Chapter 81: Trial of Sequences – Storm Shadow vs. Imperial Thunder
I. The Storm and the Oblivion
Night was falling over the citadel, but the Pavilion plaza burned with light. The platforms vibrated, still filled with the residual energy of the previous duels. Now, the entire clan waited: The Fallen against Xylia. Darkness against thunder. Redemption against mandate.
The System announced:
[Next Duel:
The Fallen, Storm Shadow (Origin Realm, Stage 6; Void/Abyss/Shadow)
vs.
Xylia, Imperial Thunder (Origin Realm, Stage 5; Lightning/Imperial Mandate, Morningstar Blood)]
Xylia was the first to ascend. Her golden hair shimmered under the light of the runes, and every step was a promise of a tempest. Thunder tattoos glowed on her arms, and the air around her crackled as if the storm itself inhabited her.
The Fallen waited for her in the center. He was tall, with pale skin, abyssal eyes, and a presence that absorbed light, wearing a black cloak that looked like the shadow of a gale. His aura was dense—a mixture of pain and restrained strength.
Cedric murmured to Kael: —"If Xylia falls, it will be from an excess of pride. If The Fallen falls, it will be from not believing in himself."
II. The First Lightning: Imperial Mandate
Xylia greeted her rival with an imperial bow, her palm over her heart. —"I will not underestimate you. But the Morningstars do not yield their thunder to the shadow."
The Fallen smiled, a broken but sincere expression. —"I do not seek your throne. I only seek a place where my shadows do not devour what I love."
The gong rang. Xylia was a bolt of lightning: —"Mandate Art: Lightning of Judgment."
She leapt, crossing the distance in a blink. Her arm descended, her palm wrapped in pure electricity that exploded upon impacting The Fallen's shadow shield. The shockwave shook the platform, tearing sparks from the air. But The Fallen did not yield. —"Light-Devouring Abyss."
He channeled the void, absorbing part of the bolt and returning a dark wave that nearly split the platform in two. The crowd gasped. It was pure, unleashed power, and yet both fighters were smiling.
III. Shadow Against Sky
Xylia retreated, shaking her hand which was numbed by the void. —"So, you absorb thunder too? you like danger."
The Fallen replied with a deep voice: —"Only those who have fallen can learn to fly in the storm." He glided forward, his body covered in black flames and violet flashes. —"Shadow of the Tempest."
A hundred shadow fragments broke away from him, buzzing toward Xylia like ethereal blades. Xylia spun on her heels, her feet sliding in a perfect circle. —"Mandate Shield: Celestial Wheel."
A ring of lightning surrounded her, deflecting the attacks. Every shadow that touched the lightning exploded in a rain of sparks and smoke. But one shadow came from below, coiling around Xylia's ankle. The Fallen suddenly appeared at her back, his palm open. —"Echo of Oblivion."
Xylia felt her Qi drain for a moment, but she reacted: —"Mandate of the Dawn!" An explosion of light surrounded her, expelling The Fallen with a shockwave of thunder.
IV. Second Assault: The Abyss Responds
Both were panting, both bleeding from minor cuts. The audience—disciples, elders, even the most skeptical—was spellbound. The Fallen knelt, the shadow pulsing. —"I do not fight only for myself. I fight to prove that even the night can shine."
From his body emerged a wave of darkness that covered the platform in seconds. Xylia, enveloped in gloom, hesitated for the first time. She could not see; she could not feel her rival's Qi. The Fallen whispered, his voice coming from all directions. —"What will you do when your light has no clear path?"
Xylia closed her eyes, listening to her own heart. —"Thunder never seeks paths. It creates them." She struck the ground. —"Supreme Mandate: Thunder of Origin."
A pillar of blue lightning descended from the sky, splitting the shadow in two. The Fallen appeared just in time to block—electricity coursed through his body, making him cry out—but he did not fall. Both remained on their knees, the platform cracked and the plaza in absolute silence.
V. Climax: Ruin and Rebirth
The two stood up, staggering. Xylia, her voice raspy: —"Why don't you fall?"
The Fallen, his gaze ignited by determination: —"Because I learned that even my darkness can protect, if I fight for others." Both charged again.
Xylia: —"Final Mandate: Lightning of Sovereignty!" All her energy concentrated into a single white bolt that seemed to divide the world in two.
The Fallen, instead of defending, channeled the void into his heart and mixed it with his Qi. —"Abyss of Redemption!" He leapt to meet the bolt, wrapping himself in his own shadow. The clash was brutal—an explosion of light and darkness that shook the citadel. For an instant, there was no sound. Only the flash of night and day merging into one.
VI. The Outcome: The Cry of the Storm
When the light dissipated, both were still standing, though wobbling. The Fallen had his fist pressed against the ground; Xylia was bleeding from her forehead. Both were smiling.
The System shone:
[Result: Draw Declared.
Sequence Status:
The Fallen retains Rank 4 (Storm Shadow).
Xylia retains Rank 6 (Imperial Thunder).
Both unlock: "Redemption of Thunder and Shadow"—a defensive and group-attack technique.
The Fallen: Spiritual breakthrough; understanding of the void and the true power of redemption.
Xylia: Mastery of the Supreme Mandate; advancement to Origin Realm, Stage 6. ]
In the crowd, Eris and Violeta applauded, while Kael bumped fists with Cedric. Tamsin and Sela shared a look of respect. Samael descended, placing a hand on the shoulder of both. —"This battle was not just about strength. It was about will and the desire to heal. Today, the storm and the abyss are one within the Morningstar clan."
VII. The Clan Celebrates, the Sect Observes
The audience erupted in cheers. The Fallen and Xylia embraced, their rivalry transformed into brotherhood. In the balconies, the elders nodded. —"We have never seen them so close to their own limits," Lilith said.
Elara, on the verge of tears, knew that the clan's legend was real because even the fallen could be born again in the storm. In a shadow of the plaza, the spy from the Sect of the Purple Light frowned. —"Darkness and thunder allied… how do you fight a clan that turns conflict into a shield?"
But the echo of the battle was hope.
VIII. Epilogue: The Promise of Night and Lightning
As the plaza emptied, Xylia and The Fallen walked away, talking under the light of the lanterns. —"Thank you," she said. "You taught me not to fear the night." —"And you," he replied, "showed me that redemption is not a dream."
Both looked at the sky, where a single lightning bolt pierced the night and a shadow followed it. In the Morningstar clan, even the darkness and the thunder danced together beneath the aurora.