Chronicles of the Engulfment

The group, half-stunned, struggled to their feet, each feeling the crushing pressure that now weighed on their shoulders. Around them, floating objects rotated slowly in the air, suspended by the will of the terrifying elf.

Claude gripped his sword with both hands, adrenaline overriding the pain. He exchanged a glance with his companions, all visibly tense but resolute.

"Don't let him gain the upper hand!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the oppressive silence.

Eryndel, always quick to react, darted to the side, seeking an opening. Ryndiel, despite the visible fear on her face, nocked another arrow and aimed for their adversary's head.

"Ah, really? You're still insisting?" the man said, raising a finger.

A tree trunk ripped from the ground instantly placed itself in the arrow's path, blocking it with a dull thud.

"That's cute," he added, amused.

Then, with a simple wave of his hand, he sent the trunk hurtling toward Ryndiel. She rolled to the side just in time, narrowly avoiding the projectile, but her breath was short, and her gaze betrayed her panic.

Thaelion and Faelar, meanwhile, tried a more direct approach, charging simultaneously from either side.

"Ah, here's what I was waiting for," murmured Khael, a predatory smile distorting his features.

He bent his knees slightly, then, with a sweeping motion, swiped the air in front of him. An invisible wave erupted, hurling the two elves backward with incredible force. Thaelion hit a tree, his head striking the trunk hard, while Faelar rolled on the ground, winded.

"Is that all? Really?" he said, shaking his head, feigning disappointment.

Claude felt his blood boil. This person wasn't just fighting with terrifying power; he was toying with them, treating them like insignificant insects.

"You think you're invincible, huh?" Claude taunted, advancing with his sword held firmly before him.

Khael slowly turned his head toward him, raising an eyebrow.

"No, not invincible. Not yet," he replied, a hint of arrogance in his voice. "But to you? Let's say I'm close enough."

He extended his hand, and suddenly, Claude felt an invisible force grip him. His feet left the ground, his body suspended in the air like a puppet held by invisible strings.

"Fascinating," murmured Khael, observing Claude with an almost scientific curiosity. "You seem determined, but… what's your limit?"

Claude struggled, gritting his teeth as he tried to break free from the intangible grip. He felt his sword slipping slightly from his hands under the pressure.

It was then that Lysariel, who had stayed back until now, shouted an incantation. A blinding light erupted from her hands, rushing toward the sly elf like a fiery lance.

Surprised, he released his hold on Claude to raise a hand and counter the attack. The light struck an invisible wall he erected at the last second, exploding in a brilliant flash.

Claude collapsed heavily to the ground, but the impact brought him back to his senses. He rolled to the side, grabbing his sword, as the elf turned slowly toward Lysariel.

"Well, well… here's a surprise," he murmured, narrowing his eyes. "You've got potential, you."

Khael paused for a moment, his gaze hardening as he scanned the group with a calculating eye. The arrogance in his smile gave way to cold determination.

"You're entertaining, I'll admit, but let's spice things up," he declared, his voice now icy.

With a quick motion, he clenched his fists, and an invisible wave of force exploded around him, shaking the ground and sending another volley of debris in all directions.

The group was caught off guard. Lysariel, still focused on her previous spell, was thrown backward, her cry lost in the chaos. Faelar and Thaelion, trying to cover the flanks, were violently separated, each pushed in opposite directions.

"Stay together!" Claude shouted, his voice resonating despite the storm of supernatural forces.

But it was useless. Khael had clearly changed tactics. He directed the movements of the floating objects with increased precision, erecting walls of debris to split the group into several parts. Ryndiel found herself isolated behind a pile of logs while Eryndel, trying to break through a barrier of branches, was repelled by another wave of destruction.

Claude, alone in the center of the chaos, tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes fixed on Khael.

"What are you doing?" he yelled, his voice filled with anger.

The elf slowly turned his head toward him, a sinister smile stretching his lips.

"The key to a good show," he said, raising a hand, "is variety. How long do you think you can survive, separated like lost prey?"

With a sharp gesture, he sent a mass of trees and rocks crashing down toward Claude. The young elf rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the impact, but the blast's shockwave threw him backward.

On the other side of the battlefield, Eryndel finally managed to break through the barrier of branches separating him from Ryndiel, but the effort had weakened him.

"Ryndiel! Hold on!" he shouted.

The young elf tried to respond, but a barrage of flying objects forced her to dive to the ground, leaving her bow out of reach.

"You see," Khael continued, slowly advancing toward Claude. "This is where things get interesting. No unity, no strategy… just you, alone against me."

He extended a hand toward Faelar, still disoriented from his previous impact, and lifted him into the air like a ragdoll.

"What should I do with this one, hmm?" he asked in an almost playful tone.

"Let him go!" roared Claude, charging desperately with his sword.

But before he could reach the elf, an invisible force pushed him back again, pinning him to the ground with a violence that knocked the wind out of him.

Khael sighed as he approached him, a smirk on his lips.

"Ah, you… You're so predictable. But don't worry, I'll deal with you last."

Claude's vision blurred for a moment, but he clenched his teeth and tried to get up, refusing to give in to the terror flooding his mind. All around him, his companions struggled desperately to regroup, but the enemy, with his colossal powers, controlled the battlefield perfectly.

The situation seemed hopeless, and the smile of the formidable adversary only deepened the sense of helplessness.

***

As the battle raged and Claude and his companions seemed on the brink of despair, a figure emerged from the shadows of the surrounding trees. The man, dressed in attire that was both elegant and functional for combat, paused to observe the scene with a critical eye. His slightly tousled black hair glinted faintly in the diffuse sunlight filtering through the canopy.

Kazuya Shirogane, the legendary "Ultimate Divine Chosen One," watched with an eerie focus, his pupils glowing with a supernatural golden light.

"Hmm… interesting," he murmured to himself.

Behind him, a small creature, a sort of fox with multiple shimmering tails, climbed onto his shoulder, looking worried.

"Kazuya-sama, they're in danger! You must act," the creature said in a high-pitched but solemn voice.

Kazuya narrowed his eyes, quietly activating his unique power, the Eye of Infinity. Everything around him became as clear as crystal: the invisible forces, the momentary weakness of the telekinetic elf, and especially the growing despair in the group of elves.

"Not yet…" he murmured. "If I move now, he might anticipate me."

He watched, patient and calculating, as the elf at the center of the battle laughed, repelling Claude once more with a shockwave.

"Ah, such fragile prey," declared their adversary, his mocking tone echoing in the air. "Your resistance is pitiful."

Kazuya, hidden in the shadows, tightened his grip on his long, black sword, engraved with glowing runes.

"I suppose it's my turn," he finally murmured.

When Khael turned, his attention fully focused on Lysariel attempting a last desperate spell, Kazuya saw his opening.

With his hood pulled over his ears, he lunged with superhuman precision, leaving a swirling trail of air behind him. Kazuya cut through the underbrush with remarkable speed. Each leap brought him inexorably closer to his target, while the wind howled at his temples. His incandescent eyes pierced the vegetation, closing in on his enemy like a deadly shadow.

In a flash of golden light, he suddenly appeared behind Khael, his sword already raised, the blade vibrating with deadly energy. Time seemed to stand still, every particle of air charged with palpable tension, as the shimmering weapon prepared to deliver a decisive, implacable blow, like the judgment of the gods.

"You should learn to watch your blind spots," he said calmly.

Khael barely had time to turn his head before the enchanted blade came down, slicing through part of his cloak and creating a shockwave that shook the ground. Surprised, he leaped backward, narrowly avoiding a blow that could have been fatal.

"What? Who are you?" roared the elf, his gaze furious but slightly uneasy.

Kazuya straightened, his golden aura glowing brighter with each passing second.

"Me? Kazuya Shirogane, Ultimate Divine Chosen One, Lord of Dreams, and Prophet of Lost Worlds… but you can call me Kazuya."

Claude, still on the ground, stared at the newcomer in disbelief. The imposing aura and natural charisma of this stranger were almost overwhelming, but there was something inexplicably reassuring about his presence.

"Who… who is this guy?" murmured Eryndel, panting.

"An ally, hopefully," replied Claude, his eyes still fixed on Kazuya.

Khael stepped back slightly, his eyes gleaming with wariness.

"An insect who thinks he can defeat me? You have no idea who you're dealing with," he growled.

Kazuya gave a confident smile, holding his sword in one hand.

"Oh, believe me, I know exactly who I'm dealing with. But you… you have no idea who you've just challenged."

With a quick motion, he attacked again, his sword tracing luminous arcs in the air. The elf, though experienced in combat, began to retreat under the pressure. Kazuya combined strength, speed, and incredible mastery of his weapon, exploiting every weakness in his adversary's defenses.

For the first time, Khael seemed truly shaken.

"Tch… Who are you really?" he hissed, visibly frustrated.

Kazuya simply smiled, his golden aura illuminating everything around him.

"Me? Just an ordinary traveler," he replied with a wink. "Now, get up… and show me what you're really made of."

***

The duel between Kazuya and the mysterious man turned the forest into an apocalyptic chaos. Every exchange between them seemed to shake the earth itself.

The elf, now fully aware of the threat Kazuya posed, unleashed his full potential. With a gesture, he ripped several tree trunks from the ground and sent them hurtling like massive projectiles toward his opponent.

"You think you're a match for me?" he roared, raising his arms. "Behold the power my sovereign has granted me!"

With a roar, he conjured swirling flames around him, merging them with his telekinetic power. The burning trees shot into the air like comets, their trajectories aimed at Kazuya with deadly precision.

But the Ultimate Divine Chosen One didn't flinch. With a fluid motion, he sliced the projectiles in half, his black blade creating a wave of golden light that instantly extinguished the flames.

"Impressive," Kazuya admitted, his tone calm but serious. "But all you're doing is hiding behind a power that isn't even yours."

Khael, irritated, concentrated a sphere of pure energy in his hand, blending earth, fire, and wind into a destructive force.

"And you, you think your arrogance is enough to crush me?!" he roared before releasing the sphere, which exploded in a devastating shockwave, uprooting trees and reducing the ground to a massive crater.

Kazuya leaped backward, gracefully dodging the explosion, but the impact tore through the forest around them. Centuries-old trees fell like straw, and sunlight suddenly pierced through the shattered canopy, illuminating the scene of destruction.

Claude and the others, watching from a distance while trying to regroup, stared in awe.

"This is… inhuman," murmured Thaelion, his breath short.

"This Kazuya… he's destroying everything around him!" exclaimed Faelar, gripping his weapon.

Eryndel placed a hand on Claude's shoulder, his expression grave.

"We need to get away. This fight is far beyond us."

Claude, though reluctant, nodded. But he kept his eyes fixed on Kazuya, impressed by the calm and determined aura of the man.

"Let's hope he can hold him off long enough…" he murmured to himself.

Meanwhile, the battle reached a new peak. Khael unleashed a massive wall of water, rising like a tsunami to engulf Kazuya.

"You can't dodge everything!" he roared triumphantly.

But Kazuya, raising his sword, murmured an incantation.

"Ether Breaker."

A blinding light erupted from his blade, slicing the wave in two. The water crashed to the sides, flooding the ruins of the forest but sparing Kazuya, who advanced calmly through the chaos.

"You're powerful, I'll grant you that," Kazuya declared, pointing his sword at the man. "But all that power means nothing if you can't control it."

Khael, breathless but still furious, charged with a new attack, blending lightning and flames into a destructive tornado.

"I'll reduce you to ashes!"

Kazuya raised an eyebrow, dodging the attacks with an ease that frustrated his adversary.

"You're tiring," he said simply.

Then, taking advantage of a moment of hesitation from the man, Kazuya moved with blinding speed, appearing behind him.

"It's over," he murmured.

A precise strike from his sword sent the elf to the ground, his power dissipating in an uncontrolled explosion of energy. The forest, or what remained of it, fell into a heavy silence.

Kazuya planted his sword in the ground, staring at Khael, who was still trying to get up.

"I don't know who your master is, but he'd better not underestimate this world," he said calmly.

Khael groaned, half-conscious, before passing out. Kazuya straightened, his golden aura fading slowly, and turned to the group of elves, still in shock.

"Are you all right?" he asked with a warm smile, as if nothing had happened.