The morning sun broke over Solare's capital, painting the marble streets in gold. Yet even the radiance of day could not banish the shadow that now loomed over the city: Kaito's name, broadcast across every corner, whispered in fear and awe.
From the towers of Castle Umbra, Kaito surveyed the sprawling city. Ryuu perched on his shoulder, wings flickering like living fire. The dragon's eyes gleamed with anticipation. Together, they were a storm incarnate.
"Let's give them a show," Kaito murmured, voice low and calm.
The Meeting
The city square was packed. Soldiers, nobles, and citizens watched with baited breath as Aurelius strode forward, armor gleaming, divine mana flowing like rivers around him. Every movement radiated authority, every gesture commanded obedience.
Kaito stepped through the portal conjured by his grimoire, landing atop a platform of obsidian he had forged in seconds. The ground trembled with his aura.
Aurelius' eyes narrowed. "So… you survived. The Empire's mistakes have a face."
Kaito's lips curled. "And you… still hide behind a name you didn't earn."
The world held its breath.
The Clash Begins
Aurelius struck first, blade arcing in a blinding sweep of holy light. Kaito dodged with near inhuman speed, leaving afterimages that scattered the crowd's awe-struck gaze.
Ryuu leapt into the air, flames twisting into razor-sharp whips, striking at the soldiers who tried to intervene. Screams became ash in midair.
Kaito's hand glowed. A spell, imagined just moments ago, poured forth: walls of obsidian erupted around him, bending light, deflecting holy blades, and forcing Aurelius to leap back.
"You've grown reckless, Kaito!" Aurelius shouted. "This power… it doesn't make you a hero!"
"Heroes are overrated," Kaito replied, voice calm, deadly. "I make the rules now."
The Empire's Hidden Hand
Even as the duel escalated, new threats emerged. Elite soldiers, previously hidden, appeared on rooftops, wielding anti-magic crossbows and enchanted siege weapons.
Kaito's eyes glinted. "They didn't learn from last time."
Ryuu dove, creating a wall of fire that blocked incoming volleys. Kaito responded with a spell of concentrated gravitational force, crushing the rooftops' stone and sending the elite squads tumbling into the streets.
The citizens scattered, their awe and terror mingling as their savior and villain became one and the same.
One-on-One
Finally, the two forces converged. Kaito and Aurelius faced each other atop the shattered plaza, the ground cracked under the weight of their mana. The world seemed to pause.
Aurelius raised his sword again, divine light coiling around him like a living halo. "If you wish to challenge the Empire, prove it. Face me alone, now."
Kaito gripped the Sword of the Voidborn. Its edges shimmered with stolen dungeon power, hunger, and fire. Ryuu circled above, ready to descend, but Kaito raised a hand, signaling patience.
"You wanted a duel?" Kaito said, voice low, measured. "Then let it be a duel they will never forget."
Aurelius lunged. Light collided with darkness.
The First Exchange
Blades clashed, sparks and mana surging in shockwaves that shook nearby structures. Kaito moved like liquid shadow, every strike precise, every feint a trap. Aurelius countered with raw force, holy energy lancing the air in every swing.
Ryuu's fire created openings, melting the ground under Aurelius' feet, forcing him to adapt. Kaito's spell constructs—walls, spikes, and floating platforms—made the battlefield unpredictable, a deadly chessboard.
The crowd watched, hearts hammering. Nobles whispered prayers, soldiers trembled, and Kaito's voice rang out across the city:
"This is only the beginning."
Foreshadowing the Empire's Secrets
As the duel raged, Kaito sensed something lurking beneath Aurelius' aura. Something the Empire had hidden. Not just elite soldiers—but divine weapons, relics of old heroes, waiting to tip the scales.
A smirk curved Kaito's lips. "So they've been hiding toys under their skirts. Cute."
The clash continued, faster, more ferocious, each strike bending the plaza's very stones, each movement signaling a war that had only just begun.
Kaito was no longer a man left behind. He was the storm, and Aurelius was the first to feel its fury.