A bolt of lightning ripped through the battlefield
Rah didn't move
The strike exploded near his feet, throwing dirt and smoke into the air. His long, tangled red hair fluttered slightly. His crimson eyes stayed locked on his enemy—silent, unreadable
Isdeath lowered her rapier and tilted her head, amused
"You're calm," she said, her voice mocking. "Are you pretending, or are you just too stupid to be afraid?"
Rah gave no answer
He gripped his sword loosely with one hand, the blade trailing low. His body was battered from the earlier battles—burn marks on his side, fresh cuts bleeding down his arms. His breathing was steady but shallow
Yet he stood
Still
Waiting
Isdeath smiled coldly. "No clever words? No threats?"
Nothing
Rah just watched her, like a hawk staring down a storm
CRACKLE.
She moved.
Lightning burst around her as she vanished—reappearing in front of him in an instant.
Her blade thrust forward, aiming for his heart.
Rah's sword moved, almost lazily.
CLANG—!
Sparks showered as the two blades collided. The force drove Rah back a step. His boots scraped through the dirt, but he didn't fall. His stance absorbed the hit without panic.
Isdeath spun low—sweeping at his knees.
Rah hopped back, but the edge of her rapier still cut a shallow line across his thigh.
Blood splattered onto the ground.
He barely reacted.
Shifted his weight.
Reset.
His sword remained pointed at her, unwavering.
Isdeath grinned wider. "You're rustier than I expected. Sloppy. Weak."
Another lightning strike cracked the air—and she hurled a bolt straight at him.
Rah didn't dodge.
He planted his sword into the ground and raised one hand.
BOOM—!
The bolt slammed into him.
Electricity tore through his muscles. His body locked for half a second—his skin burning. A hiss escaped between his teeth.
But he stayed standing.
Smoke rose from his chest. His arms shook from the force. His knees buckled slightly.
But he stood.
"You're disappointing me," Isdeath said, annoyed now. "Fall already."
Rah breathed once—deep and controlled.
He pulled his sword free and walked forward.
Slow. Heavy. Each step is deliberate.
Blood dripped from his wounds. His side throbbed where the lightning had hit. His chest ached with every breath.
Still, he moved forward.
One step at a time.
No words.
No hesitation.
Just presence.
Isdeath clicked her tongue. "Fine. I'll tear you apart piece by piece."
She disappeared again—appearing behind him.
Rah twisted—barely in time.
CLANG!
He blocked the first thrust but not the second.
The tip of her blade scraped across his ribs, carving another burning wound.
Rah grunted lowly but didn't stagger.
He swung wide with his flaming sword, forcing her to leap back.
Their eyes met across the scorched battlefield.
One full of sadistic amusement.
The other was calm as dying embers.
"You don't even realize you're dying, do you?" Isdeath taunted, wiping blood from her cheek. "You're like a corpse walking."
Rah shifted his stance slightly.
Looser now. Less rigid.
Learning
Adjusting
Waiting
Isdeath snarled, electricity sparking from her hands. "Then I'll send you back to the grave."
She surged forward again.
Their blades clashed.
Once
Twice
Three times
Each clash was heavier than the last. Each strike chipped at Rah's strength. His muscles screamed. His body felt heavier. The blood loss made the edges of his vision blur.
Yet he stood.
She stabbed forward again—Rah parried, but weakly this time.
The force drove him to one knee.
Isdeath raised her rapier high, lightning crackling up the blade.
"This is mercy," she said.
Rah looked up at her through his messy hair, crimson eyes unblinking.
And smiled slightly.
Not a smirk.
Not arrogance.
Something quieter.
Acceptance.
A promise kept.
Before the blow could land, he rolled sideways—barely dodging the lightning strike that tore a crater where he'd knelt.
He rose to one knee, breathing raggedly, sword dragging the ground behind him.
Every part of him hurt.
His body was failing.
But he still watched her.
Still refused to die.
"You stubborn Solnarian trash," Isdeath spat, genuinely frustrated now. "You don't even have a chance. You're broken."
Rah rose fully.
He shifted the sword to his left hand—his dominant one now too numb to grip properly.
His entire body wavered like a flame in the wind.
But his eyes…
Still sharp.
Still locked onto hers.
The battlefield seemed to quiet around them.
Ash floated in the air like snow.
Smoke curled across the broken rocks.
And Rah took another step forward.
Isdeath lunged.
Rah sidestepped—barely.
Her rapier nicked his shoulder as he moved past her—blood spraying into the dust.
He spun—slowly—but brought his sword down in a wide, brutal arc.
CLANG!
She caught it—but the force drove her back a step.
A real step.
Her feet dug furrows into the dirt.
Rah followed with a short jab—clumsy but fast.
She dodged, but her uniform burned where the fire kissed it.
He was forcing her to move.
Forcing her to respect him.
Even if he was losing.
Even if death clawed at his back.
He still demanded respect.
"You can't win," she hissed between gritted teeth.
Rah said nothing.
He took another shallow breath.
Held his sword steady.
Waited.
Isdeath's lips curled into a snarl. "Fine."
Lightning exploded around her.
The ground cracked and buckled under the pressure of her mana.
She prepared to end it.
All of it
Rah steadied his grip.
He couldn't dodge the next one.
Couldn't block it.
His body was finished.
But he would meet it standing.
Not begging.
Not on his knees.
He closed his eyes for one heartbeat.
Thought of Akanni.
Of Iah.
Of his mother's voice.
Protect her.
Promise me, Rah.
He opened his eyes.
And faced the storm.
Isdeath shot forward, lightning trailing behind her.
Her rapier screamed through the air.
Rah lifted his sword.
Too slow.
Too tired.
The rapier was inches from his heart—
CLANG—!!!
A second sword slammed down from above.
A massive blast of fire erupted between them, forcing both fighters backward.
Rah stumbled, barely keeping his footing.
Isdeath skidded across the ground, shielding her face from the heat.
The battlefield went silent for a moment.
Then—
Through the smoke—
A figure stepped into view.
Another Rah?
No.
The same Rah.
But somehow…
Changed.
The flames around his body shimmered more tightly now, like armor. His hair floated upward from the heat. His burned skin seemed to glow faintly with the fire inside him.
His eyes…
Unshakable.
Unbreakable.
Not rage.
Not pride.
Duty.
Isdeath lowered her arm, staring in shock.
"You… how—?"
Rah raised his sword again.
No words.
No challenge.
Just inevitability.
"You're not a man," she whispered, her throat dry.
"You're a promise."
And he was coming for her