**Chapter 17: Soulfire Clash**

The noble, face twisted in a sneer, hurled a bolt of pure soulfire. It cracked like lightning, the air shimmering around it, and slammed into Seraphina's hastily erected shield. The shield shimmered, buckled, but held. Barely.

"You can't stop me, Elias," the noble boomed, his voice echoing in the vast, ancient chamber. "I am destined for godhood! This power...this *temple*... it all belongs to me!"

"Destined? You're delusional," I spat back, channeling my own infernal energy. My brand throbbed, a painful reminder of my own ticking clock, but I shoved it aside. Now wasn't the time for existential crises. This guy was about to rewrite reality, and I wasn’t about to let that happen. He was just using the soul weawving that has been for so long.

We traded blows – blasts of demonic fire from me, shimmering waves of soul energy from him. Seraphina chanted, weaving protective spells, but it was clear we were outmatched. The noble moved with a speed and precision that spoke of years spent honing his Soul Weaving skills. The kind of experience with all of it, the demon and all the other bad things that may come with it.

I caught sight of Kael's sister, Keala, huddled near one of the crumbling walls. She watched the battle with wide, terrified eyes. That's when I noticed the noble glance at her as well. A cruel, predatory smile stretched across his face. Is he planning on taking what he wants?

"Ah, yes," he purred, interrupting my train of thought with a single, unnerving sentence “The little sister of Kael. An unexpected gift!". He gestured, and a tendril of soul energy shot out, snaking towards her.

"No!" I yelled, lunging forward, putting as much mana as I could, knowing that a battle might occur. I threw up a shield to intercept, but it was too late. The tendril wrapped around Keala, lifting her into the air, but it would get any more for whatever matters. And the battle, this horrible battle that it could be.

He smiled at that moment. Smiled as if he was taking everything and the bad ending that has come for everything or bad that it could do, but is there anything that can be done? That might not be it, but is it?

"Release her!" I roared, my voice tight. Really tight. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"She's a bargaining chip," he said, voice as smooth as silk. "A little… insurance that you'll cooperate. Or perhaps a vessel. She is, family is family. Like I had my previous apprentice or anything similar to that. Just gifts."

Rage flared in my chest, hot and blinding. I wanted to rip him apart, but I couldn't risk it. Keala's life was on the line. But that wouldn't stop him forever, or would it?

Seraphina, seeing my hesitation, took the initiative. She launched a series of rapid-fire offensive spells, forcing the noble to divert his attention. It was a calculated risk, leaving her vulnerable, but it bought me precious seconds. The noble has been always a dangerous killer, a killer above anyone or anything.

"Elias! There's a binding circle near the altar! Disrupt it! It's amplifying his power," Seraphina shouted, dodging another blast of soulfire.

Right, the altar. I’d almost forgotten about it in the chaos. I tried to remember it: the thing might even be something that stops him directly, but still nothing can be forgotten with this at all.

I focused all my energy, summoned a wave of demonic force, and slammed it into the binding circle. The air crackled, the runes flickered, and the noble staggered, momentarily losing control of Keala. That's what matter.

Keala fell and was free from all of this.

But that moment, that brief window of opportunity, was all it took. The noble, recovering quickly, glared at me, his eyes burning with fury.

"You fool!" he shrieked. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Now, I can get rid of you."

He raised his hands, and the temple seemed to respond to his will. The very stones pulsed with energy, the air growing thick and heavy. This had to be stopped, and if it was, I needed to have the power or anything but can it do anything that I am thinking of. Is there anything to grasp at this moment or is it everything for nothigness?

He has to be stopped. But how to do it?

"I will not allow you to corrupt this power!" Seraphina cried, channeling her divine energy. "The Gods will not permit such sacrilege!"

"Gods?" the noble scoffed. "The Gods are weak! Obsolete! I will surpass them all!"

Seeing Keala struggling to her feet, I knew I had to make a choice. Protect her, or stop the noble. I couldn't do both. Can even be protected? Or had to do something that can stop this lunatic here from getting off? A demon's help might also be for nothing, however.

"Seraphina, protect Keala! Get her out of here!" I shouted, steeling myself. This was it. All this work, all the lost people, all the deaths that it brought me. Whatever happens, I have to do something other than nothing here. Then it might or not be done but something that can be there.

"Elias, no! We can do thi-" she started, worried, as I know it has to be done in any moment by her, but I cut her off without any thoughts. The moment is more important than anything. And even the others.

"Just go!" I snapped, then focused on the noble. "I'm all you've got, you bastard. Come and get it."

Gritting my teeth, I launched myself at my opponent, weaving spells as quick as I could. Any movement that can do damage.

The air crackled with energy as we clashed. The noble, fueled by the temple's power, was a whirlwind of soulfire and divine energy. I parried, dodged, countered, trading blows, but it was clear that I was on the defensive. And a battle of pride, pride that has to be cut somewhere here. To bring the world back again or anything that will go off this situation to do whatever. If it needs to be done, of course, needs to be done.

He would hit, but I just wanted to counter any damage. Damage is what I was doing the best. As the power that has come through, there's a bad moment in my life, and knowing I might be running out of time. But I have to keep doing it or might never stop or save them.

Seraphina, seeing that Keala was safe at first, started to help me, and using her powers, she might do something that I do not truly know, and all it requires is powers. But is power everything? Is it only it?

I remember Kael. And knew that power is not everything there is. We still keep trying. We need to. The world is in line.

"You can't win, Elias!" The noble screamed, voice full of the power that it brings. "I will ascend! And this realm will be remade in my image!" His image should be something bad, or I truly do not know whatever might come from this hell here.

"Then I’ll die trying!" I shot back, summoning a grotesque demon tendril that has been in my head for so long. It snaked around his feet, tripping him I guess. All of this seems for nothing, I knew that.

It did not.

The noble grabbed the demon, and forced the demon's power to come to me- The overload felt so great I had to throw up some blood. He laughed and as laughter occured, I felt like I can't keep going. However, as Keala started walking around to us, all I could do.

"Stop fighting” she said, voice calm.

I tried to get to her, but I couldn't move. My body felt like it was made of stone. I looked with a surprise to see what was going to come here. And then it hits me.

"It cannot be done in a fight", she continues, getting closer. She wasn't even shaking now. How can it be possible?

I wanted shout, but no sound managed to came through. I can't even protect her now? Oh, please. This cannot get any worse than it all had.

She stood in front of the noble. And from the noble, they all looked at her for seconds. No moments of doubts. Her intentions, but that was clear. She wasn't even lying to know.

"I will change the world from here," she said, almost like chanting. "Whether you like it or not”.

The noble just started laughing.

"How? What are you supposed to do? What are you even planning to do?" He asks.

But no answer has come from her. "Oh, please. This cannot get more ridiculous than it all can."

And then she grabbed his arm, and everything started shaking like mad. The noble yelled for her to stop, but no one was going to come through her. She has been through enough. Her grief and all the loss of this could be more.

And I can tell what she was doing. No. She does not need to do this to save all. Please what are you doing?

The air grew colder. The noble couldn’t use his weaving skills. His body started decaying.

"You will die with me," she told him, completely serene. Her tone made me shiver here.

“NO!” I managed to scream from the top of my now throbbing lungs.

Keala and the noble are both glowing. What is even occuring from this? I had to do something. Even move a finger. If anything is going to happen now, or I will regret.

“Seraphina, help me!” the command barely audible.

Desperate for anything, I forced myself to get closer. I could see the horror in Keala as they did this. He needed to protect both, this was never about one. Something must stop her, or else she might be gone herself from the fight.

What can I do? Everything has been a hell, this can't be the end.

And as everything glows down, they just disappear. Where they go? I do not truly know.

It all stops.

The battle is over.

All has ended for now.

The noble might still be there. Keala might be getting more and more bad for all things.

But now, a new battle begins.

Everything is going out and starting now. This cannot be the death of any.

With a final look where they were, I fell on the ground and with the fatigue with all of that I lost conscience.

And there's the key for it, a new battle has been added.