Erend and Eccar didn't know. They didn't even realize.
The fire raging within their hearts felt natural like a righteous fury that demanded release because they are fighting the annoying but also strong opponents. It fueled their relentless attack and so driving them to attack again and again.
There was no space for thought and no room for doubt in their mind. The enemy before them was strong, and the rage bubbling inside their cores whispered that it was justified. They had to destroy to win againts them, no matter the cost.
Eccar's strikes became more monstrous now, his claws carving through the battlefield like blades of molten rock with slightly dark red light lining it. Each swing sent shockwaves that ripped through the ground, spewing magma and ash into the air.
His massive tail swept wide, breaking Krevak's golden barriers and forcing him further and further back.
Krevak's once-smug grin faltered as the relentless attacks bore down on him. He threw up golden flames in wild arcs in the effort of trying to defend himself but the Earth Dragon was unstoppable in front of him.
Eccar's molten veins glowed brighter with every move, his sheer fury turning him into an elemental juggernaut.
Krevak's back slammed against a charred tree that miraculously still standing, his golden flames sputtering. His coat that once shimmering with golde fire power now bore burns and tears. For the first time, Krevak's confidence cracked.
"This — this is impossible!" Krevak hissed with trembling voice.
But Eccar did not hear his words. He roared, his amber eyes blazing with unyielding hatred as he raised a molten claw, ready to strike the final blow at him.
On the other side of the chaotic battlefield of the golden flame and molten earth, Erend's power also surged. His lightning that was once bright white and blue had twisted into a thick red streaked with black now. Each bolt lashed out like a whip, ripping apart the terrain and illuminating the ash-filled skies.
Kale, hovering defensively, grit his teeth as the red lightning slammed into his shield of shadows. The force of Erend's attacks pushed him further and further back.
"This can't be…" Kale muttered, his voice a mix of disbelief and desperation.
He had absorbed Velthara's soul which also a fragment of a goddess's power. He should be unstoppable and untouchable now after his sacrfice. Yet, this Dragonborn was still able to forcing him to the brink.
Kale's expression darkened. His composure fractured as doubt and fury clawed at his mind.
"Was it all for nothing?" Kale whispered bitterly, his grip tightening on the dark energy coursing through him. "Have I failed?!"
Then, his desperation immediately turned to dark rage as well. Kale clenched his fists, his body trembling as he reached deeper into the well of his and Velthara's power. Shadows writhed around him, growing darker and more twisted.
"No!" he screamed, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "I will not lose to you!"
The shadows around Kale erupted. A massive wave of dark mist surged outward, spreading like a plague across the battlefield. In an instant, the skies turned black and a suffocating darkness engulfed the surrounding kilometer.
The air grew heavy, thick with dark mist energy that seeped into every crevice of the earth. The mist hissed and swirled, blinding all vision beyond a few feet. Kale's figure became a towering silhouette within the void, his eyes glowing with malice.
"Drown in my power!" Kale's voice boomed, filled with venom and anguish.
Erend felt the darkness wrap around him, pressing down like an oppressive weight. His red lightning flared in response, cutting through the mist in violent streaks of lightning, but it could not penetrate the suffocating shroud entirely.
Eccar on the other side of the battlefield growled low, his molten body pulsing with heat. The darkness now also reaching him, only stoked his fury further. He slammed his claws into the ground, sending tremors rippling outward, trying to dispel the creeping shadow.
Neither of them noticed the changes within themselves. The primal rage that had fueled them moments ago grew sharper, darker, more insidious. The corruption Kaleor had foreseen was taking root, binding itself deeper into their souls.
And within the void of Kale's shadowy domain, their battle was getting fiercer.
Eccar and Krevak felt the oppressive darkness settle over them. The battlefield that once a chaotic expanse of molten rock and golden fire, was now shrouded in eerie shadow.
Krevak clenched his fists, frustration boiling within him.
"This must be Kale's doing," he growled under his breath, his teeth grinding together. The mist wasn't just an environmental hindrance — it carried an unnatural weight that pressed down on his chest and dulled a little bit of his vision.
Though the golden flames flickering around him provided some light, but the darkness seemed alive and swallowing the illumination and leaving Krevak in a dim shifting haze. His eyes locked onto Eccar's hulking figure, the molten veins glowing faintly like a beacon in the shadows.
"I bet his vision now is worse than me," Krevak thought, his lips curling into a predatory grin. "Time to turn this around."
Without hesitation, Krevak pressed his advantage. He darted around Eccar with surprising agility, his golden coat shimmering faintly in the gloom.
He unleashed bolts of golden fire, the flames streaking through the air like shooting stars before slamming into Eccar's molten hide.
Eccar roared in defiance as the firebolts struck him, searing his scales and sending bursts of molten rock flying into the air. The Earth Dragon staggered but quickly regained his footing.
The mist was affecting him too—he could feel it. The weight of the darkness clung to his molten body, sapping his strength and clouding his vision. His glowing veins dimmed slightly, their light struggling to pierce the shroud.
But Eccar's primal instincts roared louder than the shadows.
He slammed his claws into the ground, sending tremors rippling outward. Cracks formed in the earth, spewing bursts of molten lava that illuminated the battlefield for fleeting moments. Eccar spun, his massive tail whipping through the air in an attempt to catch Krevak mid-dodge.
Krevak anticipated the attack, leaping into the air with a burst of golden flames propelling him upward. He smirked as Eccar's tail slammed into empty space, the force of the swing causing a massive fissure to open below.
"You're getting slower, Earth Dragon," Krevak taunted, his voice laced with mockery.
Hovering above the battlefield, he raised his hands, golden fire swirling around his palms. With a triumphant roar, he unleashed a barrage of firebolts, each one streaking down toward Eccar like meteors.