MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Across the endless desert, two figures streaked across the golden sands, their movements blurring with sheer speed.

One was Aurelius Ignis—the Phoenix King.

The other, Malakar—the Eclipsian.

Aurelius' majestic wings unfurled behind him, each powerful beat propelling him forward with effortless grace.

His spear spun in his grasp, a seamless extension of his will, his movements embodying both the elegance of a phoenix and the authority of a king.

Opposite him, Malakar maneuvered his trident with effortless precision, the weapon gliding through the air as if the very elements bent to his command.

Then, in an instant, both warriors converged.

Their weapons met at a singular focal point, a clash that shook the heavens.

Aurelius' eyes burned with lethal intent as he surged forward.

His spear twisted in his grip, coiling like a serpent before striking, its deadly tip lunging straight for Malakar's heart.

But Malakar was no novice.

With precise control, his trident shifted, its sharpened prongs intercepting the attack in a clash of steel and force.

Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Yet Aurelius was far from finished.

Heat radiated from his spear, intense, suffocating, space melting.

The very air shimmered under its wrath as his Spear Intent sharpened, growing even deadlier.

Then—boom.

The spear detonated.

The sheer force of the explosion ripped through the battlefield, catching Malakar off guard.

He was sent hurtling backward, his form flung mercilessly through the air as the desert itself trembled beneath the cataclysmic impact.

Phoenix flames and Spear Intent ravaged Malakar's skin as he was sent hurtling through the air.

Yet, he did not scream.

His expression remained impassive, unshaken by the sheer force of the attack.

Midair, his posture shifted, control reasserted itself as he twisted his body, spinning with precise, effortless grace.

Then, he landed.

His feet touched the sand without flaw, yet the sheer force of his descent carved a shallow trench as he skidded backward.

But Aurelius was relentless.

[Phoenix Magic: Death's Barrage]

Mana bent to his will, yielding to the authority of a king.

Flames surged, twisting together in an ecstatic dance before solidifying into orbs of blazing destruction.

Then, in a burst of momentum, they shot forward, each one spinning with unrelenting speed, streaking toward Malakar like falling stars.

Yet Malakar remained unbothered.

His gaze never wavered from the incoming inferno as he turned his focus inward.

Healing came first.

Summoning his Intent, he forcefully purged the lingering traces of Spear Intent that had embedded themselves in his body.

Then, he moved onto the next step.

Water rippled into existence at his command.

[Water Magic: Healing Cloak]

The liquid wrapped around him like a second skin, cool and soothing, before vanishing as swiftly as it had appeared.

The results were instant.

His wounds sealed. His flesh was restored.

The damage inflicted upon him had been erased.

And now he was ready.

As the flames closed in, Malakar moved.

With fluid precision, he drove his trident into the sand, his voice steady as he invoked his command.

[Aqua Magic: Oceanic Surge]

From the emptiness of the arid desert, water erupted like a ruptured dam, an unstoppable tide surging forward to meet the incoming inferno.

Then—boom.

The world shook as fire and water collided.

Two opposing forces met in a cataclysmic clash, transforming the battlefield into a swirling maelstrom of raw, elemental chaos.

Sand cyclones spiraled upward, lifting golden grains high into the sky.

Storms of fire and water raged in the aftermath, the air thick with searing heat and chilling mist.

Then came the steam.

It spread in all directions, veiling the battlefield in a dense, suffocating fog.

Beneath it all, the once dry sands bore witness to the struggle, one side soaked and softened by the water's embrace, while the other had been transformed into glass beneath the scorching fury of the Phoenix King's flames.

Through the billowing steam, Malakar surged forward, his movement utterly silent, not even the faintest whisper of sound betraying his advance.

In a flash, his knee thrust forward, a precise strike aimed at Aurelius' chest.

Yet Aurelius reacted with razor-sharp instincts, his spear shifted instantly, its shaft intercepting the blow.

The wind barrier shattered upon impact, its fragments dispersing like ephemeral dust.

But Aurelius allowed no room for reprieve.

Flames erupted around his foot, licking the air with searing intensity before he drove it upward, its trajectory set, Malakar's temple.

Malakar's gaze sharpened, locking onto the incoming strike.

In response, water coalesced around his fist, swirling in a fluid embrace before he struck forward with unyielding force.

The clash was instant.

Sand exploded outward as opposing elements collided, each vying for dominance in the chaotic tempest of battle.

Just as Aurelius prepared to strike once more, Malakar acted first.

[Water Magic: Aqua Domain]

The incantation resonated through the air, and in an instant, the battlefield was transformed.

This was no mere spell, it was a complete shift in terrain.

The arid sands were consumed, vanishing beneath an expanse of water as a vast aquatic domain materialized.

Witnessing the change, Aurelius wasted no time.

Though submerged, he was far from powerless.

[Phoenix Magic: Unending Heat]

With a single invocation, an eruption of flames ignited within the depths, expanding outward in relentless waves of searing devastation.

The ocean boiled under the infernal onslaught, its liquid form unable to withstand the unyielding heat.

Steam surged upward in furious torrents, as if the sea itself rebelled against the consuming fire.

Beneath the ocean's depths, a vortex stirred to life under Malakar's command, spiraling with relentless force as it ensnared Aurelius within its merciless grip.

Then, without pause, a relentless barrage of water arcs erupted from the swirling maelstrom, each strike slicing through the currents with lethal precision.

The searing phoenix flames were drowned, forcefully extinguished by the overwhelming deluge.

Then came the crimson bloom, streaks of blood dispersing through the water as Aurelius' skin split open beneath the relentless assault.

Wounds accumulated. Injuries mounted.

The onslaught was merciless.

Yet Aurelius did not falter.

[Forbidden Lightning Magic: Apocalypse Descendence]

The heavens convulsed.

The sky rippled with raw, untamed power, crackling with unholy energy that threatened to tear reality asunder.

The force did not simply build, it multiplied, escalating beyond mortal comprehension.

Then, with the fury of a dying star, it fell.

A cataclysmic boom heralded its descent, and in an instant, the world was set ablaze.

Space itself fractured.

The ocean, once vast and unyielding, was annihilated beneath the crushing might of the forbidden spell.

The very fabric of existence trembled, collapsing inward under the divine wrath of lightning.

And it did not cease.

The unleashed power ran rampant, devouring everything in its wake.

Wherever the lightning touched, obliteration followed.

The battlefield was no longer a place of battle, it was a realm of absolute ruin.

From the heart of the devastation, Aurelius emerged.

Lightning surged through his veins, crackling with the fury of a thunder god.

His wounds had vanished, as if even injury itself dared not linger upon his form.

Through the thick, smoldering fumes, Malakar stood.

His body bore the unmistakable marks of suffering, scorched flesh, seared skin, the acrid scent of burning wounds clinging to the air around him.

He willed himself to heal once more.

But he had no time.

Before the thought could manifest, Aurelius was already upon him, moving with the swiftness of a lightning bolt.

Lightning crackled along his spear, fusing with raw Spear Intent, the two forces intertwining in a perfect, devastating equilibrium.

Then, with unstoppable momentum, the spear lunged forward, its aim absolute.

Just as Aurelius' spear was about to pierce Malakar's body, everything halted.

Aurelius froze.

His spear, once a conduit of destruction, hung motionless.

Even the lightning itself, wild, untamed, relentless, was suspended in eerie stillness.

Malakar's gaze snapped toward his immobilized foe, realization flickering in his eyes.

Then, with a single fluid motion, his trident carved through the frozen air.

Aurelius' chest split open.

The trident passed through layers of Spear Intent and crackling lightning as though they were nothing more than mist, effortless, inevitable.

Yet no blood spilled.

No pain registered.

Everything remained locked in the unnatural stasis.

Then, with a controlled flick of his wrist, Malakar spun the trident once more.

This time, his target was absolute.

Aurelius' head.

With the finality of an executioner's strike, the trident thrust forward.