Elias launched forward, thrusters igniting in a controlled burst as he closed the distance between him and Arvane in an instant. His gauntlet pulsed, raw kinetic energy coiling around his fist, ready to strike. The air between them crackled with pressure, Arvane's gravitational distortion still pulsing through the battlefield.
And then—they clashed.
Arvane moved like a phantom, his body shifting as if the air itself bent to his will. Elias's strike missed by a fraction of a second, his gauntlet slicing through empty space where Arvane had just been. Before Elias could react, a palm struck his ribs—a single, precise counterattack that sent a shockwave of gravity rippling through his armor.
Elias felt the force slam through his body, sending him skidding backward. He gritted his teeth, bracing himself as his boots dug into the stone, but the impact still sent a sharp pain lancing through his chest.
Varian was already moving.
The former Vanguard Commander darted forward, sword gleaming with golden light. He feinted left before twisting mid-strike, bringing his blade down toward Arvane's shoulder.
Arvane shifted, his gravity folding space, but Varian had anticipated it.
Instead of resisting, he used the distortion to amplify his momentum, allowing his strike to cut deeper into the air faster than Arvane could fully react.
The blade slashed across Arvane's side, golden energy searing through enchanted armor, drawing a second line of blood.
Arvane staggered.
Just for a moment.
And that was all they needed.
Ivy fired an arrow mid-air, adjusting her aim for the gravitational shift. The projectile twisted in the distorted space, compensating for the pull, and struck Arvane's shoulder with a burst of kinetic force.
Lira followed the shot, her dagger flashing as she closed in from the opposite side, aiming for his ribs.
Cecilia flickered beside her, phasing in and out of sight, a second blade in her hand as she aimed for his throat.
For the first time, Arvane was forced on the defensive.
His gravity magic reversed violently, sending a pulse outward, throwing Lira and Cecilia back before their blades could fully connect. Ivy barely managed to twist out of the way as the distortion crushed the air around them, warping reality itself.
But Elias had already recovered.
He slammed his thrusters forward, pushing against the force instead of resisting it. He had figured it out now—Arvane's power relied on controlling movement, warping the battlefield to turn every fight into his own advantage.
So Elias wouldn't fight him on his terms.
He would rewrite the battlefield.
His gauntlet flared, golden energy spiking in all directions as he activated a full-system override on his Vanguard Core.
"Marco!" he barked. "Redirect all energy into field stabilization!"
Marco's voice crackled over the comms. "Are you insane?! That's going to fry your entire power—"
"Just do it!"
There was a half-second of silence before Marco swore. "Fine! But if you explode, I'm not fixing you!"
The energy within Elias's armor shifted.
Instead of raw power, instead of using thrusters for movement—his suit synched with the battlefield itself.
The warped gravity stabilized.
Arvane's control weakened.
His violet eyes flickered in realization, but by then—it was too late.
Elias surged forward, his gauntlet cracking with raw power, and this time, Arvane had nowhere to dodge.
The impact hit like a meteor.
A shockwave of golden energy exploded outward, the sheer force tearing through Arvane's gravitational field. The ground beneath them shattered, massive cracks splitting across the battlefield as the force of Elias's punch sent Arvane flying.
The Grand Inquisitor slammed into a broken pillar, dust and debris collapsing around him.
Silence.
Then—Arvane coughed, his breath coming ragged.
His once-flawless armor was fractured, the weight of Elias's strike finally leaving its mark. His violet eyes flickered, unreadable for a long moment.
Then—he laughed.
Low. Amused. Almost… entertained.
Lira, still catching her breath, scowled. "Why is it always the crazy ones that laugh?"
Reinhardt rolled his shoulders, watching Arvane warily. "Because they either know something we don't, or they've finally snapped."
Cecilia's blade gleamed. "Either way, let's finish this before he does something dramatic."
Elias didn't lower his guard. His suit was running on emergency power, his thrusters barely holding together after that last attack. But if they had finally wounded Arvane, they needed to press the advantage.
Arvane finally stood, exhaling slowly. He wiped the blood from his mouth, rolling his shoulders. "You're different," he murmured, looking directly at Elias. "Not just in power, but in method."
Elias narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Arvane smiled. "The Vanguard fought with tradition. You fight with adaptation. That is… unexpected."
His gaze flicked toward Varian. "And yet… you still fight for the past."
Varian's grip on his sword tightened. "The past holds truth. The Academy erased that truth."
Arvane exhaled, as if tired. "And yet, no matter how many times history repeats, war always returns." He looked back at Elias. "You may believe you are breaking the cycle. But in the end, you are simply continuing it."
Elias clenched his fists. "Then we'll end it differently."
Arvane studied him for a long moment. Then, slowly, his stance shifted. Not in preparation for another attack.
But in acceptance.
"You have proven your strength," he murmured. "But strength alone does not win wars. What will you do with it, Elias Graham?"
Elias didn't hesitate. "I'll finish what the Vanguard started."
Arvane chuckled, shaking his head. "A bold claim."
He stepped back. The air around him shimmered, gravity folding inward. "Then we shall see, won't we?"
Before Elias could move, Arvane vanished.
The battlefield was silent. The oppressive weight of his magic was gone.
Ivy lowered her bow, exhaling. "So… did we just win?"
Varian was still staring at the spot where Arvane had disappeared, his expression unreadable. "No," he murmured. "That was a test."
Lira groaned. "Great. So, what, he was just playing with us this whole time?"
Reinhardt stretched. "If that was just playing, I don't want to see him when he's serious."
Elias's fists unclenched, his gauntlet dimming as his suit powered down to conserve energy. He didn't like this. Arvane was too smart to simply retreat. He had seen something in Elias—something that made him stop.
And that worried him more than any attack could.
Marco's voice cut through the silence. "Uh, guys? While you were busy fighting gravity itself, I just picked up some really bad news."
Elias exhaled. "Let me guess. The Academy knows we're here?"
A pause. Then—Marco laughed weakly.
"Oh no. It's way worse than that."
Elias felt his stomach drop.
This war had just gotten a whole lot bigger.