The Demon King drove his fist forward in a brutal arc, and the ground beneath them threatened to split. Ketal caught the fist and set his weight. A thunderclap burst outward. The shock tore through the air, tossing Ketal’s hair back in a dark wave. He brought the axe down with his free hand.0

The Demon King caught Ketal’s wrist. The backlash shook the world. They stood locked together, each gripping the other’s arm, each pouring force into the clinch. It looked quiet, almost still, yet the pressure between them was savage.0

Stone groaned and the bedrock collapsed. The ground could no longer bear their weight and gave way, dropping them both like falling stars. The Demon King tried to tear himself free, but Ketal’s grip held firm. Choosing not to struggle, the Demon King drove his knee upward, aiming to drive it straight through Ketal’s solar plexus. However, Ketal had already read the motion. He stamped down on the rising knee before it could crest. 0

Power detonated. Hell lurched and folded in on itself. Both fighters sprang away as if flung by a catapult. Ketal righted himself first. He set his stance and fed the axe until Aura, the monstrous thing within him, and the borrowed holy power braided together into something thick and terrifying. Across the ruin, the Demon...0