Bardarn stood before the monstrosity, his chest heaving with exhaustion, his breathing labored and ragged. The mana beast, a grotesque fusion of ogre-like bulk and horse-like lower body, loomed over him, its eyes blazing with fury, their red-hot intensity seeming to burn with an inner fire. Despite his weariness, Bardarn's resolve remained unbroken, his determination and courage in the face of overwhelming odds driving him forward. With a fierce battle cry, he launched himself at the beast with relentless ferocity, his sword flashing in the sunlight.
The battle was intense, the two combatants exchanging blows that shook the earth, their clash of steel and claw sending shockwaves through the air. Bardarn's wind affinity allowed him to dodge the beast's crushing attacks, his agility and quick reflexes permitting him to weave and bob around the creature's blows. However, he was severely wounded in the process, his body battered and bruised, his armor dented and torn.
As the beast charged towards him, Bardarn used his wind affinity to propel himself upward, avoiding the creature's deadly blow by mere inches. Seizing the opportunity, Bardarn charged downward, his sword flashing in the sunlight as he struck the beast's arm, the blade biting deep into the creature's flesh. However, his momentum was short-lived, as the beast slammed into him, sending him crashing to the ground, the impact knocking the wind from his lungs.
The civilians watching the battle gasped in horror as the beast raised its legs, preparing to deliver the final blow, its hooves poised to crush Bardarn's skull. Bardarn rolled away just in time, but the impact of the beast's stomp sent him flying across the ground, his body sliding across the dirt, his armor scraping against the earth.
As the beast closed in for the kill, Bardarn summoned a massive gust of wind, which coalesced into a small, concentrated beam that pierced one of the creature's legs, the beam's energy causing the beast's limb to buckle and collapse. Enraged, the beast stomped the ground, sending Bardarn flying into the air, his body soaring upward, his stomach lurching with the sudden motion.
The beast swiftly caught Bardarn's body, swinging him around with incredible force, its grip like a vice, its strength crushing. As the world around him began to blur, Bardarn felt his consciousness slipping away, his vision fading to black.
In a vision, he found himself in a white room, face to face with a mysterious man clad in a white suit, wielding a long scythe, its blade glinting with an otherworldly light. The man offered Bardarn a proposition: in exchange for control over his body, he would slay the beast and prevent Bardarn's death. Desperate to survive, Bardarn agreed to the man's terms, his mind racing with the implications of his decision.
As the vision faded, Bardarn's body, now under the control of the mysterious man, was seen by the civilians as he was tossed away by the beast, his body flying across the ground, his limbs splayed at odd angles. With an unnatural burst of speed, Bardarn conjured a gust of wind, using it to propel himself toward the beast, his body moving with an eerie, unnatural agility.
With a single, swift stroke, he slashed off the creature's head, ending the battle in an instant, the beast's body crashing to the ground, its limbs twitching in death. The civilians erupted into cheers, amazed by Bardarn's sudden and mysterious display of power, their faces filled with a mix of awe and trepidation.
However, the Sorcerer Supreme, watching from a distance, sensed that something was amiss, his eyes narrowing as he detected a strange, unfamiliar energy emanating from Bardarn, its presence seeming to linger in the air like a ghostly echo. He chose to disregard it, instead focusing on the unfolding battle between Bernice and her opponent, his attention drawn to the clash of steel and magic that was about to ensue.