With every passing second, the flames grew fiercer, threatening to consume everything in their path. One thing was clear: this was not Fenris. The creature standing before them was a force of destruction, incapable of distinguishing between friend and foe.
Calawen, however, watched Fenris with a twisted smile on his face. He stepped forward, unfazed by the overwhelming pressure emanating from the beast. An inhuman roar erupted from Fenris's chest, and without warning, he unleashed a fiery blast in all directions. The attack, seemingly aimed at Calawen, scattered, forcing both Kayn and Arwin to dodge as well.
"Hey, kid. What's wrong with your friend?" Arwin asked, but Kayn had no answers. He was just as, if not more, shocked than Arwin.
"I don't know," Kayn murmured. "I've never seen him like this."
"He'd better calm down..."
Before they could react, Fenris charged at Calawen with devastating speed. His body was engulfed in flames so intense they melted the ground beneath his feet. Calawen barely managed to raise his sword before Fenris's punch sent him flying several meters back. Desperate, Calawen focused his anima at the tip of his blade.
"Let's see how you handle this!" Calawen lunged at Fenris, his sword glowing with energy.
"Aurora Style: Luminous Thrust!"
To his surprise, Fenris didn't dodge the attack—he blocked it with his bare hand. The heat radiating from his body was so intense that the steel of the blade began to melt in Calawen's grasp.
Terrified, Calawen stumbled back, scrambling to come up with a plan to defeat him, but Fenris didn't give him the chance. He lunged at Calawen, grabbing his face with overwhelming force and slamming him into the ground. The heat was unbearable; it felt as if his face were being pressed into a bonfire. Agonized screams escaped Calawen's lips as he struggled to break free, but his efforts were futile. His skin began to blister and burn under the searing pressure.
"Please! Stop!" Calawen begged, his voice breaking as the flames seared his flesh.
Kayn ran toward Fenris, ignoring the flames surrounding his friend. He grabbed Fenris firmly by the shoulders.
"Fenris! You have to calm down!" Kayn shouted, his voice laced with worry.
The heat was unbearable. He could feel his palms beginning to burn, yet he refused to let go. He knew Fenris was suffering even more than he was. At the touch of Kayn's hands, Fenris released Calawen. The man's face, now grotesquely disfigured, was almost unrecognizable. Fenris turned toward Kayn, who, for a fleeting moment, thought he had managed to calm him.
"Fenris..."
But his words failed to reach his friend's heart. With a savage roar, Fenris delivered a brutal punch to Kayn's stomach. Despite the pain, Kayn didn't let go. Fenris continued striking him relentlessly until the agony finally forced Kayn to retreat. Clutching his stomach, Kayn stumbled backward, and Fenris kicked him, slamming him into the ground. Kayn's sword fell from his grasp upon impact, and Fenris caught it in mid-air. The moment his hands touched the hilt, the flames began to consume the entire blade.
Having subdued Kayn, Fenris turned his attention back to Calawen, who watched him with terror, retreating slowly.
"Stay back! Stay away from me, monster!" Calawen screamed, throwing rocks with all his might. None of them hit their mark, but one lucky stone struck Fenris on the head, causing him to stagger briefly.
A blood-curdling roar echoed through the area, freezing the blood of everyone present. Fenris was even angrier than before. His fists ignited with even more ferocious flames, the intensity of the heat so severe that his own skin began to burn. He raised the sword, ready to finish Calawen.
"No! Please!"
At that moment, Kayn stepped between Fenris and Calawen. Gripping the flaming blade with both hands, he stopped the attack momentarily.
"That's enough, Fenris. If you keep going..."
Kayn not only endured the flames but also the sharp edge of the sword, which slowly sliced into his hands.
"This is my fault," Kayn said, his voice cracking. "I forced you to use your powers. I needed your strength to complete the labyrinth..."
Kayn felt his hands growing numb, burned to the point where the pain began to fade, replaced by a strange, dull sensation. "I was a complete idiot. I didn't want things to end up like this..."
With a desperate scream, an explosion of fire engulfed them both. Kayn felt the burns spreading across every inch of his body, but he refused to let go of the sword.
"You said you'd never kill anyone. I know what it's like to bear that burden, and I won't let someone like you carry it."
Fenris's eyes met Kayn's, who, despite everything, continued to endure the pain. Slowly, Fenris's pupils returned to normal, now a brilliant yellow. The fury consuming him began to fade, and with it, the flames that enveloped his body. The heat dissipated, and the flames extinguished completely, leaving only smoke behind. Kayn felt the pressure on the sword diminish.
"Kayn..." Fenris murmured, horrified by what he saw. He looked at Kayn, whose hands were completely charred, still gripping the sword. Seeing Fenris regain his senses, Kayn managed a faint smile, struggling to stay on his feet.
"It's okay. You've won. Look around."
Fenris glanced at the destruction he had caused. Before him, Calawen's motionless body lay on the ground.
"Did I... do this?" Fenris asked, tears streaming down his face as he took in Kayn's condition. "I'm so sorry, Kayn," Fenris sobbed, the flames around him vanishing entirely.
"Don't worry, Fenris. Everything is..." Kayn felt his strength leave him. The burns overtook him, and finally, unable to endure any longer, he collapsed to the ground. Fenris watched his friend fall before his eyes.
"Kayn!" Fenris screamed, quickly kneeling beside him, trying to rouse him. "No, no, no! This is all my fault," Fenris muttered, his tear-filled eyes wide with despair.
Then his own strength began to fail. He tried to stay conscious but couldn't. He had used up all his anima. His vision blurred, and he fell to his knees beside Kayn's body.
Calawen, who had witnessed the entire scene, remained motionless. Finally, it seemed the terror had passed—or so he thought. When he turned around, Arwin stood right behind him. Calawen looked at his former companion, whose face showed no hint of compassion, even amid the devastation surrounding them.
"Hey, Arwin... You're not thinking of killing me, are you? Come on, we're friends..."
"I don't want to hear another word from you. Traitor."
With a swift motion, Arwin drew his sword and delivered a precise strike. Calawen's head separated from his body, rolling to the ground as blood gushed in torrents. After finishing him off, Arwin sheathed his sword.
"Those who betray the clan deserve no second chance."
Exhausted from the fight, Arwin fell to the ground. He had given everything he had. He looked at the bodies of Kayn and Fenris lying motionless on the ground. Neither was in any condition to continue fighting.
"It looks like everything is now in your hands... Prince."