Chapter 1632: It was fun
Without warning, she channeled her lightning directly into the ground, sending an unpredictable web of energy across the stone. The light fractured and split, moving in jagged, erratic patterns that seemed to defy logic. Alex's foresight stuttered under the sudden chaos, and he felt the shock as one bolt seared against his boot, forcing him to stagger.
He gritted his teeth, refocusing. If Lilith wanted unpredictability, he would give her something just as formidable. Drawing deeply on his Time domain, he slowed time around them, the world turning into a surreal tableau where every drop of sweat, every flicker of flame, moved with dreamlike slowness. He saw her next strike before she even began it, saw the flicker of her muscles and the surge of energy.
With precision, Alex countered, moving faster than the slowed world around him. His spear met her whip mid-snap, diverting its arc as he closed the distance. The clash of their powers sent a pulse that cracked the ground beneath them and sent sparks in all directions.
Lilith, caught off guard by the temporal shift, gasped as the force pushed her back. But she didn't falter. Her eyes glinted with excitement, her body thrumming with energy. She stepped back into the darkness, her breath coming fast, and called forth the full power of her domain. Shadows coalesced into solid, writhing forms around her, while lightning pulsed with life, striking and crackling like a storm barely contained.
Alex watched, his breath steadying. The ground around them was marked with the fury of their battle, scorched and cracked, but he met her gaze with unyielding determination. Time itself seemed to hold its breath, the space between them charged with the promise of their next, final clash.
"Ready?" she asked, her voice both a challenge and an invitation.
Alex's eyes gleamed with resolve as he lifted his spear. "Always."
With that, the storm broke.
The moment hung suspended as they stared each other down, the atmosphere between them crackling with energy. Then, with an unspoken cue, they surged forward.
Lilith melded seamlessly with the shadows, becoming a storm of darkness and light. The tendrils of shadow moved like living creatures, each one lashing out, reaching, testing Alex's defenses. Her whip snapped with the fury of a lightning storm, each strike leaving an afterimage in the dark. The ground beneath her seemed to shimmer as she infused it with pulses of lightning, sending arcs across the floor that chased Alex's every step.
Alex met her onslaught with the calm of someone who could see the future unfolding before him. His Time domain expanded outward, giving him brief, vital glimpses of the next second—the flick of her wrist, the shift in her stance, the path of her lightning. With each vision, he moved fluidly, dodging by inches, his spear dancing in his hands as he deflected attacks that seemed to come from every direction.
Their clash was a breathtaking dance of fire and lightning, of time and shadow. Alex spun his spear, using bursts of flame to force Lilith back, the orange and red light clashing against the blue-white glow of her energy. Sparks erupted every time their weapons met, the searing noise ringing out across the training ground.
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Lilith's eyes shone with exhilaration as she pushed her limits. She spun, bringing her whip around in a wide arc that crackled with raw energy. Alex foresaw the strike and ducked under it, the air above him splitting with a sharp, electric crack. Before he could counter, she was on him again, a shadow streak with lightning-infused daggers that flashed toward his chest.
Anticipating her movements, Alex shifted just enough for the blade to miss, the future playing out in his mind a split-second before reality caught up. He lashed out with the spear, flame trailing like a comet, forcing Lilith to backflip out of reach.
Breathing hard, she landed gracefully, the shadows around her rippling with her every heartbeat. "You're better at this than I gave you credit for," she admitted, her voice carrying a mixture of challenge and pride.
Alex's eyes, glinting with determination and a hint of amusement, met hers. "I can't let you have all the fun, can I?"
Without warning, Lilith raised her hand and brought it down with a sharp motion. The shadows surged, condensing into a massive, writhing form that towered over them both, eyes of electric blue opening along its dark surface. It lashed out with a roar, a fusion of darkness and lightning that aimed straight for Alex.
Time slowed as Alex drew on his power, the monster's every move mapped out before him like a perfect puzzle. He sidestepped its sweeping limb, the air vibrating with its energy, and countered by sending a spiral of fire up its length, the flames consuming it in bright, flickering trails. It shrieked and dissipated, but Lilith was already behind him, her movements so synchronized with the shadows that she was almost impossible to see.
But Alex was ready. He twisted, catching her dagger mid-strike with the haft of his spear. Their faces were inches apart, eyes locked. Sparks flared where their weapons met, illuminating their expressions—her fierce, electric grin and his determined, unwavering focus.
Lilith pushed off, somersaulting back as her lightning surged, crackling down her whip and charging the very air between them. The static was palpable, lifting the fine hairs on their skin. Alex responded by channeling his flames into his spear until it glowed with a fierce, molten light.
"Let's end this," she called, her voice alive with challenge.
"Agreed," he said, his tone low and full of resolve.
Lilith lunged, her whip snapping forward in a deadly arc, shadows following in its wake. At the same moment, Alex thrust his spear, the fire along its length erupting in a blaze that lit up the entire training ground. The resulting collision was a cacophony of energy—a surge where fire, lightning, and shadow intertwined, exploding outward in a dazzling spectacle that forced them both back.
They landed on opposite ends of the field, breathing heavily, chests rising and falling with the exertion. The air between them was alive with heat and electricity, every flicker and pulse a testament to their shared power and determination.
A moment of silence passed as the echoes of their final clash faded into the night. Then, a slow, appreciative smile spread across Lilith's face as she straightened, lowering her weapons.
Alex mirrored her expression, lowering his spear as the fire around it dimmed to embers. "A draw?" he asked, voice laced with laughter.
"For now," she said, her eyes sparkling with both exhaustion and joy. "But next time, no holding back."
"Next time," he agreed, the promise hanging between them, full of potential and trust.
With that, the tension melted away, leaving only the quiet glow of mutual respect and the thrill of a match well-fought.
´´It was fun!´´ they both concluded.