Luis vs Zuni (Part 1 of ???)

The ground crackled beneath Luis as he pushed himself from the rubble, groaning, a trickle of blood running down his cheek. Smoke curled from shattered stone, and the sky above twisted with embers. His limbs trembled, heart thundering like a war drum. His uniform was torn, soaked in sweat and ash.

Across the crater, Zuni stood, teeth bared in a feral grin, his dragon eyes glowing with fury.

"You’re still alive?" Zuni growled, smoke curling from his lips. “Then I’ll just fix that.”

His chest expanded—and with a thunderous boom, a vortex of crimson fire burst from his mouth.

Luis thrust his arms forward.
“Water Mage: Tidal Wall!”

A roaring wave erupted before him, steam hissing violently as flame met flood. For a split second, the world was a haze of white vapor—but Zuni was already moving. The flame wasn’t meant to hit.

It was cover.

Luis barely registered the shadow before a fist like a boulder crashed into his gut, launching him through the mist like a cannonball. He slammed into a cliff wall, cracking the stone on impact. Pain exploded in his ribs, vision swimming.

Zuni landed with a thunderous thud, wings flaring behind him, talons skimming the dirt.

“Too slow,” he taunted, stalking forward.

Luis gritted his teeth. No choice—have to fight smart.

“Earth Mage: Terra Spike!”

Jagged spears of stone erupted from the ground beneath Zuni—but the dragon merely leapt, flipping midair, and slammed down with a roar, shattering the spikes beneath his feet.

Luis didn’t stop.
“Air Mage: Cyclone Fangs!”

He waved his hand, slicing wind cutting toward Zuni in a flurry of curved blades. This time, Zuni raised an arm, letting the winds slash against his scaled skin. Small cuts opened—but they barely bled.

"Scratches?!" Zuni bellowed. “That’s what you’ve got?!”

Luis knew he had to keep moving.
“Fire Mage: Phoenix Burst!”

Flames surged from his palms, engulfing the battlefield in a swirl of orange heat—but Zuni dove straight through it, laughing, his own flames surging around him in defiance.

Luis’s eyes widened.

He's using my element—better than me!

A clawed foot slammed into Luis’s face, sending him skidding across the dirt like a broken doll. He flipped mid-roll, digging his fingers into the earth to stop himself.

His breathing was ragged now.

Zuni cracked his neck. “Come on, Luis. You’re the Fourth Elite Mage, right? Where’s all that hype now?”

Luis forced himself up, knees wobbling.

“I’m just getting warmed up…”

Zuni grinned. “Wrong answer.”

He shot forward again, wings slicing the air, his fist glowing red-hot.

Luis twisted, dodging by an inch, and countered.
“Air + Fire Combo: Heat Jet Punch!”

His fist ignited with burning pressure as he slammed it into Zuni’s chest—but instead of flying back, Zuni absorbed the impact, grunting only slightly.

Then Zuni headbutted him.

Stars exploded in Luis’s skull. His legs gave out.

Zuni grabbed him by the collar. “Is this what humans call a fight?”

Luis’s hands sparked weakly.
“Water Mage: Sea Lance—”

CRACK!

Zuni drove his knee into Luis’s stomach, knocking the spell—and the wind—right out of him. He let Luis fall to the ground like trash.

“You’ve got four elements, and this is the best you can do?” Zuni snorted. “No wonder Kong lost.”

Luis coughed violently, his chest spasming.

“I’m not… finished…”

Zuni walked over and placed a foot on his back, pinning him.

“I’ve held back long enough.”

His body ignited, dragon scales glowing molten gold. His wings spread, and the ground quaked from the pressure of his rising aura. The sky darkened as clouds gathered unnaturally.

“Dragon Mage: Crimson Judgment.”

A sphere of compressed flame began to build in Zuni’s mouth, swirling, growing brighter than the sun. Luis’s eyes widened, still unable to move.

I can’t block that. I can’t even stand up…

Then—Zuni launched it.

The sphere exploded downward in a beam of annihilation. Luis braced for death—but at the last second, he clenched his fist and shouted with what breath he had left:

“Earth Mage: Core Shield!!”

A dome of dense rock erupted around him as the beam struck. The entire battlefield was engulfed in flame. The mountains shook. Trees miles away caught fire from the heat.

When the smoke cleared, Luis was barely conscious inside the cracked, half-melted shell of his shield. Burn marks sizzled on his skin. His left arm was useless. His vision was blurry.

Zuni hovered above, wings flapping slowly.

“Tougher than I expected. But not enough.”

He landed beside Luis and squatted.

“Next time we fight, bring something real. This was disappointing.”

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Luis broken in the dirt, the scent of burnt earth hanging in the air.