She turned her arm, and the rings of fire snapped into place around her. In a moment, cannons of compressed fire mana bloomed from the air and slammed into Hunter. He dodged left, spinning in the air in an agile fashion, one of the steep spears slipped by, scorching his cloak and melting the earth behind him into a glassy formation.
Hunter landed perfectly on his feet, drawing both of his longswords in a smooth, practiced gesture. The earth cracked beneath his boots as he launched himself at her, legs accelerated by the mana sending him rocketing towards her like a cannonball.
But Raveera was faster then her hovering demeanor suggested. She raised both palms, introducing a wall of molten fire rushing from her hand in a cone shape. Hunter flailed mid air, as he slammed his swords down with a grunt. The flame split downward around his blades searing the sleeve of his coat in trails but did not stop him.
He reached her, blade slashing at her midsection—but a boom of heat surged from her body, a protection spell being cast that caused Hunter to pause and recoil mid-slice. Raveera's retaliation came immediately. She whispered, "Sun's Embrace."
The sky shimmered—and a second sun seemed to hover overhead beside her, manifesting directly behind, casting a golden red light across the battlefield.
The heat wave that followed was suffocating. Trees wilted. Birds fell dead mid-flight.
Hunter crouched, mana veins glowing blue, shielding Alfrenzo with his back as he prepared his next assault. His eyes narrowed. "You'd burn the forest for a single man?"
"I'd burn the entire continent," snapped Raveera, her eyes blazing, "to clean up my brother's mess."
From her hand burst forth a red chain; alive with fire, it snared Hunter's leg mid-dash; contorting it and slamming him forward against the burnt earth.
But Hunter was not done yet.
He sent a mighty roar and channeled pure kinetic force into his palm and drove it into the ground. The earth erupted, the chain snapped. Displaced dirt and rock blasted skyward and temporarily concealed him from view.
Raveera's fire leaped toward heaven to disperse the curtain above, just in time for her to see Hunter spring from it, blades crossed and swirling with wind and momentum.
The thunder of their confrontation sent ripples outward. Steel and fire detonated in a symphony of explosions, throwing both combatants backward. Hunter skidded along the dirt, twin furrows plowing through the earth, blood flowing from his lip.
Raveera floated back up; her left arm charred by the volley. Her smile was gone. "You're stronger than I thought. But you're alone, knight. How long can you last?"
Wiping away the blood, Hunter coldly said, "Long enough to bury your arrogance."
He charged again. This time, Raveera didn't hold back. Fire and sword lit up the battlefield.
----
Raveera reached her arm out. A long blazing arrow formed — a flame-wrought spear — and she threw it with a crack of thunder. Hunter jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding it splitting through the woodlands like a red comet and exploding against the side of the hillside. Debris rained down, and the ground shook.
Hunter had disappeared into the branches of the trees and reappeared just beside her blind-spot. His sword cut the air like a gavel striking a desk.
They collided.
Steel against fire. Each time Hunter's blade hit Raveera, she had responded with waves of flame. Her ability to manipulate fire was unnatural, spirals of flame curled around her limbs like living serpents, slithering toward him with hungry mouths.
She was smiling. He was not.
But then, in the midst of their fight something else exploded — a flash of sizzling blue that came from the woods further back.
The collision paused for a breath.
Both turned their heads simultaneously.
Through the clearing smoke they saw him — a young man with dark hair in the robes of nobility and death. A blade in one hand, a slumped body in the other. He stood alongside Alfrenzo and blue mana danced around him like a storm he commanded.
Raveera's eyes widened a fraction. Then narrowed.
"Luenor... Sureva," she hissed with venom, "You even look like that bastard Arhenius."
Luenor remained still, not giving her more than a glance.
Raveera grinned manically. "I didn't get to burn your father myself. But the son... oh, I will relish this."
Hunter's grip tightened on his blade. A low hum pulsed under his skin. Breathing steadied. And then something shifted.
Symbols depicted in light began to etch themselves into his arms - Runes.
Raveera's eyes expanded. "Runic magic? You-"
"What's done is done," Hunter muttered.
His sword changed.
No longer a boring piece of steel, it pulsated with cursive, illuminated inscriptions, both ancient and intricate. The air trembled. Runes sloshed off him to his sword, and, when he struck again, a line of glare erupted from the sword, carving an extended trench through the burnt soil.
Raveera slammed through the air, her barrier barely able to keep her from being shredded in half, her feet sliding across the sky like they were skimming along a flame.
She caught herself and screamed in fury.
"Arrogant dog! This is why you bear the mark of death! You and that damned house!"
Hunter did not respond. He did not speak.
He moved.
Faster than before. Now he held the blade with purpose – each slash danced through the air making rune patterns, sealing spells mid-swing, as if the spells were being cut across the air in the same way. He slashed diagonally, and the fire Raveera shot at him shattered into debris like glass against unseen barriers.
A Rune of Silence cut off her voice chant.
A Rune of Weight forced her to drop.
Her smirk became a snarl.
She burned even hotter.
Her body pivoted, coiling in the air as she conjured twin lances of fire, throwing one at Hunter and the other at Alfrenzo and Luenor.
Luenor swept his blade – not to defend, but to deflect the blast.
A gust of mana collided with the fire, just before Alfrenzo. The blast went harmlessly off, with a ring of smoke etched around them.
Alfrenzo glanced at Luenor. "What in the hells did I feed you that made you this strong?"
"Revenge." Luenor replied flatly as he watched the battle with Hunter. "And grief."
Raveera was losing.
She landed hard, creating a crater in the ground. Her robe was burnt, her face was sweaty, her chest was heaving.
She hadn't expected a grand knight to use Runes. Fewer than five existed in the entire continent that could use the discipline. The power of words, sealed into shape and memory -- required discipline, talent... and rage.
Hunter was gaining ground. The ground literally cracked under his feet, he was suffocating her aura.
"One more step," she growled, "and I'll burn this whole forest down."
"You already tried."
He raised his hand, tracing a rune in the air -- glowing gold, pulsing finality.
Raveera's lips twitched.
"Enough!" she yelled, and jumped back, to put some distance between them. Her heat created a wall of smoke creating as she jumped into the air.
From the heavens, a last volley rained down, as if the sky itself wept fire. But Hunter slashed his sword, and the runes lit in sequence — Bind. Shield. Scatter. Nullify.
Fire parted like waves.
When the smoke cleared, she was gone.
Not dead. But retreating.
Hunter stood still, eyes scanning for threats, his aura slowly withdrawing.
Luenor sheathed his sword beside Alfrenzo. "I think that qualifies as the best show of force I've ever seen."