Vortex Origins
Chapter 78: The second creature wave - 7

Chapter 78: The second creature wave - 7

Ash twisted, dodging the sharp scythe with a rush of wind swirling around him. Every strike from the Wretched Dancer flowed like water—graceful but deadly.

Ash’s blade flashed in response, blocking, parrying, cutting.

His eyes narrowed, studying the rhythm. The Dancer’s moves weren’t random—they were a language, a dance of death that repeated patterns, subtle shifts, and openings.

Ash’s mind raced, piecing together its technique mid-fight.

He shifted his stance, trying a feint from the old master’s scrolls he’d once seen. The Dancer reacted—almost like it expected the move. Ash gritted his teeth.

’This one’s different. Faster, sharper. Not just muscle but mind.’

Kaius stood a short distance away, breath catching.

"Is this for real? Ash... smiling while fighting a tier four? Is he enjoying this? Are all Sons of Flames like this?"

Ash’s lips curved. The thrill of the fight surged through him. This wasn’t just survival—it was art.

Blade clashed against scythe, sparks flying like rain. Ash adapted quickly, slipping into a fluid dance of his own.

His moves echoed centuries-old sword styles—each cut precise, each parry calculated. He wasn’t just swinging a blade; he was commanding it.

But the Wretched Dancer was a hard puzzle. Every time Ash thought he cracked the pattern, the creature twisted, changed rhythm, threw him off.

Sweat dripped as Ash’s breathing deepened. His muscles burned, but his focus sharpened. He tapped into his Vein Energy.

"[Activating skill: Static Surge.]"

Electricity sparked along his arm, humming through his blade.

Ash moved faster.

With a sudden burst, he slipped behind the Dancer, blade plunging deep into its back.

The creature froze.

Pain flared sharp and cold. It twisted its head to glance over its shoulder.

Something inside the wound twitched—an unspoken secret buried deep.

Ash held his breath, watching.

The battle had just changed.

Ash’s blade sliced out of the creature’s back. Black tentacles shot out in an instant, stabbing into Ash’s chest. He clenched his teeth, pushing backward.

The tentacles retracted, slipping back into the creature’s body like shadows melting away. The wound vanished—no trace left. The white mask showed no cracks now.

The creature’s dark eyes locked onto Ash, then it lunged forward, faster than before.

Blades clashed again—fast, sharp, a deadly dance of steel. Ash moved with the wind, twisting and striking, his sword flashing through the air. Every slash met with a deadly counter from the creature’s scythe-like arms.

Ash stabbed again. The black tentacles burst out once more, stabbing deep into Ash’s side. He stumbled back, blood welling where the tentacle had pierced.

The wound on the creature sealed immediately. Its body healed like nothing had happened.

Ash’s breath hitched.

I can’t hurt him.

He gripped his sword tighter, eyes burning with determination as the battle raged on.

He lunged forward, blade gleaming with fierce intent. But before he could strike, Kaius hand shot out, gripping his arm.

"Wait, Ash! You’re bleeding badly. Let’s fight together. We can take it down."

Ash didn’t reply—just nodded, trusting the plan.

Kaius hands moved like the wind itself, shaping arrows of air that shot forward, slicing through the space around the wretched dancer.

The creature flowed with deadly grace, its body twisting like water, dodging each wind arrow as if it predicted their path.

Before they could react, Ash vanished, appearing at the creature’s back. His blade aimed for the strike, sharp and sudden.

For a moment, it looked like they had the upper hand—their attacks synced perfectly, pressure mounting on the wretched dancer.

But then, everything shifted.

The creature’s scythe-hands swung in a wide arc, hitting Ash’s blade midair and forcing him back. Simultaneously, a powerful strike of dark energy burst toward Kaius.

The blast slammed into Kaius, sending him skidding backward across the cracked ground, dust rising around him.

Ash barely dodged the next attack, sliding back with a growl. Their rhythm broken, the wretched dancer pressed its advantage, moving faster and harder than before.

The battle’s tide turned, the deadly dance now threatening to overwhelm them both.

Flames flickered in the distance, casting long shadows over the battlefield.

Then came the voice—calm, cocky, impossible to miss.

"Look at you two. Struggling with one Tier 4."

Ash shifted slightly. Kaius clenched his fists. Even the wretched dancer froze, head turning toward the voice.

Kael stood on a hill of corpses. The ravagers at his feet were blackened husks, smoke still curling off their broken forms. But it was the massive shape beneath him—the Scorchbloom Horror—that made Kaius breath catch.

The scorchbloom’s twisted, fire-forged flesh was cracked and melted. It didn’t twitch. It didn’t breathe.

Kael sat on its chest, arms resting over his knees like he was on a throne.

"Yeah, i know. "

he glancing down.

"A creature of fire killed by fire. Kinda ironic."

He turned toward Ash and Kaius, his smirk widening.

"That’s how strong I am."

His gaze drifted to the wall behind them. Explosions of wind and light tore through the battlefield as Team Galeforce held the line. Max fired shot after shot, never missing.

Then Kael’s eyes locked on Kaius.

"I expected this from Ash."

his voice dropping.

"But you?"

Kaius didn’t answer. He stood still, wind stirring around him.

"You said he was weak. That he’d hold you back."

Kael leaned forward.

"But look at you now. Needing him."

Kaius jaw tensed. The words hit harder than any blow.

"And you call yourself a Stage 5?"

Kael tilted his head.

"Pathetic."

Kaius body jerked forward, rage in every step—but he stopped halfway.

His legs faltered. The wounds cut deeper than he thought. If he threw a punch now, Kael wouldn’t just win—he might kill him.

A gust of silence passed between them.

The wretched dancer turned its masked head. Kael was forgotten.

Its gaze fell back on Ash—just a few feet away.

It moved.

A blur.

Ash barely shifted before the scythe came down—

FWOOSH.

A curtain of flame exploded between them.

Both Ash and the dancer recoiled.

Kael stood tall on the scorched corpse behind them, his hands still smoldering.

"Hey,"

he voice was flat.

The wretched dancer snapped toward him.

Kael pointed.

"You fight me now."

It didn’t hesitate.

The dancer sprinted, its limbs twisting as it came. The first scythe slashed in a wide arc—

Kael ducked under it. His hand caught the creature’s wrist. With one movement, he twisted and drove the dancer’s head into the dirt.

The ground cracked beneath the weight.

Kael didn’t even flinch.

"Now watch how a real Stage 5 finishes a fight."

He gripped the creature’s throat. Flames surged up his arm—raw, roaring fire.

The wretched dancer screeched. Its body convulsed.

Black tentacles erupted from the wound, stabbing into Kael’s chest.

But he didn’t let go.

He grinned.

The flames kept burning.

And the creature kept screaming.

The flames didn’t stop.

They roared higher, swallowing everything—the mask, the limbs, the twisted frame. The dancer’s final screech broke apart mid-air, drowned by fire. Then there was nothing.

Only ash.

Kael straightened, steam rising from his skin. The wounds across his chest had already begun to seal, smoke curling from the closing holes.

His eyes landed on Ash, then drifted to Kaius.

Without a word, he rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck.

He stepped forward, fire still flickering along his arms.

"Now,"

his voice calm as a blade

"let’s finish the rest."