Chapter 67- Fierce Battle
In the facility, the air had turned thick with heat and tension.
Rayden braced himself as Seth lunged toward him, the pressure of his presence now scorching like a furnace. Rayden raised his arms to block but was forced to retreat, Seth’s body radiated heat so intense it warped the very air around him.
Boom!
From Seth’s back, several spheres of condensed energy launched toward Rayden. He dodged, barely, but the shockwaves still knocked him off his feet. Crashing to the ground, Rayden groaned and muttered, "Sheesh... any longer in that heat and I’m toast."
Seth didn’t give him time to recover. "Feel this, Rayden!" he shouted, surging forward with fiery speed.
But Rayden only smiled.
"Time to switch partners."
In a blur of shadows, Julian emerged from the side, intercepting Seth with a solid clash, his [Shadow] skill forming a barrier between them. Sparks and smoke exploded as Julian pushed back, giving Rayden just enough space to retreat across the field.
Now face-to-face with Giroth, Rayden hurled a flurry of energy orbs at the older swordsman. The glowing spheres darted through the air like wasps, but Giroth, ever composed, cleaved through them with elegant strikes. Each orb split and exploded mid-air before they could reach him.
Giroth chuckled as smoke curled around him. "A warm greeting from Captain Rayden... I do hope you’ll prove to be a worthy opponent."
Back across the field, Seth stood up again, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, but the blood dried instantly, evaporating from the heat pulsing off his body.
He clenched his fists. My life force... it’s draining faster than I expected. So this is the cost of power?