Kael's chest heaved as he stood face-to-face with Kurojin, the air thick with tension. The sheer intensity of their battle had already torn apart the landscape, and the very ground beneath them seemed to tremble at the magnitude of their fight. Yet, Kael could feel it—something was shifting, a subtle change in the atmosphere. His Will was pushing him further than he'd ever imagined, but Kurojin's power seemed limitless, as if the dark energy that surrounded him was feeding off Kael's own strength.
"You think you can beat me, boy?" Kurojin sneered, his voice thick with condescension. His eyes gleamed with a dark promise, and Kael could sense the malicious intent radiating from him. "I've seen the greatest Wielders fall. Do you really think you stand a chance?"
Kael's fists clenched, his knuckles turning white from the sheer force of his grip. The power that surged through him, the Last Will, pulsed within his veins, urging him forward. His mind raced with memories—of Zhen's sacrifice, of the pain his friends had endured, of the family he had fought to protect.
"I don't need to think," Kael replied, his voice steady, despite the exhaustion weighing on him. "I know I can."
With that, he surged forward, his body a blur as he launched himself at Kurojin. His speed was almost too much to follow, each step bringing him closer to the tyrant who had caused so much destruction. Kael felt the weight of the entire world on his shoulders, but there was no time for hesitation. Not now. He had to stop Kurojin.
Kurojin's eyes flared with dark energy as he raised his hand to counter Kael's assault, summoning a storm of darkness to collide with the young Wielder. The two forces collided with an explosive force that sent shockwaves through the battlefield, tearing the earth apart in a violent wave of energy.
Kael gritted his teeth as he pushed through the darkness, his Voidstep propelling him forward. The void energy wrapped around him, distorting reality as it carried him toward Kurojin at a breakneck pace. In the blink of an eye, Kael appeared before Kurojin, his fist raised for a final strike.
But Kurojin wasn't finished. With a snarl, he unleashed a blast of black energy from his other hand, a wave of destructive force that engulfed Kael in a torrent of darkness. The blast threw Kael back, sending him skidding across the cracked ground, his body slamming into a rock formation.
Kael's breath was ragged as he slowly pushed himself up, every muscle in his body screaming in protest. Blood stained his clothes, his limbs felt like lead, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't afford to.
Kurojin stepped forward, his laughter echoing through the air. "You've got spirit, Kael, I'll give you that. But spirit alone won't save you. Not against me."
Kael's fists clenched again, his whole body shaking with the effort to stand. "I don't care about your strength," he spat. "I don't care about your power. I care about ending this."
Suddenly, Raizen, weakened but still standing, appeared beside Kael, his eyes burning with determination. "You don't have to do this alone," Raizen said, his voice hoarse but firm. "I'll stand with you, Kael. We will end this together."
Kael looked at his grandfather, his heart swelling with gratitude. Raizen had always been a pillar of strength, a beacon in Kael's life. Seeing him fight through the pain only fueled Kael's resolve.
"I'm not alone," Kael whispered, more to himself than anyone else. He raised his head and locked eyes with Kurojin. "This ends now."
Kurojin's smirk faded, replaced by a look of frustration. "You think you can defeat me just because you have your family by your side? Pathetic."
With a roar, Kael launched himself forward again, this time not with just the force of the Last Will, but with the support of everything that had brought him this far: his friends, his family, his will to protect the world. Raizen, standing strong beside him, followed his grandson's lead, unleashing his own devastating attacks to keep Kurojin on the defensive.
The two Wielders fought in perfect synchrony, their powers combining into a force that even Kurojin seemed to struggle against. The battle raged on, but this time, there was a shift. Kael's Will wasn't just his own. It was the collective strength of everyone who had fought by his side—the strength of every fallen hero, every sacrifice made.
"Is this your final stand, Kurojin?" Kael's voice rang out, unwavering. "Because I'm not done fighting. Not until you're gone."
Kurojin's eyes glowed with fury as he summoned even more power, but it was clear that the tides had turned. Kael's strength, bolstered by Raizen's presence, was too much for him to overcome.
Kael's fists crackled with energy as he delivered the final blow—a devastating punch that sent Kurojin crashing to the ground, his body convulsing from the sheer force. The tyrant groaned, unable to rise.
"You will pay for everything," Kael said, his voice cold and resolute.
As Kurojin lay there, defeated, Kael looked down at him, knowing this battle was far from over, but one step closer to the end. There was still much to do, many more battles to fight, but this victory was his. It was theirs.
The war wasn't over yet, but Kael had one thing clear in his mind: they were going to win. And they would fight until the last breath.