Chapter 4: Flame and Sacrifice

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Luca's ship, like a cursed fortress, trembled under the powerful strikes of swords. Taydon, despite losing his first arm, fought like never before, his fire spells still crackling in the air, although weakening with each passing moment. Luca, confident in his strength, continued to attack, his sword flashing like lightning, leaving trails of fear and destruction in its wake.

"You won't be able to defeat me, Taydon!" Luca shouted, plunging his sword into the deck to push off and strike again. In that moment, during one of his lunges, he severed Taydon's second arm. The fire mage fell to his knees, his face contorted in pain, but determination burned in his eyes.

Feeling triumphant, Luca leaned over his fallen foe. "What’s it like to know you've lost?" he said with a smirk, but there was already a note of unease in his voice. Taydon, struggling to breathe, looked into Luca's eyes.

"You don't understand," he said, his voice quiet but full of strength. "This is just the beginning."

At that moment, Taydon activated his plan that no one had suspected. He focused all his remaining power, and flames erupted around him, bright and blinding. Luca, realizing something was wrong, tried to retreat, but it was too late. Taydon, sacrificing himself, bit down on Luca's arm. An explosion of fire erupted, engulfing everything around them, and the ship seemed to freeze for a moment before bursting forth with a powerful blast.

In the instant that everything around plunged into chaos, Taydon felt his body weakening, but at the same time, his spirit grew stronger. He knew that by sacrificing himself, he was awakening something greater within him than just physical strength. He had become a symbol of struggle, the embodiment of a fire that would never extinguish.

Luca, blinded by the light and shaken by the explosion, struggled to regain his composure. He barely stood on his feet, but now he had neither an arm nor confidence in his victory. Taydon, though exhausted, got to his feet. His eyes glowed with a fire that was now not only a part of him but also a part of Luca.

"You cannot kill what is already dead," Taydon said, his voice resonating like the rumble of thunder. Luca, realizing that he was now fighting not just a mere man but his spirit, felt fear take hold of him.

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