Ezra strode confidently into the bustling courtyard of the Red Dragon Clan’s estate.

His arrival, as always, was met with mixed reactions.

The clan elders were gathered in groups, their expressions a blend of curiosity, annoyance, and intrigue.

Some elders admired Ezra’s meteoric rise and saw his potential as a means to elevate the clan’s reputation.

Others, particularly those with vested interests in their descendants, viewed him as a threat. Ezra, however, paid them little heed.

In anycase, as an official member of the clan, they can’t be openly hostile towards him anymore.

—--------

As the day melted to give way for a new one, the sky above the Red Dragon Clan’s estate darkens as a colossal spaceship appears.

Its hull shimmered with intricate engravings, glowing faintly with protective wards.

The ship’s engines roared, causing a gust of wind that sent dust and leaves swirling.

The futuristic cyan glow of the spaceship descending upon the Red Dragon Clan caused an immediate stir among the gathered members.

Its sleek, metallic design and pulsating energy fields symbolized a level of technology and power far beyond what most of the clan had ever encountered.

Whispers of awe and intimidation rippled through the crowd as the ship’s thrusters hissed, settling it gently onto the ground.

Two figures descended from the craft’s ramp, their presence as commanding as their vessel.

Their pink-colour armor identified them as ascendants of the Scarlet Dragon Clan.

Thalrok, a towering male dragon with rippling muscles encased in armour, scanned the crowd with a sneer.

His crimson gauntlets shimmers faintly, exuding a controlled menace.

Beside him, Aren is a lean, sharp-eyed individual whose every movement exudes regality.

Dressed in a more reserved armour with metallic trims, she radiated an air of cold authority.

Thalrok let out a grunt of irritation.

"I can’t believe we’ve been dragged all the way here for some child playing pretend" he mutters, loud enough for the gathered elders to hear.

Aren remains silent, but the faint arch of her brow conveys her agreement.

The clan members bristled at the blatant disrespect, but the oppressive aura emanating from the two ascendants kept them silent.

Even Asadon, the clan leader, struggled to maintain composure as he stepped forward to greet the duo.

"I am Thalrok, Guardian of the Trials. This is my associate, Aren. We are here to assess your candidate"

"Welcome, esteemed Guardians," Asadon said, forcing a polite tone. "We are honored by your presence"

Thalrok’s expression twisted into a smirk. "Let’s skip the pleasantries, shall we? We’re on a tight schedule. Bring out the candidate"

The blatant dismissal stung, and the tension in the air became almost suffocating.

The abruptness of his demand sent a ripple of tension through the gathered elders.

While they bristled at the blatant disrespect, none dared voice their displeasure.

After all, Thalrok and Aren weren’t just ordinary Ascendants—they were guardians of the higher realms.

Confronting them directly was a fool’s errand.

Asadon’s fists clench at his sides, but he nods, signaling to an attendant.

"Of course. He will be here shortly"

The murmurs among the clan members grew louder as Ezra emerged from the shadows, his gait confident and unhurried.

His recently integrated bloodline had enhanced his physique subtly but noticeably.

His skin seemed to hold a faint crimson hue under the sunlight, and his eyes carried a quiet intensity that made those around him instinctively take a step back.

Thalrok’s gaze lands on him, and he let out a bark of laughter.

"This is the one? You’ve got to be joking. I’ve seen infants with more presence"

Ezra met his gaze calmly, unfazed by the insult. "Shall we get started, then? I wouldn’t want to keep you from your oh-so-important duties"

A ripple of suppressed laughter ran through the clan members, quickly silenced by a withering glare from Aren.

Thalrok’s smirk widened. "You’ve got a sharp tongue, boy. Let’s see if your skills match it"

Without further ado, the group moved to the duel grounds, an expansive arena lined with energy barriers to contain even the most destructive clashes.

The duel grounds, typically a place of celebration and training, had never felt so oppressive.

The presence of the two guardians loomed over the space, their disdain evident as they waited for the candidate.

Thalrok paced, his armored boots leaving faint indentations in the stone beneath him.

"Why bother testing him at all?" he muttered loudly to Aren.

"I’ve seen this before—some young upstart thinks he’s ready to attain greatness...sigh. They always fail"

The gathered clan members took their seats around the edges, their anticipation palpable.

Thalrok stepped into the center, rolling his shoulders.

"The test is simple," he said.

Thalrok raises his arm, his gauntleted fist glowing with energy. "Your test is simple. Land a clean blow on me, or take this from my hand"

He holds up a small, intricately crafted token. "If you can do either, you pass"

Ezra nodded, stepping into the ring.

He analyzed Thalrok’s stance, noting the relaxed confidence in the Guardian’s posture.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

"The duel will measure both your power and potential. Use everything at your disposal, but remember—there are no second chances" Thalrok explains.

"You have ten minutes"

Brandishing Skyfall. The scythe faintly shimmers, its energy resonating with its wielder.

On cue...

"Begin" Aren announces, her voice cutting through the murmurs.

Thalrok wastes no time, lunging forward with a speed that belied his massive frame.

Without warning, Thalrok vanishes, reappearing a split second later behind Ezra. "Too slow!" he barks, swinging a fist.

Ezra spun just in time, raising Skyfall to block.

The clash sent a shockwave rippling through the air, but Ezra held his ground.

The force of the punch reverberated up his arm, and he quickly analyzed the strength behind it.

’Weaker than Vorath’ he thought, a small smile creeping onto his lips.

The realization bolsters his confidence.

’I can do this’

Thalrok, noticing the shift in Ezra’s demeanor, smirks. "Getting cocky, are we? Let’s see how long such optimism lasts"

The guardian began darting around Ezra, his movements a blur.

Each time he closes in, he strikes with precision, forcing Ezra to parry or dodge.

Despite the relentless onslaught, Ezra remains composed, his mind working rapidly.

Ezra barely dodges another punch, the force of it creating a shockwave that rattled the arena.

Thalrok grins, circling Ezra like a predator toying with its prey.

"What’s the matter, boy? Too slow?" he taunts.

Ezra ignores the verbal jabs, focusing on analyzing Thalrok’s movements.

The guardian is strong, but his strikes lacked the overwhelming force Ezra had faced from Vorath.

So he understood this wasn’t an insurmountable challenge.

Thalrok feints left, then comes in with a right hook.

Ezra sidesteps, raising his arm to block.

The impact reverberates through his bones, but he remains steady.

"Is that all you’ve got?" he says, a small smile playing on his lips.

The crowd let’s out a low gasp at his audacity, but Thalrok merely chuckles.

"You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. But guts won’t save you"

As the duel continues, Ezra decides it was time to stop playing defense.

Activating <universal concealment>, he vanishes, leaving Thalrok blinking in surprise.

"What the—?" the guardian mutters, spinning around to locate his opponent.

Snatching the token from Thalrok’s hand, Ezra reappears just a few meters behind him.

"I’ve won" his voice rings loud and clear like a pin drop, because everyone, literally everybody lay stupendified and stunned speechless!

The scene before them was beyond their comprehension, so their brains could only pause.

Only five seconds after did the crowd erupted in cheers, with the clan members howling with pride at such an unbelievable sight.

But their celebration is cut short as Thalrok’s fist collides with Ezra’s side, sending him flying into the arena wall.

Dust and debris settle as Ezra extricates himself from the rubble, coughing slightly.

The elders protest violently in sight of this, but Thalrok silences them with a roar of his own.

"Cheating! You think I don’t see what’s going on here? The boy had help. There’s no way he could have done that alone!"

His accusatory gaze swept over the elders and the clan leader. "You’ve all conspired to embarrass us! Do you think we’re fools?!"

Asadon stepped forward, his voice firm despite the oppressive energy weighing down on him. "Guardian Thalrok, I assure you, we—"

"Silence!" Thalrok roared, cutting him off. "I’ll deal with this myself. This boy will face proper investigation—and punishment—for this insult!"

He turned back to Ezra, who was staggering to his feet, his expression a mix of exhaustion and fury.

"You dare accuse me of cheating?" Ezra growled, his voice low but laced with unmistakable anger. "You’re the one who can’t accept being bested"

Thalrok laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "Bested? By whom? You? Don’t make me laugh."

As the guardian advances, emanating a killing intent that makes the air feel suffocating, Ezra tightens his grip on Skyfall.

He could feel his body faintly trembling from that one punch, but refuses to back down.

’If he won’t listen to reason...’

He unleashes a wave of oppressive energy, forcing everyone to their knees.

"I’ll deal with this myself" he growled, talking toward Ezra.

The young warrior struggled to his feet, his fury mounting.

"If you want proof of my strength, I’ll give it to you" Ezra spat, his eyes and hair glowing as he activates <universal concealment> once more, intent on going all out.

Thalrok falters, his confidence wavering as he realizes Ezra was operating independently of any external assistance.

Before he can recover, Ezra launches his counter strike.

Without neither an advantage in speed nor precision, Ezra bets it all on raw power.

Infusing all his energy into Skyfall, Ezra prepares to end it all in a single decisive strike.

His body creaks a bit, but he pushes through the pain, running in circles to build momentum.

As he feels his body begin to give way to pain, Ezra goes for the strike.

As he closes in on Thalrok, he drops his concealment, allowing the Guardian to see him in his full glory.

The guardian’s eyes widened in alarm. "No—!"

"DIE" Ezra calmly roars, swinging Skyfall from the side with all his might.

BOOOOOM!

The resulting explosion of energy let off a bright light, blinding everyone with its intensity, and followed it up with a shockwave! Shaking the entire duel grounds.

It takes a good ten seconds for the audience to get their senses back with their eyes stunned and ears ringing before turning their gazes back to the arena.

As the dust settles, the audience makes out the scene of devastation, with the arena floor almost completely uprooted and the rest of it cracked.

Then, there lay Thalrok standing in the center.

As the dust completely fades, they witness the sight of his gauntleted right arm mangled, with his fist looking like a crumpled piece of paper—completely ruined.

Though he remained standing, his expression is alight with disbelief and simultaneously, incredulity.

Ezra, meanwhile, lay on the ground several meters away, Skyfall embedded in the dirt a distance from him, flung aside as a result of the counterforce of the explosion.

His chest heaved with labored breaths, his body trembling from exhaustion.

The silence was broken by Aren, who stepped forward, his glowing eyes fixed on Thalrok.

"Enough" he said, his tone calm but firm. "This duel is over"

For moments after that, silence returns, reigning over the entire arena.

Then, to everyone’s shock, Thalrok began laughing.

It was a deep, hearty sound, filled with genuine amusement and admiration.

"Where did you find such a guy?" he said, grinning at Asadon. "He’s got guts, skill, and a hell of a lot of potential"

The clan members stared, dumbfounded, as Thalrok approached Ezra.

"Fellow warrior, you pass" he said, his tone almost affectionate. "Rest up. You’ve earned it"

Ezra managed a faint smile before succumbing to exhaustion, his consciousness fading as the clan erupted into cheers. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Asadon exchanged a look with Kovar, the vice head, both men equally stunned and relieved.

Meanwhile, Thalrok flexed his ruined arms, already thinking about how he’d regale his peers with the tale of the fiery upstart who had dared to challenge him—and won.

For the first time in years, he felt excited at the prospect of another warrior.