Chapter 17 - Don't Kill her

"Oh marina ,i never expected you to betray Celestara" Kael said while withdrawing his sword from void space.

As Marina lunged forward, her blade aimed straight at Kael's chest with deadly precision.her eyes narrowed with cold, deadly focus

Kael didn't flinch- or it's already too late to dodge, he shifted his body slightly, allowing the blade to sink into his shoulder with a brutal stab.

THWACK

"Ugggh!" Kael grunted, while gritting his teeth against the pain.

With a grunt Kael wrenched himself away from the blade, blood trickling from his shoulder, staining his shirt.

"What a crazy young boy!" Marina said.while taking stance for her next attack.

"You think you can kill me that easily?" Kael hissed, eyes narrowed as he locked gazes with Marina.

Marina smirked, twisting the blade cruelly

Kael held his ground, his hand glowing with the faint aura of a spell forming, his eyes cold and calculating.

Marina, seeing his intent, moved in again, her strikes swift and brutal, each slash and thrust calculated to break his defenses.

Kael dodged narrowly, feeling the air shift with each missed strike.

Marina was fast—faster than he'd anticipated.

She was moving with an intensity that hinted at something beyond duty; this was personal for her.

"Do you always kill to protect your secrets?" Kael taunted, sidestepping her and parrying her next blow, the force of her attack making his arms ache.

"You wouldn't understand. I don't expect you to," Marina sneered, her movements fluid as she came at him from a new angle, her blade aiming low, then high, keeping him on edge.

"But I will make sure you never speak of this to anyone."

Kael saw an opening and seized it, striking back with a fierce swing that forced Marina to stumble.

"You're hiding something, more" kael said, pressing his advantage.

"Enough!" Marina roared, her voice laced with fury .Her face twisted in anger.

"You're a thorn in my side, Kael. It's time to remove you once and for all."

Kael smirked, blood dripping from his lip as he steadied himself.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing."

Marina anger boiled over, and she charged at him again, her strikes faster, more vicious.

CLACK

CLACK

Kael danced backward, parrying with just enough movement to stay alive, but he could feel the exhaustion settling into his limbs, his energy draining with each moment.

She was faster and stronger than kael.

Marina's eyes narrowed, fury blazing in them.

In one swift motion, she unleashed a wave of dark energy, tendrils swirling toward him like black vipers.

Kael barely had time to react, conjuring a shield that shattered upon impact, the force throwing him backward.

THUD

He hit the ground hard, his vision blurring for a moment, but he forced himself to his feet, wiping the blood from his lips.

"You're a persistent pest," she hissed, striding toward him with confidence, as if his defeat was assured.

"Stand still and die with some dignity!" Marina roared, swinging her blade in a wide arc that nearly caught his side.

He twisted out of the way, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Dignity?" Kael laughed as he backed away, keeping his eyes on her. "You are talking about dignity?"

As then Marina lunged forward, her blade slicing through the air with a deadly precision.

Kael met her with equal force.

Their swords clashed, the metallic sound echoing through the room—

CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK..

each strike relentless, fierce, and unforgiving.

Their movements blurred as they fought, trading a hundred blows in mere seconds, neither of them yielding an inch.

Sparks flew with each impact, illuminating their faces with brief, fiery flashes, determination etched into every line.

"Huff"

"Huff"

Both stepped back breathing hard but eyes locked, their auras pulsing with energy.

Kael's gaze was sharp, unwavering.

He had been holding back, preparing a spell, from the beginning.

As Marina's breath steadied, she readied herself for another assault, but Kael was already ahead of her.

"Inferno Vortex!" he shouted, his voice reverberating through the room.

The spell he had focused on from the beginning surged forth, his hands weaving intricate symbols in the air as lightning erupted around him, spiraling and coiling together.

The fiery vortex shot toward Marina, its heat intensifying, filling the room with a blistering, scorching lightning.

Marina's eyes widened as the lightning approached, twisting and roaring like a living beast.

She threw up her own barrier, a shield of dark energy shimmering to life in front of her.

But Kael's spell was powerful, raw with all the intensity he had stored up.

The spell clashed against her shield, pushing her back, the sheer force of the Electrical energy cracking her defenses.

Marina gritted her teeth, struggling to hold her ground as sweat beaded down her forehead, the heat relentless.

Kael's gaze was fierce, a cold smile playing on his lips as he watched the lightning envelop her.

He had been planning this move from the start, biding his time until the perfect moment.

As the final wave of Kael's spell shattered Marina's defenses, the force sent her flying across the room.

THUD

She slammed into the stone wall with a brutal impact, and blood trickled from her mouth, staining her clothes.

She struggled to rise, her eyes filled with a mixture of pain and fury, but her body betrayed her exhaustion.

Kael took a step forward, his gaze cold and unyielding.

This was the moment he had been leading up to—the moment to end it.

He raised his sword, prepared to strike the final blow, watching Marina with a hardened resolve.

But just as he was about to bring his blade down, a voice rang out, firm yet weary.

"Don't kill her."

Startled, Kael froze and turned to see the figure leaning in the doorway.

It was

Celestara's husband.