That elf… she was a force of nature. I can think of no other way to describe her. So many of our generals were slain by her hand. The ferocity at which she battled and slew so many of us… it spoke volumes that the Champion was one of the few able to match her in combat.

  -Classified Excerpt from “Man and Elves: History of the Perpetual Conflict”

  Anila and Arawn moved at speeds that Aria’s Ether enhanced mind and senses couldn’t fathom. The force at which they collided with one another sent shockwaves across the area. The wind cage surrounding Aria shielded her from any collateral damage. Which was a good thing, because she was in too much shock to even try to move.

  Mom said I might not be able to keep up with this battle… Aria broke out in cold sweat, might… might?! I can’t register their movements at all!

  When Aria turned her head at the sound of an impact, two more had already occurred elsewhere. It was disorientating! Even relying on her Ether senses didn’t help. Anila and Arawn’s Ether was so potent, vast, and overwhelming in their intensity.

  At least, they should have been.

  Aria found she couldn’t sense anything from either combatant. She could tell it was Ether that they were using, but when she tried to sense how powerful they were, she felt nothing but a feeling of intense, suffocating pressure that threatened to overwhelm her. It was as though her mind simply couldn’t comprehend the level of power Anila and Arawn were at.

  At some point, she thought she saw her mother somehow retrieve her sword, though she couldn’t begin to guess when she’d done that.

  Aria smiled and chuckled excitedly. If her mother was this powerful, then she had the utmost confidence she would win. I always knew Mom was strong… but now I’m certain that she’s invincible! With her leading Vindanna’s armies, the Dominion’s days are numbered!

  ***

  Anila and Arawn clashed blades, slashing, parrying, dodging, and countering at speeds that would make one think there were multiple foes battling against one another. Several buildings had already been blown up, cut apart, and razed in their battle.

  Anila was glad that there were no civilians nearby. Though she had little love for the humans, that didn’t mean she wanted to slaughter them needlessly or see them killed by the collateral damage of her fight.

  She ducked under a swing from Arawn’s scimitar, and countered with an upward stab from her own blade. The Shadow managed to move his head enough so that he merely suffered a cut to his cheek.

  Anila read the flow of his Ether and recognized he was about to use an Art. Using her own flight Art that let her control the winds to simulate flight, she flew backwards as Arawn planted a hand to the floor, avoiding the pillar of flames that shot up from the ground around him.

  She narrowed her eyes as she saw the flames, An Invocationless Art? I suppose that’s to be expected of a high level Shadow...

  When the flames died down, the man stood with an arrogant grin, his scimitar on his shoulder. “Is that all the legendary Anila Tufani is capable of?” he taunted, “is this seriously the best your kind has to offer?!”

  Anila clicked her tongue in annoyance, “Tch. Voiding hume brat!”

  Arawn had been about to continue his taunts, but he quickly shut his mouth as he reacted on instinct, ducking as Anila had moved faster than he’d expected and nearly cut his head off. He slammed his palm to the ground, using the same flame pillar Art as before.

  This time, rather than fly back, Anila used a defensive wind Art to cloak herself in winds, redirecting the flames and keeping them from touching her.

  Taken by surprise yet again, Arawn had to move quickly to avoid the onslaught of stabs and slashes that Anila unleashed upon him. He winced as another cut landed on his cheek. Most of the attacks glanced off his dark armor, but some managed to hit the weak points, inflicting a few cuts.

  Anila noticed the Shadow was paying too much attention to her sword, so she used the chance to coat her free hand in a Wind Blade and stabbed it towards Arawn’s face. To her surprise, he managed to catch her hand just before she could run it through his skull. With a mental command, she had the Wind Blade shoot from her hand.

  The Shadow moved his head just enough so that he only suffered a cut across the top of his bald scalp.

  Not allowing him a moment of reprieve, she coated her sword in a Wind Blade Art, vastly increasing its sharpness, and slashed at the hume. He blocked her strike with his scimitar. His eyes widened as her wind coated blade seemed to grind against his, sparks flying like a saw being used against metal. Anila pushed forward, trying to cut through the Shadow’s weapon. She gave one more push and the subsequent slash sent Arawn flying back.

  Winds… that sword is almost as durable as his armor! Anila thought as she narrowed her eyes at the blade, noticing scratches along where she’d ground against it, key word being almost…

  Arawn dug his heels and stabbed his sword into the ground as he slid back. While he was off balance, Anila prepared to slash her wind coated sword.

  The Shadow’s eyes widened as Anila slashed at him from a distance.

  Arawn stopped digging into the ground, electing to push himself off instead to let his armor tank the Wind Blade that was sent horizontally at him. He grit his teeth as he felt the impact, but his armor managed to save him from being cut in half.

  The same couldn’t be said for the row of buildings behind him. They were cleaved nearly into two, with Arawn being sent flying back from the impact of the wind Art and colliding with the weakened structures.

  Anila took a deep breath. She wasn’t out of breath, mind you. Rather she was realizing this battle was going to take longer than she thought.

  As if to confirm her thoughts, Arawn walked out from the rubble, and Anila noted flames sprouting from the various wounds on his body. The Shadow grit his teeth as the flames burned away the injuries, his flame Art healing him and restoring him back to full health, as though he’d never been injured.

  Anila watched the Ether with her own enhanced eyes, noting how the Shadow’s Capacity had lessened, but was quickly refilling. There was something off about the flow of Ether. It looks almost as though two… no, three people are taking in Ether… Anila noted.

  She’d also noted in their brief clashes that Arawn’s instincts and reaction speeds were far better than she’d expected them to be. At times, she felt as though she were fighting against multiple people rather than the single foe before her.

  She looked closer, and realized that not only was Arawn himself breathing in Ether, but his armor and scimitar were somehow taking in the power as well, each having their own stores.

  Anila narrowed her eyes, Interesting…

  It was then she noticed a green glow coming from the center of the chest piece of Arawn’s armor. She frowned, wondering if that was an indicator the armor was taking in Ether. But… the color was wrong. Green was indication of the Wind affinity, but that couldn’t be. Not in this Realm, where the Fire affinity was rooted.

  Before she could think on it further, Arawn spoke as he cracked his neck, “Now that is more like it, Anila Tufani. If you weren’t capable of at least this much, then I’d have to wonder if your status as the First Champion’s arch-nemesis was exaggerated.”

  Anila huffed, “You still sound confident that you’ll win, hume.”

  “Oh, but I will,” Arawn grinned, “of that I’m certain.”

  “I will give you this,” Anila began, “you’re as strong… no… maybe even a bit stronger than the generals I fought back in the Human-Elf war.”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Arawn’s grin widened, though he seemed conflicted about the compliment, “Coming from a knife ears, your praise should mean nothing to me. Yet I find myself swelling with pride hearing that from you. To hear confirmation as to how my power compares to my ancestors, and from one who has firsthand knowledge rather than one giving empty platitudes…”

  The Shadow looked elated, “It is good to hear my training up till now has been fruitful. I’ll use this power that surpasses my ancestors to send you to the void where you belong.”

  “Don’t get cocky, brat!” Anila glared, wind swirling around her, “you’re letting one little compliment go to your head. You may be stronger than those generals, but it was I who killed most of them off. You’re forgetting that I once matched your precious First Champion, and his power far surpassed theirs!”

  Arawn grinned savagely as flames began to flare around him in response.

  They both charged at each other, Anila coated in wind and Arawn covered in flames. Their elemental cloaks collided against one another as they both were halted in place. The Ether in their body cloaking Arts seemed to grind against each other, both pushing for superiority.

  Arawn’s heels dug into the ground as he was beginning to get pushed back. Anila took a step forward, about to overwhelm the Shadow.

  Then the clear jewel embedded into Arawn’s chest piece armor glowed and swirled with green color again.

  Arawn growled, as he took as step forward.

  Anila’s eyes widened as she felt herself get pushed back slightly.

  The Shadow then roared as he took another stomp forward, and his flame cloak overwhelmed Anila’s. Her Art broke apart as she was sent flying back from the bursting winds, her clothes slightly singed from Arawn’s flames.

  Her back collided against the building behind her hard enough to leave a crater.

  ***

  Aria’s eyes widened as she saw her mother get sent flying back. “What?! How did… how did Arawn overpower Mom?!”

  She tried briefly to sense their Ether, only to once more feel nothing but an intense, suffocating feeling of pressure, their Ether still too potent and vast for her to try to sense at her level.

  Mom… please be okay! Aria prayed as she continued to try to keep up with the high level battle before her.

  ***

  Arawn laughed with bloodthirsty excitement as Anila pushed herself from the building.

  “What’s wrong?!” the Shadow jeered, “you were so confident that your power eclipsed my own just moments ago!”

  Curious… my Art felt less effective than it should have, Anila thought as she analyzed the flow of Ether around Arawn.

  It had altered somehow.

  She couldn’t analyze or ponder on it further as the Shadow pounced, closing the distance between them in a single burst of flames boosting his speed as he tried to land another attack.

  Anila scoffed, and took to the air to avoid the Shadow’s slash. She thrust out her hand as she used a wind Art to float in the air, and rotated her outreached arm in circles. Several orbs of compressed winds began to form around Arawn, akin to miniature, sphere shaped tornadoes, encircling him while digging into the ground from the force of their suction.

  Miniature tornadoes compressed and shaped into spheres. An Art Anila called Tornado Sphere.

  The Shadow leaped out of the way, using a burst of flames to propel him away from the suctioning force. The vacuuming orbs came together where he had been and collided, resulting in an explosion that sent wind and debris flying outward. Arawn was pelted by that debris, resulting in some cuts on his face.

  The Shadow looked up in the air, where Anila remained floating.

  “Let’s see,” Anila said as the winds around her picked up, “if you can keep up with me now, hume brat.”

  She then began to fully fly.

  Anila hurtled straight towards Arawn, with the Shadow just barely sidestepping her stab. She then spun in midair, and landed a powerful kick to his head. The force of the blow sent Arawn rolling and sprawling on the ground. He winced, as he felt several cuts on the side of his head where he’d been kicked. He looked and saw the leg Anila had kicked him with was coated in spiraling winds.

  Anila extended her arm towards him, and tried to pull him in with a vacuuming Art. Her eyes narrowed as she both saw and felt that the Art wasn’t as potent on the Shadow as it had been earlier.

  With the weakened effect of her Art, Arawn had enough time to parry Anila’s sword strike. He began to press her, leading her to fly back to create space.

  Arawn grinned, “Come on! After all that bluster, are you just going to quit now?!”

  Anila narrowed her eyes. She mentally guided the winds granting her flight, and flew at high speeds. But not towards Arawn.

  The Shadow was left perplexed as Anila flew away from him, flying down a nearby alleyway and disappearing from sight.

  “Are you serious?!” Arawn began to bellow with laughter, “you’re running away?! Really?! So the legendary Anila Tufani is, in actuality, just as cowardly as the rest of her pathetic kind. Well, I won’t let you just get away that easily!”

  The Shadow used his Ether senses to try to find her presence. It was then both his sword and armor, combined with his own senses, detected it. Wind Ether hurtling towards him from behind. He grinned savagely, “Trying to strike me from my blind spot, eh?!”

  He turned to strike, even as he felt a burst of instinctual warning. He slashed his scimitar at, not Anila, but a massive, compressed orb of wind.

  His eyes widened, but he couldn’t stop his slash before it hit the wind orb. The compressed winds exploded, sending him flying back at high speeds. He looked back, and saw Anila flying towards him with even faster speed. He threw his arms behind his neck and head to protect himself from being beheaded. However, Anila hadn’t been aiming for his neck.

  She slashed her Wind Blade enhanced sword right at one of the weak points in Arawn’s armor. That being, a spot right under his shoulder at the armpit. As she swung her sword, Arawn grinned, his body beginning to glow with heat. The second Anila’s blade made contact, flames erupted from the Shadow’s body with explosive force. The flames fed off the winds on Anila’s sword, becoming even hotter than normal and stripping her blade of its enhancement.

  The explosion sent Arawn and Anila away from one another, with Anila covered in burns. Arawn was relatively unharmed as it was his own Art, but Anila had managed to cut halfway through his shoulder, nearly removing his limb.

  As they both shot to their feet, they both noticed the other healing their wounds with an Invocationless healing Art. Anila raised her sword, and noticed the weapon had melted somewhat from Arawn’s explosion, rendering it useless.

  The two combatants eyed each other, and Anila, being faster with her healing as well as less injured to begin with, moved first. She threw her ruined weapon with astonishing speed towards Arawn, briefly distracting him and forcing him to dodge as she shot into the air above him. This time, she outstretched both arms and moved them in a semicircle. The winds did as she commanded as she activated her Art.

  The air swirled almost like a tornado around Arawn. He took a deep breath to prepare himself for what was coming, only… he couldn’t.

  His hands instinctively shot to his throat as he found himself suddenly unable to breathe. His eyes widened as he realized that it wasn’t that he couldn’t breathe. No… it was that there was no air to breathe.

  Anila Tufani had trapped him in a vacuum.

  Out of desperation, he tried to use a flame Art, but the fire he created died instantly with no air to burn. He fell to his knees, the absence of oxygen making his vision begin to darken.

  Anila glowered down at him from the air, and prepared to fire a Wind Blade to finish him off. She hesitated briefly when she saw the flames Arawn tried to make disappear completely, replaced by what looked like sparks that began to emanate from his body.

  While she hesitated, Arawn pounced. He hurled his scimitar at her, a move she assumed was from pure desperation. She easily dodged the spinning sword, and refocused her attention on the Shadow. It was then that she noticed him grinning.

  Her eyes widened. Instinct screamed for her to move.

  She turned, and moved to dodge as the sword Arawn had thrown suddenly changed directions in mid air to come right back for her again. The sword cut her side, and she noted with some alarm at how easily the blade had cut through her armor. She winced, not having expected this turn of events. Her surprise led to her vacuum Art faltering for but a moment, the air rushing back in during that brief lapse.

  And that was all the Shadow needed.

  He thrust his hand out as he used the other to catch his sword, a bolt of lightning shooting out of it and aimed right for her, the sound of thunder roaring following a moment after. With a burst of wind she barely managed to avoid a direct hit, though the electricity still managed to singe her other side, burning her skin. She winced, losing focus completely and causing her Vacuum Zone Art to dispel.

  Arawn, whose arm was outstretched towards Anila and cackling with electricity, gasped as he was finally able to breathe. He grinned at his foe, with a look that screamed, “I bet you didn’t see that coming.”

  Anila glared at him as she used an Invocationless Wind Art to heal her singed side, “I didn’t expect you to have a second elemental affinity, Shadow…”

  Arawn smirked, “Well, I wouldn’t be in as high of a position as I am had I not had at least two affinities.”

  “Whether you possess one or two, it doesn’t matter. You lost the moment you failed to finish me off with that surprise attack. I won’t be taken off guard again.”

  “Really now?” Arawn cracked his neck, seeming amused, “I’m not so certain.”

  The Shadow’s body sparked with electricity, as he prepared himself to charge.

  As the fastest among the basic affinities, those possessing Lightning are known for their speed, Anila remembered, their Arts are incredibly quick and lethal, and those of a high enough level can tremendously amplify their speed…

  “If you want to make this into a contest of speed,” Anila said aloud, wind swirling around her, “then come! I won’t lose in that regard. Especially not to you, hume.”

  The two disappeared in a burst of speed.

  A huge thank you and special shoutout to my Myth Keeper tier Patron, Mountain Knight, and Lore Master tier Patron, Conman2731. Your support is sincerely and greatly appreciated.

  https://www.patreon.com/GenZVall2025