Chapter 264: Defeat
His red eyes narrowed, but his smirk tugged faintly at his lips. "I was starting to think you’d gotten lost. Glad you could make it."
Byun leaned close, shadows spilling lazily from his boots as though even they were eavesdropping. "You two should just kiss already and save us the theatrics."
Tirel gave a low laugh, flames dancing around her fingertips. "If Veynar kissed like he fought, it’d be sloppy and desperate."
Elise’s dark eyes darted between them, her hands fidgeting at her side. "Please don’t... joke about this. He isn’t ordinary. He’s dangerous."
Veynar spread his arms, grinning wider. "Listen to the healer. She knows truth when she tastes it. Dangerous doesn’t begin to describe me, girl." His spear lifted, runes flaring. "Come, farmboy. Let’s see if your fire still burns as bright as the last time we danced."
Jae didn’t answer. He stepped forward and then the world exploded into motion.
The general lunged first, spear lashing out in a blur. The strike carved a furrow through the ground, dirt and stone exploding upward. Jae darted sideways, Ember Step carrying him in a burst of smoke and heat. His counterstrike flashed bright, flame curving toward Veynar’s throat.
The spear spun, catching the fire and hurling sparks into the air. Veynar twisted with the motion, sweeping his weapon in a vicious arc meant to tear Jae open from hip to shoulder.
Jae ducked under the swing, momentum carrying him forward. He drove a fist at Veynar’s chest, knuckles blazing with searing heat. The impact cracked against armor, not enough to pierce, but enough to stagger the larger man back a step.
Veynar only laughed. "Yes! Yes, that’s it! Hit me harder!"
The spear thrust again, a brutal jab that whistled through the smoke. Jae raised his blade, flame clashing with rune-forged steel. The force sent tremors down his arms, but he didn’t yield. He shoved upward, breaking the thrust aside, then snapped a kick into Veynar’s shin.
The general stumbled, and retaliated with a sweep that cracked the ground into shards. Rocks burst upward, pelting the nearby cadets.
Elise flinched as one nicked her arm, but she pressed forward, her mana already mending another student who had caught a deeper cut.
Byun’s shadows lashed out, wrapping around a chunk of falling stone before it could crush a boy. He shot Jae a look, smirking through the tension. "Try not to break the whole field while you’re at it."
Jae smirked back, breath sharp. "No promises."
Veynar snarled, spinning his spear overhead. The runes along its length blazed, and he brought it down with a roar. The impact cracked the dirt in a line that raced toward Jae like a lightning strike.
Jae leapt forward, flame bursting from his heels. He soared over the fissure, bringing his blade down in a two-handed arc. Fire smashed against runed steel, the collision detonating in a shockwave that flung nearby soldiers off their feet.
The two locked there, straining, faces inches apart. Veynar’s grin trembled at the edges, but his eyes burned with manic glee. "Do you feel it? The weight of history bending for us? You’re no soldier, boy. You’re a storm, a storm I will break."
Jae’s red eyes narrowed, his smirk faint but unwavering. "You talk too much."
He shoved, twisting his blade aside and slashing across Veynar’s chest. Flames tore through armor, scorching flesh beneath. The general staggered back, laughter breaking into a hiss.
For the first time, his grin faltered.
Cadets erupted into shouts, rallying behind the sight. Tirel’s flames flared higher, her voice lilting with mockery. "Oh no, did the big scary general just get singed? How tragic."
Veynar roared, fury spiking. He lunged again, spear a whirlwind of thrusts and sweeps. Jae dodged left, right, forward, Ember Step flickering with every motion.
The spear grazed his thigh, slicing fabric and drawing blood. Jae hissed but didn’t slow, twisting inside the arc. His blade seared across the spear’s shaft, leaving blackened grooves.
The runes flickered.
Veynar’s eyes went wide, then wild again. He lashed out with a boot, kicking Jae back, chest heaving. "You think you can break me? I’ve devoured better men than you!"
"Maybe," Jae said, brushing blood from his leg. "But I’m not a man you can swallow."
And then he was moving again.
His fist slammed into Veynar’s chest, the heat of his skin searing even through the armor. Veynar grunted, stumbling, spear dipping for the first time.
Jae pressed forward, flame roaring down his blade as he carved a relentless series of arcs, high, low, feint, thrust. Each swing forced Veynar back, step by grinding step.
Byun whistled low from the sidelines, though his grin was sharp with pride. "Look at him go. Farmboy’s dancing circles around our grinning psycho."
Elise’s voice was softer, but carried just as clearly. "He won’t stop until one of them breaks. And it won’t be Jae."
The fight reached its peak.
Veynar lunged desperately, spear glowing blindingly bright. He aimed straight for Jae’s heart, every rune burning at once. The ground cracked under the weight of the strike.
Jae didn’t dodge. His molten skin flared, fire hardening across his body in burning plates. He caught the spear barehanded, flames devouring the runes, and yanked it aside. Before Veynar could react, Jae’s blade cut through the spear’s shaft.
The weapon split in two.
Veynar’s eyes went wide, disbelief breaking through madness. Jae didn’t hesitate. His blade arced again, fire carving through chest and armor alike. The general staggered, coughed blood, and dropped to his knees.
"A farmboy..." he choked, voice thin, grin finally shattered. Then he toppled, flames consuming the last of him.
For a heartbeat, silence ruled.
Then the rival soldiers faltered. The lines rippled, broke. Men shouted in panic, retreating as the weight of their general’s fall crushed their will.
The cadets stood stunned, watching Jae lower his blade, fire guttering into smoke.
Byun exhaled, shaking his head with a half-smile. "Well. I guess we found out who the storm really is."
Tirel smirked, licking blood from her lip. "Mmm. And here I thought I’d seen him at his hottest already."