Chapitre 47: Looks like I've pushed you far enough!
The air was heavy with tension, thick with the swirling currents of Valeria's magic. I could feel it brushing against my skin, an electric hum that made my heart race.
Purple energy crackled around her, casting sharp shadows across the clearing as her smirk grew wider, more feral. This was it the moment I had been waiting for.
"You're using magic," I said, unable to keep the triumph out of my voice, even as my legs trembled beneath me. "You said you wouldn't, but here you are. Looks like I've pushed you far enough!"
Valeria chuckled, the sound low and menacing. Her violet eyes glinted with something almost predatory. "Oh, Ren, you have no idea what you've unleashed."
Before I could respond, she surged forward, faster than I could track. I barely managed to conjure a fiery shield in front of me, the heat scorching my palms.
Her punch slammed into the barrier, shattering it into embers and sending me skidding backward.
"Impressive," she said, rolling her shoulders as if warming up for something more. "But don't get cocky. You wanted my magic? You've got it. Let's see if you can keep up."
Her grin widened as a wave of purple fire erupted from her outstretched hand, roaring toward me like a living beast.
I dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the searing heat, and retaliated with a barrage of fiery arrows. They streaked through the air, glowing bright against the encroaching darkness.
Valeria swatted them aside with a casual flick of her wrist, her own flames swallowing mine whole. "That's it?" she teased, her voice light and mocking. "I thought you were ready to fight me."
Grinding my teeth, I summoned the last reserves of my strength. A fiery whip coiled around my arm, crackling with energy as I swung it toward her. The ground beneath us trembled with each strike, the whip's crimson light illuminating the sweat dripping down my face.
Valeria didn't dodge this time. She caught the whip mid-swing, her hand glowing with her own magic. "Good," she said, yanking me toward her with a strength that defied reason. "But you're still too predictable."
Her knee came up, slamming into my stomach. Pain exploded through me, and I barely managed to stay on my feet. My vision blurred, but I refused to fall. Not yet.
I conjured twin blades of fire, their edges shimmering like molten metal. Gritting my teeth, I lunged at her, the weapons slicing through the air in a flurry of desperate strikes.
Valeria's movements were a blur, her body twisting and turning with impossible grace as she evaded my attacks. When one of my blades came dangerously close, she raised her hand, and a barrier of purple light erupted between us.
"You're learning," she said, almost approvingly. Then she shattered her own barrier with a single punch, sending shards of energy flying toward me.
I threw up my arms to shield myself, the shards slicing through the air like jagged glass. A few grazed my skin, leaving stinging welts, but I didn't let it slow me down.
"You're not going to break me," I said, my voice hoarse but determined.
Valeria's smirk turned wicked. "Oh, I'm not trying to break you, Ren. I'm trying to forge you."
Her words barely registered before she was on me again, her blows coming faster and harder than before. Each strike felt like a hammer against my defenses, and I was struggling to keep up.
My flames, once wild and uncontrollable, now felt like they were barely a flicker in the face of her overwhelming power.
But I wasn't about to give up.
With a scream of defiance, I channeled every ounce of magic I had left into my fists, the fire erupting around me in a blazing inferno. The clearing lit up with the intensity of a second sun as I launched myself at Valeria, my fists glowing like meteors.
She met me head-on, her own magic flaring to life in a dazzling display of purples and blacks. Our collision sent shockwaves rippling through the air, the force of it throwing dirt and debris into the sky.
For a moment, it felt like I had matched her. The flames around me surged, pushing against her magic with a ferocity that surprised even me.
But then Valeria pushed back.
Her power overwhelmed mine in an instant, her flames consuming my own. I felt the heat of her magic pressing against me, forcing me to my knees.
"You've got heart, Ren," she said, her voice almost gentle now. "But you're still not ready."
I tried to respond, but the words wouldn't come. My body was trembling, every muscle screaming in protest.
Valeria stepped closer, her gaze softening just a fraction as she looked down at me. "Don't beat yourself up," she said. "You've done well. Better than I expected, honestly."
Her hand reached out, and for a moment, I thought she was going to help me up. But instead, she pressed her palm against my forehead.
A surge of energy washed over me, and my body went limp. The last thing I saw before the darkness claimed me was Valeria's face, her expression unreadable as she caught me in her arms.
"Rest now, Ren," she murmured. "You've earned it. But this is only the beginning."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone