The sun was rising, gilding the walls of the coliseum. The crowd held its breath; the first battle between sequences was about to begin.
In the center of the arena, Kael and Yun greeted each other with a martial bow. Qi vibrated between them, clashing like two storms.
Kael—the Crimson Dragon—wrapped his sword in spiritual fire, the dragon's aura undulating around him.
Yun—pride of the earth branch—flexed his arms; his skin hardened, and the ground beneath his feet cracked with his mere presence.
Samael gave the signal.
"Begin!"
I. The First Assault
Yun stomped the ground.
"Technique: Living Terracotta Walls!"
Columns of earth and stone surged up, forming an instant labyrinth. Kael, far from retreating, advanced cloaked in flames.
"Crimson Slash: Dragon's Path!"
His sword sliced through the air, the blade extending like a tongue of fire, cutting stone and vaporizing fragments. Each slash was a roar, each movement a dance of destruction and control.
Yun barely retreated, but he smiled:
"Endurance of the Earthly Lion!"
Hardening his body, he charged directly, using the labyrinth as a shield and unleashing punches wrapped in earth Qi. Each blow made the coliseum tremble.
Kael dodged one, two, three impacts, letting Yun's rhythm guide him.
"You're strong, but earth can burn too."
For the first time, Kael's flames turned green and gold; spiritual fire fused with vital energy.
"Forbidden Art: Crimson Flame of Rebirth!"
The walls melted, the heat forcing Yun to deploy his ultimate defense.
"Shield of the Rocky Dragon!"
The ground beneath Yun rose up, covering him in a stone armor that withstood the first assault... but Kael's flames seeped in, flowing through the cracks.
II. The Breaking Point
Kael leaped, spinning in the air, his sword shining like a comet.
"Dance of the Crimson Dragon!"
Three crossing slashes. Yun blocked one, withstood the second... but the third threw him back, his armor shattered.
The crowd roared.
Yun stood up, panting, and plunged both hands into the sand.
"Roots of the Ancient World!"
Veins of stone and Qi burst from the earth, coiling around Kael's body, trying to immobilize him. Flickering rocks struck with brutal force.
Kael resisted, fire consuming every root, but his arms trembled.
Yun advanced, his skin turning gray and gleaming.
"Blow of the Earth Colossus!"
A direct punch to the chest. Kael blocked with his sword, but was sent flying, spitting blood. The crowd fell silent.
Kael smiled, furious and alive.
"Is that all?" The blade gleamed, the crimson dragon roaring in his soul.
III. The Dragon's Awakening
Kael's Qi reached a new threshold. His red hair blazed like pure fire, his eyes turned gold, and fiery scales broke out on his arms.
"Awakening of the Bloodline: Manifestation of the Crimson Dragon!"
An ancestral roar shook the arena.
Kael advanced, every step leaving footprints of fire, burning Yun's roots themselves.
The air vibrated with energy.
Yun, refusing to surrender, absorbed Qi from the earth.
"Heart of the Sleeping Giant!"
His body expanded, muscles and stone fusing, turning him into a colossus.
Both jumped, colliding in the air, fist against blade, fire against rock.
The collision lit the sky, the thunder shook the stands.
The audience felt the pressure, the sweat, and the fear of the combatants.
IV. The Finale
For an instant, both floated in the air, locking eyes.
Kael raised his sword, the aura of the crimson dragon enveloping the blade.
"Supreme Slash: Burning Destiny!"
An absolute blaze, a line of Qi and fire that split Yun's colossus and the ground itself, dividing the field in two.
Yun fell to his knees, exhausted, his stone armor crumbling.
Kael landed, gasping, sword planted in the ground.
Samael raised his hand.
"Victory for Kael Morningstar, Sequence of the Crimson Dragon!"
The crowd erupted in shouts and cheers. Kael approached and helped Yun up, respect shining in his eyes.
"You earned your place. We'll meet again in the future."
Yun smiled, exhausted.
"There's no shame in losing to a dragon."
Epilogue:
While the healers tended to Yun and the field regenerated, Kael looked up at the stands.
Violeta, Eris, Lyra, and the other sequences greeted him with pride and complicity.
The tournament had begun, and the Morningstar legend roared stronger than ever.