The storm above the Shrine of Echoes intensified, as if reacting to Eris and Kaelion standing together. Inside the hall, the air vibrated—silent yet charged with immense power.
Kaelion released Eris's shoulder and stepped back.
"Before we begin," he said, "tell me—do you know why the Clan of Seven created you?"
Eris straightened, but he wasn't sure.
"To fight Asmodeus," he answered.
Kaelion shook his head slowly.
"No.
You were created to surpass all seven of them combined."
Eris blinked. "Surpass… them?"
Kaelion raised one hand, and the crystals around the hall ignited with swirling illusions—seven figures, each powerful, each unique.
"The Clan wasn't just warriors.
They represented the seven primal designs of battle."
He pointed as each illusion flared:
Aegor — the Shieldbearer, master of defense.
Veyra — the Shadowbinder, wielder of stealth and deception.
Tarnis — the Stormblade, fastest of the Seven.
Khoren — the Stoneheart, immovable, unbreakable.
Altheon — the Lifewarden, healer and protector.
Zephros — the Riftstrider, master of spatial arts.
Kaelion — the Warshaper, commander of power and tactics.
Eris watched them, mesmerized. These were the souls that made him.
Kaelion spoke firmly.
"Their life-seeds formed your essence. Their strengths… are in your blood. But you have not unlocked them."
The illusions vanished.
Kaelion lowered into a stance.
"So you will learn. Now."
Eris swallowed. "What do I do?"
Kaelion smirked faintly.
"Survive."
He snapped his fingers.
The entire hall shifted.
The floor rippled into stone plains. The air sharpened. Illusion fused with reality. The shrine transformed into a battlefield.
Eris staggered. "What—"
Kaelion's voice boomed:
"Lesson One: Aegor's Law — A warrior's first victory is avoiding death."
A massive shockwave blasted toward Eris.
Instinct kicked in. Eris raised his arms, and a translucent barrier of golden energy flashed up. The shockwave smashed into it, sending cracks across the shield but not breaking it.
Kaelion's eyes widened slightly.
"Good. You awakened Aegor's barrier."
Eris lowered his arms, panting.
"I didn't even know I could do that."
Kaelion didn't give him time to think.
He blurred—vanishing and reappearing behind Eris.
"Lesson Two: Tarnis's Speed — If your enemy moves faster than you can think…"
He struck.
Eris barely rolled away.
"…your death is instantaneous."
Eris jumped up, heart hammering. Kaelion moved fast—too fast. But something inside Eris clicked. He focused, and his veins glowed blue.
His body lightened—he felt himself accelerate.
Eris dashed forward, almost matching Kaelion's blur.
Kaelion's eyes narrowed with approval.
"Better. You learn quickly."
But then—Kaelion raised both hands.
The battlefield cracked. The sky split open.
Dark energy poured from Kaelion's palms.
"Lesson Three… is the hardest."
His voice deepened.
"Facing the power that destroyed the original Clan."
Eris's breath froze.
Kaelion's aura twisted—shadow and light spiraling violently.
For the first time, Eris felt fear creep into him.
Kaelion whispered:
"If you cannot withstand this… you cannot face Asmodeus."
The attack descended.
Eris braced himself—
—and unlocked something he had never felt before.
A surge of power pulsed from deep inside his core.
Not one… but seven signatures ignited at once.
The battlefield exploded with light.
Kaelion stopped immediately, eyes shaking.
"Impossible…"
Eris stood in the center of a swirling vortex of seven auras.
For a moment, he wasn't just himself.
He was the Clan.
And Kaelion… smiled.
"Yes.
You truly are their last descendant."