Dancing on the golden ashes

The battlefield was eerily quiet for a moment as the dust began to settle. The explosive shockwave from our clash had left both allies and enemies stunned. I could even hear the whispers of the enemies: "Who is that person? How can she match our leader at such a low level?" It was funny how they expected everyone to tremble beneath his feet.

My scythe trembled in my hands, resonating with the immense energy coursing through my body. Across from me, Nam Ji-Ho stood tall, his lightning spear humming with intense power, arcs of electricity crackling along its length and causing the air around him to bend and twist. His ferocious pink eyes locked onto mine, unyielding and hungry for the fight.

"You've got some skill," he admitted with a smirk. "Why don't you come work under me? I will treat you well. It would be a shame to slay such a talent."

I let out a dry laugh, flaring my fire wings wide. Who does he think he is? A god? I don't think so! The golden and black flames danced along their edges, casting flickering shadows across the battlefield. The searing heat distorted the air around them, and the ground beneath my wings glowed faintly, scorched by the intensity of their radiance. Each movement of the flames seemed alive, hungry, as if they were reaching out to consume everything in their path. I had grown much stronger in that cultivation realm. "You think too highly of yourself, Nam Ji-Ho."

"Then you shall die." His expression dropped, and I could instantly tell he didn't take rejection lightly.

Without wasting another breath, I shot forward, my wings propelling me faster than any human could perceive. The ground beneath me cracked and scorched as I moved. My scythe swung in a deadly arc, aiming straight for his heart, but his lightning spear met it with a deafening clang. Sparks of fire and electricity flew in all directions as we traded blow after blow, each collision sending shockwaves through the air.

Nam Ji-Ho was fast—faster than I had anticipated. His spear danced in his hands like it was weightless, each thrust and sweep aimed to pierce through my defenses. I had to stay one step ahead, my scythe moving with deliberate precision to parry his strikes. My eyes worked relentlessly, predicting each of his movements. Each time his spear lunged, I countered with a calculated step back or a sharp twist to deflect, using my agility to avoid being pinned. The tension in my muscles heightened with every clash, and I could feel the rhythm of the fight growing faster, more dangerous. His speed was relentless, forcing me to strategize in the moment, waiting for an opening to unleash a decisive blow. But I wasn't slow either. Each strike of my scythe was precise, fueled by the fiery rage bubbling in my chest. We moved like shadows, our figures blurring as we clashed mid-air, our movements so swift that the battlefield seemed to freeze around us.

"Is this all you've got?" he taunted, his voice calm despite the ferocity of our battle. "I expected more from a King."

I have a feeling he is still testing me out. Well, of course... our levels are too far apart. I'd be playing around with a newbie as well...

I gritted my teeth, feeling the heat of anger rise within me. His arrogance was infuriating, a steady flame that fanned the embers of my determination. I could feel the weight of every decision I'd made to reach this moment, the countless battles that brought me here. I can't let his taunts distract me, I reminded myself. The fury inside wasn't a weakness; it was a tool—a weapon to sharpen my focus and drive me forward. I adjusted my grip on the scythe, its blazing edge mirroring the fire within me, ready to strike with precision and purpose. I spun mid-air, using the momentum to unleash a devastating slash: Annihilation Slash! The attack roared toward him, carving through the air like a tidal wave, the sheer energy making the air boom in small explosions.

Nam Ji-Ho raised his spear, the weapon's lightning intensifying as he thrust it forward. "Thunderous Rend!" he shouted, the spear's energy exploding outward in a massive wave of thunder and light. The two attacks collided with a deafening boom, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield, tearing apart the ground beneath us.

The force of the impact sent both of us flying backward. I caught myself mid-air, my wings flapping to stabilize me. Nam Ji-Ho landed gracefully on a boulder, his spear planted firmly in the ground as he watched me with that infuriating smirk, completely unfazed by the destruction around us.

"You're strong, I'll give you that," he said, his tone almost bored. "But strength alone won't let you best me."

"It's too early to say," I spat, my voice laced with venom. "I'm the darkness to those who threaten my allies. I'm the one who decides who lives and who dies here." I could increase my speed more, but I'm already fast enough... Should I spend all of my skill points on magic attack... No! Not yet... He hadn't revealed all of his cards yet.

I raised my hand, aiming straight at him. "Let's see how you can protect against this..." I smiled wildly. This battle is quite thrilling, each moment more exhilarating than the last, I wonder if this will be enough. "First step: Spark!" With a flick of my finger, his body was instantly set on fire. After that, the darkness quickly followed as Shadow Slash Barrage surrounded him, leaving him no choice but to accept the flames and defend against darkness blades.

He tried to dodge, but the flames were impossible to avoid. Quickly, he summoned a small lightning dragon, which devoured my darkness blades aiming for his life and the flames only left small burns over his half-naked body. "Not bad, but you need more firepower, what is this? You're trying to light a campfire for us?" His eyes were smiling and his lips wore a smile that was not a smile, he was clearly mocking me as he had fun playing around.

But I wasn't done. I activated Soul Shackle, and illusory chains shot out from my arm, snaking toward him and binding his arms and legs. Nam Ji-Ho growled, his spear sparking with energy as he struggled against the bindings. I didn't give him a moment to recover. My scythe glowed with fiery brilliance as I unleashed Fire Slash, the crescent-moon cutting through the air with a roar and leaving a trail of molten heat in its wake.

Nam Ji-Ho managed to twist his body at the last second, the attack grazing his side and leaving a small wound on his belly. He retaliated with a surge of lightning dancing all over his body, shattering the Soul Shackle bindings and charging at me with blinding speed.

"You'll have to do better than that," he sneered, his spear thrusting toward me in a rapid flurry. I dodged and countered with Darkness Slash, the energy exploding outward and forcing him to retreat.

As we clashed again and again, I could feel the countdown ticking in my mind. Laughing at the Death was building up slowly, the power surging deep within me. Thirty seconds left!

I gritted my teeth, throwing every skill I had at him. Nam Ji-Ho's movements were still sharp, but the strain was beginning to show. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, his pink eyes narrowing as he realized I wasn't letting up.

"You're relentless," he admitted, his voice edged with frustration. "But it won't matter. I will end this."

"You're not doing a very good job at that," I replied, my voice full of mockery.

Our exchanges soon grew to the level where no one on the raging battlefield could see us anymore, luckily for me, Nam Ji-Ho's group was completely dealt with, which let my friend move more away, as they spectated the battle from afar.

With twenty seconds left, I raised my scythe high, the flames intensifying as I prepared for the decisive strike. The battlefield around us burned, the air thick with smoke and the scent of molten metal. Nam Ji-Ho charged, his lightning spear crackling with one final surge of power, but I was ready.

The clash was imminent, but I wasn't about to make it easy for him. I vanished with Superior Space Distortion, reappearing to his side with my scythe aimed at his torso. He twisted, deflecting the blow with his spear, but the force sent him staggering. I pressed the attack, slashing downward and forcing him to leap back, his spear crackling as it absorbed the impact.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"What happened to all that arrogance?" I sneered.

His eyes narrowed, and a flicker of rage crossed his face. He raised his spear high, summoning another storm cloud above us. Bolts of lightning rained down, and I could feel their immense energy even as I dodged and countered. But I knew the moment was drawing closer. Laughing at the Death was almost ready.

Soul Bite!

Massive illusory teeth appeared above me and I took a huge bite out of him, but for some reason it was different than anything I had used it on before. Suddenly, his entire body turned into lightning as a figure approached from afar. A tall frame slammed into the ground from the sky, and a new figure manifested from lightning and thunder, shaking the entire battlefield and making even me shiver.

"You did well holding against my clone. Now... let me ask again: will you join me, or shall I end your entire group? I am done playing around, you see." An arrogant voice echoed through the battlefield, carrying undeniable power.

I can't believe it was only his clone...

I knew that if my boost didn't activate soon, I would be as good as dead. This battle had become a race against time...