The caverns shook with steel and shadow. Marlic's storm coiled around him, smoke lashing like serpents, but the Ironbound pressed forward, their leader at the front—a man scarred across his face, his blade forged from broken chains.
Marlic's ember eyes narrowed. "You dare strike me, exile? You think grief belongs to you?"
The Ironbound leader's voice rang like steel on stone. "Grief belongs to all who suffered your betrayal. You stole our torches, twisted our loyalty, and left us to die in the dark. I was once your champion, Marlic. I bled for your storm. And when dawn came, you abandoned us."
Their blades clashed, sparks flying. Marlic's spear hissed with smoke, the Ironbound's chain-blade gleamed with vengeance.
Marlic roared, fury echoing through the cavern. "You were weak! You faltered when shadow demanded strength!"
The Ironbound leader struck harder, his blade wrapping around Marlic's spear, pulling it close. "No—we were loyal. You betrayed us. You fed on our grief, but you left us nothing but scars. Tonight, I repay that debt."
The duel raged, shadow against steel, betrayal against vengeance. Marlic's storm surged, but the Ironbound leader's strikes were relentless, each swing fueled by years of rage.
The champions faltered, torn between aiding their master and holding back the Ironbound assault. Smoke bled into the cavern walls, steel rang louder, and for the first time, Marlic staggered.
The Ironbound leader's voice was low, steady, filled with fury. "You call yourself grief incarnate. But grief is not yours alone. It belongs to every warrior you betrayed. And tonight, grief fights back."
Marlic's laughter cracked, bitter and strained. "Strike me if you can. Night always returns. And when it does, your chains will break again."
The duel continued, neither yielding, the cavern trembling with every clash.
The cavern walls glowed faintly with daylight seeping through cracks. Marlic's storm writhed, but the sun's touch frayed it, unraveling his smoke into thin threads.
The Ironbound leader pressed harder, chain‑blade gleaming. "Daylight weakens you, shadow‑lord. You cannot hide grief from the sun."
Marlic staggered, his spear hissing. "You think dawn breaks me? Night always returns!"
But every strike of steel rang louder in daylight. His champions faltered, their forms thinning, smoke dissolving into the light. For the first time, Marlic's laughter cracked, strained.
The duel raged until the cavern shook, but Marlic was forced to retreat deeper into shadow, his storm bleeding away. The Ironbound did not destroy him—but they left him wounded, his pride scarred.