The forest trembled as the humanoid figure emerged from the swirling fog. Every step it took seemed to bend reality itself, and even the corrupted trees recoiled. Arlen Frost and Lira faced it, frost and electricity coiling around Arlen's body, Lira's golden aura flickering in tandem with his tension.
> "It… it's here," Lira whispered, gripping her staff tightly. "Are we… ready for this?"
Arlen's icy blue eyes met hers, steady and calm despite the pounding of his heart. "We don't have a choice. We survive… together."
---
With a flick of its arm, the humanoid struck the ground. A shockwave tore through the frozen earth, sending ice shards into the air. Arlen rolled aside, frost erupting where he landed, and launched a lightning-imbued slash toward the figure. The humanoid blocked effortlessly, the arc of electricity sizzling harmlessly against its form.
Lira surged forward, spinning her staff in a wide, glowing sweep. Golden light struck the humanoid's side, leaving a faint scorch mark — but it barely flinched.
> "It's… too fast… too strong…" Lira muttered.
Arlen's jaw clenched. He pivoted, frost forming blades along his arms, lightning crackling between them. He moved like a storm incarnate, launching a flurry of strikes. The humanoid dodged and countered, a dance of power that shook the forest. Every strike split trees, shattered frozen ground, and sent arcs of electricity coursing through the air.
---
Hours passed as strategy and improvisation took precedence. Arlen would freeze a patch of ground to force the figure to step there, then strike with lightning arcs that arced unpredictably. Lira would use debris as cover, sending flashes of golden light to distract and support him.
The humanoid figure adapted quickly, feinting, shifting its weight, countering almost instinctively. Arlen and Lira were pushed to the brink. Frost nipped at Arlen's skin, lightning burned through his veins, and every step forward required sheer willpower.
> "I… I can't keep this up!" Lira yelled, almost collapsing under exhaustion.
Arlen's eyes narrowed. "Don't stop… not now."
A sudden flash of memory struck him. A fragment of his past life, long buried, surged into clarity: battlefields, storms of frost and lightning, mastery beyond comprehension. The fragment pulsed violently, spreading through his body, sharpening every sense.
> This… this is me… the one I was before…
---
Arlen's aura exploded. Frost spiraled upward from the ground, forming razor-sharp blades that shot forward. Lightning arced in impossible patterns, striking the humanoid from multiple angles. Every strike he made was precise, god-tier, and in perfect synchronization with Lira's support. The humanoid now had to react, not predict.
The fight escalated into a ballet of destruction:
Ice spikes shattered beneath charging steps.
Lightning arced between trees, vaporizing roots and corrupted foliage.
The humanoid countered with crushing blows and energy strikes, but Arlen anticipated, adapted, and overpowered each one.
Lira watched in awe, barely able to keep up with the speed and fluidity of his movements. Her mind raced, realizing: He isn't just powerful… he's beyond anything I've ever seen.
---
Minutes felt like hours. The humanoid staggered, its attacks slowing as Arlen's mastery sharpened to a god-tier rhythm. With a final, devastating combination of ice blades spinning around him like a storm and lightning strikes shattering every defense, Arlen pierced through the humanoid's core. A roar, a flash of dark energy, and the figure collapsed, disintegrating into the fog, leaving only silence.
Arlen's chest heaved, frost and lightning crackling faintly over his skin. He looked at Lira, sweat, blood, and elemental energy dripping from his exhausted body.
> "Lira…" he said softly, voice trembling slightly. "I… I'm…"
She knelt beside him, worry and awe reflected in her wide eyes. "Who… who are you? Who are you really?"
Arlen's lips curved into a soft, tired smile, exhaustion heavy in his eyes. "I'm… Arlen Frost, of course…"
He paused, breathing shallowly, energy fading from his body. "Take… care of me…"
And with that, his head fell gently against her shoulder. His eyes fluttered closed, and he fainted, leaving Lira holding him, her heart racing, and a silent vow forming in her mind.
> No one can know… not yet. I will protect this secret, no matter what.
The forest was quiet once more, but the echoes of god-tier Frost and Lightning still lingered, shimmering faintly in the frozen mist. Arlen had awakened a piece of his past, but the journey was far from over.
---