Shadows of Ascension

56. Overwhelming rage

Shadowbane leaned back, crossing one leg over the other as he sat down, a cruel smile curling his lips. "Erebus, attack," he ordered lazily, as if this confrontation was nothing more than a casual affair.

Erebus's eyes gleamed with cold determination. He stepped forward, his gaze locked onto Aiden. But Aiden couldn't move. A rising anger boiled within him, his fists trembling at his sides, but his body remained frozen, paralyzed by his own fury.

"Aiden, snap out of it!" Riona shouted, noticing Aiden's stillness. She jumped in front of Erebus just as he lunged, her blade intercepting his attack. "Luca, take Erebus! Aiden, you need to move!" she commanded, but Aiden didn't respond, his eyes clouded with rage.

Luca didn't hesitate. He charged at Erebus, meeting his attack head-on. The clash of steel rang out, and sparks flew as their weapons collided. The difference in strength between the two was clear-Erebus's blows were heavier, faster-but Luca had grown since their last encounter. Erebus grunted in acknowledgment, "You've improved, Luca. But it won't be enough."

Luca pushed harder, refusing to back down. "I'll prove you wrong!" he shouted, determination fueling his every move. But despite his efforts, Erebus was still a step ahead, deflecting his strikes with calculated precision.

Meanwhile, Riona turned her attention to Shadowbane. She knew she couldn't let him sit idly by and control the fight from the sidelines. With a fierce battle cry, she launched herself at him, her blade slicing through the air. Shadowbane met her attack with a cold, deadly grace, their weapons clashing with a deafening clang.

The two battles raged on simultaneously. Luca and Erebus moved in a blur of motion, their strikes and counters a dance of skill and power. Erebus's superior strength was evident, but Luca's speed and agility allowed him to hold his own, even as he struggled to keep up.

Riona and Shadowbane's fight was brutal and unrelenting. She attacked with all her might, but Shadowbane's calm demeanor never wavered. He dodged her strikes effortlessly, his own counterattacks nearly slicing through her defenses. She could feel the weight of his power pressing down on her, pushing her closer to the edge of defeat.

As the intensity of the battles grew, Aiden's rage continued to build. His aura began to swell, dark and ominous, filling the air with a suffocating pressure. Luca, locked in his fierce struggle with Erebus, could feel it. He'd never seen Aiden like this before-never felt this kind of power emanating from him. "Aiden..." Luca murmured, his voice tinged with both awe and fear.

Riona, too, could sense the shift. But she had no time to worry. Shadowbane's blade came dangerously close to her, a swift slash that would have cut her down if she hadn't narrowly dodged it. She staggered back, breathless and on the brink of collapse. She was running out of options.

Then, in that moment, Aiden snapped. The rage that had been building within him finally erupted. He let out a primal scream, a sound filled with all the anger, pain, and frustration he had been holding back. His aura exploded outward, a torrent of raw power that shook the ground beneath them.

Everyone froze, their attention drawn to Aiden. His eyes blazed with an intense, almost feral light as the energy swirled around him, uncontrollable and terrifying. The battlefield went silent, and for a moment, even Erebus and Shadowbane hesitated, sensing the unimaginable power that Aiden had unleashed.