The air around Kael seemed to warp as he launched himself at Kurojin with terrifying speed. His body moved like a blur, his Will rippling outward like a wave crashing against an impenetrable wall. He knew now what he had to do. No more hesitation, no more doubts. Zhen's sacrifice burned in his chest, fueling the fire that had ignited within him.
Kurojin smirked, his black aura surging in response. "So, you've finally found it, haven't you?" His voice was calm, almost mocking. "The power you were always meant to wield. But it won't save you."
Kael's eyes locked onto Kurojin with a piercing intensity. "It doesn't need to save me," Kael muttered under his breath, his hands blazing with the pure, raw energy of the Last Will. "It just needs to destroy you."
Kael struck first, his fist cutting through the air with the force of a storm. Kurojin blocked with a sweep of his arm, the collision sending shockwaves that cracked the ground beneath them. The two forces collided, their powers clashing with a deafening roar, and yet Kael didn't relent. His body seemed to grow in size with each strike, his Will amplifying, twisting, and expanding as though it had a life of its own.
Kurojin's expression twisted with irritation. "You are nothing more than a puppet. A puppet trying to control a force far beyond your reach."
"I'm not a puppet!" Kael's roar echoed through the battlefield, his fists moving faster, more precise with each passing second. The void energy crackled as if responding to Kael's fury, intertwining with his every movement.
With each attack, Kael felt the burden of the Last Will coursing through him. It was an overwhelming power—one that could destroy everything in its path if he lost control. But Kael refused to be consumed. He would not let Kurojin win.
Kurojin retaliated with a savage slash, sending a wave of destructive energy toward Kael. The dark blade was sharp, cutting through the air with terrifying speed. Kael sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blow, but the force of Kurojin's strike created a shockwave that sent him tumbling backward.
Kael landed hard, rolling across the ground before coming to a stop on one knee. His breath was ragged, his body aching from the onslaught, but he rose quickly. His eyes locked onto Kurojin, and something inside him snapped. The power surged again, but this time it was different—it wasn't just the Last Will. It was Kael. His sheer willpower, his grief, his rage—it all merged into something more powerful than the Last Will itself.
"You're wrong," Kael said, his voice low but firm. "I'm not some puppet. And I won't be controlled."
With those words, Kael exploded into motion. His body was a blur as he moved toward Kurojin, his every step causing the ground to tremble beneath him. The air crackled with the raw energy of the Last Will, and Kael's strikes were like thunderclaps, each one carrying the weight of his determination.
Kurojin tried to block, but Kael was faster—stronger. Every attack he landed sent Kurojin reeling, and for the first time, the tyrant seemed to falter.
"Impossible," Kurojin growled, his eyes narrowing in frustration. "You... you're stronger than I thought."
Kael's eyes burned with intensity. "I'm stronger than you ever imagined."
But even as Kael pressed the attack, something felt wrong. The more power he unleashed, the more it seemed that Kurojin's presence grew. There was something unnatural about the way Kurojin absorbed the blows—like the more Kael fought, the more Kurojin's power swelled.
"Is this really the best you can do, Kael?" Kurojin taunted, grinning wickedly. "This world is mine. Your Will is a tool, a weapon—but a weapon can only be wielded by someone who understands it. And you, boy, don't understand it at all."
Kael's breath came in ragged gasps as he stood his ground. His fists clenched tightly, the energy around him crackling with violent force. "I understand more than you think."
The battle continued, a relentless clash of power and will. Kael was pushing himself to the limit, his mind and body screaming for relief, but he couldn't stop—not when the fate of everything was on the line.
His friends—his family—had all fought for this moment. He could not fail them.
As Kael and Kurojin continued to battle, the ground around them cracked and shattered. The sky seemed to split open, lightning flashing across the horizon. It was clear now that this fight would decide everything. The war would not end until one of them was dead.
Kael's power surged again, and for a moment, it felt as if the world itself trembled at the force of his will.
And then—something shifted.
Kurojin's eyes narrowed as he raised a hand, summoning dark energy to wrap around him. "You're getting desperate, Kael. You're starting to lose control."
Kael gritted his teeth, refusing to back down. "I won't lose control. I'll never lose control."
But as the battle raged on, one thing was clear: This fight was far from over.