The Bright Dark

The tension in the air was palpable as Kantara stepped forward, his voice echoing across the field. "Revoir. Ormany. Step forward."

The two opponents walked into the open arena, their every step charged with anticipation. Revoir's black hair glistened under the sun, his pale features glowing faintly. In contrast, Ormany exuded an ominous aura; with his completely black eyes, he had a devilish and intimidating presence.

They bowed to each other, and Ormany's lips curled into a confident smirk as he straightened. "Let's give them a show," he said, his voice laced with arrogance.

Revoir didn't respond, merely activating his power with a calm determination. He knew Ormany's ability was dangerous and full of deceit; he had to stay vigilant.

Immediately it seemed, Ormany acted. An enormous burst of power burst from him in a ripple and spread out. Revoir blinked and then felt his entire orientation on the world disperse into chaos. It was as though he could hear absolutely nothing, no rustle of air around him. Not even his nose worked anymore; and also lacking was that primordial ability-a protection given ring bearers-to discern threats. Only one sense remained with him.

"This is how it starts, Revoir," Ormany said, his voice muffled in Revoir's silenced world. Then he was charging forward, the speed of his body beyond compare.

Revoir steeled himself, relying entirely on sight. He could still absorb and reflect energy-a trait that had worked so well for him before. But the loss of his senses made timing and precision infinitely harder.

Ormany moved like a shadow, his punches a blur. Revoir managed to absorb some of the hits, redirecting the kinetic energy with practiced precision. Yet Ormany was too fast, dodging every counterattack with ease.

"Frustrated yet?" Ormany taunted, his grin widening. "You'll reach your limit soon enough."

Revoir clenched his fists as his body tightened. Every hit he took moved him closer to the edge, and Ormany knew it. Sweat trickled down from Revoir's face, frustration growing thick in his struggle to keep up and catch every counterattack.

"Just give up," Ormany taunted. "You can't outlast me. I'll wear you down, and when you've got nothing left, I'll finish this."

Revoir refused to answer. He wouldn't give Ormany the satisfaction.

The punches kept coming, faster and harder. Revoir absorbed them, his body starting to ache under the strain. Finally, he felt it: the unmistakable sharp pain signaling he'd reached his absorption limit. He grimaced, frustration boiling over.

"Time to end this," Revoir muttered under his breath, charging up his arm with every ounce of stored energy.

Ormany was caught off guard by the sudden fierce intensity coming from Revoir. But before he could even land the punch, his feet buckled.

Revoir's eyes went wide in surprise as his trip caused his fist to fall and he slammed into the ground. It was a terrible and explosive impact that cracked the ground and ripple-violently shook the field, sending a tremor through the arena.

Lutens rose, his face black with anger. He looked at Klamtra, who refused to meet his gaze. He turned to Kantara, who stood in shock, staring at Atenyos.

Atenyos started walking toward the field, his movements calm and deliberate. Lightning crackled around his white ring, black and white sparks dancing along his body. His eyes shone with a piercing dark white hue, a sight that even Lutens faltered at.

"So you want to play dirty, weaklings? Fine," Atenyos said, his voice carrying a cold, dangerous edge.

Ormany looked up, startled by Atenyos's sudden presence. "Stay out of this!" he shouted, but Atenyos wasn't listening.

As Atenyos charged up, Kantara, Lutens, Ipsum and some of the other team members instinctively moved to intervene, but something stopped them. A strange, unexplainable force seemed to root them in place.

How much can you absorb, Revoir?" Atenyos asked, his tone smooth but dripping with force.

Atenyos was suddenly aware of Revoir's senses disappearing-and his too. He turned to Ormany with a grin. "That's the best you can do?

With a blur of motion, Atenyos punched Revoir. The surge of energy in his body, the tidal wave rolled in. For the first time, something different happened-power so pure it overpowered the pain and exhaustion.

Revoir's gaze was fixed on Ormany, for the very first time off him because of Atenyos. Within that instant of distraction, Revoir charged ahead.

The punch was clean, a vicious uppercut to Ormany's jaw that sent him crashing to the ground. He lay unconscious, sprawled out on the cracked field.

The lightning around Atenyos faded as he relaxed and sat down where he stood. His eyes met Kantara's, and a silent understanding passed between them. Kantara had noted the subtle shift in the battle—Klamtra's intervention, using his plant control to hold Revoir's legs and trip him.

Kantara stepped onto the field, his voice steady but tinged with disappointment. "This match is invalid. Both teams intervened."

Murmurs of surprise spread amongst the onlookers, and many of them had not caught Klamtra's interference thus thought Atenyos acted alone.

No one had gotten a chance to argue before Lutens rose in his chair, his tone clear and sure. "No. This is the win of Terram's guild. Klamtra was the first to interfere, while Atenyos did nothing but return the power that Revoir had in his possession before the interference."

Kantara paused then nodded. "Terram's guild wins," he declared, not very convincingly.

Both teams' members turned to Klamtra, their faces a mask of disappointment to outright disgust. Unable to face them, Klamtra walked off, his head hung low.

"Wait," Lutens called out, his voice cutting through the murmurs. "Your match is disqualified, Klamtra. And in your stead the match will be Atenyos versus Mantrey and Arkinos."

Klamtra froze, in shock for a moment, before his anger and embarrassment overwhelmed him. He ground his fists and dashed off without a word.

Arkinos smirked, though. "I see, not everyone gets a second chance, huh?" he said, the tinge of amusement sounding in his voice. He turned and walked away, confident that his assessment was on target.

Mantrey, who had initially resented the team-up, now looked exhilarated. The prospect of fighting Atenyos alongside Arkinos was too tempting to pass up.

Atenyos nodded silently, his resolve evident. Kantara watched him closely, torn between admiration and concern. Deep down, he knew this was no ordinary challenge for someone so new to their power; he wanted to intervene, but he knew it would be to no avail.

As the teams dispersed, Lutens approached Atenyos. His voice was low but commanding. "Meet me at the field at midnight."