Ren and Klyve stood across from each other on the ruined battleground.
The eerie red glow of Hakarai's bone sword clashed with the vibrant green aura emanating from Leizage.
Without warning, Hakarai charged. Its movements were disturbingly fluid, the bone sword slicing through the air with a faint whistle.
Leizage growled low, its tail whipping as it sidestepped the attack. Dust and debris scattered as the bone sword struck the ground, leaving a deep gash in the stone.
"Watch its sword, Leizage!"
Leizage twisted, its sharp claws raking against Hakarai's exposed ribs, but the bone beast barely flinched. Instead, it retaliated with a brutal backhand, sending Leizage skidding across the ground.
Leizage shook off the blow and rose to its feet, its aura pulsing brighter. The two beasts circled each other, waiting for an opening.
Hakarai feinted with its sword, its skeletal face expressionless, before lunging again. This time, Leizage met the attack head-on, its claws locking with the blade in a shower of sparks.
They dance around the battlefield, sparks are flying everywhere and neither of them is willing to let go of each other.
Klyve stood across, it's hard to read his blank expression. He seems to thinking about something.
Alianna watched as their battle unfolds. This is the first time she'd seen a battle of old ways and it's... weird.
Hakarai twisted its blade, forcing Leizage to break away, but the maneuver left it open for a split second. Leizage seized the opportunity, slamming its tail into Hakarai's torso and sending it staggering back.
Hakarai straightened, its body radiating an unnatural red glow. Cracks appeared along its bone armor, but instead of breaking, the fractures seemed to pulse with energy.
The beast let out a guttural roar that echoed across the arena, and Ren could feel the oppressive weight of its presence.
"What is that?" Alianna gasped, her hand instinctively reaching for Ren's arm.
"Hakarai doesn't just fight with strength. It feeds on pain—its own and others'. The more it suffers, the more dangerous it becomes."
Klyve said from across. His expression is still blank.
The oppressive energy radiating from Hakarai seemed to thrum in the very air, pressing down on Ren and Leizage like a suffocating weight.
Leizage growled low, its claws digging into the cracked stone, as if anchoring itself against the sheer force of Hakarai's aura. Ren clenched his fists, sweat forming on his brow.
"So, it gets stronger the more we hurt it." He muttered.
Across the battlefield, Klyve finally moved, stepping closer to Hakarai.
"You wanted answers, Ren. You wanted to honor Lisa's memory. But you're starting to realize, aren't you? The weight of her legacy is too much for you to carry."
Ren ignored him, focusing on the battle, but the seeds of doubt Klyve had planted were growing.
Hakarai moved again, faster now. The fractures in its bone armor glowed brighter as it launched itself at Leizage with a ferocity that seemed almost unnatural.
Leizage dodged to the side, but Hakarai adjusted mid-air, bringing its sword down in an arc that grazed Leizage's flank. The impact sent a shockwave through the arena, cracks spidering out from the point of contact.
Leizage roared in pain, its aura flickering as it staggered back.
Hakarai pressed its advantage, it drove Leizage toward the edge of the arena, each swing of its blade leaving deep gouges in the stone.
Leizage managed to dodge the worst of the blows, but its movements were slowing.
"Ren, this isn't working! You can't fight a monster that thrives on pain!"
Ren's gaze darted to Alianna, then back to Leizage. She was right. Every attack only seemed to fuel Hakarai, pushing it closer to an unstoppable force.
"This is the difference between us, Ren. You fight with hope, with belief in something greater. But me? I fight with the weight of everything I've lost. You'll never beat me because you don't understand what it means to lose everything."
Ren's fists tightened, his nails digging into his palms. His mind raced, searching for a way to turn the tide.
Leizage let out a guttural roar, its claws glowing with a faint purple light as it charged forward in a last-ditch effort. It slammed into Hakarai, forcing the bone beast back a few steps, but Hakarai countered with a devastating upward slash that sent Leizage crashing to the ground.
Leizage struggle to rise, its body trembling from the effort. The beast's aura flickered weakly, on the verge of extinguishing.
He could feel Leizage's pain, its exhaustion, but beneath it all, there was still a spark—a defiant rage. And in that moment, Ren realized something.
"No... we're not done yet." Ren finally looked up. "If we can't beat you with our own power... then we'll use someone else's."
Leizage's purple aura began to intensify, a flicker of something ancient and primal coursing through the battlefield.
The faint glow around its claws spread to envelop its entire body, the vibrant green of its original aura swallowed by the deep, ominous violet light.
Klyve's eyes narrowed, his once-blank expression shifting into one of faint curiosity.
"What is this?"
This wasn't the power of desperation—it was something else, something based entirely on a legend.
Leizage's eyes gleamed with a fierce light as it rose to its feet, its exhaustion melting away in the face of this newfound strength.
Hakarai roared and charged again, its bone sword glowing a menacing red as it swung downward.
This time, Leizage met the attack without hesitation.
The impact of claw against blade sent a shockwave through the air, but it was Hakarai who faltered, its form stumbling as cracks spread further across its skeletal frame.
"What?" Klyve's voice carried a hint of disbelief. "That power… it's destabilizing Hakarai?"
Leizage pressed its advantage, moving with a incredible speed that it hadn't displayed before. Its claws glowed brighter with each strike, leaving searing gashes in Hakarai's armor.
The bone beast roared in frustration, swinging wildly, but Leizage danced around its attacks with an eerie grace.
With a guttural roar, Leizage leaped into the air, its claws glowing brighter than ever. It brought them down in a devastating arc, shattering Hakarai's bone sword and driving the creature to its knees.
"Impossible…"
Leizage let out one final roar, its aura surging to its peak. The purple light expanded outward in a massive shockwave, engulfing Hakarai and forcing Klyve to shield his eyes. When the light faded, Hakarai lay on the ground, its red glow extinguished.
Leizage stands tall.