Chapter 33: The Mastermind's Shadow
Steel clashed against steel, sparks lighting the battlefield as Le Wai and Kael's blades screamed with fury. The air shook with their rage, the weight of history binding each strike.
Then—
A deep, echoing laugh rolled across the burning city. It was not Kael's. It was colder. Sharper. Ancient.
Both men froze mid-duel, their swords locked, breath heavy. Mei Lin's eyes widened, sensing the shift immediately.
From above, the flames bent unnaturally, twisting into a spiral of black and crimson. Out of it stepped a figure cloaked in shifting shadows. His presence was suffocating, more terrifying than the fire itself.
The mastermind.
"Enough," his voice resonated like thunder, shaking the ground beneath them. "This petty squabble amuses me, but it delays the inevitable."
Kael snarled, though his grip on his blade trembled. "You… Why interfere now?"
The cloaked figure's head tilted slightly, his voice laced with mockery. "Because you're wasting time with your grudge, Kael. I gave you strength to break him, not to indulge in your wounded pride."
Le Wai's blood ran cold. So Kael… he's not just a betrayer. He's a pawn.
Mei Lin stepped forward, blade raised. "So it's true… You've been pulling the strings from the beginning."
The mastermind's laughter deepened. "Strings? No. I plant seeds. Seeds of despair, of hatred… and I watch them bloom." His eyes—twin burning voids—fell upon Le Wai. "And you, child of the past, are my finest bloom."
Le Wai's chest tightened. "You used him… you used all of us."
Kael's rage flared, his blade sparking with black fire. "I needed no one's hand! The power I wield is mine!"
But the mastermind's gaze silenced him with chilling ease. "Keep telling yourself that, traitor. It will make your downfall more entertaining."
The ground cracked open, shadows spilling forth like a tidal wave. From them emerged creatures far larger than before—twisted beasts of fire and smoke, eyes glowing with malice.
Mei Lin's stance hardened. "He's summoning an army."
Le Wai clenched his jaw, torn between finishing Kael and facing the greater threat. The mastermind had disrupted everything—forcing enemies and allies alike into chaos.
The cloaked figure spread his arms as if welcoming the storm. "Fight, struggle, burn… In the end, it matters little. All that you were, all that you are, belongs to me."
For the first time since the battle began, Kael hesitated, his face pale beneath the firelight.
And Le Wai realized—this fight had only just begun.