The night air was thick with tension. The moon hung high above, casting long, jagged shadows across the cracked pavement of the crossroads. The wind howled, but it was nothing compared to the force that was about to be unleashed.
Alaric came to a stop, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. His heightened senses flared. He wasn't alone anymore.
A whisper of movement to his right, and then—
Ivar appeared from the shadows, his dark figure emerging like smoke from the darkness. His crimson eyes locked onto Alaric with an intensity that would have stopped any lesser being in their tracks.
Alaric's lips curled into a faint, predatory grin. He felt the bloodline power surging through his veins, a ravenous hunger gnawing at him. His gaze flickered over Ivar, his fingers twitching with the anticipation of what was about to unfold.
"You've come," Alaric said, his voice low, deep, and echoing.
Ivar didn't respond. Instead, he raised his hand, the shadows around him thickening, swirling like liquid darkness. A wave of red energy surged from his body, flickering around his form like the tendrils of some ancient beast. His bloodline ability, Umbral Sanguis, was awakening.
The shadows bent to his will, twisting and coiling like serpents ready to strike. His body seemed to absorb the very darkness around him, becoming one with it. With a flash of his hand, a shadowy sword formed from the blackness, its blade sharp as death itself.
"You don't get to walk away," Ivar muttered, his voice like gravel, cold and sharp.
Alaric didn't answer. Instead, he stepped forward with inhuman speed, his body blurring as he closed the distance between them in a heartbeat.
Slash!
The air exploded with a crash of sound, the ground beneath them splintering as Alaric's fist collided with Ivar's shadow sword. The force of the blow sent shockwaves through the ground, causing the earth to crack open beneath them.
Ivar staggered back, but his feet were like anchors, the darkness around him solidifying as he absorbed the shock. He grinned, lips curling slightly.
"Fast. But not fast enough."
Ivar slashed with his shadow sword, the blade cutting through the air like a bolt of lightning. Alaric blocked with a swipe of his hand, the Blood Reaver power pulsing around his fingers, releasing a shockwave that knocked Ivar back a step.
The ground beneath them shifted as the fight intensified, their powers colliding in waves of destructive force. Each blow sent ripples through the air, distorting reality around them. The world felt like it was bending, the two of them locked in a battle where time itself seemed to stretch.
Ivar spun, his body vanishing into the shadows, only to reappear behind Alaric in an instant. His shadow sword aimed for the back of Alaric's neck, but Alaric was already moving, his body blurring with unnatural speed as he twisted, avoiding the strike.
Boom!
Ivar's sword hit nothing but air, sending shards of broken stone flying as the ground beneath him exploded from the force. Alaric landed a kick to Ivar's chest, sending him skidding across the cracked street.
The impact left a trail of destruction in its wake. Ivar's body slammed into a nearby stone pillar, but he didn't stay down for long. With a flick of his hand, the shadows wrapped around him, lifting him back to his feet in an instant. His eyes flashed a deep red, and with a low growl, he rushed forward again, the darkness swirling around him like a living entity.
Alaric's eyes glowed bright, the crimson aura of the Blood Reaver intensifying as he extended his hands, summoning the full extent of his power. Blood-red tendrils shot out from his palms, wrapping around the air like serpents, seeking out Ivar's form.
Ivar slashed with his shadow sword, cutting through the tendrils as if they were made of paper, but the shadows only multiplied, shifting and reforming with every strike. Alaric's power surged, amplifying the tendrils until they turned into a massive vortex of crimson energy, pulling at everything in their path.
Ivar's form flickered and vanished once more, only to reappear directly in front of Alaric. His eyes glinted with a deadly focus, the air around him thick with malice. He stabbed forward, his shadow sword aimed for Alaric's heart.
But Alaric was faster.
In a blur of motion, Alaric twisted his body, the Blood Reaver energy flaring around him like a wall of death. He grabbed Ivar's wrist mid-swing, his grip unbreakable. The force of the struggle caused the ground to buckle beneath them as Alaric yanked Ivar closer, slamming his knee into Ivar's abdomen.
Crack!
Ivar gasped, pain flashing across his face as the air was knocked from his lungs. But before Alaric could follow up, Ivar's shadows pulsed, pushing Alaric back with a surge of dark energy. The shadows lashed out, tendrils wrapping around Alaric's limbs, pulling him into the air.
Alaric's eyes burned with rage. His bloodline power flared in response, his body twisting and shifting as he broke free from the shadows with a roar. He twisted through the air, landing on the ground with the grace of a predator, his body crackling with energy.
Ivar wasn't finished. He leapt into the air, his shadow sword aimed for Alaric's throat.
But Alaric was already gone.
With a burst of speed, he blurred behind Ivar and slammed his fist into the back of Ivar's head, sending him crashing into the ground with enough force to leave a crater in the earth. The shockwave from the impact rippled outward, causing the nearby trees to shake and the ground to crack open further.
Alaric stood over Ivar's fallen form, his bloodline power pulsing with anticipation. His fingers crackled with energy as he prepared for the final blow.
Ivar, bloodied but far from broken, raised his head with a grim smile. His shadow sword dissolved into the darkness, and he slowly stood, summoning the shadows to wrap around his body once more.
"You… haven't won yet," Ivar hissed, his voice cold and distant.
Alaric's gaze flickered with a cold, calculating light. He wasn't finished either. Not yet.
With a final, earth-shattering roar, the two forces collided once again, the world around them bending under the sheer weight of their powers.