The Play-Toy Of Three Lycan Kings-Chapter 436: Final Duel II

SAGE

Fighting against black magic was... draining.

The realization hit me dimly as I lay sprawled against the scorched earth, my vision swimming, the world tilting in and out of focus.

The taste of iron filled my mouth and my limbs felt heavy—too heavy—like something unseen was steadily siphoning strength straight from my bones. Shapes blurred above me and voices echoed like they were underwater.

"Yes," El’s voice came tightly. "It is draining you. That strike was meant to leech your power."

I forced air into my lungs as she continued, "You must attack her at full force. If you allow her to keep pressing like this, she will bleed you dry... and then she will kill you."

A cold clarity cut through the haze; I nodded weakly and pushed myself upright just as the Queen’s amplified voice rang across the arena.

"Is this the leader you want?" she mocked the crowd. "This... fragile thing?"

Laughter rippled from her side of the field, but I didn’t answer and I didn’t waste breath. Instead, I let go. Fully this time.

I merged completely with El, our consciousnesses sliding together like two currents becoming one river, and power surged deep in my core as I dug into the ancient well inside me—witch and Ancient blood rising together, awakening something brighter.

"Goddess," I prayed silently, fiercely. "If I lose... the shame will be yours to bear."

The sky split open and lightning cracked across the heavens in a blinding white arc, cutting the Queen’s voice off mid-taunt. Her head snapped upward, brows furrowing, and slowly a fierce, sharp smile curved my lips.

Good. I rose fully to my feet and began walking toward the Queen.

She moved first—of course she did. Black lightning lashed toward me in jagged whips that tore through the air like living serpents, and as I spun sideways, one whip grazed my shoulder, the contact sending a numbing chill crawling under my skin.

I retaliated instantly, golden fire exploding from my palm in a wide arc and forcing her to leap backward as the ground where she stood moments before erupted into molten glass.

She recovered fast—too fast—as dark mist burst from her body, spreading outward in choking waves that tried to smother my light. I answered with a pulse of radiant force; light slammed into shadow, the collision shook the field, and gasps rose from the bleachers.

We moved at the same time. She struck low—I vaulted over the sweeping blade of black energy that sliced the air beneath me—and I countered mid-spin, launching a spear of compressed light straight for her chest.

She twisted—barely—and the spear grazed her shoulder instead of piercing through. Her answering smile was feral. "Better," she purred.

Then the real fight began. Magic exploded between us in rapid, brutal succession: black bolts, golden flares, and shockwaves that cratered the earth and cracked the sky. I dodged left as a storm of shadow spikes erupted beneath my feet—then rolled forward, slamming both palms down and sending a shockwave of pure force blasting toward her.

She planted her feet and caught it. Caught it. The ground beneath her shattered in a spiderweb of fractures, but she held. Our eyes locked—equal, for now.

She lunged and I met her halfway, power colliding in a blinding flash that forced the front rows of the bleachers to shield their faces. She fought like someone who had fed on darkness for decades—every strike precise, cruel, efficient—but I was faster, brighter, and stronger than she remembered.

I slipped past a claw of black fire and drove a burst of solar light toward her ribs—she dissolved into shadow at the last second and reformed behind me. Too close. Pain ripped across my back as a blade of condensed dark magic struck home. I staggered forward—but didn’t fall. Didn’t give her the satisfaction.

Instead, I shifted. My body dissolved into mist. For one brief second, relief flickered through me—then the Queen laughed. Low. Knowing. My mist form froze mid-drift because her eyes—were following me. Tracking me perfectly through the vapor.

Black magic. Of course. A chill slid down my spine. I reformed instantly, boots hitting the ground hard as I ignored her taunting laughter; I needed space, needed an opening. Without another second’s hesitation, I shot into the sky.

Wind roared past my ears as I ascended fast enough to split the clouds. Below, the Queen rose after me like a dark comet. Of course she did. The sky became our battlefield. She struck blades of shadow spinning outward in deadly spirals—and I twisted midair, weaving through them by inches, golden energy flaring along my limbs as I countered with a rain of light-spears. They collided, exploded, and rained molten sparks across the heavens.

She rushed me; I met her head-on. We clashed in midair—power against power, light against void. Each impact sent thunder rolling across the sky. I spun under a sweeping arc of darkness and slammed a concentrated burst of solar force into her shield—it held, barely.

Her answering strike clipped my side, sending a spike of cold pain lancing through me. We broke apart, hovering across from each other, both breathing harder now. Still equal. Still locked. Still unfinished.

I felt it then. The shift. Her eyes—were no longer just dark. They were completely black. Bottomless. Possessed. My stomach dropped. She wasn’t just borrowing power; she was sharing a body with it.

Frustration surged hot in my chest, as I felt myself weakening, as I felt El weakening. Who was this powerful black spirit feeding her? Was it a god? Where did they meet?

At this point, I might lose!

For one dangerous moment—I wanted to scream. Wanted to weep. Wanted—

"Light always triumphs over darkness."

The voice wasn’t Adam. Wasn’t El. It was older. Familiar. Ancient.

My breath caught. First Queen...?

Shock rippled through me. Was she trying to possess me too?

But the presence that brushed my mind was gentle. "The Goddess granted me this moment," the First Queen’s voice said softly. "Listen carefully, child. The power you seek is already within you. Deep in your bowels. You must trust yourself."

My pulse thundered.

"Take the hope of the people," she whispered. "Hone it. Shape it. Light has never needed permission to defeat darkness."

And then, she was gone. Silence rushed in.

"El," I called urgently. "What does that mean?"

El’s presence steadied beside mine. "It means," El said calmly, "you are still looking outward when the answer is inward." A pulse of warning flared through our shared senses.

Below, the Queen’s power was rising, swelling, condensing, preparing something devastating.

El’s voice sharpened. "Focus, Sage."

The air around the Queen began to warp as darkness gathered violently in one point.

"Access the deep well within you. Dig..."