MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

The air between them crackled with tension, a thunderstorm of power building.

Both 17393 and 28292 were momentarily still, hovering in the midst of the destructive aura they had unleashed, their bodies bruised, their mana reserves dangerously low.

The intense pressure in the sky had reached a boiling point.

Every movement now felt as though the very air might crack under the force of their blows.

17393's eyes burned with the remnants of lightning, but there was a sharpness to his gaze, a keenness that betrayed his exhaustion.

His breathing was heavy, each breath crackling with a faint hint of electrical energy.

His body was weak but still holding, still pulsing in desperate defiance.

28292 stood across from him, his fiery cloak flickering as if it might consume him whole.

His chest rose and fell with labored breaths, the heat radiating from his body like the aftermath of a forest fire.

He was the embodiment of flames, yet even now, his body showed the marks of exhaustion, the cracks in his aura slowly healing but still unstable.

With a primal snarl, 17393 surged forward.

His movements were jagged, erratic, a reflection of both his power and his desperation.

He swung his fist in an arc of crackling lightning, aiming directly at 28292's head.

But 28292's instincts were razor sharp. Enjoy more content from empire

With a twist of his body, he dodged the blow by a mere inch, the electrical energy missing his face by centimeters.

The force of the attack still left a trail of sparks as it whizzed past him.

28292 retaliated in an instant, launching a low, sweeping kick that sent waves of flame cascading from his foot.

The fire surged like a tidal wave, spreading outward in a roaring wall of heat aimed for 17393's lower body.

17393 reacted quickly, his body surging with electricity as he propelled himself upwards with an explosive burst of lightning, narrowly avoiding the flames that could have incinerated his legs.

The air was filled with the sizzling sound of fire meeting electricity.

With no hesitation, 17393 spun mid air and fired a series of jagged lightning bolts directly at 28292, each one more precise than the last.

The bolts zipped through the air with deadly speed, aimed at vital points, his shoulders, his knees, and his chest.

Each bolt crackled as it hurtled forward, threatening to break through the fire mage's defenses.

28292 grinned, his mana flaring once more.

With a burst of his mana, he summoned a circle of fire around him, creating a protective shield of searing heat.

The lightning bolts collided with the flames, crackling and hissing as sparks flew from the impact.

But the shield held, and 28292 pressed the attack, his body flashing forward in a burst of fiery speed.

Before 17393 could react, 28292 was upon him, launching himself upward with a vicious uppercut surrounded by concentrated flame.

The fist collided with 17393's jaw with the force of a meteor strike.

A shockwave of fire exploded outward as the hit landed, sending 17393 spiraling backward through the sky.

His body tumbled through the air, lightning flickering from his armor as he struggled to regain control.

The world seemed to spin as his aura flickered weakly around him, his body bleeding from the raw impact of the fire mage's attack.

He could feel his mana running dry, his movements sluggish.

Yet, there was no retreat in his heart.

He ignited his aura one last time, the storm of lightning around him reaching its peak.

With a roar of defiance, he darted toward 28292, moving with the last reserves of his energy.

His fist crackled with electricity, and his body became a streak of lightning, faster than the eye could follow.

He moved with calculated precision, aiming for 28292's exposed chest.

But 28292 was waiting.

With a sharp snap of his wrist, 28292 launched a searing fireball directly at 17393, timed perfectly to collide with his advancing form.

The fireball detonated with an explosive roar, its heat enough to scorch the very air itself.

The blast created a massive explosion that tore through the sky, fragments of light and fire scattering outward as 17393 was thrown off course.

For a moment, there was silence.

The shockwave rippled through the clouds, the aftershocks reverberating in the atmosphere.

Then, as the smoke cleared, 17393 appeared from the haze, battered and burned but still alive.

His body was singed, the edges of his armor smoldering, but his eyes remained locked on 28292 with unwavering focus.

His aura flickered once more, the storm inside him churning with the last vestiges of his power.

28292's face twisted in a mixture of amusement and frustration.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?"

He hissed, his voice harsh.

Yet, even he could sense the dwindling strength of his opponent.

Without warning, 17393 unleashed a final, desperate attack.

His body moved like a living storm, charging forward with the ferocity of a thunderstrike.

He aimed directly for 28292's exposed midsection, his fist crackling with the raw force of the storm, aiming to end it all with one powerful blow.

28292 saw the attack coming, but this time, there was no time for escape.

He twisted his body to the side and raised both arms, drawing in the last of his fire affinity.

In a final act of defiance, he summoned a wall of flame that roared to life, forming a deadly barrier between them.

The two forces collided, lightning against fire, storm against inferno.

The clash sent out shockwaves that tore through the heavens themselves, a battle of raw power, each combatant pushing their limits to the edge.

The resulting explosion split the sky, a blinding flash of light and fire that seemed to hang in the air for an eternity.

The aftermath was a moment of silence, the atmosphere charged with the remnants of the battle.

Then, from the haze of smoke, 17393 emerged, barely standing, his body shaking, his armor cracked and battered.

His aura was all but gone, his body at the brink of collapse.

He was the last one standing, his hands trembling as he held himself upright.

28292, on the other hand, lay motionless in the crumbling sky, his body battered, his flame flickering weakly.

His breath was ragged, his fire barely holding against the onslaught of exhaustion.

The storm that had raged between them slowly began to dissipate, and the battle that had consumed the skies now came to a tragic, slow end.

17393, with his last breath, pushed his body forward one final time, his hand extended toward the fire mage.

And in that moment, as his opponent collapsed to the ground, defeated, he fell with him.

The battle was over.