?

  We were crossing open fields when an explosion thundered across the land with the force of a collapsing mountain. The blast arrived seconds later, followed by a violent gust of wind that bent trees in its path. The ground began to crack and heat up as if the earth itself were burning in the aftermath of that monstrous event.

  — —shouted a young man in his thirties as he fell from the sky with a kick descending like a meteor set to annihilate everything in its path.

  — —Naoka said to me with that unbreakable smile, brimming with a confidence that bordered on arrogance.

  — —Naoka roared, raising his arm like a blade, gathering a fierce blue energy streaked with black lightning bolts that fired off his fist. As he leapt toward the enemy, his arm morphed into the silhouette of a blue dragon, leaving a glowing trail behind him as he tore through the sky.

  — —I yelled, jumping as my limbs ignited in a flame so intense it looked like it wanted to melt the world itself.

  When we collided with the enemy, the impact unleashed a shockwave accompanied by a thunderclap so powerful it demolished one of the nearby hills, leaving a massive crater in its wake. The blast was so intense that many of the man’s allies began bleeding from the ears, eardrums shattered.

  — —Naoka muttered, annoyed, as we landed, watching the pulverized corpse of the enemy fall like a lifeless rag doll.

  — —I asked, slightly uneasy.

  — —Naoka said with a proud grin.

  I shot him a withering glare, but said nothing. We then made our way toward the fortress where the enemy leader awaited: the Hoognyang, who could be described as the emperor of Hangyul, the country bordering Shunkoku to the south. These two nations had been at war for five years over an island rich in a rare material ideal for crafting magical tools and weapons—highly coveted by both sides.

  — —Naoka said, staring off while walking with his usual confidence.

  — —I replied, frowning, also avoiding his gaze.

  — —Naoka said. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he was pretending to be innocent.

  — —I muttered, frown deepening.

  — —Naoka said, glancing at me with that mischievous grin of his.

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  — —I said, scowling as I turned my gaze back.

  We marched for a day and a night. The presences came and went as we crossed the forest, like we were being measured. When we finally saw the castle, I let out a breath. I was itching to see how powerful the right hand of that bastard Hoognyang really was.

  — —I said, glancing sideways at Naoka.

  He didn’t answer. And that was unusual. It was like he, too, sensed this place—this battle—would be different. That here, maybe, we could finally go all out.

  We both knew we were equals, and that’s exactly why we never figured out who was stronger. The rules of the world, the moral code of warriors, forbade us from unleashing our full power in a duel. What happened earlier—that little hill we obliterated—is one of the reasons why such laws exist. A force like ours isn’t meant to be tested… it’s meant to end wars.

  The castle rose from the mist like a forgotten relic of time. Tall, imposing, etched with ancestral symbols that told the history of Hangyul. Its worn walls bore witness to generations of battles, fallen kings, and broken oaths.

  — —I murmured.

  — —Naoka said, more serious than usual.

  Then they appeared.

  Two figures emerged from the gates, walking with the calm of men who feared nothing. One wore a flawless uniform, his face marked by years of command. The other, younger, but with a gaze sharp as a spear.

  — —said the elder with a firm voice—.

  — —Naoka said with a sideways grin.

  We moved to a nearby plain. The wind howled, as if it, too, knew what was coming.

  —

  And it was.

  The clash of our power against the Baek brothers shook the heavens. Hon Baek was a titan in battle, his mastery of Lysae both precise and devastating. Every strike he landed split the ground. His brother Shin moved in sync, as if their minds were one—fast, coordinated, lethal.

  — —Hon shouted, slamming the ground with such force that a wave of rocky spikes shot toward us.

  — —I countered, cloaking myself in flame as I flew through the assault like a blazing comet.

  Naoka battled Shin, the air crackling with each surge of lightning from his body. Black bolts tore through the sky, trees burned, the earth trembled.

  Eventually, Hon and I stood face to face.

  — —he said with a tired smile—.

  — —I replied.

  Our techniques collided with such fury it split the sky in two. When the dust settled, Hon fell to his knees, then to the ground—lifeless.

  — —Shin cried, charging at us in a rage.

  Behind him, 29 elite soldiers, armed with every ounce of Lysae they could muster, lined up. Their intent was clear: a suicidal strike to take us down.

  —

  — —Naoka said, raising his arm to the sky as lightning began to spiral around his body—.

  —

  The sky shattered. A bolt descended with such overwhelming force the ground fractured like glass. The 29 men were obliterated in an instant. Only Shin remained in the center—trembling, wounded, bloodied.

  — —Naoka said, breathing heavily—.

  We carried Shin and left him at the castle gates.

  — —I said.

  Minutes later, the Hoognyang was executed. No trial. Only justice. His fall marked the end of the war.

  In silence, we watched the castle from afar—still standing, still whole.

  — —I said.

  — —Naoka replied—.

  And so, the tale of the cursed island came to an end.