The chamber trembled.
Stone carvings flared red from the heat of flame.
Darkness slithered in from every crack and crevice.
In the center, Show stood tall—fists ablaze with his fiery aura.
Across from him, the mysterious Brody, draped in living shadows, smirked coldly.
> Show (gritting teeth): "I don't care who you are… you mess with my team, you burn."
He lunged forward—"Blazing Fist!"
His right fist ignited like a miniature sun, thrusting toward Brody's chest.
But with unnatural grace, Brody sidestepped effortlessly, fading slightly into the surrounding gloom.
Show's fist missed by a hair.
> Brody: "You telegraph your fire. Too loud. Too bright."
"I can sense the shadow your flames leave behind."
Show cursed under his breath and launched into a barrage of attacks—Flame Uppercut, Crimson Dropkick, Blaze Whirlwind.
Each more explosive than the last.
But Brody danced between them, like mist against wind.
> Brody: "You fight with heart. But you've got a weakness."
Suddenly, Brody closed the distance.
"Shadow Slash."
A curved, black blade of shadow erupted from his hand and cut across Show's chest—sending him crashing into a stone pillar.
---
Show, Struggling
Show tried to rise, his hand trembling as he ignited another flame—but it flickered, weak and unstable.
> Show (to himself): "What's wrong with me…? Why can't I summon it properly…?"
His flames wouldn't stabilize. The reduction of his magical energy from earlier—Alden's restriction—was starting to show.
Brody, calm and composed, walked toward him.
> Brody: "You're strong, kid. But right now, you're just a spark."
He struck again, knocking Show aside like a ragdoll.
---
Meanwhile – Chaos in the Ruins
Elsewhere in the Ignion Ruins, the rest of Arcane Academy's students were locked in an intense battle.
Criss lifted stone spires to slam a squad of Gamaron soldiers into the wall.
Presto spun mid-air, releasing bolts of lightning, shouting,
> "Outta the way, thunderstorm coming through!"
Drake froze the floor and skated through a group of attackers, launching Ice Daggers left and right.
Hibiki and Akito, still in sync, unleashed a card:
"Wind Cannon – Hurricane Arrow!" blasting three enemies in one gust.
Raelyn radiated light, cutting through enemy lines, while Clod teleported allies out of danger with pinpoint accuracy.
Karen fought with desperation, blocking attacks with charm bursts—but always looking toward the deeper ruins.
> Karen (worried): "Where are you, Show…"
---
Back at the Core – Byron's Plan Unfolds
Inside the Ancient Magic Core, Byron stood before a massive crystal structure—crackling with red-hot magic drawn from the ruins.
His soldiers activated magic siphoning circles around the chamber, ancient glyphs glowing.
> Byron: "Soon… the ruins' power will be ours. The ancient flame—reborn through his energy."
He looked at a projection orb showing Show lying in rubble, breathing heavily, surrounded by shadows.
> Byron (smirking): "Now, boy… fulfill your purpose."
---
To Be Continued...