Fueled by his arrogance and a desperate need to prove himself, Jason wasted no time. He sent a message to Kael through the empire's ranks, demanding a duel. He wanted to face his old punching bag and show everyone that Kael was nothing more than a myth inflated by fear.
Kael accepted.
The battlefield had grown silent as the heroes, soldiers, and commanders from both sides gathered to witness the duel. Jason stood in the center, his towering frame radiating raw strength. His muscles tensed as he cracked his knuckles, grinning confidently.
Kael arrived with an eerie stillness. His golden eyes, devoid of warmth, settled on Jason like an executioner surveying his next victim. The battlefield was tense, the air thick with the weight of an impending clash. As Jason stood proudly, his arrogance evident, Kael made his entrance. His appearance alone sent shivers through the spines of those who dared to look upon him. His armor was a masterpiece of terror—an intricate set of plates with jagged black edges, its surface bathed in a deep crimson red that pulsed like living veins. The helmet he wore concealed his expression, but his glowing golden eyes burned through the darkness like twin infernos, radiating a malevolence that made the surrounding heroes question if this was truly the boy they once knew.
Kael stepped forward, his movements smooth and deliberate, exuding a presence that was both regal and monstrous. His aura crackled in the air around him, distorting the light as if reality itself shuddered in his presence. Jason, despite his bravado, felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple as he stared into the abyss before him. The duel had yet to begin, yet already, it felt as though Kael had won.
Jason lunged first, his immense strength sending shockwaves through the ground as he charged. He swung his massive fist, aiming to shatter Kael's skull in one blow.
Kael sidestepped effortlessly, the air itself trembling with his movement. With a flick of his wrist, he sent Jason flying back with a gust of wind. Jason crashed into the ground, coughing as he struggled to his feet, his pride already bruised.
"Is that all?" Kael asked, his voice devoid of interest.
Jason roared and activated his ability—Titan's Strength—his muscles swelling with divine energy. He launched himself forward again, each of his attacks creating craters in the earth. But Kael, unbothered, danced between the strikes like a phantom, his movements so precise that they defied reason.
Then Kael struck back.
A single punch to Jason's gut sent shockwaves through the battlefield, the sheer force carving a deep crater beneath them. Jason gasped, blood spurting from his mouth. He barely had time to react before Kael followed up, each strike generating powerful gusts of wind that knocked soldiers off their feet.
The other heroes watched in horror. They had known Kael was strong, but this wasn't strength—it was absolute dominance.
Jason stumbled, eyes wide with disbelief. "This… this isn't possible…"
But Kael did not end it swiftly. Instead, he beat Jason into the ground mercilessly, each blow landing with the force of a hurricane. Jason, the so-called strongest among them, had no room to breathe, no moment to recover. His body was thrown and slammed against the dirt, each strike breaking him further, shattering his pride with every passing second. The battlefield bore witness to a cruel irony—Kael, who had once been Hoshi, Jason's favorite target, now stood over him as an unstoppable force of destruction.
Kael took no pleasure in vengeance. In fact, he found it amusing how little he cared. Jason had been his bully, his tormentor, but now he was nothing more than another worm beneath Kael's boot. The only thing Kael relished was the look in Jason's eyes—not one of defiance, but pure, unfiltered fear. The cowardice of a man who had once believed himself superior. Jason finally understood. He was nothing before Kael. And that realization was the only victory Kael allowed him.
Kael stepped forward, placing a hand on Jason's chest. For a moment, Jason thought it was mercy. Then Kael's fingers plunged into his flesh.
The battlefield fell into stunned silence as Kael pulled Jason's heart from his chest, holding it before his lifeless eyes. Blood dripped from his fingers onto the broken earth. Jason's body collapsed, his arrogance and strength reduced to nothing.
Kael tossed the heart aside, turning to the other heroes. "If you thought you had a chance against me," he said coldly, "then let this be your lesson."
The duel was over. Jason, the so-called strongest among them, was nothing more than a broken corpse beneath the feet of a warlord who no longer recognized mercy.
The heroes trembled. Their greatest hope had been crushed in mere moments. And Kael? He merely cast Jason's heart aside and turned to them, a cruel smile curling beneath his helm. Slowly, he wiped Jason's blood off his armor, his golden eyes scanning their horrified expressions. Then, he spoke, his voice calm yet laced with mockery. "You shouldn't be afraid."
His words rang through the battlefield like a cruel joke. "You are not my target. The gods are. But the gods are the ones who allowed you to be summoned. In fact, they probably summoned you all on purpose to torment me more." He let out a quiet chuckle, his amusement void of warmth. "But I have no connection to you anymore."
Akari's heart sank. Her hands trembled as she took a step forward, desperate to deny what she had just heard. The weight of his words crushed her chest, making it hard to breathe. He wasn't just rejecting their past—he was rejecting her. She had spent years chasing his shadow, clinging to the hope that Hoshi was still somewhere inside of Kael. But now, hearing it from his own lips, she felt something inside of her break.
She loved him. She always had. And now, he was slipping further and further away, into the abyss of divinity and war.
Kael turned his back on them, walking away without another word. There was nothing left to be said. The duel was over. The war was still ongoing. And Hoshi was truly gone.