The construction site loomed like a graveyard of rust and steel. The storm lashed the half-finished skyscraper, rain falling in relentless sheets, its metallic skeleton groaning under the weight of the wind. Tenjin moved silently, his breaths shallow, each step calculated as he navigated the maze of steel beams and platforms.
His body ached, every nerve screaming from the earlier battle. The mana coursing through him felt sluggish, like a flame sputtering in a storm. He wiped blood and rain from his face, eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement.
Suddenly—
FLASH!
A bolt of lightning tore across the sky, illuminating the darkness for the briefest of moments. And in that instant, Tenjin saw him.
Riven stood there, mere feet away, framed by the electric brilliance. His wild blue eyes glowed with a manic energy, a predatory grin spreading across his rain-slicked face. The wind whipped his coat, lightning crackling faintly along his fingertips.
"You can't escape me," Riven said, his voice almost cheerful, cutting through the roar of the storm like a blade.
Tenjin's fists clenched, flames erupting around them. His jaw tightened, rage boiling in his chest.
"I'm done running," Tenjin growled.
With a feral roar, he lunged forward, flames trailing behind him like a comet.
WHOOSH!
His fist streaked toward Riven's face, the air around it igniting from the intensity of his mana.
SLAM!
Riven caught the punch with a single hand. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, water exploding outward in a circular wave. Riven didn't flinch. He stared at Tenjin, his grin widening.
"Pathetic" Riven sneered.
Before Tenjin could react, Riven twisted his arm, yanking him forward. Tenjin stumbled, only for Riven's knee to come crashing up toward his gut.
THWACK!
Tenjin barely managed to ignite a burst of flames to propel himself backward, narrowly avoiding the blow. He skidded across the wet steel platform, flames flaring at his feet to keep his balance. He launched himself again, his flames morphing into spiraling tendrils that lashed out like whips.
CRACK! CRACK!
The flaming tendrils struck at Riven, their energy burning through the rain. But Riven moved with effortless precision, weaving between the strikes like a dancer. One tendril came close to his face, only for him to catch it mid-air, his fingers closing around the flames.
"Cute trick" Riven said.
He yanked hard, pulling Tenjin off balance. Before Tenjin could recover, Riven stepped forward, his fist crashing into Tenjin's chest.
BOOM!
The force was inhuman. Tenjin's vision blurred as he was sent flying backward like a cannonball. He smashed through a steel beam, the metal twisting and snapping like a toothpick.
CRASH!
His body slammed into a concrete wall, shattering it on impact. Dust and debris filled the air as Tenjin tumbled through the wreckage, finally coming to a stop in a heap of twisted rebar and broken cement.
THUD!
Pain exploded through his body. Blood poured from his mouth, his ribs screaming in protest with every shallow breath. Tenjin groaned, trying to push himself up, but his arms buckled beneath him.
"Is that all?"
Tenjin's head snapped up. Riven was already there, standing over him like a specter of death. The Wielder's foot came crashing down.
CRACK!
The kick drove Tenjin into the ground, the force splintering the concrete beneath him. His vision went white from the pain, his ribs snapping like brittle twigs. Blood sprayed from his lips, mixing with the rain as he choked on the taste of iron.
"You're not even worth the effort" Riven said, his voice dripping with disdain. He crouched down, grabbing Tenjin by the neck and lifting him effortlessly into the air.
Tenjin's legs dangled limply, his flames flickering weakly around him.
"Look at you" Riven said, tilting his head as if examining a broken toy. "All that bluster. All that power. And this is what you amount to?"
With a sudden burst of speed, Riven took off, dragging Tenjin with him.
WHOOSH!
The world became a blur of rain and motion. Steel beams and concrete walls exploded around them as Riven slammed Tenjin through one structure after another. Each impact sent shockwaves rippling through the storm, rubble raining down like hail.
CRASH! BAM! SMASH!
Tenjin's body was a ragdoll, every collision sending fresh waves of agony through him. Blood streamed from countless wounds, his vision darkening with every second.
Finally, Riven came to a stop, hurling Tenjin's broken body onto the ground. Tenjin skidded across the wet concrete, coming to rest in a crumpled heap. He lay there, barely breathing, the rain washing the blood from his face.
Riven walked toward him, splashing through puddles of water and blood. He crouched down again, gripping Tenjin's hair and lifting his head to look him in the eye.
"This is what happens when you challenge someone out of your league," Riven said, his voice low and mocking. "You never stood a chance."
Tenjin's lips moved, but no sound came out. His eyes, once fierce and unyielding, now stared weakly at Riven. The flames around his body had all but extinguished, leaving only faint embers.
Riven chuckled, shaking his head. "What a waste."
He dropped Tenjin's head, letting it slam back into the concrete with a sickening thud. Straightening up, Riven glanced at the destruction around them, his grin widening.
The storm raged on as Tenjin lay there, broken and bleeding, his mind drifting into the void. Riven's laughter echoed in the distance, a haunting sound that cut through the thunder.
And then, silence.
Tenjin's consciousness drifted in a void of endless black. There was no ground beneath him, no sky above. There was no sense of direction, no up, no down just a vast, unbroken emptiness. His body was gone, replaced by something alien yet oddly familiar. Flames danced where his arms and legs once were, their dark edges shimmering faintly as if whispering secrets to the abyss. Yet, interwoven between the tendrils of black fire were streaks of crackling lightning. They sparked and sizzled, leaping unpredictably from flame to flame, an energy foreign to him yet undeniably present."Im here again?" Tenjin's thoughts echoed, though there was no voice, only the sensation of questioning himself.
He drifted forward or perhaps he remained still, and the void moved around him. Before him, the black flames surged and pulsed, writhing like living creatures. The lightning intertwined with them, but there was resistance. The flames and lightning clashed violently, refusing to blend. Sparks erupted as they collided, sending ripples through the void like waves in a still pond. It was as though two forces, utterly incompatible, were being forced together.
"Is this... Riven's magic?" He could feel it trying to dominate, to consume the black flames. But the flames refused to be overpowered. They roared back, their defiance absolute.
The struggle between the two elements intensified. The black flames surged higher, their edges jagged and furious. The lightning retaliated, striking out in bursts of brilliant light. The clash sent shockwaves reverberating through the void, tearing at Tenjin's consciousness. He felt as though he were being pulled apart, his very essence stretched thin between these two opposing forces.
"Stop!" he willed, his mind a desperate plea.
As if responding to his will, the chaos began to slow. The flames flickered, and the lightning dimmed. The void grew quiet again, but the tension lingered, a coiled spring ready to snap. Tenjin focused, trying to understand what was happening.
The memory of the fight flashed before him. Riven's relentless attacks, the agony of being smashed through walls, the humiliation of being dragged through buildings like a ragdoll. And then… nothing. Death? Perhaps. Yet here he was in this strange place again.
The flames and lightning clashed again, breaking his train of thought. This time, Tenjin didn't plead. He acted. He reached out not with hands, but with will. He grabbed hold of the flames, their familiar warmth soothing him. Then he extended himself to the lightning. It burned, sharp and electric, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he drew them closer, forcing them together.
The resistance was immediate and fierce. The flames roared, the lightning screamed, and Tenjin felt himself being torn in two. But he didn't stop. He pushed harder, gritting his metaphorical teeth as he forced the two elements to intertwine. Slowly, agonizingly, they began to merge. The black flames softened, their edges glowing faintly with sparks of electricity. The lightning calmed, its wild arcs becoming more controlled, more deliberate.
The fusion wasn't perfect, but it was harmonious. The flames and lightning danced together now, moving in sync. It was as though the void itself acknowledged the union, its oppressive blackness giving way to a faint, shimmering light.
Then, everything went still. The flames and lightning ceased their movement. The void returned to silence. And for a moment, there was nothing.
When Tenjin opened his eyes, he was lying on cold, damp concrete. The sharp smell of garbage filled his nostrils, and the distant hum of city life reached his ears.
"I died... again" he whispered, the weight of the realization sinking in. Yet, he wasn't weak. Quite the opposite. He felt stronger than ever. He flexed his fingers, and a small burst of black flames mixed with lightning shot forward, singeing the ground.
"Riven's magic" he muttered. He clenched his fists, the flames and lightning flaring up."It's mine now."
"Riven thought he could break me" he said, his voice low but resolute. "But he's only made me stronger."