Clash of the Ancient Flames
The bunker ceiling had been torn away.
Molten ash rained from Kaalrath's wings as he descended fully into the chamber. His horns scraped against the steel beams until they cracked apart. The stench of sulfur and burning flesh filled the air.
Families huddled into corners, their screams drowned by the crushing weight of the Upper Demon's aura.
Rehan stood in front of Ishita, fists clenched, his golden aura blazing defiantly. But even he staggered under the sheer oppression pressing down on his chest. His breath came ragged, sweat dripping down his forehead.
Only one man stood unshaken.
Li Wei.
The Soul Wielder's robes fluttered softly, pale-blue threads of light weaving endlessly around him. His expression remained calm, though his eyes burned with focus.
---
The Demon Speaks
Kaalrath's molten gaze swept the chamber. He sneered, his voice rumbling like collapsing mountains.
"The Scarlet child, awakened. The last golden cub, snarling. And you… the Soul relic. Tell me, Wielder, do you think your fragile light can resist my flames?"
Li Wei's voice was quiet, steady.
"Your flames burn. My light remembers."
Kaalrath chuckled, spreading his wings. "Then let us see which endures."
He raised one clawed hand and slashed downward. A torrent of molten aura erupted, crashing toward the bunker floor like a river of lava.
---
First Exchange
Li Wei moved his hand gently, almost lazily. Soul threads wove together, forming a shimmering barrier of translucent light.
The molten flood struck the shield—and split apart, diverted harmlessly to the sides. The bunker floor hissed and cracked, but the families behind remained untouched.
Kaalrath's grin widened. "Interesting."
In the same instant, Li Wei flicked his fingers. Threads of Soul aura shot forward, weaving into blades of light that cut through the air.
Kaalrath raised his arm. The blades struck his molten skin, carving shallow lines that hissed but did not pierce deep. The demon laughed.
"Your blades sting like gnats."
Li Wei's expression did not change. "A sting weakens even giants."
---
The Demon's Fury
With a roar, Kaalrath lunged. His massive claw tore through the ground, sending shockwaves that shattered steel and concrete.
Rehan shielded Ishita instinctively, aura flaring to protect the civilians as debris rained down.
Li Wei did not move until the last moment. Then he stepped aside, his form blurring, Soul threads carrying him like a river current. The claw slammed into the floor where he had stood, carving a crater.
From above, Kaalrath brought his wings down like guillotines. Ash and fire screamed through the air.
Li Wei's threads wrapped around the wings, redirecting the force. Sparks flew as Soul and Demon clashed, the bunker trembling like it might collapse entirely.
"Do you see, child?" Kaalrath roared toward Ishita. "This is what awaits you! Scarlet will consume you just as surely as my flames consume worlds!"
Ishita clutched her chest, trembling, but her scarlet aura flared brighter—not in fear, but in defiance.
---
Li Wei's True Power
Li Wei planted his feet, exhaling slowly. His hands spread apart, threads of Soul forming a vast lattice around the battlefield. Pale-blue lines glowed like constellations in the night sky, connecting wall to wall, ceiling to floor.
"This chamber is no longer yours, demon. It is mine."
Kaalrath snarled, molten cracks blazing brighter. "Chains will not hold me!"
He flexed—and the aura threads strained under the sheer force of his demonic power. Sparks flew as the lattice bent, breaking in parts.
But Li Wei's voice remained calm.
"They are not chains. They are memory."
The threads pulsed. Each one shimmered faintly with echoes of voices—Amélie's laughter, Dmitri's roar, Maria's storm, Klaus's wind, Sophia's light. The essence of fallen wielders resonated through the Soul Wielder's power.
Rehan's eyes widened. He whispered, "…he's channeling their aura echoes."
For the first time, Kaalrath's grin faltered.
---
The Counterstrike
Li Wei lifted his hand, and the threads surged together into a single luminous spear.
"Soul Judgment."
The spear shot forward, piercing through Kaalrath's chest. The demon roared, molten blood spraying across the bunker floor.
The impact hurled him back, crashing through the steel beams into the open night sky. The ground shook as he landed outside, snarling.
Li Wei stood tall, aura threads still weaving around him. His breathing was heavy now, but his eyes never wavered.
He looked back at Rehan and Ishita.
"Stay here. Protect the people. This fight… I must finish."
Above, Kaalrath spread his wings again, molten aura flaring brighter than before. His voice shook the entire city.
"You dare wound me, Soul Wielder?! Then let Mumbai burn with you!"
The night lit crimson as the clash between Soul and Demon moved into the open streets of Borivali.