Lucien tightened his grip on his sword, his mind racing.
He couldn't win this fight with just brute strength.
He needed something more.
Ignis hovered beside him, his flames flickering with unstable intensity. Umbra, now in his shadow beast form, growled lowly, his golden eyes locked onto the demon.
The air was thick with tension. The demon was watching them closely now.
"Let's see what you're truly capable of," the demon sneered, his dark aura surging.
Lucien gritted his teeth. He had one last gamble.
If Ignis could provide flames… and Umbra controlled shadows…
What if he combined them?
[Okay, hold on. You're talking about fusing fire and darkness? That's like mixing oil and water—except the water also wants to kill you.]
Lucien ignored the system and focused.
"Ignis, pour your flames into my sword."
The fire spirit hesitated for only a moment before nodding.
A surge of heat engulfed Lucien's blade as Ignis infused his essence into it. The sword ignited, covered in a swirling mass of crimson and gold flames.
But that wasn't enough.
Lucien turned to Umbra. "Lend me your power."
Umbra's golden eyes locked onto him. Then, the beast child dissolved into shadowy mist, wrapping around Lucien's body.
Lucien shuddered as a strange sensation overtook him. His vision sharpened. His reflexes felt heightened. His body moved faster than before.
His sword—once pure flame—now burned with a twisted fusion of fire and darkness.
It wasn't just fire anymore. It was Shadowflame.
[Alright. That looks terrifying. I approve.]
The demon's eyes narrowed. "Interesting… but useless."
He lunged.
Lucien moved without thinking.
His body blurred, moving faster than he ever had before. Umbra's shadow merged with his speed, making his movements unpredictable.
The demon slashed—but Lucien wasn't there.
Instead, he had already slipped past him.
So this is Umbra's power…!
Lucien's Shadowflame-coated sword struck.
BOOM!
The demon howled as the fusion of fire and darkness burned into his flesh.
Lucien didn't stop. He kept moving.
He attacked from different angles—slashes that left burning, corrosive wounds on the demon's body.
The demon snarled. He was getting overwhelmed.
For the first time… he looked uncertain.
Lucien smirked. "What's wrong? Not so high and mighty now, are you?"
The demon growled, his body shrouded in dark energy.
"This is not over."
He vanished.
Lucien froze. He was retreating.
[Hah! You actually scared him off! Congratulations, you're officially a problem now.]
Lucien exhaled sharply, his body trembling from exhaustion. The power of Shadowflame was gone, but he had done it.
Umbra reappeared beside him, shifting back into his smaller form.
Ignis, flickering weakly, let out a tired chuckle. "That… was insane."
Lucien let out a breathless laugh. "Yeah… but it worked."
The battle was over.
But in his heart, Lucien knew—this was just the beginning.
To be continued…