Einar!
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. At last, he faced the man himself.
Yet Einar defied expectations. Clad head to toe in black, his broad shoulders and powerful frame made him resemble a warrior more than a mage. His appearance was even more striking—crimson hair, eyes tinged with bloodlust, and a gaze that locked onto Kael's without hesitation. He radiated an aura of relentless battle, as though freshly emerged from a slaughterhouse of war.
"So this is Einar."
The legendary opponent everyone spoke of now stood before him. Einar remained motionless, his stare unbroken, clearly recognizing Kael as a worthy adversary.
"Kael, Five-Star Executor of the Sacred Council, shall now face the Temple's 'Chosen One,' Einar!" The Grand Speaker's voice rolled across the arena like thunder, reaching every ear.
"Kael?"
"That name sounds familiar… Wait, isn't he the one who single-handedly annihilated the Renault Family?"
"I think so…"
Whispers spread through the crowd. While Einar's reputation was already towering, Kael was an enigma—and curiosity crackled in the air.
The Pontiff smirked. "How decisive of you, Grand Speaker. But this time, your side won't demand a rematch, will you?" His tone dripped with sarcasm.
Previously, three Sacred Council champions had fallen to Einar, yet the Council had delayed, biding time until Kael's arrival. Now, the Pontiff's jab carried a clear ultimatum.
The Grand Speaker's expression remained unreadable. "This duel settles it. No further delays."
"Excellent!" The Pontiff laughed, his scepter flaring with light as he turned to Einar. "Proceed!"
"Einar will not fail!" Einar's voice boomed across the field.
His words still hung in the air when he moved—vanishing before their echoes faded.
In the same instant, a thunderous boom echoed as Einar landed on the dueling platform.
The arena trembled, the vibrations humming through the air with an almost ear-splitting intensity.
"Kael! Face me!" Einar roared, his staff blazing with radiant light as he pointed it directly at Kael. His eyes burned with unbridled battle fervor.
Einar's overwhelming presence and domineering stance instantly electrified the crowd. Behind him, the Temple's followers erupted into frenzied cheers.
"The Temple prevails! The Chosen One's might is peerless!"
The Temple's devotees were near-fanatical, their voices united in chanting Einar's name. To them, Einar was more than a warrior—he was a figure of reverence, second only to the Pontiff himself. Merely mentioning his name within the Temple commanded awe and respect.
The atmosphere grew tense. In stark contrast, Kael's reputation within the Sacred Council paled in comparison. No cheers rose for him—only silent scrutiny as the crowd watched, waiting for his response.
Even Zorath the Silent clenched his fists in apprehension. Though he had always believed in Kael, witnessing Einar's terrifying aura firsthand made his confidence waver. Just hold your ground, he prayed inwardly. Even a draw would be a victory.
Einar's staff remained leveled at Kael, his gaze imperious. Yet Kael merely smiled, his own eyes brimming with quiet confidence. He set the little cat down from his shoulder and strode toward the platform with deliberate calm.
"Kael, go crush that red-haired bastard!" the cat huffed.
Kael chuckled and nodded before stepping onto the stage.
The two locked eyes—Einar standing tall with unshakable pride, Kael unfazed by the oppressive pressure radiating from his opponent. Einar's wariness deepened.
Though peerlessly strong, Einar was no fool. This Kael was unlike the three previous Sacred Council challengers. He was a true adversary, one worthy of caution.
"This duel pits the two most formidable young talents on the continent against each other. Their strength may well eclipse even that of seasoned veterans!" The Pontiff laughed heartily, his confidence in Einar unshaken.
The Grand Speaker nodded in agreement. The two mightiest figures on the continent now presided over the duel, while the leaders of other factions sat behind them, the hierarchy unmistakable.
"Since all is settled, let the duel begin!" The Pontiff's command rang out. With the two most formidable figures of the era presiding, the fairness of this contest was beyond question.
Kael smiled faintly, his mana circulating smoothly through his body. Having fully fused with the fire element, he brimmed with confidence—unshaken and unafraid.
Einar's eyes, locked onto Kael's, suddenly widened. "A worthy opponent indeed! Haha, Kael, how about we make a wager?"
"Oh? What kind of wager?" Kael asked.
Einar gripped his staff—no ordinary artifact, but one radiating immense pressure. With a proud tilt of his chin, he declared, "Your strength is remarkable, enough to stand as my equal. But a mere brawl would be dull. Let us set terms!"
He raised his hand, extending three fingers. "Three spells to decide the victor. We clash with magic alone, each unleashing our mightiest incantations. The duel ends within three exchanges!"
The crowd's eyes swiveled to Kael, awaiting his response.
"Do I dare not?" Kael agreed without hesitation.
Einar threw his head back in laughter. "You truly are different from the rest! Good—today, I finally meet a true rival!"
Kael's smile lingered. Einar's forthright nature was refreshing. Were they not adversaries, he might have welcomed such camaraderie.
But in the next breath, Einar's aura sharpened like a blade. His staff slammed into the platform, fissures spiderwebbing across the stone.
Light erupted from his staff as his voice boomed: "Face my first spell—Judgment of Holy Light!"
Rapid incantations followed. Silver divine runes flickered to life along the staff's length as the chant crescendoed.
Behind the Grand Speaker, Zorath the Silent's expression tightened. "Judgment of Holy Light—this is the spell Einar used to crush our three previous challengers. A pinnacle tenth-tier light magic, infused with crushing mental pressure. Most wouldn't withstand the spiritual assault, let alone the spell itself..."
The spectators held their breath, especially those from the Sacred Council. If Kael couldn't endure even this first strike—
Einar's spell incantation was nearly instantaneous—yet Kael's magic erupted just as swiftly!
Thunderflame Gaze!
Without a single uttered syllable, Kael's eyes flickered, and twin surges of lightning and icy fire materialized, lashing toward Einar.
Kael's Thunderflame Gaze struck first, arriving before Einar's face in a thunderous blast!
Einar's pupils contracted. Fortunately, his own spell had already completed—his incantation speed alarmingly brief, a fact that put Kael on high alert.
"Judgment of Holy Light!"
A colossal cross of radiant light materialized in the void, its presence so overwhelming it seemed to tear through space itself. The air howled as violent gusts whipped outward, accompanied by a crushing wave of mental pressure aimed straight at Kael!
Einar's attack was twofold: the magical onslaught of the Judgment itself, and a psychic assault meant to shatter the mind.
Einar was confident. Even if Kael were truly formidable, weathering this strike would drain him immensely!
The Judgment of Holy Light and Thunderflame Gaze collided in a cataclysmic explosion, sending shockwaves of magical turbulence ripping through the arena. The platform trembled as if on the verge of disintegration—until both the Grand Speakerand the Pontiff intervened simultaneously, dampening the destructive force and stabilizing the field.
BOOM!
Einar could already picture it: Kael's face drained of color, his spirit reeling from the psychic blow. After all, the mental assault of Judgment of Holy Light was no trifling matter!
The two spells were evenly matched in raw power, their colossal energies canceling each other out.
Yet when the magic dissipated, one figure stood unshaken—not a single step retreated, his expression eerily calm, without a trace of exhaustion.
Kael had weathered the psychic onslaught of Judgment of Holy Light—completely unscathed!
How was this possible?! Einar's pupils shrank to pinpricks.