The jungle trembled beneath their fury.
A blast of black shadow tore through the tree line, followed by an explosion of fire-imbued air that scorched the canopy. Ardy and Leo—two warriors who once fought side by side—now collided like twin storms, each intent on silencing the other.
Their fists met again in a thunderous crash, sending shockwaves that flattened the surrounding foliage.
Leo's breathing was ragged, but his focus sharpened. He blurred forward in an arc, blades of shadow curling from his arms like serpents. Ardy spun low to dodge, the heat from his counter-strike igniting leaves midair.
Leo's thoughts boiled as he ducked under another blow.
He's faster. Stronger. Was he always this strong?
He clenched his jaw, skidding to a halt. No… I can't lose. Jack trusted me with everything…
---
Flashback: Jack's Pain
In a dim cave lit only by dying torches, Leo once shouted, "You can't understand what love means, Jack!"
Jack didn't lash back. His gaze dropped.
"When my family abandoned me for being useless…" His voice cracked.
Leo paused.
"…An old woman found me. An outsider. She fought for me. She accepted me."
His shoulders trembled.
"But they killed her. Burned her alive for defending a 'cursed child.' I was too weak to do anything."
A single tear rolled down his cheek.
"Tell me, Leo… was it my fault? That I was born without magic? Without talent?"
He looked up—eyes hollow.
"No. My true sin... was being born at all. This world—it doesn't forgive the weak."
He gritted his teeth.
"You want to know something permanent in this world? Hate. People don't change. They look at your money, your status, your beauty, and judge you. If you have nothing, they treat you as nothing."
Leo had whispered, "That's not true. Not everyone's like that."
Jack met his eyes.
No you are wrong "People are motherfucker ."
---
Present: The Flame and the Shadow
Leo roared through gritted teeth, his body soaked in sweat and blood. "I… I wiiiiiil nooooot lose!! I'll kill you, Ardy!!"
He lunged, his shadows forming sickle-blades that whirled toward Ardy in spiraling arcs. Ardy leapt backward, dodging by a hair, the air cracking behind him from the force.
He threw out his arms—flames burst from his palms in twin jets, swirling around him like a sunstorm.
They clashed midair—Leo's tendrils slicing through fire, Ardy's fists burning through shadow. With every collision, the earth shook. Trees toppled. Stones split.
Leo vanished into the mist, reappeared behind Ardy, and stabbed with a dagger of obsidian darkness—only for Ardy to catch his wrist mid-strike and flip him overhead into the ground.
Leo slammed into the earth, cracking it. But he flipped upright immediately, biting back pain.
He raised both hands.
The ground beneath Ardy exploded—vines, roots, and jagged rocks surged up, entwined with shadow.
Ardy punched downward, creating a shockwave so powerful it split the spell open and scattered the debris like glass in a storm.
The two stared at each other through the rising dust. Silent. Breathing.
They charged again.
---
Flashback: Forging the Monster
After Leo joined Jack, the boy he once was died slowly—one scar, one lesson at a time.
Every day began before sunrise. Necros would drop Leo into gravity pits, forcing him to crawl under pressure strong enough to crack bones. At night, Jack would unleash feral beasts mutated by magic and toxins—Leo had to fight them barehanded, again and again, until he stopped screaming.
"You want to live for her?" Jack asked one night. "Then stop being weak. Burn yourself into someone no one can destroy."
Leo rose from the blood-soaked floor. "Again."
Weeks passed. Months. One year. Until finally—
"He's changed," Necros murmured.
Jack crossed his arms. "He surpassed us."
He turned away.
"Now comes his final test. He may not come back alive."
Leo approached, emotionless.
"Let's begin."
---
Present: The Wrath Unleashed
The jungle was in ruins.
Leo's eyes glowed, and the power of the magic stone flared through his veins. He summoned a massive spear of shadow, taller than the trees, imbued with nature and death magic.
"I'll end it here!"
He hurled it. The sky warped.
Ardy stepped forward, darkness radiating off him—flames licked from his arms as he summoned a single blade, forged of black fire and rage.
He whispered, "Come."
They both exploded forward, trails of destruction following in their wake. The spear and blade clashed. The world shook.
The sky seemed to split as their final techniques met—light vanished, noise became silence, and the heart of the forest was torn apart in their fury.
They flew apart, landing far from each other—gasping, bleeding, standing.
But not falling.
Not yet.