MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

The atmosphere was still, as if the world itself was holding its breath in anticipation.

Rylis the demi-human stood, his black and blue fur bristling, claws gleaming under the faint light that slipped through the stormy clouds above.

Across from him, Kaelthar held his sabre loosely, its polished blade catching the faint glint of light.

The tension between them was palpable, a storm of unseen forces crackling at the edges of their shared space.

Kaelthar was the first to move.

His sabre cut through the air with a deafening whistle, a blur of steel aimed directly at Rylis's midsection.

Rylis's body shifted in an instant, his silhouette flickering as he dodged the strike.

The ground beneath where the sabre struck trembled, a sharp scar etched into the stone.

Rylis countered with a sweeping strike of his claws, the air humming with mana as his figure blurred.

Kaelthar pivoted smoothly, his sabre meeting the claws mid-swing.

The resulting clash sent a shockwave outward, scattering dust and debris.

The metallic 'clang' rang through the space, echoing like a war cry in the emptiness.

Without pause, Kaelthar pressed forward, his strikes relentless, each swing of his sabre faster and more precise than the last.

Rylis matched him blow for blow, his claws meeting the blade with ferocious speed.

Sparks flew with every impact, lighting the battlefield in bursts of fleeting brilliance.

They became a whirlwind of motion, their movements so swift that afterimages trailed behind them, blurring the line between reality and illusion.

A sabre slash appeared to cut through Rylis, only for his image to dissolve like smoke.

A claw strike seemed to pierce Kaelthar's chest, but his form dissipated into a flickering mirage.

Kaelthar leapt back, his feet digging into the ground to halt his momentum.

Rylis darted forward, his claws aimed for Kaelthar's throat, but the dragon spun his sabre with a flourish, redirecting the attack in an elegant arc.

Their weapons clashed once again, the sound akin to thunder splitting the air.

Each movement left destruction in its wake.

The ground cracked and splintered beneath their feet, their immense auras causing stone to crumble and trees to fall in their vicinity.

A single strike from Kaelthar's sabre sent debris flying like shrapnel; Rylis's claws carved deep grooves into the earth with every missed swipe.

The battlefield itself seemed to recoil from their fury.

Stone outcroppings crumbled under stray impacts, and the air grew heavy with the force of their movements.

Still, neither combatant showed any sign of fatigue or hesitation.

Kaelthar spun, his sabre carving a wide arc through the air, forcing Rylis to leap backward.

As the blade struck the ground, a fissure split the stone, radiating outward like spiderweb cracks.

Rylis landed gracefully, his foxlike eyes glinting with calculation.

The demi-human lunged forward, faster than the eye could follow, his claws aimed for Kaelthar's side.

Kaelthar twisted his body, his sabre sweeping upward to intercept.

The clash created another burst of sparks, illuminating their locked forms for a brief moment before they broke apart once more.

Kaelthar's voice carried over the din of their battle, deep and steady.

"You're holding back, are you testing me?"

Rylis's lips curled into a predatory smirk.

"And you're not?"

His claws flexed, glinting ominously.

"Let's see what happens when we push a little harder"

Kaelthar shifted his stance, the sabre gleaming as he held it aloft.

In an instant, they were upon each other again, a blur of motion and steel.

Each strike was calculated yet devastating, leaving destruction in its wake.

A downward slash from Kaelthar cleaved a boulder clean in two when Rylis dodged to the side.

Rylis retaliated with a spinning kick, his claws extended, but Kaelthar's sabre intercepted, sending another metallic 'clang' reverberating through the air.

Time seemed to lose meaning as the battle raged on.

The battlefield bore the scars of their clash, shattered rocks, uprooted trees, and deep fissures that crisscrossed the earth.

Both combatants moved with unyielding precision, their strikes faster and heavier, yet neither faltered or gave an inch.

Kaelthar surged forward, his sabre blazing through the air with blistering speed.

Rylis met him head-on, their clash sending a deafening shockwave that rippled through the ruins of their battlefield.

Each strike now carried the weight of their determination, their ferocity amplified as neither combatant held back their refined skills.

The sabre's edge sang as it carved through the air, meeting Rylis's claws in a blinding series of rapid exchanges.

Sparks ignited with every collision, a relentless storm of light and sound that illuminated the fractured landscape.

Their movements were now too fast for the eye to follow, their figures reduced to blurs as they traded blows with devastating precision.

Kaelthar spun on his heel, his sabre sweeping low in a move designed to unbalance his opponent.

Rylis leapt high, flipping over the attack with uncanny agility before diving straight down, his claws aimed at Kaelthar's head.

The dragon stepped aside at the last moment, twisting his sabre upward in a slashing arc that scraped Rylis's descending claws.

The resulting clash sent a pulse of force outward, toppling jagged rocks and shattering the few remnants of the craggy terrain still standing.

Dust and debris filled the air, but neither fighter faltered.

Kaelthar burst through the haze, his sabre glowing faintly with the heat of friction, each strike now aimed with ruthless precision at Rylis's vital points.

Rylis ducked and weaved, his body a blur as he evaded each blow with hair trigger reflexes.

He spun low, his claws tearing through the ground as he lashed out in a sweeping attack that forced Kaelthar to leap backward.

The momentary distance didn't last.

Kaelthar closed the gap with terrifying speed, his sabre slicing horizontally in a move that left a silver afterimage.

Rylis countered with a powerful upward slash, his claws meeting the sabre in a clash that created an ear-splitting destruction.

They broke apart, the force of the impact sending both hurtling backward.

Kaelthar skidded to a halt, his sabre resting at his side as he assessed his opponent.

Rylis landed on all fours, his foxlike eyes glinting with predatory focus.

"Not bad"

Kaelthar admitted, his voice low and steady.

"You've kept me entertained, I didn't expect much from a demi-human"

Rylis smirked, his claws flexing as he straightened.

"Funny. I was about to say the same to you"

Kaelthar's grin sharpened.

Without a word, he vanished, his speed so immense it left an afterimage behind.

Rylis's ears twitched, his instincts kicking in as he sidestepped a strike that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

Kaelthar's sabre tore through the space Rylis had just vacated, the sheer force of the swing carving a deep trench into the ground.

Rylis retaliated in kind, his claws slashing upward in a move designed to catch Kaelthar mid-recovery.

The dragon twisted with impossible grace, parrying the attack with the flat of his sabre before countering with a thrust that forced Rylis to leap away.

Their movements grew more violent, more destructive, as the intensity of their battle reached new heights.

Every step they took cracked the earth beneath them, and every exchange sent shockwaves rippling outward.

They moved like forces of nature, their relentless clash reshaping the battlefield with every passing moment.

Kaelthar pressed his advantage, his sabre a whirlwind of steel that left trails of destruction in its wake.

Rylis responded with equal ferocity, his claws raking through the air in strikes so swift they seemed to tear through reality itself.

Their speed was now so immense that afterimages littered the battlefield, phantom strikes colliding in an endless cascade of light and sound.

For a brief moment, they locked weapons, Kaelthar's sabre against Rylis's claws.

Their auras flared, the pressure of their mana and raw strength creating a vortex of energy that tore apart everything around them.

Stones cracked, trees disintegrated, and the very ground seemed to tremble beneath the weight of their battle.

"You're holding back"

Rylis growled, his eyes narrowing as he pushed against the sabre with all his might.

Kaelthar's grin was razor-sharp.

"And so are you"

But they had to as they were other dangers lurking, fighting with their full strength was stupid.

With a roar, they broke apart, the resulting explosion of force sending both hurtling in opposite directions.

Kaelthar landed in a crouch, his sabre planted into the ground to steady himself, while Rylis skidded to a halt, his claws leaving deep gouges in the earth.

Neither wasted a second.

They charged at each other again, their movements so fast they seemed to teleport across the battlefield.

The clash of their strikes created a cacophony of sound, a relentless storm of destruction that drowned out everything else.

As they fought, the landscape around them continued to crumble.

Boulders were reduced to rubble, and fissures spread across the ground like spiderwebs.

The air was thick with dust and the echoes of their unrelenting battle, yet neither showed any signs of slowing.

Kaelthar feinted with a high slash before pivoting into a spinning strike aimed at Rylis's side.

The demi-human ducked low, his claws slicing upward to intercept the blade.

The force of the impact sent sparks flying, illuminating their fierce expressions in the midst of chaos.

The intensity of their strikes sent shockwaves across the terrain, causing the earth beneath them to tremble with each devastating impact.

The two combatants moved at blinding speeds, leaving afterimages in their wake as they closed the gap again and again, their weapons dancing in the flickering light.

Kaelthar's sabre whistled through the air in a wide arc, aimed at Rylis's midsection.

The demi-human reacted without hesitation, his claws slicing upward to intercept the attack, the collision sending sparks flying in every direction.

Rylis's speed was nothing short of extraordinary, his instincts guiding his movements with perfect precision, while Kaelthar was a blur of calculated power, his movements honed over centuries of battle.

Without a moment's pause, Rylis lunged, his claws slashing in rapid succession toward Kaelthar's face.

The dragon's sabre deflected the strikes with a series of swift, fluid parries, each clash sending a shockwave through the surrounding air.

The force of their combat shattered nearby mountains, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

Yet neither seemed to falter, their energy unyielding, their bodies in perfect condition, unaffected by the unrelenting exchange of blows.

Rylis dropped low to the ground, his claws raking across the earth as he aimed for Kaelthar's legs.

Kaelthar stepped back, his sabre moving in a flashing blur to cut downwards, narrowly missing Rylis's form as the demi-human darted to the side.

The ground split open as Kaelthar's strike landed, the shockwave sending a jagged crack through the valley.

Rylis reacted in an instant, his body blurring once more as he pushed off the ground, his claws seeking Kaelthar's exposed flank.

The dragon spun in mid-air, his wings extending as he brought his sabre around in a wide arc, forcing Rylis to retreat a step.

But the demi-human was relentless, closing the gap instantly, claws swiping again and again with deadly accuracy.

The two locked weapons in another furious clash, their arms shaking from the force of the impact, but their stances unwavering, neither showing the slightest sign of tiring.

Each strike was an explosion of power, each movement a blur of speed, and yet neither combatant was slowed.

The battle escalated further, the intensity growing with every passing moment.

Rylis darted in and out of Kaelthar's reach, his claws slashing through the air in a series of calculated strikes.

Kaelthar responded with precision, his sabre cutting through the air in smooth, lethal arcs, his wings snapping with power as he shifted position in the blink of an eye.

They collided again, their weapons locking with a brutal clash that sent shockwaves through the valley.

The very earth beneath them cracked open, and the air itself seemed to bend with the force of their power.

They were locked in a dance of destruction, each blow reshaping the battlefield, yet neither showing any sign of slowing down.

Rylis's claws met Kaelthar's sabre once more, and this time, the shockwave sent them both spiraling through the air.

They twisted, their movements almost indistinguishable from the blur of shadows and light, their weapons flashing as they collided with explosive force.

The terrain around them shattered, debris flying in every direction, but still, neither of them hesitated, their determination unwavering, their bodies unaffected by the continuous onslaught.

The fight raged on, a never-ending exchange of skill and power.

There was no sign of fatigue, no sign of weakness.

Only the unyielding clash of their weapons and the deafening sound of their battle as it tore through the valley.

The ground beneath them continued to fracture, the very landscape shifting with every strike.

The air around them grew thick with the pressure of their combat, each move a testament to their mastery.

They were not just fighting, they were creating a storm, a maelstrom of violence and power, but neither would yield.

Their weapons met again, and again, the earth itself trembling with each collision.

Sparks flew, rocks exploded, and the air was filled with the sound of metal on metal, the clash of their strikes resounding like the tolling of a war drum.

But still, neither showed any sign of exhaustion, their mana and aura flowing effortlessly, their bodies in perfect condition, their movements as precise and powerful as when they first began.

There was no end in sight, no slowing down.

This battle was not one of fatigue, it was one of will, of unstoppable force, a clash between two titans who would fight until the very last breath, and beyond.

As Kaelthar brought his blade up for a another, devastating strike, the air between them seemed to freeze.

His sabre glinted, the edge prepared to carve through the space between them with deadly precision.

Rylis's eyes narrowed, a sharp, fleeting grin curling at the edges of his lips, a hint of a challenge, of something deeper hidden behind his instincts.

Then, in a split second, just as the sabre was about to cleave him in two, Rylis vanished.

The air itself seemed to hold its breath.

Kaelthar's eyes snapped to the place where Rylis had been standing, his instinct and senses flaring.

Every fiber of his being screamed to find him, but no trace of the demi-human remained.

Not even a whisper of movement, no shifting of the wind, nothing.

The battlefield stood silent for a brief moment, as if time itself had stalled.

Kaelthar's gaze darted across the battlefield, his focus unrelenting, searching for even the slightest sign of Rylis.

His senses screamed at him, but there was nothing.

Not a sound, not a shadow, nothing to indicate where the demi-human had disappeared to.

Rylis was gone.

And Kaelthar was left alone, his eyes still searching, but the battlefield remained empty, still, as if the fight had never happened.