The man with the snake tattoo stepped closer, his boots crunching on the silver leaves. Each step he took felt like a weight pressing down on Kale’s chest. This wasn't the disciplined, rhythmic energy of the Royal Intelligence; this was something chaotic and poisonous.

  "Izuna, don't rush," Kale whispered, his eyes narrowing as he watched the purple shadows squirming at the man's feet. "His energy... it's not physical. It’s affecting the environment."

  "I'm a soldier, Kale. I don't wait for shadows to move first!" Izuna roared. He lunged forward, his Fire Fist trailing a brilliant streak of orange through the dark. He swung a massive hook aimed right at the man’s jaw.

  The Snake Man didn't move. He didn't even raise his hands.

  Just as Izuna’s fist was about to connect, a literal shadow rose from the ground like a wall of black liquid. Izuna’s fire hit the shadow, and instead of burning through, the flames were smothered. A sickening hiss filled the air as the orange light died out.

  "What?!" Izuna gasped.

  The shadow whipped forward like a lash, striking Izuna in the ribs. He was sent skidding across the forest floor, coughing as the purple energy scorched his uniform.

  "Izuna!" Kevin cried out, hugging the rock he was hiding behind.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "Stay back, Kevin!" Kale commanded. He stood his ground, his mind racing. He was analyzing the way the shadows moved. It’s not the man moving the shadows... the shadows are moving based on the light.

  "You're observant, little boy," the Snake Man sneered, his eyes glowing brighter. "But observations won't save you. My Master wants the boy's blood, and I don't like to keep him waiting."

  He raised both hands, and five serpents made of pure darkness rose from the earth, their fangs dripping with purple ichor. They darted toward Kale and the fallen Izuna.

  "Izuna! The trees!" Kale yelled. "Blast the canopy! Give me light!"

  Izuna, clutching his side, realized what Kale meant. He pointed his palm upward. "Fire Burst: Sun Flare!"

  A massive ball of fire shot into the sky, exploding against the thick leaves above. For a split second, the forest was as bright as noon.

  In that instant of pure light, the shadow serpents vanished. The Snake Man winced, shielding his eyes.

  "Now! Left flank, Izuna! Aim for the ground, not the man!"

  Izuna didn't ask questions. He rolled to the left and slammed his flaming fist into the soil where the man’s own shadow was cast. The heat baked the earth, and the Snake Man let out a piercing scream as if his own skin were being burned.

  "You... you figured it out..." the man hissed, stumbling back. "You attacked the shadow's source..."

  "I don't need to be a God to know that a snake is nothing without a hole to hide in," Kale said, his voice cold and steady.

  But the Snake Man started to laugh, a wet, rattling sound. "You think a little light is enough? I haven't even shown you the 'Deep Nest' yet."

  The air suddenly turned freezing. The purple light in his eyes didn't just glow—it began to bleed out, turning the entire clearing into a sea of violet darkness.

  The Cliffhanger:

  Just as the Snake Man prepares his final attack, a silver-blue flash of light cuts through the forest from a distance, miles away, yet so powerful it shakes the very ground.