🔥 Chapter 5 — Hidden Technique
The battle had transformed the northern highlands into a storm of fire and green energy. Kael's Ember pulsed violently, flames twisting around him in coils and blades, striking at the King's general with a precision only the Ember could provide.
Rhyne blocked a whip of green energy, sparks flying. "Kael! He's preparing something… I can feel it!"
Kael's eyes narrowed. The Ember flared, sensing a sudden shift in the general's rhythm. "I see it… he's hiding his true power. He's baiting us, waiting for a moment of weakness."
The general's green eyes gleamed, and suddenly the whips surged, lashing in perfect synchronization, moving faster than Kael could initially anticipate. He twisted with the Ember's guidance, deflecting the attacks, but each strike chipped away at his stamina.
"Rhyne! Cover me while I test his limits!" Kael shouted.
Rhyne nodded, weaving through the shards of ice and stone, striking at the general's whips to slow them down. Kael closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting the Ember flow freely, not forcing it, but merging with its rhythm. Flames spiraled around him, shaping into a vortex of fire that danced in synchronization with his heartbeat.
He opened his eyes. The Ember extended outward in a series of spiraling strikes, probing for the general's hidden weakness. One of the whips faltered, leaving a small gap. Kael seized it, driving a concentrated spear of Emberfire at the core of the general's armor.
The general staggered, green energy flickering as the hidden technique revealed itself—a secondary layer of power, a protective aura designed to absorb and redirect energy. Kael's spear partially pierced it, but the Ember reacted instinctively, wrapping around the aura, amplifying the strike until the layer fractured.
Rhyne's eyes widened. "You've broken through! That was the first time anyone has touched him!"
Kael's flames coiled along his arms, Ember roaring like a living creature. "We've just begun. The rest of his power… we'll face it—and we'll overcome it."
The general's stance shifted, and the battle escalated further, testing Kael's mastery of the Ember and the limits of his courage.