DUEL OF THE GIANTS

— ...you are my warm-up. —

Ragnar's statement, arrogant and wild, hung in the dust-laden air. Luce did not waste a second. She rushed to Asimil, who lay unconscious, and dragged him with all her might away from the epicenter of the impending collision, pulling him to safety behind a formation of shattered rocks.

The battle broke out. It wasn't a fight, it was a cataclysm. Ragnar, despite his size, moved with terrifying speed, his battle axe leaving trails of yellow energy in the air. Goliath, with a crooked grin on his featureless face, counterattacked with the force of an earthquake. Each clash between Ragnar's axe and Goliath's obsidian fists created an earth-shaking shockwave.

Gradually, in the midst of that roar, Asimil reacted. He opened his eyes, his vision a blur of violent colors. A metallic taste rose in his throat and he coughed, a splash of blood staining the floor.

— Asimil, you're all right! — Luce exclaimed, relieved, helping him up. — Those blows he gave you... —

He shook his head, holding a hand to his chest. No... it wasn't her blows, he thought, a cold sweat running through him. It was the dagger. As he used it instinctively, the felt a cold chill inside, as if the weapon had consumed a part of his soul to give me that split second of survival. But seeing the concern on Luce's face, he kept the secret to herself.  — I'm fine. Just... a little bruised. —

They turned their attention to the battle. It was fierce. It seemed that both were fighting on the same level. When Ragnar managed to make a deep cut on Goliath, the wound would close with purple energy in seconds. When Goliath managed to land a blow that would have pulverized a normal player, Ragnar met it with a snarl, his aura of fury seeming to absorb the damage.

Finally, after a particularly brutal collision that split the ground between them, they both jumped back, panting. Steam rose from their bodies, one from the heat of battle, the other from the energy of the Void.

— Ha! I haven't sweated so much in a long time! — Ragnar roared, a wild grin on his face. — But this is boring. Dodging is for weaklings and sneaky assassins. —
He planted himself firmly on the ground, his axe stuck at his side. — I propose something to you, monster of the Void. A true duel of strength. No one will move from his position. We will take each other's blows, one by one. The last one standing wins. —

Goliath cocked his head to one side, and from his mouthless face came a low, rumbling laugh. He agreed.

— He's mad! — Luce whispered, horrified. — It's suicide! — Asimil was also shocked, but in Ragnar's suicidal pride, he saw a kind of strength he could not understand.

The duel began. The only sound was the brutal echo of the blows. Goliath's fist slammed into Ragnar's chest with a BOOM! that caused his armor to dent. Ragnar staggered, but held his ground. Then it was his turn. His axe struck Goliath's shoulder with a clang that tore off a chunk of his obsidian skin.

One after another. Strike. Counterattack. No defense. No dodge. Just a test of sheer, brute endurance.

After several exchanges, Goliath launched an attack charged with Void energy. The punch landed squarely on Ragnar and he seemed to stagger, one knee almost touching the ground.

Goliath prepared the final blow. But Ragnar, recovering, laughed. A harsh laugh, full of contempt.  — Pathetic... Is that all? -I pity such a weak creature who only knows how to regenerate and strike like a child. Let me show you what true power is. —

He raised his axe. The weapon began to glow with an intense yellow aura, the energy was so bright that it seemed the blade grew larger, a ghostly edge of pure berserker fury. — SENTENCE OF THE BERSERKER KING!!!!! — he roared.

He dropped all his power in a single, devastating downward blow. Goliath, overconfident, received it squarely, crossing his four arms to block it.

There was a moment of silence. And then, a sound of glass cracking.

A crack appeared in Goliath's arms. Then another, and another, spreading across his body like a spider's web. The purple light of the Void escaped through the cracks. With a final roar of disbelief, it exploded into a thousand shards of obsidian and dark energy.

Silence returned. The dust settled. Ragnar stood in the center of the crater, panting, his body covered in wounds, but standing.

He had won the battle.