Kaelzar grinned, though his face was sared with blood. He flicked his sword, shaking loose the mixture of his own blood and Atlas’s from its blade.
"So... looks like you’re finally losing that little temporary boost, huh? Done playing vampire now?" he mocked, his steps shaky, his body battered, yet still refusing to fall.
Atlas’s fists clenched tighter around his spear.
The truth was undeniable, the temporary vampire mode was fading fast, draining his stamina and energy at a frightening pace. If this fight dragged on, he might be the one to collapse first.
The battlefield had fallen into a deathly silence.
And then...
Morning broke. The first rays of sunlight spilled across the snowy wasteland, casting long, sharp shadows over the frozen island.
A sudden WHUMP echoed. A sharp, thunderous flap of wings slicing through the air, followed by a piercing, predatory cry that reverberated across the battlefield.
What is that?
The question burned in Kaelzar’s mind as the sound grew louder.
Because in the next heartbeat, a massive shadow swept across the ground, circling them like a hunter stalking prey.
Kaelzar’s eyes shot skyward.
And then he saw it.
Not just a bird, no.
A massive bird, its wings spanning wide enough to blot out the rising sun, its feathers glinting like honed steel. Each one as sharp as a blade.
"Hah..." Kaelzar exhaled, narrowing his eyes as his grip tightened on his blade. "I should have killed that damn bird when I had the chance."
It was the Bladewing Ravager, the very sa monster bird Atlas had crossed paths with during his training in Celesthollow.
Now it circled above them, wings slicing through the sky, each razor-sharp feather catching the light of dawn.
This mont had been set in motion long before.
The day after Atlas and his forces departed Celesthollow, Kurogasa and Lyrassa had returned. It had been Kurogasa’s idea, he feared the creature might have suffered at the hands of Kaelzar’s army.
And his instincts had been right. They found the Ravager broken, its massive wing nearly destroyed.
But Lyrassa had healed it, pouring her magic into its wounds until strength returned to its body. When it recovered, the bird had taken to the skies once more.
And now, at this very mont. It had returned.
Not by chance.
But to exact vengeance.
Kaelzar grit his teeth, rage flashing in his eyes.
"So, two against one wasn’t enough for you. Now you bring reinforcents? You think that pathetic bird will help you win this battle?"
Atlas smirked. "I almost admire your delusion, Kaelzar. Even with death staring you in the face, you still try to comfort yourself with aningless boasts. But your end is already here."
"You, Atlas, and that damn bird, I’ll kill you both right here and now!" Kaelzar roared, his bellow echoing across the frozen battlefield.
At that exact mont, the Bladewing Ravager shrieked and streaked downward like a living blade, diving straight for Kaelzar with blistering speed.
The blond-haired lord reacted instantly, slamming his massive shield into position. A radiant barrier flared around him just as the bird collided, the impact exploding into a deafening CRASH. Shockwaves rippled outward, kicking up snow and ice, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
But Atlas didn’t stand idle.
He seized the opening.
His stamina was nearly gone, his mana completely drained, he had no skills left to burn. But Kaelzar was weakening, too. Injuries weighed heavy on him, fatigue dragged at his every move.
This was the mont to end it.
Atlas dashed forward, closing the distance with a burst of speed. His Wavebreaker Spear glead as it thrust toward Kaelzar.
"Not today, Atlas!" Kaelzar roared, bracing himself. His body tensed, desperate to hold his ground.
But he wasn’t fighting a single opponent anymore.
The Ravager swooped low, its talons lashing from behind, forcing Kaelzar to split his defenses.
Atlas pressed forward, relentless, his spear striking with deadly precision. Blow after blow targeted Kaelzar’s arms, pushing his guard to the brink.
Then, tid perfectly, Atlas’s spear slamd against the shield hand.
The impact jolted through Kaelzar’s battered body, and with a sharp, grating sound, the massive shield slipped from his grasp, crashing into the snow.
The tide had turned.
Weakened and battered, Kaelzar staggered under the unrelenting assault. The bird’s talons raked across his back, its wings slicing the air as it struck again and again. He tried to hold on, but... His sword slipped from his grip.
And then, it clattered into the snow.
Atlas surged forward, spear flashing in rapid, deadly thrusts.
Even stripped of his sword and shield, Kaelzar refused to collapse. He t the strikes with his armored fists, parrying where he could, blocking with sheer brute force, deflecting blow after blow.
But Atlas had the advantage now.
Zefyros darted in, weaving through the battlefield, lightning crackling from its form. The bolts struck Kaelzar, stunning him, staggering his footing, throwing his defenses into chaos.
The toll was clear.
Kaelzar’s hands split open under the punishnt, blood dripping from ragged cuts where the spear had pierced his guard. His armor, already fractured, broke apart at the joints, plates scattering to the ground as his arms lay exposed.
He could no longer defend himself.
Atlas’s eyes narrowed. The opening had revealed itself.
He lunged, spear aid straight for Kaelzar’s chest, only for a piercing shriek to split the air.
The Bladewing Ravager swooped down like a storm, its colossal talons clamping brutally around Kaelzar’s torso. With one powerful beat of its wings, the beast tore him from the battlefield, dragging him skyward.
The bird’s wings hamred the air as it carried the weakened lord higher and higher, leaving Atlas behind, panting, his chest burning for breath. The battle wasn’t over, not yet. His opponent was still alive.
Atlas tilted his head upward, gaze tracking the brutal ascent. The sight was eerily familiar, this very sa bird had once done the sa to him. But unlike that ti, Kaelzar had no strength left. He was helpless.
Kaelzar roared, thrashing in desperation, but the effort was aningless. At this height, breaking free ant certain death.
Atlas stood below, spear gripped tight, watching as his enemy was lifted higher and higher, the predator’s scream echoing like a death knell across the frozen land.
The Ravager soared, climbing into the dawn sky. Then, at the perfect mont, it stilled its wings.
And let go.
Kaelzar’s armored body plumted from the sky, spinning helplessly as gravity pulled him down.
Atlas exhaled sharply, steadying himself, eyes locked on his falling foe. His grip tightened on the Wavebreaker Spear as he braced it firmly against the earth, angling the weapon like a trap waiting for its prey.
The collision shook the ground.
Kaelzar’s body slamd onto the spear with a bone-rattling crash, the three gleaming tips tearing through armor, flesh, and bone alike. The impact bent him backward, his body impaled. The weapon’s blades jutted out from his abdon in a grotesque, perfect strike.
For a mont, ti seed to freeze. The blond-haired lord hung there, eyes wide, blood spilling in heavy streams, staining the untouched snow below with crimson.
Atlas’s grip held firm, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths as he stared at his enemy caught on the spear.
Was it over?
Had this battle, this grueling, blood-soaked clash, finally co to its end?
Then silence.
The battlefield, once alive with chaos and screams, fell deathly still.
As dawn’s first light spread across the frozen island, the white snow glistened crimson, painted by the lifeblood of the fallen lord.
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