The Awakening Begins
The battlefield lay in ruins. The once-pristine courtyard of the academy was now a shattered wasteland of debris and scorched earth, humming with residual energy from the violent clash of lightning.
Amidst the destruction, Bolt stood tall, arcs of electricity dancing wildly around him, crackling against his skin like living entities.
His eyes burned with an electrified blue glow, his aura now completely different—unstable, yet brimming with untapped potential.
Vael'Zarith, the Lightning Warborn, observed him with keen interest.
"Fifteen percent," he murmured, his voice carrying over the crackling static in the air. "A mere fragment of what lies dormant within you."
Bolt exhaled slowly, his body adjusting to the newfound surge of power. Every muscle in his form felt alive, his veins pulsating with raw energy. The elements he had been struggling to control—lightning, ice, wind, water, earth—were now responding to him more freely.
But this power came with a cost.
Bolt clenched his fists, feeling the strain in his bones. Even at just 15% mastery, the energy was overwhelming, a force barely restrained from tearing his own body apart.
Yet, his resolve hardened.
"I don't need to be at full power," Bolt muttered. "I just need to be strong enough to take you down."
Vael'Zarith's expression remained unreadable.
Then—he moved.
BZZZT!
A flash of blue lightning.
In the blink of an eye, Vael'Zarith was gone.
Bolt's eyes widened.
Too fast.
But this time—he could sense it.
BOOM!
Instinctively, Bolt raised his arms, summoning a thick barrier of ice and wind, just in time to intercept a devastating lightning-infused punch.
CRACK!
The force behind the blow sent shockwaves ripping through the air, shattering the barrier instantly.
Bolt was blasted backward, tumbling across the battlefield, but this time—he adjusted mid-air, flipping back onto his feet.
Vael'Zarith nodded slightly.
"You're learning."
Bolt wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smirked. "Gotta keep up, right?"
With a flick of his wrist, Bolt summoned twin spirals of water and lightning, twisting like twin serpents in his palms.
With a roar, he hurled them toward Vael'Zarith.
BOOOOM!
The attack streaked forward, unstable but immensely powerful, splitting the ground as it surged toward its target.
Vael'Zarith simply extended his hand.
BZZZT!
With a single motion, he redirected the energy, absorbing the raw lightning into his own aura while effortlessly dispersing the water.
Bolt gritted his teeth. "Damn it—!"
Before he could react, Vael'Zarith moved again, appearing right in front of him.
BOOM!
A devastating uppercut sent Bolt soaring into the air, his vision blurring from the sheer force.
But he refused to lose control.
Focusing, Bolt twisted mid-air, harnessing the wind around him to slow his fall.
WHOOSH!
The moment his feet touched the ground, he drove his fist into the earth, sending a massive surge of jagged rock spikes toward Vael'Zarith.
The Warborn raised an eyebrow before vanishing once more, reappearing just inches away from Bolt's exposed side.
BZZZT!
A brutal lightning-infused elbow strike slammed into Bolt's ribs, sending a web of cracks through his bones.
CRACK!
"GRAHHH!" Bolt gritted his teeth through the pain, refusing to collapse.
Vael'Zarith's voice was calm, yet unwavering.
"You're still hesitating."
Bolt coughed, forcing himself upright, ignoring the screaming pain in his side.
"I'm just getting started."
Then, Bolt did something unexpected.
He stopped fighting back.
Vael'Zarith tilted his head slightly, sensing the shift.
"Interesting…"
Bolt took a deep breath.
Instead of forcing his power, he let it flow.
The winds surged around him.
The earth beneath his feet vibrated.
The moisture in the air condensed into frost, forming thin layers of ice along his forearms.
The lightning crackling around him grew quieter—but denser, more focused.
Vael'Zarith's eyes narrowed.
"Ah… now you understand."
Bolt vanished.
BZZZZT!
For the first time in the battle—he was as fast as Vael'Zarith.
Before the Warborn could react—a fist wreathed in wind and ice crashed into his side.
BOOOOOOM!
Vael'Zarith skidded backward, for the first time, losing ground.
Bolt didn't stop.
WHOOSH!
With a burst of air, he appeared behind Vael'Zarith, his hands swirling with electrified water, before delivering a brutal kick to his ribs.
CRACK!
The force sent the Warborn flying, crashing through three trees before coming to a halt.
Silence.
Then—Vael'Zarith laughed.
A deep, rumbling chuckle that sent shivers down Bolt's spine.
"You're beginning to comprehend," Vael'Zarith said, rising to his feet. He dusted himself off, his body unscathed. "But you are still far from mastery."
Bolt breathed heavily, but his grin didn't fade.
He felt it now.
He understood.
Before, he had been forcing the elements to obey him—but now, they were moving as one.
This was only 15% of his full potential—and already, he had landed two clean hits on the Lightning Warborn.
His heart pounded with excitement.
"Then let's keep going," Bolt said.
Vael'Zarith's smirk widened.
"Very well."
BOOOOOOM!
They clashed once more, the battle far from over.