Chapter 253: Kael Vs Erainlia.
The crash of glass had barely faded when Kael and Erainlia hit the cobblestones outside the shattered window.
Citizens froze where they stood. A few whispered,
"Isn’t that the Strong of the Lia Family?"
"Who’s that man fighting him?"
Kael straightened slowly, his uniform was torn by shards.
Erainlia rose opposite him, sword drawn.
"You dare lay hands on my sister, Kael Ashford!".
Kael’s expression changed. "I saved her, not harmed her."
"You saved her by bringing her into the Elaris?" Erainlia’s eyes narrowed. "You know what this city is. You are a trash dog in here"
Kael’s jaw tightened. "Then maybe we will see who barks."
he dashed forward.
The first clash came like thunder.
His blade, cut through the air with a scream.
Kael stepped aside.
He countered with a swift kick, sending a ripple of air that cracked the stones beneath them.
Erainlia blocked, sliding backward, boots grinding against the ground. "Still as reckless as ever," he said.
Kael replied. "And you still judge before listening."
He raised his hand. Faint threads of astral light circled his wrist.
"Astral Punch," he shouted.
He thrust his fist forward.
The air between them distorted, a shimmering burst of condensed energy exploding outward.
It struck Erainlia’s guard with the force of a hammer.
She was thrown back several meters, landing on one knee, sword braced in front of her. Dust rose in waves around her boots.
Gasps rippled through the onlookers.
"That—! That wasn’t ordinary mana!" a mage muttered.
Kael lowered his arm, steam rising from his glove.
"I told you, I didn’t want to fight."
Erainlia wiped blood from his lip and smiled coldly. "Then stop holding back. I’ll break you either way."
She leapt again, this time faster. Golden sigils flared beneath her feet—Lia family techniques.
Her sword traced a shining arc that cut through Kael’s defensive stance.
Kael blocked with his forearm, the shock rippling through his bones. The next slash grazed his cheek.
He grunted, sliding backward, boots scraping. "You’re faster than before."
"I trained for years." Her eyes burned. "You’re the shadow my sister trusted more than her own blood. I’ll erase that mistake."
Kael’s hand dropped to the hilt of the blade at his waist. The runes carved along it pulsed faintly—the same color as the fragments he carried.
"Then don’t regret what you asked for," he said quietly.
He drew the sword in a single, smooth motion.
A line of pale starlight extended from the blade’s edge, slicing through the mist itself.
The temperature dropped instantly.
"Astral Severance."
Kael stepped forward. The world seemed to blur; every movement left trails of light behind him.
He vanished from sight—then reappeared behind Erainlia.
A ringing note filled the square. For a heartbeat, nothing moved.
Then the ground split apart between them.
Erainlia barely managed to raise a barrier of light before the invisible slash tore through his armor, sending a burst of energy that shattered windows around the square.
She was thrown backward again, rolling across the stones.
Her sword flickered. "Impossible... that cut—"
Kael rested the tip of his blade against the ground, silver light fading slowly. "Astral Severance cuts through distance, not flesh. I held back."
"Held back?" he coughed, pushing himself up. "You think I need mercy?"
His aura surged again, brighter than before, bathing the ruins in gold. "I’ll show you the true power of the Lia lineage!"
She raised her sword skyward.
"Radiant Descent!"
A spear of pure light formed above her, descending like a comet. The brilliance forced everyone nearby to shield their eyes.
Kael planted his feet. His own aura turned dark, swirling with shades of deep blue and violet.
The comet struck—
—and Kael punched upward.
"Astral Punch!"
The two energies collided mid-air, exploding into a blinding dome.
Shockwaves rippled through the City; windows shattered, carts overturned, the mist itself scattered like torn fabric.
When the light faded, Kael stood in the center of a smoking crater, his coat torn, hair whipping in the wind.
Erainlia knelt at the edge, panting, his armor cracked and glowing faintly from residual heat.
"You’re strong," he admitted between breaths. "Too strong for someone who claims not to be a hero."
Kael sheathed his sword halfway "Strength isn’t what makes a hero."
Erainlia steadied himself. "But I’m not finished."
Kael closed his eyes briefly. "Then forgive me, Cecelia..."
He raised his hand to the sky.
The air thickened; the color drained from the world. A faint hum, like the whisper of the deep sea, filled every ear.
"Abyss Cyclone."
A spiral of dark wind burst from Kael’s body, twisting upward.
It was energy drawn from the darkness.
Erainlia slashed into the wind, but his sword was caught and flung aside.
The cyclone surrounded her, lifting debris, dust, and light into a swirling prison.
he shouted over the roar, "You’ll destroy the whole city!"
"Then yield."
"Never!"
The cyclone roared louder. Bolts of astral lightning streaked through it, dancing around Kael’s figure.
Every step he took forward pushed Erainlia back. His barriers cracked one after another, splintering like glass under pressure.
At last, the storm subsided, leaving only silence.
Erainlia fell to one knee, weapon trembling in his hand.
The golden light around him faded.
Kael stopped a few paces away.
Dust floated slowly to the ground. The square lay in ruins; the once-gray stones now bore deep scars glowing faintly with astral residue.
Spectators whispered nervously, afraid to breathe too loudly.
"He defeated Erainlia..."
"That’s impossible—he’s considered to be strong!"
Kael didn’t look at them. He stepped closer to Erainlia, lowering his sword. "Are you done?"
he glared up at him, pride and disbelief warring in his eyes. "How... how did you become this strong?"
Kael sighed. "Strength isn’t a blessing. It’s a curse that keeps me alive."
he laughed weakly. "Cecelia always believed you’d surpass me. Looks like she was right."
Kael sheathed his sword fully. "She doesn’t need to know about this."
Erainlia winced as she stood, clutching his side. "If I tell her, she won’t believe me anyway."
He turned away, gazing toward the distant gates of elaris. "Good. Then let’s pretend this never happened."
But Erainlia wasn’t ready to let him leave. "Wait!" he called out.
Kael paused.
"You said you didn’t hurt her. Then tell me—why was she unconscious at the city gate?"
"Graylight rejected her. It tests anyone who enters. She failed that test."
Erainlia’s brows furrowed. "And you passed?"
He didn’t answer. "Take her away when she wakes"
"And you?" she asked quietly. "What are you, Kael?"
Kael looked back over his shoulder, the fading light catching the faint shimmer in his eyes.
"Someone who stopped being a hero a long time ago."
He walked away as the crowd parted silently.
Night fell quickly over the Elaris city.
Kael sat on the edge of a ruined fountain, breathing heavily, feeling the strain from the battle.
The fragment’s pulse inside his coat had steadied.
"Three skills... and still, I almost lost control," he muttered.
Kael glanced at his hands. The faint traces of starlight around his veins slowly faded.
Astral Punch. Astral Severance. Abyss Cyclone. Each skill drained more of him than the last.
If he used them recklessly, he would have backlash.
He sighed, leaning back. "I didn’t want to fight him."
Hours later, under the same broken moon, Erainlia limped toward the city’s edge.
His armor was repaired crudely, his sword sheathed across her back.
he paused when he saw Kael still sitting by the fountain. "You should leave before sunrise," he said quietly.
"I know."
She looked at him for a long moment. "Whatever power you used, I could feel that heroes don’t use that kind of power."
Kael smirked faintly. "Neither is this strength."
Erainlia exhaled, half a sigh, half a laugh. "You haven’t changed"
"But I will make sure... that.... I will defeat you in front of everyone" Erainlia said.
He didn’t answer.
Finally, she said, "I owe you for saving her. But next time we meet, be prepare"
"You won’t need to say it." He stood. "Next time, you might win."
"Don’t flatter me.", Erainlia replied.
They stood in silence for a moment.
Then Erainlia turned and disappeared into the mist.
(What a weird person... fighting like an enemy and talking like a friend. And now he wants to fight again?) Kael thought as he stood there, brushing the dust from his clothes.
He sighed deeply. "That guy’s completely unpredictable," he murmured. "One second he wants to kill me, and the next, he’s smiling like we’re drinking tea together..."
For a moment, Kael looked toward the horizon where Erainlia had vanished.
He wondered if he should go after him, to settle the score or maybe to understand him better.
But then, an image of Cecelia’s pale, unconscious face flashed through his mind, and his heart sank.
(But should I go... or stay with Cecelia?) he asked himself quietly.
His hand clenched slightly.
After a short silence, he shook his head. "No... I’ll stay with her," he said firmly. "I’ll be with her until she’s alright."
Turning away from the fountain, Kael walked back toward the private medical house.
Inside, Cecelia still lay motionless on the white bed, her chest rising and falling slowly.
Kael sat beside her quietly, resting his hand on the chair.