Chapter 41 protocol : Riven vs Silas, Part One

The desert was silent. The only sound was the wind scraping sand across stone. Riven stood at the center of the battlefield, his dagger in hand, Red Judgement glowing faintly along its edge.

From the dust ahead, a shadow walked forward. Step by step, heavy and calm. The aura around him felt wrong. Black clouds drifted from his skin, twisting like smoke. His eyes burned with faint sparks of lightning.

He stopped a few feet from Riven.

“I am Silas,” he said, voice deep and rough. “The one who carries the storm. And you?

Riven didn’t answer. He tightened his grip on his dagger.

Behind him, Lucy held the little girl safely in her hand, Kira kneeling on on knee, and Chiper stood watching. None of them moved. None of them spoke. They believed in Riven. They knew this fight belonged to him alone.

Silas raised his hand. The black clouds spread, swallowing the ground.

“Let’s see if you can survive me.”

The clouds shot forward. They wrapped around Riven like chains, pulling at his body, crushing his skin. Riven’s knees almost buckled, but he clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay upright. His dagger blazed with red light.

With a sharp roar, he covered his whole arm in Red Judgement and slashed. The power cut through the dark clouds, burning them away in an instant. He dashed forward with Flash, moving faster than the eye could follow, and stabbed straight at Silas’s chest.

The dagger connected.

Red Judgement burst out. The energy crawled over Silas’s body like fire, cracking his skin, leaving glowing red lines across his chest.

But Silas didn’t fall.

The cracks slowly sealed. His flesh regenerated, piece by piece, until his body was whole again. Silas grinned.

“Not bad. But you’ll need more than that.”

Before Riven could react, Silas slammed his fist into the ground. Lightning exploded outward in a wave. The sand turned to glass. Riven used Flash to dodge, but a second strike came from the sky—a pillar of fire. It smashed into him, sending him rolling across the ground.

He coughed blood, but stood again. His dagger burned brighter.

“That all you’ve got?” Riven growled.

Silas laughed, low and heavy.

“Good. Show me your strength.”

They charged at the same time.

Their fists met first. The shockwave split the broken buildings inside the dome, throwing stone and glass high into the air. They traded blow after blow, each punch carrying enough force to shatter stone. Riven’s Red Judgement covered his arms like burning armor, but Silas’s skin refused to break. Every time a crack formed, it sealed again.

Riven felt his knuckles bleeding. Silas didn’t even flinch.

The fight turned brutal. Silas caught Riven by the throat and slammed him into the ground. Riven used Flash, blinking behind him, and stabbed with his dagger—but Silas blocked with his bare hand, letting the blade cut into his palm before punching Riven square in the ribs.

The Executioner flew across the field, rolling through the ground. He forced himself up again, panting, chest aching.

Silas’s black clouds spread wider now, covering almost half the battlefield. Anything they touched crumbled into dust—rocks, sand, even shattered bones left behind.

Riven knew Red Judgement was the only thing that could fight it. He clenched his dagger, his skin glowing red as he layered Judgement across his whole body like armor.

“I’ll break you,” he whispered.

And he charged again.

The battlefield lit up as Red Judgement and black clouds clashed, burning and crushing against each other. Sparks of lightning and fire. from Silas’s body, meeting the crimson fury of Riven’s strikes.

Neither side gave an inch.

The battle was only beginning.