SPIRITBINDER: The Boy Without A Mark -
Chapter 88: Duel of Fire and Darkness
Chapter 88: Duel of Fire and Darkness
Morvane’s fury boiled over as he launched himself at Esmael, his speed blurring his form. But before he could land a single blow, he slammed into an invisible barrier. The impact reverberated through the room, throwing him back.
"What is this?" Morvane growled, eyes blazing with rage. He pressed his hands against the shimmering wall, pushing with all his might.
Takeshi’s voice was calm and mocking. "Not so fast, boy. We’re not here for round two. We have other business to attend to."
Morvane’s fists pounded against the barrier, desperation and frustration evident in every strike. He even drew a dagger, slashing at the unseen force, but nothing worked.
Drevon’s voice rang out, sharp and demanding. "What are your intentions here, Takeshi?"
Luna stepped forward, her voice firm despite the chaos. "They’re here to kill a demon. A demon who slipped from the dark realm. Esmael believes that if he kills the demon, he will gain its power."
Takeshi smiled, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. "You really are a loud girl huh."
With a snap of his fingers, the entire room transformed. Everything around them dissolved into a vast, infinite space filled with a surreal blue hue. No walls, no corners—only endless emptiness.
Luna found herself standing beside Drevon, while Morvane, Esmael, and Takeshi stood on the opposite side.
Morvane surged forward again, his rage undeterred. But with a casual wave of Takeshi’s hand, Morvane was trapped in an invisible prison, suspended mid-step. His furious shouts echoed but were muffled by the barrier.
Takeshi approached Drevon, his steps slow and deliberate. "I know you’re aware of the tear in the dark realm. And I know a demon slipped away."
Drevon’s expression was steely. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
Takeshi’s smile widened. "You’re a terrible liar." He closed his eyes briefly, as if sensing the air around him. "Ah, yes... I can feel him here. That’s why I created this dimension."
The atmosphere grew thick with tension. "I can wait until you show yourself, whoever you are," Takeshi added, his voice cold and commanding.
For a moment, silence reigned. But then, the air shimmered, and a figure emerged from the blue void—Eliad.
Drevon’s eyes widened in shock. "Eliad! Why did you show up?"
Before Eliad could respond, Takeshi flicked his fingers again. Drevon was instantly encased in the same invisible prison as Morvane, frozen in place.
Eliad’s expression was calm, unbothered by the god’s display of power. "Don’t worry, Drevon. I’ve got this. After all, gods are forbidden from directly attacking us."
Takeshi’s smile turned sinister. "You’re absolutely right." He gestured toward Esmael, whose scarred face twisted into a dark grin.
"I’m not the one who’ll attack you," Takeshi said, his voice dripping with amusement. "He is."
Esmael stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous mix of hatred and anticipation. "Ready to die, demon?" he sneered.
Takeshi’s voice cut through the thick tension like a blade. "Everything is in place now." With a casual gesture, an invisible force materialized, forming a transparent, shimmering box that trapped Eliad and Esmael inside.
"I know you both know how to fight," Takeshi declared, his tone dripping with amusement. "In this battle, only one should remain alive. I hope the winner is the one with the bigger fire to survive." He let out a chilling laugh.
"No!" Drevon’s voice boomed from his invisible prison, desperation lacing every word. "Eliad, no!"
Luna’s heart raced. Her voice cracked with fear as she shouted, "Esmael, stop this! You could be killed!"
Esmael’s lips curled into a dangerous smirk. "Death isn’t my concern."
Eliad laughed darkly, his confidence radiating like a storm. "Don’t you know, boy? Demons have seven hearts. You need to stab and destroy them all at once. I’m basically immortal. You’re at a serious disadvantage."
Takeshi clapped his hands gleefully. "Let the fight begin."
The atmosphere crackled with energy as the duel erupted.
Eliad moved with lethal grace, his dark magic swirling around him like living shadows. Tendrils of black energy shot toward Esmael, who countered with a burst of searing flames. The fire roared, engulfing the shadows and illuminating the entire dimension.
Esmael’s mastery over fire was evident—he was immune to its touch, moving through the blazing inferno with ease. He summoned a wall of fire, splitting it into serpentine whips that lashed toward Eliad.
Eliad dodged effortlessly, his movements sharp and precise. "Not bad," he sneered, "but you’ll need more than fire tricks to beat me."
He chanted an incantation, and dark spikes erupted from the ground, aiming straight for Esmael’s chest. Esmael spun, his flames burning the spikes to ash before they could touch him.
The clash was intense, neither combatant gaining the upper hand. Sparks of fire and tendrils of shadow collided in a chaotic dance, lighting up the vast blue dimension.
Outside the box, Luna clasped her hands together, her heart heavy with desperation. Please... don’t let anyone die. There has to be another way.
Morvane watched with clenched fists, rage simmering beneath his stoic exterior. His mind screamed one thought: I should be the one to kill Esmael.
Drevon, his face grim, muttered under his breath. Eliad, you have to win. You’re the only one who can survive this.
Takeshi stood with arms crossed, a wicked grin playing on his lips as he observed the chaos. "Ah, such beauty in destruction," he mused. "A perfect demonstration of survival."
The battle raged on, neither Esmael nor Eliad willing to relent. Both bore minor burns and cuts, but their eyes gleamed with relentless determination.
The fight had become a test of will, a spectacle of raw power and survival instincts.
And none could predict who would be the last one standing.
The battle had reached its brutal crescendo. Both combatants were drenched in sweat, their breaths ragged and labored. Flames flickered weakly around Esmael as his once-boundless energy waned.
Eliad, however, remained composed, his dark magic pulsing steadily around him. A twisted smile played on his lips as he lunged forward, landing a vicious kick to Esmael’s cheek. The impact was brutal, sending Esmael sprawling across the ground.
Blood trickled from Esmael’s mouth, staining the blue-tinted space. Luna gasped, her heart clenching in fear.
Eliad chuckled, his voice cold and mocking. "Does that hurt, boy?"
Esmael wiped the blood from his lips and glared up at Eliad. "Pain doesn’t matter." His voice was strained but defiant.
Despite his resolve, the fight was slipping away from him. Eliad dodged every attack with ease, his movements calculated and precise. Meanwhile, Esmael’s strikes grew sluggish, his body covered in cuts and burns. Blood seeped from his wounds, staining the ethereal ground beneath him.
Luna pressed her hands against the invisible barrier, desperate to intervene. "Stop this!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "Takeshi, please end it!"
Takeshi stood unfazed, his expression unreadable. "This is their battle, not yours," he said coolly. "Let it play out."
Tears stung Luna’s eyes. "He’s going to die!"
Inside the box, Esmael’s knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, panting heavily. His vision blurred, and the world seemed to spin around him.
"I can’t lose... I can’t lose..." Esmael whispered to himself, his voice trembling with desperation.
Eliad approached him leisurely, his dark aura crackling with power. "Look at you," he sneered. "On your knees, bleeding like a sacrificial lamb. A kid like you trying to beat a demon? That’s like an ant trying to move a couch." He laughed mockingly, the sound echoing through the dimension.
Esmael’s breath hitched. His body was failing, but his mind clung stubbornly to a single thought: I won’t lose.
Eliad raised his blade, dark magic swirling around it. "One slash, and it’s over," he declared. "Time to put you out of your misery."
As the blade descended, the dimension grew deathly still, and the outcome teetered on the edge of fate.
Eliad’s blade descended toward Esmael, death looming in every inch of the strike. But before it could land, a sudden surge of energy erupted from Esmael.
Purple fire—ethereal and otherworldly—exploded from within him, pushing Eliad back with an intense force. The demon was flung across the dimension, his body colliding with the invisible barrier. His dark aura flickered as his charred skin cracked and blackened from the fierce flames.
Esmael slowly stood, his figure illuminated by the ominous purple blaze that danced around him. His lips twisted into an eerie smile, laughter bubbling from his throat. It was a sound devoid of sanity, raw and chilling.
This sight left the onlookers astounded.
Drevon’s voice trembled. "What... is that?"
Luna’s breath caught. "No... that fire... it’s not normal."
Takeshi’s grin widened. "Ah, the true power of rage. Beautiful, isn’t it?"
Esmael’s voice cut through the tension. "But you need to remember, Eliad—this ant you’re fighting? It’s a fire ant." His eyes gleamed with madness. "I can just burn the couch to move it, you know! Hahaha!"
He stalked toward Eliad’s smoldering body, the flames around him intensifying.
Eliad groaned, his charred flesh writhing as his demonic regeneration kicked in. Tendrils of black energy knitted his wounds back together, his body slowly returning to its formidable state.
Esmael’s eyes narrowed. Demon regeneration... of course. He remembered Eliad’s words—seven hearts.
"I can’t let you regenerate fully," Esmael muttered to himself. His gaze fell to the sword strapped to his side. "I’ve had this sword all along, but I’ve never actually used it. I’m so dumb." He chuckled darkly. "But thankfully, I can use it now."
Drawing the blade, Esmael’s grip tightened around the hilt. The purple flames coiled around the steel, enhancing its lethal edge.
Eliad’s eyes widened as he sensed the imminent threat. "You don’t know what you’re doing, boy—"
But Esmael didn’t give him a chance to finish. With swift, calculated movements, he slashed at Eliad’s chest, aiming for where he sensed the demon’s hearts.
Blood sprayed into the air as Esmael moved with relentless precision. His blade cut through flesh and bone, severing one heart after another. Eliad’s life flashed before his own eyes—a grim reminder of his existence as a demon.
Desperate, Eliad tried to retaliate, but Esmael’s fury was unstoppable. His blade danced through the air, cutting and slashing until Eliad was reduced to a mangled, writhing mass.
Esmael’s expression was devoid of humanity as he delivered the final blow, mincing Eliad until the demon’s body lay in pieces.
Silence fell.
Takeshi’s laughter shattered the quiet. "Magnificent!" he roared. "Now that’s how you win a fight."
Drevon’s voice broke with anguish. "Eliad! No!"
Luna was frozen in shock, her heart pounding. "Esmael... what have you done?"
Morvane’s face was pale, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Amid the carnage, Esmael stood victorious, drenched in blood, his body still wreathed in purple fire. His breathing was ragged, but his smile remained triumphant.
He looked down at his trembling hands, stained with Eliad’s blood.
And then, in a low, chilling voice, he whispered, "I won."
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report