Kazuki struggled to rise, his muscles aching with each movement, but his eyes remained sharp, locked onto Daelan. He could feel his heartbeat steadying, each pulse a reminder of his purpose, a reminder of why he fought. Against Daelan's vast, unyielding darkness, Kazuki's will burned as brightly as ever.
"Still standing?" Daelan sneered, raising one hand to command the darkness around him. "Very well. Let's end this." Shadows pooled beneath his feet, a swirling black sea, and he raised his arms in an arch as if orchestrating a symphony of night itself. "Void Reaver: Abyssal Maelstrom!"
The darkness coalesced, twisting into a furious vortex that pulsed with dark energy. Tendrils of shadow whipped through the air, their mere proximity threatening to sap Kazuki's strength. The sheer force of the dark maelstrom made his skin prickle, but he held his ground, defiance etched into his every feature.
Kazuki tightened his grip on his blade, allowing the light within him to surge up and meet the threat. "You'll have to do better than that, Daelan!" He took a step forward, the aura around his sword intensifying. "Wraithblade: Radiant Ascension!"
He swung his blade upward, summoning a pillar of blinding light that clashed with the whirling darkness. The light and shadow collided, filling the air with a crackling energy that caused the ground beneath them to tremble. Daelan's maelstrom pushed back, relentless, and Kazuki felt his strength wavering under its pressure.
Daelan's voice was low, laced with smug satisfaction. "This is the power you chose to stand against? Pathetic. I warned you, Kazuki. The light you cling to—it's nothing but an illusion. Power doesn't come from ideals; it comes from taking everything, from destroying everything in your path."
Kazuki grit his teeth, feeling the weight of Daelan's words pressing down on him. He knew Daelan believed in those words with a conviction that bordered on fanaticism. But Kazuki refused to let himself be swayed.
"You don't get it, Daelan," Kazuki replied, steadying his breathing as he held the Wraithblade ready, his own conviction as unshakable as ever. "Strength isn't about destruction; it's about protecting what matters. Wraithblade: Celestial Burst!"
In a single, fluid motion, Kazuki thrust his sword forward, unleashing a radiant burst of energy that shattered through Daelan's darkness. The light carved a path through the shadows, reaching toward Daelan with blinding speed.
But Daelan was ready. With a wave of his hand, he gathered the darkness around him, letting it swirl into a dense barrier that absorbed Kazuki's attack. The energy dispersed in a blinding flash, but when the light faded, Daelan remained, unscathed and smirking.
"You're resilient, I'll give you that," Daelan said, a twisted satisfaction in his voice. "But no matter how hard you try, you won't break me. Void Reaver: Shadow Consuming Spiral!"
Kazuki barely had a moment to react before Daelan's next attack came crashing toward him. A spiral of dark energy twisted through the air, its force so intense that it seemed to pull the very light from the atmosphere. Kazuki braced himself, summoning his energy to counter the devastating strike.
"Wraithblade: Shield of Dawn!" Kazuki's voice echoed as a barrier of golden light materialized around him. The spiral of darkness struck the shield with a force that sent cracks splintering across its surface. Kazuki gritted his teeth, pouring more energy into the barrier to keep it from shattering, but the power of Daelan's attack was unrelenting.
With a fierce battle cry, Kazuki let the barrier dissipate and surged forward, his sword gleaming as he channeled everything he had into a single, desperate strike. "Wraithblade: Eclipsing Strike!"
The air crackled with energy as Kazuki brought his blade down, a mixture of light and shadow rippling through its edge. His sword met Daelan's darkness head-on, the impact sending shockwaves through the clearing as their powers clashed with unimaginable force.
Daelan sneered, refusing to yield as he met Kazuki's attack with his own strength. "You think a little spark of light will overcome the darkness? Foolish! Void Reaver: Devouring Abyss!"
The shadows intensified, a consuming blackness that threatened to swallow Kazuki whole. Kazuki felt himself being pulled into the void, the weight of Daelan's darkness pressing down on him like a physical force. His vision began to blur, his energy waning under the relentless assault.
But he refused to give in.
"No… I won't let you win!" Kazuki's voice was hoarse, but his determination remained unwavering. Summoning the last reserves of his strength, he forced himself to stand tall, his sword blazing with renewed light. "Wraithblade: Final Resurgence!"
A surge of energy exploded from Kazuki, pushing back against the darkness with blinding intensity. The light radiated from him, forcing Daelan to retreat as the shadows dissipated, momentarily scattered by the brilliance of Kazuki's power.
For a brief, fleeting moment, there was silence. Both Kazuki and Daelan stood at a distance, each breathing heavily, their bodies battered and worn from the intense clash.
Daelan's gaze narrowed, his expression unreadable as he studied Kazuki. "You're stronger than I gave you credit for," he admitted, a hint of grudging respect in his voice. "But you're still only human. And no matter how bright your light shines… it will always fade."
Kazuki's gaze was steady, his voice resolute as he replied. "Maybe… but as long as I'm standing, that light will never go out."
Daelan's expression twisted into a sneer. "We'll see about that." He raised his hand, shadows gathering around him once more as he prepared for his final assault. "Void Reaver: Oblivion Nova!"
A dark sphere formed above Daelan, pulsating with an otherworldly energy that seemed to drain the life from everything around it. Kazuki could feel the immense power radiating from it, a force that threatened to overwhelm him. But he refused to back down.
With a deep breath, Kazuki centered himself, drawing on the very essence of his being. He focused his energy into his blade, letting it pulse with an intense, radiant light. "Wraithblade: Celestial Judgment!"
Their attacks clashed in a blinding explosion, the light and darkness swirling together in a chaotic storm of energy. Kazuki and Daelan both poured everything they had into their attacks, their wills clashing as fiercely as their powers. The ground trembled beneath them, the air filled with the sound of crackling energy as their final clash reached its peak.
Kazuki felt himself being pushed to his limit, his vision blurring as his strength waned. But even as his body began to falter, his spirit remained unbroken.
In that moment, he realized something. It wasn't just his strength that had brought him this far. It was the memories of those he cared about, the bonds he had formed, the hope he held onto even in the face of despair.
With a final surge of determination, Kazuki channeled that resolve into his blade, letting it shine with a light that transcended mere power. The light grew brighter, pushing back against the darkness until it enveloped everything.
And then… there was silence.