric managed to topple the entity, sending it crashing to the ground with a deafening roar. The earth shook, chunks of the ceiling collapsed. Alaric, staggering, stood for a moment, his breath labored, his empty gaze still fixed on the entity.
But his body had reached its limits. His breath became short, every inhale a struggle. Trails of blood flowed from his hands, his arms, his face. He fell to his knees, then collapsed completely, unconscious, his body trembling with pain and exhaustion.
Kwame, recovering from the impact against the wall, shook his head to clear his mind. He saw the entity on the ground, weakened but not yet defeated. He knew it was now or never. Gathering what strength he had left, he got up and moved toward the entity, his blade ready.
"I have to finish this," he murmured with icy determination.
Symphony of the Enchanted Dancing Sword. Kwame started a darker melody, his movements becoming more precise, faster. The entity tried to rise, but Kwame was already on it. Thunder Crescendo! A shockwave resonated through the room as he brought his blade down with all the remaining strength. The blow cut through the entity, tearing its form apart, shredding it into pieces of shadow and light that dissipated into the air.
A resounding silence fell over the temple, broken only by the sound of debris gently falling to the ground...