ONLINE: Blades of Eternity-Chapter 291: LIFE-LONG ENEMIES

As soon as Rodriguez heard that the First Magi had prevented his father's demise, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. He clenched his fists, stepping forward as he fixed his father with a piercing gaze.

"So, you were saved by the First Magi?" Rodriguez's voice carried an undertone of unease, but his expression remained firm. "Then tell me... are you part of what's happening in the kingdom right now?"

The man before him—the one known as 'The Reaper' in his time—let out a low chuckle, tilting his head slightly as if amused by the question. But he did not answer. Instead, his dark eyes gleamed as he took a step forward, the weight of his presence filling the hallway like a black void.

"Wait, do you really believe this question of yours? Hilarious. Besides...."

"Hand it over," he said in a tone that left no room for negotiation. "The Abyss Blade. Give it to me."

Rodriguez didn't even hesitate. "Not happening."

"Not happening huh? Well I kind of expected this answer."

The Reaper's smirk faded instantly as he muttered, and in the next moment, his aura exploded outward like a tidal wave of oppressive, death-laced energy. The air itself seemed to vibrate with the intensity of his suffocating power, a thick darkness spreading from his very being like ink spilling into water.

Vice Chancellor Reeves, despite his considerable strength, found himself breaking into a cold sweat as his instincts screamed at him to retreat. Kelvin, Forbes, and Kaelen all tensed, their bodies reacting to the overwhelming presence that now filled the hallway.

Rodriguez, however, didn't move.

"You still reek of Devouring Magic," he muttered, his expression unreadable. "Figures. You always did believe in absolute destruction."

The Reaper remained unfazed, his eyes cold and calculating. "If you won't hand it over... I'll take it by force."

The moment those words left his lips, the entire hallway seemed to darken, as if the very light itself was being swallowed by the overwhelming void emanating from the Reaper. The walls trembled, and cracks began forming along the stone floor beneath them.

Vice Chancellor Reeves instinctively took a defensive stance, while Kelvin reached for his weapon. Forbes was already calculating an escape route, and Kaelen, though still assessing the situation, was prepared to engage if necessary.

But then, Rodriguez took a single step forward, raising a hand to stop them. His gaze never left the man who had tormented him all his life.

"Stand down," Rodriguez said firmly. "This fight... it's mine alone."

Kelvin was surprisingly the first to protest. "Rodriguez—"

"Go." Rodriguez's tone was absolute, carrying the weight of a man who had long since made peace with his choices. "You all have a bigger battle ahead of you. This? This is something I have to settle myself."

There was a moment of silence before Reeves slowly exhaled. He could see it in Rodriguez's eyes—this was no longer a fight about the present. This was a confrontation decades in the making.

After exchanging brief glances, Vice Chancellor Reeves nodded. "Let's move," he ordered, leading Kelvin, Forbes, and Kaelen toward the exit. They hesitated for only a moment before obeying, their steps quick but reluctant.

Rodriguez didn't watch them leave. He simply rolled his shoulders as his own aura began to rise, the weight of his Devouring Magic now matching the intensity of the Reaper's own suffocating presence.

The Reaper chuckled darkly. "How poetic. The son still thinks he can kill his father."

Rodriguez exhaled slowly, his fingers wrapping tightly around the Abyss Blade's hilt. "No. That boy died a long time ago."

And with those words, the battle began.

As Rodriguez and his father, the infamous Reaper, clashed with surging waves of Devouring Magic, the corridor trembled from the sheer force of their battle. Vice Chancellor Reeves, Kaelen, Kelvin, and Forbes didn't waste any time. Without looking back, they sprinted down the remaining length of the hallway, their senses sharpened by the chaos erupting around them.

"What in the...."

The moment they burst out into the open, the overwhelming sight before them sent a shock through their systems. The coliseum had become a battlefield. The stands, once filled with eager spectators, were now a stampede of terrified people, desperately scrambling for any possible escape route. Screams of terror and the clash of magic filled the air, echoing within the crumbling structure.

Boom!! Boom!!

Above them, in the vast sky split by the ominous fissure, Castenada and Lockwood waged war against Griffo and his faction. The academy chancellor's powerful gale magic tore through the sky, sending devastating cyclones toward his enemies, while Lockwood's infernal flames burned brighter than the midday sun, consuming everything in their path. Despite their formidable magic, Griffo's comrades retaliated with unrelenting force, countering each deadly attack with their own overwhelming power.

The fissure, now wider than before, pulsed with a suffocating aura, an unseen force pressing down on everyone present. The air around it was dense, saturated with an energy so foreign and ancient that it seemed to sap the very breath from their lungs. Whatever lay beyond that rift in space was nothing natural, and its presence alone sent chills down the spines of those who dared look upon it.

Meanwhile, on the arena's battered ground, Marel and General Cao fought with unwavering determination. Marel's blazing flames surged in perfect tandem with General Cao's earth magic, the two men forming a deadly duo as they held off an onslaught of enemies from the same organization that opposed Castenada and Lockwood. Their attacks devastated the ground, leaving scorched earth and shattered stone in their wake. Lila, Guinevere, Morris, and Ethan fought alongside them, doing everything they could to turn the tides of battle, their expressions hardened with resolve.

"What should we do now Vice chancellor?"

Kaelen's gaze darted across the chaotic battlefield, his mind reeling as he tried to comprehend the scope of destruction as Forbes asked Reeves of what they should do next. But before he and the others could fully process what was happening, a sudden wave of pressure washed over them.

A presence.

Before they could react, two figures materialized in front of them—Kael Dragonyx and his aged right-hand man.

Kaelen's breath hitched in his throat as he found himself standing face to face with the man who had cast a long, indomitable shadow over his past and even his presence. Kael Dragonyx's piercing eyes locked onto him, their depths holding an unreadable intensity. His presence alone was suffocating, as if the very air bowed in deference to him.

"So nice of you to finally come around. I have waiting so patiently for you" Kael Dragonyx said with a light smile on his face as he eyed Kaelen and the Blade of Eternity at his waist.

And so, the battlefield raged on, but in that moment, it felt as if time had come to a standstill. The storm had only just begun.

But not long after, Vice Chancellor Reeves suddenly stepped forward, positioning himself directly between Kaelen and Kael Dragonyx. His stance was firm, unwavering, as he narrowed his eyes at the elder Dragonyx, the weight of responsibility pressing down on his shoulders. "I will never allow you to get what you want, Kael," Reeves declared, his voice carrying the full force of his conviction.

Kael, however, remained eerily calm, his expression betraying no emotion. He merely tilted his head slightly, regarding Reeves as if he were a mere inconvenience. "Are you sure about that?" Kael's voice was low, almost gentle, but the underlying menace in his tone sent shivers down the spines of those who heard him.

As he spoke, an ominous aura slowly crept out of his body, a primal, draconic presence that felt as ancient as the world itself. The very air around them became thick, heavy with a chaotic and destructive force that made even the seasoned warriors among them stiffen in place. The ground beneath their feet trembled ever so slightly as the pressure increased, the power radiating from Kael threatening to crush everything in its path.

Kaelen gritted his teeth, gripping the hilt of his royal blue Blade of Eternity tightly as he tried to steady his breathing. Even Forbes, who had been through countless life-threatening encounters, found his legs growing weak under the sheer magnitude of the oppressive energy.

But despite the suffocating force pressing down on them, Vice Chancellor Reeves held his ground, refusing to back down. He clenched his fists, his magic surging to the surface as he prepared himself for the worst. "I meant every word," Reeves affirmed, his tone unwavering despite the sweat forming on his brow.

Kael's smirk widened ever so slightly, amusement flickering in his cold, calculating eyes. "Good," he murmured, as if pleased by the defiance before him.

While all of this was transpiring, unbeknownst to Reeves, Kaelen, and Forbes, Kelvin's attention was fixated elsewhere. His golden eyes were locked onto a singular target—the First Magi, who stood further away, observing the ongoing chaos with an unreadable expression.

Kelvin's breathing grew heavier, his grip tightening around the shaft of his dark scythe, his knuckles turning white from the sheer force of his grip. His entire body tensed with raw, simmering rage, a fury that had been building for years, clawing at him from the inside. His heart pounded violently in his chest, his emotions a storm barely contained beneath the surface.

His thoughts were singular, his mind consumed by a single, burning purpose.

'Don't worry, sis,' Kelvin thought to himself, his teeth gritted in pure, unfiltered ferocity. 'My vow to avenge you is about to be completed.'

His fingers twitched as he prepared to make his move, the thirst for vengeance coursing through his veins like liquid fire. The battlefield before him was chaotic, filled with combatants locked in a struggle for survival, but for Kelvin, there was only one enemy, one target.

The First Magi.

And soon, the moment of reckoning would arrive.