As the man bolted straight towards him, the azure coalescence was finished as Emilio held it forward, releasing it as it unleashed a colossal beam of condensed, draconic flames straight towards the Stormheart.
["Dragonheart: Breath of Destruction"]
The massive beam of heat carved across the valley, parting the grass and mud and invoking a cloud of steam from the collision of rain droplets and supreme fire.
Emilio released the attack, looking forward as an entire chunk of the summit field had been carved away, surrounded by a tunnel of steam that swayed in the storm.
'Hope I didn't accidentally turn him to ash. Not a chance,' Emilio thought.
He reflexively spun around while pushing his hand towards the area behind him, instantly releasing a tri-formation of dragon heads forged of fire, nearly catching the lightning-wielder who had appeared behind him.
Sirius laughed, "You nearly got me with that last one! Here! I'll show you, then!"
Flexing his electric aura, the man overpowered the draconic constructs with a pulsation of electricity before smiling excitedly. The messy, jet-black hair of the man began to spike up, conducting the magenta lightning he wielded as the tips of it turned into the same shade. Across his pale skin, etchings of lightning bolts, spreading like the roots of a tree across his body, appeared with his heightened form.
[Stormheart System Activated]
[Current Stage: 1/10 | Divine Striker]
ZAP
Emilio watched as the figure disappeared even from his extraordinary reflexes, feeling the air go silent against his ears for just a moment at the crack of the wind before he jolted as electricity sparked against the right side of his body.
"--!"
As he turned to the right, unleashing a quick burst of fire, he found there to be nobody there, hitting nothing but air and grass.
"Right here," the playful voice of the Stormheart flowed into his ears from behind.
A quick spin was used again as the Dragonheart engulfed his leg in azure flames as he kicked behind him, hitting only air again, but seeing the electric blur of his opponent for a fraction of a second.
"Way too slow, man."
The casual, taunt words were exhaled as a pat on his shoulder came from the speedy, lightning user, who reappeared right beside him. Expecting an attack, he jumped back, flipping onto his feet as he held his guard, though he looked over to find Sirius with his hands raised as if the man never intended to even take advantage of his opening.
'This speed–it's on another level. Is this really the first stage of his system?' Emilio thought.
Every attack that was attempted failed to make any sort of contact, instead causing the Dragonheart only to touch the electricity that had infused with the space around him, constantly electrocuting him.
"Nngh…!" He winced.
'Alright–enough of this,' Emilio thought.
No part of him felt like playing along with the arrogant reincarnator as he felt the electricity attacking his nerves. With a burst of his flaming aura, he repelled the electricity before shifting the scales that armored his body.
The draconic scales sharpened, becoming sleeker and darkening into a deep-black as a tail extended outward, slamming down against the mud with a heavy impact.
[Current Stage: 5/10 | Dragon Sentinel]
"Oh? Nice transfor–"
As Sirius encircled the Dragonheart while riding a lightning bolt, his words were intercepted as the black-scaled figure rushed him with shocking speed. A blow straight against Sirius' sternum landed, knocking the man back with a harsh impact resounding through the storm.
Even though the direct blow landed with a booming force, the Stormheart still landed on his feet as his boots slid across the mud.
"Good! I felt that one! Let's turn it up–!" Sirius exclaimed with a bright smile.
The man's hair fully shifted into a glowing, magenta shade as his irises became electrified with the same essence; lightning continuously roared at an unnatural pace within the clouds above–constantly touching down around Calamity Mountain.
[Current Stage: 2/10 | Thunder Inheritor]
As the two faced off against one another on opposing ends of the battle-torn valley, with grand lightning touching down as the mud splashed and rain pelting the world below, both prepared themselves for the climactic clash.
[Draconis Might] [Flame Hardening] [Dragon Strike]
Surging with the strength of a dragon through his body, Emilio engulfed his left arm in azure flames, hardening them into a chaotic gauntlet that waved with sublime heat.
A throne of bright-purple lightning flourished around Sirius as the unstable element coiled around his body, constantly zapping the mud around him as steam swirled around him like a coat.
[Volatile Surge] [Smite Rush]
"Let's go–!" Sirius yelled out, initiating the clash.
The very moment the two stepped forth in unison, their fists collided within a frame of time far too small to perceive; an insignificant fraction of a second, a portion of a millisecond, and even inferior to a microseconds:
[Time elapsed since dashing: 0.00000002 second(s)]
As their knuckles met, the mighty elements, heightened by their supreme wielders, clashed; the chaotic fire met the unstable lightning.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM
The very instance their knuckles united, a force birthed through their combined might stretched across the valley, spiraling outward from the location between their knuckles; the dreary grass was cast away and the mud atop the valley was evaporated.
Looming over the two reincarnators, the clouds of the brooding storm parted from the godly collision.
The colossal eminence could not withstand the clash of such powers; from the point their knuckles met, directly at the center of the summit, the bleak mountain was split in half from the region-quaking force.
"--"
"--"
The rain had stopped and the skies had cleared, as if the heavens themselves recognized the might shown between the two mortals who stood on the very threshold of divinity.
Their knuckles were still pressed against one another, though after a few moments of pause, the blackened armor around the Dragonheart's fist cracked before shattering. Sirius found his bare knuckles to begin bruising from the impact.
Slowly, a satisfied smile appeared on Sirius' lips as he looked straight at him, "You pass."
Emilio caught his breath, pulling his fist away as he relinquished his scale armor, allowing it to shatter, "Yeah?"
"With flying colors," Sirius gave him a thumbs-up, with his entire attitude seeming to change as he slung his arm around the Dragonheart's shoulder, "Emilio Dragonheart–heh, this is the day we became brothers!"
"Huh?!" Emilio reacted in surprise.
Those words were more shocking than the clean, even split through the center of the mountain, which somehow remained standing without chaos, though for how long was uncertain.
Sirius cheekily chuckled, "That's right! From this day on, I accept you as my brother!"
"...I don't have a choice?"
"Well, it'd hurt my feelings," Sirius told him.
"--" Emilio sighed, "If it'll get you to come back, then I don't care."
"Oh? Where to?" Sirius asked.
It returned to him that the lightning-wielding reincarnator had fought him without even allowing him to explain himself much, frustratingly enough.
"There's a 'base of operations' of sorts we have. There are other people like us there–pretty strong, too," Emilio told him, figuring out already how to play to his interests.
Sirius smiled, "Now you're speaking my language. Lead the way!"
"You're not going to turn that quest in first? With that big raven," he asked.
"No rush, no rush," Sirius casually waved his hand, "I was doing somebody a favor, anyway."
Somehow or another getting the Stormheart to willingly come back with him to Atlan, he held his ring-bearing hand forward before invoking the name of the one who made it: "Seraphheart."
With that simple utterance, the golden ring shattered before its gilded particles scattered and reunited, meeting into the circular-shaped portal of radiant light in front of him.
"Woah–is this an ability of yours? Were you holding out on me, bro?" Sirius nudged him with his elbow.
"...No," Emilio exhaled, "This'll take us to where we're going–c'mon."
Leading the way into the portal, he stepped straight back into the undersea domain, followed by Sirius who followed after him.
"What's this place? We're underwater, right? I'm breathing though, and I'm dry," Sirius wondered.
"We're in Atlan–it's hard to explain," Emilio told him.
As he looked forward, he found a sight that immediately stole the breath from his lungs, awaiting in the courtyard of the Cerulean Keep, just past the regal arch.
"...Is that…" He muttered.
Standing there, seeming to wait for his return were three figures he longed to meet again: the silver-haired half-elf, the tall, bumpkin shielder, the adopted sister, and the father he longed to see.
"...You all…you made it!" Emilio reacted, rushing over.
"Emilio!" Celly smiled brightly.
"I was wonderin' when you'd come back," Everett smirked.
"I knew you'd make it," Irene said with a smile.
Julius didn't say anything, only holding a warm smile with tears in his eyes as Emilio ran over, giving a returning embrace to all three of them–all of which he considered dear family.
He hugged his father tightly without a second thought, though as he felt the embrace of the man wrapped around his shoulders, the painful memories of recent resurfaced.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" Emilio apologized as tears left his eyes.
Julius seemed to know what he was referring to right away, patting his head and ruffling his mix-colored hair, "It's not your fault. The lady who brought us here explained it–we know who was responsible for this."
"--" Emilio glanced over, seeing Excelsior leaning against the wall of the courtyard, who gave him a small wave.
'Thank you, Excelsior–I owe you big time,' he thought.
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