Nahid leaned his back against the wall, taking a deep breath. The agony from the punch to his stomach hadn't faded, but now was not the time to stop.
Zayden crouched down, using his finger to draw a battle plan on the dusty floor.
"Nihad only used 10% of his power. If he unleashes his full force, we stand no chance of winning."
Nahid nodded.
"Then we have to end this before he can unleash it. But how?"
Zayden narrowed his eyes.
"We both wield elemental powers. You control flames, and I control lightning… If we use them correctly, we might draw Nihad into a vulnerable position."
Zayden smirked.
"Water conducts electricity. Nihad controls water, right? Then we can turn his own power against him."
Nahid's eyes gleamed.
"When water evaporates, humidity rises, and electrical conductivity increases in the air. If you disperse your lightning into the air while I boost the humidity with my flames… Nihad will unwittingly find himself trapped in an electrical cage!"
Nahid stared at the ground, lost in thought.
"But first, we need to corner him in a specific spot. Somewhere he can't escape…"
Zayden nodded.
"We can use the narrow corridors inside the palace. He can crush us in an open area, but in a tight space, his speed loses its edge."
"If we lure him into a corridor, you can block the exits with your flames. Then I'll use lightning to turn his water power against him!"
Nahid clenched his fist.
"That's still not enough. Cornering him isn't going to cut it; we need a finishing blow."
Zayden drew his blade and drove it into the ground.
"If I deliver one final, empowered strike with my lightning blade while you use all your flame power to trigger an explosion right on his body, we might just knock him out in a single move!"
Nahid's gaze hardened.
"This plan is extremely risky. But we won't defeat Nihad without taking risks."
Zayden smiled.
"Then let's end this war!"
And with that, both moved into action for the battle.
Nahid and Zayden advanced rapidly toward the palace. Nihad was still sitting in the throne room, head bowed, lost in thought. When he noticed their approach, a smirk appeared on his face.
"Returned, have you? You've nowhere left to run this time."
Nahid gripped the Sword of the Flame God tightly. His missing arm reshaped from fire once more, his fingertips trembling slightly.
"Who's running? We're ending this right here."
Zayden drew his lightning blade. The air grew dense with moisture as sparks crackled at his fingertips.
"Ready?" he whispered to Nahid.
Nahid muttered, "Let's begin."
Nahid rapidly spread his flames, heating up the stone walls of the palace. Both ends of the corridor gradually became enveloped in fire. Nihad frowned slightly.
"Trying to trap me? How basic!"
He raised his hands, attempting to extinguish the flames with his water powers. But that was exactly what they wanted. As the water began to evaporate, the humidity in the air skyrocketed.
Zayden narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, Now's the time.
Zayden channeled all his lightning energy into his blade. Bolts of thunder crackling through the air spread across the palace ceiling. The humid air created the perfect conductor.
Just as Nihad prepared to strike, a sudden surge ran through his body. His eyes widened; he tried to purge the electricity from his body using his water power, but it was too late—Zayden had directed his entire energy right at him.
"We're just getting started!" Zayden yelled, weaving the lightning around Nihad like a net.
Nihad tried to move, but every step sent shocks coursing through him. His water power, combined with the electricity, was paralyzing him.
"Damn it… Do you really think you can catch me like this?!"
Nahid stepped back, holding his flame sword with both hands and closing his eyes. He gathered every ounce of his power into a single attack. As the flames intensified, his sword began to fracture, but Nahid refused to back down.
"Nihad!" he roared. "This is for Dante!"
As Nihad desperately tried to break free, Zayden pinned him to the ground with one final lightning strike.
"Now, Nahid!"
Nahid swung his sword violently, launching a tidal wave of fire toward Nihad. The scorching air combined with the electrical energy, triggering a massive explosion.
Nihad vanished into the center of the blast.
As the smoke slowly cleared, Nihad could be seen kneeling on the ground. His power had weakened, and he was gasping for air.
Nahid and Zayden stood side by side.
"Is it over?" Zayden asked.
Nahid steadied his breathing. "Not yet," he said, never taking his eyes off Nihad.
Because something felt wrong. Very wrong.
Just as the smoke dissolved, Nihad slowly rose to his feet with heavy steps. His eyes turned a brilliant blue, his body glowing with the majesty of the ocean.
The power of the Water God, "Awakening of Leviathan," was now fully unleashed. All his injuries healed in seconds, and his muscle mass surged with power.
"Did you truly believe you could defeat me so easily?"
Raising his hands, he instantly filled the air around them with water. The mist and moisture rising from the city enveloped him in a colossal body of water.
Suddenly, a three-pronged trident materialized in his hand. Known as the "Lord of the Sea," this weapon had been forged in the deepest depths of the ocean.
In the blink of an eye, Nihad appeared right before Nahid.
"There is no escape this time, Nahid!"
In a split second, he grabbed Nahid by the throat, hoisting him into the air with water power.
With terrifying speed, he launched him upward, shattering the palace ceiling. Slicing through the water, he caught up to Nahid in mid-air and surged higher into the sky with him.
Zayden couldn't keep up with their speed. He could only stare upward in utter shock.
"How... How is he moving that fast?!"
Gathering all his strength, Nihad hurled Nahid toward the center of the city. Nahid slammed into the stone streets, smashing them to pieces.
The streets shuddered beneath the impact of a massive crater.
As Zayden prepared to rush after them, a thought crossed his mind.
"No… This could be a trap!"
But it was too late. Nihad was already advancing on them with his full power.
Nahid dragged himself up, gasping for breath. Despite the excruciating pain in his stomach, he tightened his grip on his blade. His arm of fire flared up, the raw energy coursing through his veins.
"No matter what happens, I will defeat you, Nihad!"
Suddenly, his flame arm took on a colossal shape, as if the jaw of a dragon had swung open. Nahid gathered every ounce of his remaining strength and released the attack.
"Infernal Dragon!"
The giant dragon of fire soared into the sky and dived straight toward Nihad with a deafening roar. The ambient temperature shot up instantly, causing the stone streets to melt.
Yet Nihad didn't flinch.
He raised his trident and encircled himself with water.
"Wall of Leviathan."
A massive wall of water surged up to swallow the dragon, neutralizing the flames in an instant.
A massive explosion of steam erupted!
Nahid narrowed his eyes, trying to peer through the mist, when Nihad suddenly materialised right out of the vapor!
"You are far too weak, Nahid."
Nihad launched a rapid attack with his three-pronged trident!
Nahid tried to pull back, barely managing to dodge the tip of the weapon. A long gash tore open across his shoulder.
He began to realize his own strength wasn't enough. The outcome of this battle was already decided.
Yet, he still refused to back down!
Just when everything seemed lost, thunder echoed across the sky.
Moving like lightning itself, Zayden left a trail of light behind as he materialized behind Nihad!
"Lightning's Claw!"
The Lightning Sword plunged into Nihad's waist! Nihad's eyes widened, caught off guard for a fraction of a second.
However, the moment Zayden pulled the blade back, Nihad turned in a fury and balled his fist.
"Die!"
A single punch!
While Zayden was still mid-air, Nihad's fist smashed into his face. Falling like a stone from the sky, Zayden crashed hard onto the ground.
"Zaydennnnn!"
Nahid's eyes flared with rage! His flame power ignited to its absolute limit.
Channeling all his fury, he raised the Sword of the Flame God and generated a colossal wave of fire, hurling it at Nihad.
However…
Nihad raised his three-pronged trident, casually stopping the attack. The moment the flames made contact with the weapon, they began to die out.
Nahid's power was rapidly draining away.
Nihad swung his trident, throwing Nahid off balance and sending him stumbling back.
The sword slipped from his hand.
His fiery arm instantly vanished.
Nahid was left gasping for air, completely unable to channel his power any longer.
Nihad stepped closer with a cold smirk.
"Done already? Then it's my turn."
Nihad closed the distance and drove a full-power punch straight into Nahid's abdomen!
Nahid's breath was cut short, his eyes dilating in shock.
His body was hurled backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
It seemed like everything was over.
While Nihad's wounds rapidly healed through his water powers, Nahid tried to stand by leaning against a wall.
The pain in his stomach was unbearable.
He couldn't fight without his blade.
As Nihad approached step by step, his voice was harsh and freezing.
"You were once my brother... But now, you are merely weak."
"You are putting the kingdom at risk."
"Do you truly believe I used my full power?"
Nahid stared into Nihad's face in utter shock.
With a dark smile lingering on his face, Nihad continued:
"Up until now, I've only used 75% of my power."
Nahid's eyes widened in horror. If 75% was this terrifying, the rest… would be insurmountable.
But there was no escape now.
"Kill me."
Nihad raised his three-pronged trident.
"You deserve to die anyway."
The trident gleamed in the air, descending with lethal speed…
"LIGHTNING'S CLAW!"
Suddenly, a flash of blue light struck!
Bloodied and battered, Zayden had raised his sword!
One last attack… aimed solely at buying even a single second.
When Nihad thrust his trident down, he realized Nahid was no longer there.
His eyes widened.
Nahid had escaped at the final second with Zayden's help!
Nahid rose from within the flames.
The Flame Sword was back in his hand.
His missing fiery arm flared brightly once more.
His eyes burned with renewed hope and the fire of battle.
"I'm not defeated yet!"
Nahid took a deep breath. Nihad had gained total control over the battle and could easily overpower them. They needed something to stall him.
Zayden spoke up: "We can escape using Lightning's Claw, but we need to keep Nihad occupied. We need a distraction. But with what?"
Nahid asked: "Does he have a weak spot? Any moment he leaves himself exposed while attacking?"
Zayden pondered. When Nihad fought, he focused heavily on offense, leaving his defenses open during heavy attacks.
Using the very last of his energy, Nahid decided to create a technique called "Phantom Shadow of the Flame."
This technique would forge a decoy of Nahid made entirely of fire, making it appear as though he was attacking Nihad head-on.
If Nihad focused on the decoy, the real Nahid and Zayden would gain the precious seconds needed to escape.
Using "Lightning's Claw," Zayden would trigger a sudden burst of speed, pulling himself and Nahid far away from the battlefield.
If Nihad caught onto them, Nahid would leave behind a wall of fire to cover their tracks.
If Nihad failed to pursue them, Nahid and Zayden would have the chance to head to the Flame Monastery to acquire greater power.
Nahid closed his eyes, rallied his remaining strength, and unleashed the "Phantom Shadow of the Flame" technique. A decoy made of roaring flames charged straight at Nihad, launching a direct attack.
Nihad was caught off guard and shifted into a defensive stance. Seizing that exact split second, Zayden used Lightning's Claw to grab Nahid, and both vanished from the battlefield in a flash of thunder.
Behind them, Nahid used his fire power one last time to raise a massive wall of flames.
By the time Nihad deflected the decoy's attack, it was already too late. Nahid and Zayden were gone.
But this was only the beginning.
Once new power was forged at the Flame Monastery, the war would ignite anew.